Chicago Fire head coach and technical director Frank Klopas recently traveled to Europe for his annual scouting trip. Earlier this week, the Fire posted a little story and a video of Klopas wrapping up his trip by visiting Atletico Madrid. Things have been fairly quiet on any European players that might but coming over to play for Chicago but the Greek press has the first morsel of information just before the European transfer window opens.

EUROPA LEAGUE LAST 32 DRAW

Porto v Manchester City

Ajax v Manchester United

Lokomotiv Moscow v Athletic Bilbao

Salzburg v Metalist Kharkiv

Stoke City v Valencia

Rubin Kazan v Olympiacos

AZ Alkmaar v Anderlecht

Lazio v Atletico Madrid

Steaua Bucharest v Twente

Viktoria Plzen v Schalke

Wisla Krakow v Standard Liege

Braga v Besiktas

Udinese v PAOK

Trabzonspor v PSV Eindhoven

Hannover v Brugge

Legia Warsaw v Sporting

* First legs to be played February 16, second legs February 23

EUROPA LEAGUE LAST 16 DRAW

FC Salzburg/Metalist v Rubin Kazan/Olympiacos

Legia/Sporting v Porto/Manchester City

Steaua/Twente v Viktoria Plzen/Schalke

Wisla/Standard Liege v Hannover/Brugge

Stoke/Valencia v Trabzonspor/PSV Eindhoven

Alkmaar/Anderlecht v Udinese/PAOK

Lazio/Atletico Madrid v Braga/Besiktas

Ajax/Manchester United v Lokomotiv Moscow/Athletic Bilbao

* First legs to be played March 8, second legs March 15.

Dopo aver conosciuto le avversarie di Inter, Milan e Napoli, negli ottavi di Champions, si è proceduto al sorteggio dei Sedicesimi di Europa League (andata 16 febbraio, ritorno il 23). La Lazio di Reja, non fortunatissima, pesca gli spagnoli dell'Atletico Madrid (prima gara all'Olimpico), mentre l'altra italiana ancora in gioco, l'Udinese di Guidolin, passata grazieContinua a leggere .

PAOK vs Rubin Kazan 1-1 Highlights Video 2011 Europa League Vierinha Haedo Valdez is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

PAOK vs Rubin Kazan 1-1 Highlights Video 2011 Europa League Vierinha Haedo Valdez is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter PAOK vs Rubin Kazan 2011 ( PAOK Rubin 2011 video below) Final score and result:- PAOK vs Rubin Kazan 1-1 ( Vierinha/ Haedo Valdez) Stadio Toumbas- 15 December, 2011- Thursday- Europa [.

PAOK vs Rubin Kazan 1-1 Highlights Video 2011 Europa League Vierinha Haedo Valdez is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

PAOK vs Rubin Kazan 1-1 Highlights Video 2011 Europa League Vierinha Haedo Valdez is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter PAOK vs Rubin Kazan 2011 ( PAOK Rubin 2011 video below) Final score and result:- PAOK vs Rubin Kazan 1-1 ( Vierinha/ Haedo Valdez) Stadio Toumbas- 15 December, 2011- Thursday- Europa [.

Shamrock Rovers vs Tottenham 0-4 Highlights Goals Video 2011 Townsend Defoe Kane Pienaar Europa League is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Shamrock Rovers vs Tottenham 0-4 Highlights Goals Video 2011 Townsend Defoe Kane Pienaar Europa League is a post from Soccer Blogger.

Football's craziest fans 2: Zagreb, Marseille, Panathinaikos, Split, AIK, Al-Ahly, PAOK and more

The sets of supporters that take it one step beyond

View the full story here: Talksport

A news article on 2011-12-15 16:44:09 from: Talksport

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

THFC1882 present a guest preview by Rob:

Shamrock Rovers v Tottenham Hotspur, Thursday 15th December 6pm KO ITV4

So here we are, at the last match in the laborious group stage of the Europa League. A competition that is supposed to be the second best European competition to win but in my opinion is just plain second rate as shown by the fact that not that many teams are interested in playing in it.

A plethora of former Tottenham players suited up in a Stoke City uniform and fully played their part in ending the Spurs' 11-game unbeaten run with an impressive 2-1 win at the Brittania Stadium.

Matthew Etherington, who was a Spurs player between 2000 and 2003, scored twice in the first half, with his opening strike being assisted by Peter Crouch, who just left White Hart Lane this summer.

Relax. We can still qualify The JimmyG2 Column PAOK acting on Danny Blanchflower's advice equalised almost before we took the pitch. Then like 'New York; New York' they liked it so much they did it again. 2-0 down in 12 minutes through slack defending and the future looked bleak. As Danny had once suggested, 'Get your retaliation in first' But that is at least the 4th time we've been 2-0

Things that girls know that boys have apparently failed to embrace #32: It is never acceptable to wipe one's nose on one's blouse. Not even when you've consumed a container ship's worth of champagne and couldn't locate your nose with a map. Image: MIGUEL RIOPA/AFP/Getty Images.

