The 2011/12 UEFA Champions League has been an enthralling competition so far.
Out of all the groups in the group qualification phase, Group H contains 2 of the best teams in the European competition: Italian giants AC Milan and the current Champions League trophy holders Barcelona.
The other teams confined in Group H are as follows: Gambrinus liga outfit FC Viktoria Plzen, and Belarusian Premier League team FC BATE Borisov.

Pressure mounting on Villas-Boas at Chelsea - SI.com.

When Chelsea selected ex-Porto manager Andre Villas-Boas to be their new leader last summer, many fans were scratching their heads to figure out who he was, and why he was chosen, but people in the game however, had no reservations about his ability to lead the London club back to it's trophy winning ways, as he had led Porto to a treble winning season in 2011 with Portuguese League, Cup and Europa League triumphs.

They've got the World Cup, the European Championship, lots of little youth tournament trinkets and it currently is home to Ol' Big Ears, the Champions League trophy, so logic would dictate the Ballon d'Or shortlist to have a great Spanish influence. It does, but far more than possibly expected: 15 of the 23 played at least part of the year in La Liga.

You can really taste the Plata!Every season, Toronto FC has had at least one match dubbed as "The Most Important Match of the Season". There have been at least three already in 2011 - but this time they mean it! A win (and only a win) on Tuesday night at FC Dallas' Pizza The Hutt Park, will propel The Reds into uncharted territory - namely the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.

By Darshan Joshi

Like Martin Luther King Jr., Roman Abramovich has a dream. Or, rather, he had a dream, which really was less a dream than a looming reality. Problem is, it was ever looming, and it now seems to have passed him by. The Champions League trophy was on Abramovich's horizon for years, yet it turned out to be no more than a mirage, a now long-lost memory of hope forgone.

Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas all smiles sporting their new colors! Glory and lifting Cups is what awaits them.

After 3 seasons of seeing magical football displayed by arguably the best football team ever assembled I asked myself if it could ever get better than this. The answer is YES!

FC Barcelona has been drawn into Group H of 2011-12 UEFA Champions League Goup stage. AC Milan from Italy, Bate Borisov from Belarus and FC Viktoria Plzeň from Czech republic joined Barca in Group H to make for an interesting group. AC Milan is seven times Champions whereas Borisov is playing in Champions League for the second time and FC Viktoria Plzeň will make their Champions League debut this season.

"(Spain) is so hot right now." -- Mugatu, "Zoolander."Holders of the European Cup and World Cup. Winners this summer of both the U-19 and U-21 European championship. On top of that Barcelona are holders of the Champions League trophy.Seems like everyone associated with world soccer wants to grove a little soul patch, strap a balaclava around their necks, cultivate three days worth of beard

Alex Livesey/Getty Images (Bleacher Report) Lionel Messi has stolen the Champion's League spotlight this year as he leads the competition with 11 goals as Pep Guardiola's Barcelona team heads into the final against Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson.
Messi's two goals against archrival Real Madrid in the first leg of their eventual triumph were what allowed the Blaugrana to advance, and he will be keen to continue his success this year and hopefully help his side raise the Champions League Trophy once more.

When UEFA announced its Financial Fair Play regulations last summer, several names immediately sprang to mind as clubs that would likely have to change many of their habits from recent years if they were to be allowed to continue to compete in European competitions under the new rules. As such, last season could perhaps be regarded as one of stasis for the club after their double-winning season, and this summer seems unlikely to see vast amounts of money being spent in the pursuit of the Champions League trophy which has become characterised in some quarters as the primary obsession of the club's owner, Roman Abramovich.

Manchester United are going to be a much bigger challenge to Barcelona for the Champions League in the coming years, according to one Old Trafford veteran.

Gary Neville, who retired during last season after almost 20 years with the Red Devils, saw United beaten comprehensively in the Champions League final for the second time in three years by Barcelona.

There has been too much uncertainty surrounding the Cesc Fabregas saga for too long now. One day you have Sandra Rossell's menagerie proclaiming that their baby is powdered, dressed up and ready to serve at the hungry Camp Nou; and the next day you have the knights of North London tutting at Spain's lack of dignity and refusing any sort of contact between the two clubs at all.

