retired_amyslack

Friday August 15th, 2003

The major transfer news of the week was the £16M paid by Sevilla to Valencia for Argentinean midfielder Pablo Aimar (23, AM C). Capped 21 times by his country, Aimar had struggled to establish a place in the Valencia first team for the last couple of years.

The FIFA World Club Championship was concluded this week. Newcastle won their third place playoff against Botafogo of Brazil on penalties after a 1-1 draw, but the winners were Barcelona who had a fine 3-0 win over Mexican side Cruz Azul.

In Belgium the first trophy of the season was decided when Racing Genk beat Lierse 2-1 in the Super Cup. Last weekend also saw Liverpool triumph over Manchester United 1-0 in the Charity Shield and in France Toulouse beat Lens 1-0 in the Champions Trophy. In Greece PAOK won the Super Cup after a penalty shootout against Olympiakos following a 1-1 draw. The Dutch Super Cup was won by Feyenoord on penalties after their 1-1 draw with PSV. In Northern Ireland Carrick beat Linfield 2-1 in the Charity Shield. The Polish Super Cup was won by Wisla who defeated Legia 3-1 and in the Super Cup in Portugal Porto beat Sporting on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

In the Republic of Ireland Dundalk look like the team to beat having already secured the Presidents Cup with a 3-1 win over St. Pat's Athletic and the Super Cup, topping the group with 2 wins and a draw. In the German League Cup Final FC Bayern defeated Dortmund 1-0 in a repeat of last year's final.

In Finland HJK hold a 14-point lead at the top of the Premier Division over defending champions MyPa, although MyPa have 4 games in hand and last weekend they inflicted a 4-0 away win over the leaders. In Norway Rosenborg continue to set the pace with a 3-point lead over Brann. In Russia Krylja Sovetov from Samara are still the surprise leaders of the Premier Division, a point clear of CSKA. In Sweden Malmo hold a 3-point lead over rivals Helsingborg with last season's First Division champions Trelleborg propping up the table with a mere 9 points from 15 games.


Spotlight on.....The English Premier League
Liverpool won their first Premiership title last season, holding off the challenge of defending champions Arsenal and Manchester United. The top three start the season as favourites, with Newcastle hoping to sustain their challenge.

Arsenal
2001/2002 - 1st
2002/2003 - 2nd
The Gunners will undoubtedly be mounting a strong challenge to regain the title. Manager Arsene Wenger has made a few summer signings to strengthen the defence, including Uruguayan Paolo Montero (31, SW/D C) for £6.75M from Juventus, Swede Nils-Eric Johansson (23, DC) from Blackburn for £4.9M and French youngster Philippe Mexes (21, SW/D C) who cost £3.8M from Auxerre. Veteran keeper David Seaman was released and has now retired from playing and seeking a coaching position. The other high-profile departure was the sale of winger Robert Pires (30, AM RLC) to Real Madrid for £15.75M. Thierry Henry (25, S C) had a fine season, finishing as top scorer with 28 goals and being voted Supporters Player of the Year.

Aston Villa
2001/2002 - 11th
2002/2003 - 12th
Perennial under-achievers Villa sacked Manager Graham Taylor in February and hired Micky Adams from Leicester to replace him. Last summer Taylor had made several expensive signings, including the experienced Christian Ziege (31, D/DM L) from Tottenham for £3.5M, young Dutch midfielder Youssef Hersi (20, AM/F LC) from NEC for £9.5M and defender Anthony Reveillere (23, D RL) from Rennes for a club-record £11.25M. Despite this expenditure, little success was achieved and his departure was no surprise. With rumours that talented youngster Gareth Barry (22, D/DM LC), the Villa Supporters Player of the Year, is unsettled there seems little sign that Adams will be much more successful than his predecessor.

Blackburn
2001/2002 - 14th
2002/2003 - 5th
With Blackburn languishing in the bottom half of the table Manager Graham Souness was sacked in March last year and replaced by Irishman Brian Kerr. Kerr's impact was immediate, with a 5th placed finish in the league and a UEFA Cup run that took them all the way to the final before losing to PSV. Kerr's most influential signing took place at the start of last season when he captured highly rated young midfielder Scott Parker (22, M C) from Charlton for a bargain £2.7M following the relegation of the Londoners. However, an ageing strike force of Andrew Cole (31, S C) and Dwight Yorke (31, S C) may be a limiting factor this season.

Brighton
2001/2002 - 18th in First Division
2002/2003 - 2nd in First Division
Newly promoted Brighton are the bookies favourites for an immediate return to the First Division. Manager Roddy Collins has been preparing for life in the Premier League by strengthening his backroom staff and bringing in Rory Delap (27, M RC) from Southampton for £1M and Ryan Robinson (22, D/M LC) from St. Mirren for £1.4M. Having just avoided the drop in 2001/2002 Brighton surprised everybody with their promotion last season. Signing of the season must have been Spanish striker Sergio Floro (22, S C), picked up as a free transfer, who found the net 30 times last season, outshining the highly rated Bobby Zamora (22, S C).