A title that truly embody's the spirit of this post.

THFC1882 presents Mike Hooley with a match report from a less than glorious night for Tottenham Hotspur:

Any hopes or expectations of progression to the knockout stages of the Europa League were all but extinguished last night, with Spurs never recovering from perhaps their sloppiest start to a game since the 4-0 reverse at Fulham in the FA Cup back in January.

By Chris Wright

PAOK? Powak? Pork? Pay-ock? I don't care how you pronounce it, I bloody love the little buggers. Last night, like Shirley Valentine before me, eleven men from Salonika stole my heart. They've even replaced AEK Argos as my favourite Greek club and let me tell you, that takes some doing.

Recreating 'Reservoir Dogs' could not lift the boys
After Blackburn Rovers' exit from the League Cup at the hands of Cardiff City on Tuesday night, Steve Kean suggested his side had "forfeited" the game to concentrate on Premier League survival.
And, while Tottenham are approaching the halfway point of the season with the opportunity to strengthen their hold on a place in the top four, Harry Redknapp showed no signs of surrendering the club's place in the Europa League against PAOK ahead of the clash at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham vs PAOK 1-2 Europa League Highlights Goals Video Salpingidis Athanasiadis Defoe 2011 is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

Tottenham vs PAOK 1-2 Europa League Highlights Goals Video Salpingidis Athanasiadis Defoe 2011 is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter Tottenham vs PAOK 2011 ( Spurs PAOK Salonika video below) Score and result:- Tottenham vs PAOK 1-2 ( Luka Modric/ Salpingidis, Athanasiadis) White Hart Lane, London- 30 November, 2011- Europa League- [.

Roman Pavlyuchenko has been ruled out of tonight's game with PAOK as a freak training injury is set to see him endure a spell on the side lines.

Yesterday, manager Harry Redknapp said after Pav's knee problem came to light,

'It doesn't look very good. He just banged it on Andros Townsend's head.

The fans in the forums of PAOK are adopting the same outlook of the game as all of our Europa league opponents. If we play our kids, they have a chance, if we play a half a team of key players, they'll get beat. The rest of this opposition fan forum preview is brought to you by the Greek Google translate, which was obviously having a day off, or was trying to sell me a clarinet.

The fans in the forums of PAOK are adopting the same outlook of the game as all of our Europa league opponents. If we play our kids, they have a chance, if we play a half a team of key players, they'll get beat. The rest of this opposition fan forum preview is brought to you by the Greek Google translate, which was obviously having a day off, or was trying to sell me a clarinet.

THFC1882 welcomes back guest writer Mike Hooley with a preview of Wednesday's Europa League game:

So, Tottenham Hotspur play a European tie on a Wednesday once again, in what all Spurs fans hope will be a prelude of things to come next season.

However, the fantastic current league run – nine wins and a draw since the Manchester City defeat – is put to one side this week with the return fixture against the Greek outfit PAOK Salonika, current Group A leaders.

Pint Pots as Gas Masks for the Gods of War
Aris 1-1 PAOK (23:10:11)
A ring of fire, flares, fireworks, tear-gas, an ambush.... welcome to one of the maddest places in the world to watch football, Thessaloniki. Fasten your seat belts as Graham Kenworthy takes us on an exhilarating ride.

Portugal coach Paulo Bento has replaced Danny & Silvio who have withdrawn from the squad before their crucial playoff with Bosnia due to injuries. Bento though did not call up Bosingwa which leaves many of us Portuguese fans scratching our heads. Malaga winger Eliseu and PAOK midfielder Vieirinha have replaced the injured players as the club prepares for Fridays first leg.

The loss in Kazan last night has left Spurs needing to avoid defeat in their next two games against PAOK and Shamrock Rovers if they are to stand a chance of progressing to the next round of 32 and it raises an issue that has been burning since our Europa League qualification was assured.

The manager has never been shy in letting his feelings known about the validity of this competition and words such as annoyance and irritation are never far from his lips.

Spurs assistant manager Kevin Bond insisted there were many positives to come out of the club's 1-0 defeat away to Rubin Kazan last night.

"To be fair, I thought we did well," Bond said. "A couple of senior players made their first starts and got their first minutes on the pitch this season.

Spurs: Cudicini; Fredericks; Gallas (Parrett); Bassong; Townsend; Falque; Livermore; Carroll; Pienaar; Pavlyuchenko (Kane); Defoe

Tonights game at Central Stadium was always going to be tough for Spurs, no matter which team had been picked. Rubin Kazan have some experienced heads from Russian League and European football and they showed it with a commanding performance against a Spurs team that had a mix of youth and experience.

25.10.2011 - El fin de semana, por la 7º fecha de la Liga de la castigada Grecia, se jugó el clásico de Salónica entre el Aris y el PAOK (1-1) en el Estadio Kleanthis Vikelidis (Aris). Abrió la cuenta Nikos Lazaridis (´3 Aris) y empató Sakis Papazoglou (´49 PAOK).

