Champions League Preview: Real and Barca the teams to beat - originally posted on Soccerlens.com

It seems that in almost every aspect of the game, two clubs dominate the footballing world. They are Spanish super heavyweights Real Madrid and Barcelona. Any team boasting multiple stars is said to echo Real's Galactico era, while teams from League Two to the K-League are said to be a mini-Barcelona.

Fluminense Football Club is a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil based soccer team that currently campaigns in the top-tier of Brazilian football the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Featuring former FC Barcelona, Chelsea and Portugual international Deco and current Brazil international Fred, Fluminense won its third Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title in 2010.

New Technical Director, Michael Emenalo is featured this morning on Skysports speaking of the Michael Essien injury and has openly admitted that Chelsea may not look to replace him this season and stick with what we have in his position.
When asked about replacing Essien who is out for six months he said:

"The squad is littered with world-class players and the idea of replacing someone or not replacing someone sounds a little bit ludicrous.

Fluminense Football Club is a Rio de Janeiro, Brazil based soccer team that currently campaigns in the top-tier of Brazilian football the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Featuring former FC Barcelona, Chelsea and Portugual international Deco and current Brazil international Fred, Fluminense won its third Campeonato Brasileiro Série A title in 2010.

Howard Webb will take charge of Sunday's potential title decider at Old Trafford. Now, before you sink your pain into some unlucky bloke's face, do we as Chelsea supporters even have reason to be upset?

Cordial debate

Webb is known for a pro-United bias.

Carlo Ancelotti is making headlines this morning after his pre match press conference ahead of Birmingham City at Stamford Bridge tonight because of one thing in particular and that's his comment made of the squad he was left with this season.
Of course as you can imagine with the focus of the questions about his future Carlo has explained that we haven't had the best of seasons because we never had players of enough quality to cover when we had our mid-season crisis.

Photo by cdsessums

It is the tentative dawn of Spring that so often exposes the true resolve of a football team. It is the time when trophies are won and lost, January signings can be truly evaluated and squads are tested to their fullest. With the season taking its toll on players' fitness I wouldn't imagine that there is a manager in the Premier League right now who is able to pick his true first XI.

It has been difficult to explain the recent down-turn in Chelsea's fortunes on the pitch these last few months. Following a breathtaking start to the season in which they won their first five games, and had breathing space at the top following indifferent starts by their rivals, they are now only just recovering following a [.

Didier Drogba is featured in an interview here speaking once again of Chelsea's form and the need to win consecutive games first before thinking of a push for the Premier League title.
He said:

Instead of thinking about winning the title, we should think about winning two consecutive games.

Well guys, yet another Portugal NT competitor has retired. That man is Tiago. Now, the fifth player since the world cup to call it quits for Portugal. Tiago joins Simao, Deco, Miquel, and Paulo Ferriera who all retired late last year. Tiago was always a classy [read more]

Carlo Ancelotti yesterday when asked about Chelsea's form and the fact that we let the likes of Ballack, Joe Cole, Deco and Carvalho go last summer, responded by stating he doesn't regret the decision at all and insisted the clubs youth policy is working.
He said:

"I always thought that this was a good squad, I thought this at the start of the season.

Croatian International, Nico Krancar, 26, looks likely to leave Tottenham in January after the club stated that a bid of around 9 million would be accepted...

Bio: Despite continued speculation that he would move to Arsenal, Nico chose to leave Hajduk Split for Portsmouth in 2006.