Back in 2007, Owen Hargreaves was living the dream and things were going right for him. In his first seven years with Bayern Munich, Hargreaves had successfully become one of the best Canadian stars of the game. In his time in Germany, he was a contributor of four Bundesliga titles and a Champions League trophy in 2001.

Under the circumstances, Sir Alex Ferguson could certainly be forgiven for calling it a day at Old Trafford, picking up his golf clubs and his gardening tools and enjoying a well earned retirement. After 25 years, the United boss has seen and done it all in the game and the retirement of Edwin van der Sar, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, along with the imminent end of Ryan Giggs, marks the end of an era for Sir Alex.

With Guus Hiddink closing in on returning as the new Chelsea boss, the veteran Dutch coach will be under no illusions about the scale of the task awaiting him on his return to Stamford Bridge. It was a reunion that always seemed destined to happen Hiddink was hugely popular during his first spell as Chelsea coach and neither he nor the club really wanted to leave, but his contractual obligations with the Russian National Team meant he could not continue in the role.

The Sides of the 1920s, the End of the Club's First Golden Age

The 1920s were times of self-discovery for Barcelona. It was by that time the club started to recognize its symbolic meaning to the Catalan people.

It was at the time the club began to become more than a club. Jack Greenwell, the then manager, was the one who laid the foundation for success on the field.

Eric Abidal lifts the Champions League trophy for Barcelona. Image: AP Photo/Daylife

This is it, people. The final results post before summer kicks in and a Kickette staffer's thoughts turn to tanned torsos, embarassing holiday snaps and drunken snoozling on the beach.

Revel in every glorious moment of it.

As Manchester United parade their 19th league title, the rain-soaked celebrations are an appropriate metaphor for the 2010/2011 season.

On one hand, they've won their 19th league title (12th under Ferguson), a title United fans wanted more than the Champions League for the last two years, and a title they've richly deserved.

Barcelona's triumphant players paraded the club's fourth European Cup through the warm streets of a festive Catalan capital before partying with almost 100,000 fans at the Nou Camp stadium.

Boarding an open-top bus, Barcelona wound their way through the thronged streets with the European Cup and La Liga trophies displayed at the front of the vehicle.

Barcelona's triumphant players paraded the club's fourth European Cup through the warm streets of a festive Catalan capital before partying with almost 100,000 fans at the Nou Camp stadium.

Boarding an open-top bus, Barcelona wound their way through the thronged streets with the European Cup and La Liga trophies displayed at the front of the vehicle.

Eric Abidal has given a heartfelt thank you to his Barcelona team-mates and captain Carles Puyol for allowing him to be the first player to lift the famous jug-eared trophy after the match.

Goals by Pedro, Messi and David Villa sealed a superb 3-1 victory for the Catalan giants who bagged their fourth European Cup.

Barcelona lifted their fourth Champions League trophy last-night with a commandind 3-1 win over Manchester United

After finishing up the match report of Barcelona's 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Champions League final, I realized that this amazing victory deserves two posts. And so, because my "Best Images from..." compilations (Manchester City's FA Cup win and Real Madrid's Copa del Rey win) were so popular, I've decided to make one for this Barcelona victory.

For the second time in three years Barcelona and Manchester United will meet in the Champions League Final, with both clubs looking to win their fourth Champions League trophy.

This is the 11th meeting between these two clubs and the record so far is three wins each and four draws; neither side has won consecutive games.

Manchester Utd are the only unbeaten side in the Champions League this season (nine wins, three
draws).

Barcelona's only defeat in the Champions League this season was in London, when they lost 2-1 at
Arsenal's Emirates Stadium last February.

Barcelona are the best attacking side in this season's competition with 27 goals while Manchester United possess the best defence with four goals conceded in 12 games.

By Chris Wright

With two days to go until the biggy, we reckon it's high-time to begin ramping up the Champions League fever so, to that end, here's a whopping batch of brilliant photos from the last time Manchester United met Barcelona in the final the Catalans eventually running out 2-0 winners at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, May 27th 2009.