25.10.2011 - El fin de semana, por la 7º fecha de la Liga de la castigada Grecia, se jugó el clásico de Salónica entre el Aris y el PAOK (1-1) en el Estadio Kleanthis Vikelidis (Aris). Abrió la cuenta Nikos Lazaridis (´3 Aris) y empató Sakis Papazoglou (´49 PAOK).

Most Spurs fans would be forgiven for knowing little about tomorrow night's opponents Rubin Kazan. In fact, little was known in the footballing world as a whole until they emerged from nowhere to win the national Championship in 2008.

The club was formed back in 1936 and carried on for most of the following decades without making any impact in Soviet football.

Relying on promising youth is an ethos more familiar with the likes of Arsenal, yet it appears to be paying dividends for Harry Redknapp's side at the moment, especially in the Europa League.

Picking up points against the Greek side PAOK, in a tough away environment and Shamrock Rovers in front of the home crowd, Tottenham's youngsters are more than proving a point and are demonstrating that Spurs have a match-winning side in the making for the more competitive fixtures of the Premier League.

So, a lot has happened since my last post, and not much of it was good.

Before talking briefly about today's match, Ill mention the other two we played this week, even though Id much rather not.

So, PAOK-AEK in Toumba. Of all the derbies we play each season, the PAOK one rarely gives as much trouble as others.

So, a lot has happened since my last post, and not much of it was good.

Before talking briefly about today's match, Ill mention the other two we played this week, even though Id much rather not.

So, PAOK-AEK in Toumba. Of all the derbies we play each season, the PAOK one rarely gives as much trouble as others.

It took almost an hour for our Europa League group stage matches to come alive last night but three goals in the space of six minutes saw Spurs record a 3-1 victory over Shamrock Rovers who had taken the lead at White Hart Lane.

Prior to goals from Pavlyuchenko, Defoe and Dos Santos, it looked like being another frustrating evening for Tottenham, who had hit the bar twice in the first period and after the game, Harry Redknapp agrees that it could have been ‘one of those nights'.

Yep, 2 for 2 in the championship already. Who would have thought? Certainly not me (if I read correctly, we had 2 points by this time last season). And really, THESE are the games we must be winning. Take the 07-08 season for example, where easily avoidable home losses to teams like Iraklis and Panionios cost us the championship.

We've already seen that manager Harry Redknapp could welcome back both Sandro and William Gallas for tonight's match with Stoke City and while the rest of the side is still to be announced, the manager gave a strong hint as to who would be involved.

"We could have Sandro and William Gallas back, Pav needs another game, van der Vaart is back, Gomes, Bassong, Corluka that's not a bad team, is it?

But the men done better Highlights of the Europa game and all four (yes four) goals against Liverpool ( yes Liverpool) at the end of the blog. The boys,and I mean the boys, done good, But the men done better. First the Europa cup entree. The PAOK supporters lived up to their reputation even if the team did not.

Europa League Group A Thursday 16th September 2011

Spurs Team: Cudicini; Walker; Corluka; Bassong; Townsend; Falque (Fredericks 81); Carroll; Livermore; Dos Santos (Parrett 92); Kane; Pavluchenko

'The kids are alright' So sung The Who .

Europa League Group A Thursday 16th September 2011

Spurs Team: Cudicini; Walker; Corluka; Bassong; Townsend; Falque (Fredericks 81); Carroll; Livermore; Dos Santos (Parrett 92); Kane; Pavluchenko

'The kids are alright' So sung The Who .

This midweek looked to be a tough week for premier league representatives in the Europa League as no teams managed to pick up three points, although the likes of Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspurs can consider the draws they got were pretty positives considering they were playing away.

Meanwhile, the same thing can't really be said for Fulham, as they picked up their one point in front of the club's die hard fans at Craven Cottage.

This midweek looked to be a tough week for premier league representatives in the Europa League as no teams managed to pick up three points, although the likes of Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspurs can consider the draws they got were pretty positives considering they were playing away.

Meanwhile, the same thing can't really be said for Fulham, as they picked up their one point in front of the club's die hard fans at Craven Cottage.

PAOK vs Tottenham Highlights 2011 Video Europa League is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter

PAOK vs Tottenham Highlights 2011 Video Europa League is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter PAOK vs Tottenham Hotspur 2011 ( PAOK Salonika vs Spurs 2011) Final score and result:- PAOK vs Tottenham 0-0 Stadio Toumbas, Thessaloníki- Europa League- September 15, 2011 PAOK and Spurs play out a goalless draw as [.

This is probably the hardest team to predict so far this season as we have been promised as many as ten changes for tonight's match against PAOK.

"We've got a lot of senior players injured," said Harry Redknapp. "William Gallas, Michael Dawson, Danny Rose, Steven Pienaar, Tom Huddlestone, Sandro, Aaron Lennon, Rafa van der Vaart, all not fit.