Uefa Champions League

15th February 2012

The San Siro Stadium

AC Milan v Arsenal

It's down to the serious business of the knockout stages of the biggest prize in European club football.

Cate celebrates with Ted Chronopoulos after setting up Chronopoulos' second goal in a 2-1 win over D.C. United at Foxboro Stadium on August 18, 2001. (Photo by Art Donahue/artdonahue.com)

Former New England Revolution striker Marco Antônio Lemos Tozzi, better known as Catê, passed away on Tuesday morning in a car accident in his native Brazil.

FIFA's Club World Cup is again taking football down the wrong alley. FIFA is looking at the financial gains in organizing this competition instead of prioritizing the 3 key points that matter most:

• Stay close to the fans of the competing clubs
• Bring back the passion of a 2 leg competition in the home stadiums of the 2 finalists
• Limit this to a European vs South American champion final (until other continents reach the same level of football excellence)

Instead of that, the current edition is played in the neutral grounds of Japan or UAE for so-called football promotion efforts and some degree of sponsorship pressure (thanks Toyota.

FIFA's Club World Cup is again taking football down the wrong alley. FIFA is looking at the financial gains in organizing this competition instead of prioritizing the 3 key points that matter most:

• Stay close to the fans of the competing clubs
• Bring back the passion of a 2 leg competition in the home stadiums of the 2 finalists
• Limit this to a European vs South American champion final (until other continents reach the same level of football excellence)

Instead of that, the current edition is played in the neutral grounds of Japan or UAE for so-called football promotion efforts and some degree of sponsorship pressure (thanks Toyota.

The trophy that sets Man United apart from Liverpool, but why doesn't anyone in Britain care?

A look at British clubs' history in the Club World Cup and its forerunner the Intercontinental Cup/World Club Cup

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-12-18 08:10:00 from: Talksport

This news item has been reproduced from today's media.

Carlos Tevez has for the first time spoken out on his future saying that he wishes to return to his old club Boca Juniors. The 27 year old revealed that going back to City was next to impossible and that it did not matter if he took a wage cut to make his dream a reality.

Speaking to Gente, Tevez also said that he was tired of shuttling to and from England.

Kashiwa Reysol's FIFA Club World Cup dream ended today at the hands of South American champions Santos FC. Neymar was amongst the goals for the Brazilians as they claimed a 3-1 win against the J-League champions whilst earlier in the day North and Central American champions Monterrey CF won the 5th/6th place play-off, getting the better of African champions Espérance Tunis by the odd goal in five.

Brazilians Santos FC will participate in their first ever FIFA Club World Cup and are hoping to take the title back to South America after a five year period of domination for European clubs. Santos FC, who are based in Brazil's second city of São Paulo, will face the winner of the quarter-final between Japanese champions Kashiwa Reysol and North and Central American CONCACAF Champions League winners Monterrey CF on December 14th.

Did you know it has been 25 years for Sir Alex Ferguson with Manchester United? Fergie became manager of Manchester United on November 6th, 1986 so last Sunday marked 25 years with the team. It has been quite a ride for Manchester United in the last quarter century underFerguson's leadership.

WhenFergusonfirst took over Manchester United in 1986 he had to change the culture from losing into winning and the playing style from one that was haphazard to one that was more disciplined.

I found recently some very interesting videos for Pele, and they contain mostly not that famous goals. So, if you seen so much for Pele, all the famous WC goals, Santos Intercontinental Cup and the so much popular videos, and you still want to see more for Pele, you would like those clips.
What I like about these clips that in many parts you don't only see goals, but extended video of the game.

Following their fourth UEFA Champions League triumph on Saturday virtually every superlative has been used to describe Pep Guardiola's current crop of FC Barcelona stars. The Catalans' 3-1 triumph over Manchester United meant that Guardiola, in only his third full season in charge at the Camp Nou, has won ten major trophies including the amazing Sextuple triumph from the 2008-09 season.

Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideos best known for its professional soccer team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División. Nacional has won the Primera División 42 times, including 31 in the professional era. The club has also won the Copa Libertadores three times and the Intercontinental Cup three times [.

The Club World Cup is a competition which perhaps struggles for relevance in Europe (if not the rest of the planet), but at times both it and its predecessor the Intercontinental Cup seem, in hindsight, to have marked an era. Fifteen years ago this December, it featured two playmakers who seemed destined for greatness: for European champions Juventus, a 21-year-old Alessandro Del Piero was Man of the Match and the scorer of the game's only goal.

- United have had a higher average attendance than City EVERY SINGLE SEASON since 1947.

- United players have won the European Player of the Year four times (Sir Bobby Charlton, Denis Law, George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo). City players have won it zero times.

- When City won the league in the 1968, they had the 6th highest attendance in the country.

As the Euro 2012 Qualifier between Wales and England this weekend approaches it reminds me of a great sadness I've always had about Ryan Giggs. Despite winning 64 caps for his native Wales, he's never appeared at any major international tournament. No World Cup, no European Nations finals. It just doesn't seem right.

It two weeks time, Manchester City will have to reflect on the 35 years that have gone by since they last won a trophy. 1976 marks the year when Abba were at the top of the charts with Mama Mia, the first commercial Concorde flight took off and Rocky was the most popular film at the pictures.

Photo by AtilaTheHun

England and Manchester United right back Gary Neville has retired from football after playing 19 seasons at Old Trafford. During his career with United, Neville won 8 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cup medals, 2 League Cup medals, 3 Community Shield medals, 1 Champions League medal, 1 Intercontinental Cup medal and 1 FIFA Club World Cup medal.

Loved by the Red Devils hated by the opposition, Manchester United defender Gary Neville (35) has announced his retirement for the game with immediate effect.

Neville leaves the game having won 8 Premier League Titles, 3 FA Cups, 2 League Cups, 3 Community Shields, 1 Champions League 1999, 1 Intercontinental Cup and a FIFA World Club Cup.