By Azeem Banatwalla

It's not often you'd find yourself in a situation that put Manchester United down as a clear second favourite, but that's Barcelona's dominance of the European game for you. Barcelona have scored more goals in just La Liga than Manchester United have done in all competitions combined.

By Dominic Vieira, writing from Lancaster, England
38 or 39, does it really matter? No! But to the Madristas or fanatical MARCA journalists it certainly does; that debate can take place elsewhere. A player who has scored 52 goals in 53 season appearances is sensational and that's a word which can describe Cristiano Ronaldo.

Monterrey defeated Real Salt Lake 1-0 to claim the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League title on Wednesday night. Monterrey won 3-2 on the aggregate. Real Salt Lake not only saw their title hopes disappear, they saw their 37 game unbeaten streak at Rio Tinto snapped. Monterrey's Humberto Suazo scored the game's only goal in extra time of the first half.

Real Salt Lake and Monterrey are ninety minutes from the CONCACAF Champions League trophy, ninety minutes from FIFA Club World Cup, ninety minutes from history. Either Monterrey will place the capstone on being the best side in Mexico over the past 18 months with a maiden victory at CONCACAF's club competition, or Real Salt Lake will signal a historic moment for Major League Soccer and US soccer with a Champions League win.

By JOSE M. ROMERO

With a win at home Wednesday night, where Real Salt Lake hasn't lost in 37 straight matches, the 2010-2011 CONCACAF Champions League trophy will find a home in Sandy, Utah.

It's quite a story. Real Salt Lake has become the darling of soccer in America, with fellow MLS clubs among the many who've gotten behind the claret-and-blue shield in mass show of support for the club.

It was a disappointing weekend for Manchester United as their hopes of winning a treble were left in ruins as they lost the FA cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday. To make the loss more painful, it was United's greatest rivals Manchester City who inflicted defeat on the reds.

Fortunately for Sir Alex Fergusons men, they are still in the run in to pick up a Premier League and Champions League trophy as the closing stages of the season heats up.

We lost, we looked pretty rubbish as is customary these days, and so the media and football fans will be speculating about the gaffer's future. Yet another season passes without Roman getting his paws on the Champions League trophy but will he immediately act on this loss and get rid of the eyebrow?

What do you people think? Is there any substance to these rumours or are the press clutching at straws? Being honest and thinking about Drogba at Chelsea NOW and not in the past, it could be a real possibility. After seven years of loyal service to Chelsea, and a chance of a final swansong and challenge playing for a man he openly admires, it could be the right time for all parties concerned.

The Interview: Just Football meets Marcel Desailly is a post from: Just Football

Ahead of an historic meeting between England and Ghana, World Cup and back-to-back Champions League winner Marcel Desailly speaks to Just Football about the state of African football, important lessons learned from his application for the Ghana job, the indiscipline of youth, why the few African players playing at Europe's highest level is not enough for him and much more.

Champions League Trophy // Foto CC edwin11

Todo está listo para el sorteo de la Champions league 2011, Barcelona, Tottenham, Schalke 04, Shakhtar, Inter de Milán, Manchester United, Chelsea y Real Madrid están a la espera de saber quién será su rival en los cuartos de final.

A strange look on Benzema's face after scoring
against his former club, Olympique Lyonnais
The curse is finally broken for Real Madrid, it had been seven years in which the club was unable to proceed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. If there was a man who would've broken the curse for Real, it was going to be Jose Mourinho.

A strange look on Benzema's face after scoring
against his former club, Olympique Lyonnais
The curse is finally broken for Real Madrid, it had been seven years in which the club was unable to proceed to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. If there was a man who would've broken the curse for Real, it was going to be Jose Mourinho.

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Inter Milan showed the stuff of champions in Munich, Arsenal can now only win trophy, while Fergie is hit with a big ban. You can listen to these and other stories on our weekly podcast and can find explanations of key vocabulary in bold below.

The Interview: Just Football meets Graeme Le Saux is a post from: Just Football

JF: Graeme Le Saux, thanks very much for speaking to Just Football.

Graeme Le Saux: No problem.

JF: If you wouldn't mind beginning by telling us a bit about the Champions League Trophy Tour with Heineken and your role as Ambassador.