Charlton
2001/2002 - 20th
2002/2003 - First Division Champions
Relegation in 2001/2002 spelt the end of the road for long serving Manager Alan Curbishley and he was replaced by Roy Hodgson who guided The Addicks to the First Division title and an immediate return to the top flight. But then in a move that surprised everyone, Hodgson left Charlton for Birmingham who had just been relegated from the Premier League - Roy clearly relishes a challenge! Steve Coppell was hired as the new Manager in May. Coppell has made some interesting signings in the summer, including experienced keeper Zeljko Kalac (30, GK) (who has 44 caps for Australia) from Wigan for £1.9M and veteran Graeme Le Saux (34, D L) from Bolton for £700K. Influential midfielder Claus Jensen (26, AM C) is reported to be looking for a move so it could be another difficult season for the Charlton fans.

Chelsea
2001/2002 - 6th
2002/2003 - 11th
Just as he was beginning to get the hang of the language, Manager Claudio Ranieri was fired in November last year and replaced by Gary Megson. During last season Megson bought Laurent Robert (28, AM/F L) from Newcastle for £5.75M and Vladimir Smicer (30, AM/F RLC) from Liverpool for £9.75M. This summer he has signed the mercurial but unpredictable Georgi Kinkladze (30, F LC) on a Bosman from Derby. Powerful striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (31, S C) has recently been put on the transfer list at his own request. There are also rumours that recent signing Robert and versatile defender William Gallas (25, D RLC) are unhappy and looking for a move.

Everton
2001/2002 - 18th
2002/2003 - 3rd in First Division
The replacement of Manager David Moyes with Peter Reid in March last year could not prevent Everton's slide in to Division One. However, Reid was able to gain immediate promotion through the playoffs to restore Everton to the Premiership. With no major signings in the off-season The Toffees are expected to struggle to hold avoid relegation this season and much responsibility rests on the young shoulders of Wayne Rooney (17, S C) to get the goals required to survive.

Fulham
2001/2002 - 7th
2002/2003 - 7th
Most observers were surprised when, having won the League Cup in 2001/2002 and the team doing well in the league, Manager Jean Tigana was sacked in November of last year and replaced by Harry Redknapp. Harry has done little to strengthen the squad but he did sign the talented Sergey Semak (27, AM/F C) from CSKA for £2.3M. In the summer he sold Steed Malbranque (23, AM RC) to Schalke 04 for £8M and Steve Marlet (29, F RC) to Auxerre for £1.9M. Fulham will do well to finish in the top 10 this season unless Harry gets back into the transfer market.

Leeds
2001/2002 - 9th
2002/2003 - 8th
With talented players such as Mark Viduka (27, S C), Harry Kewell (24, AM/F LC) and Alan Smith (22, S C) in the squad, the Leeds fans expect more from Manager Terry Venables than he has so far delivered. The squad has been further strengthened this summer with the addition of the skilful Israeli Haim Revivo (31, F LC) from Urawa Reds for £4.2M and Angolan Jordao (31, AM C) on a Bosman from West Brom. The feeling is that unless El Tel delivers the goods this season his days at Elland Road may be numbered.

Liverpool
2001/2002 - 3rd
2002/2003 - 1st
Having delivered the one prize that the fans wanted above all others, Gerard Houllier has now become an Anfield legend. Add victories in the Charity Shield and the League Cup, together with a Champions League Quarter Final appearance, and he has probably been elevated to sainthood in the red side of Liverpool. There is quality throughout the squad with renowned defenders Sami Hyypia (30, D C) and Stephane Henchoz (29, D C) the rock around which last season's success was built. With just 21 goals conceded in the league campaign (and only 6 conceded at home), Liverpool were almost impossible to beat. Michael Owen (23, S C) and Emile Heskey (25, F LC) formed a very effective strike partnership, scoring 34 goals between them. The most significant signing of the summer was Dutch winger Bobby Petta (29, AM L) from Middlesbrough for £6.25M.

Manchester United
2001/2002 - 2nd
2002/2003 - 3rd
The league title has eluded Sir Alex Ferguson for the past two seasons, although the trophy cabinet has not been completely bare, with consecutive FA Cup wins. But with precious little success in Europe either, Sir Alex is increasingly frustrated at what he sees as a lack of achievement. With the only addition to the squad in the last 2 years coming in the shape of Costa Rican Solis (30, AM LC) from OFI Crete for £7M last summer, many observers feel that it is time that United put some of their cash to good use. But Sir Alex obviously feels that his team is good enough as it stands. And when you have the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy (27, S C) scoring 42 goals in all competition last season, who is to say he's wrong. The Dutch goal machine was voted the English Players Player of the Year, The Supporters Player of the Year and the World Footballer of the Year.

Middlesbrough
2001/2002 - 4th
2002/2003 - 10th
After an excellent 4th place finish in 2001/2002 Manager Steve McLaren must have been very disappointed to slip down to 10th place last season. The squad has been strengthened this summer with the arrival of the talented Matthew Taylor (21, D/DM L) from Portsmouth for £10.25M and the Nigerian Tajjani Babangida (29, AM/F R) from Urawa Reds for £5.5M. The fans at the Riverside will be keen to see further European action so a top-6 finish must be the target, although most observers would feel that this is unlikely to be met. With the club's top scorer for the last 2 seasons Alen Boksic (33, F C) released on a free transfer, it is hard to see where the goals will come from.

Millwall
2001/2002 - 6th in First Division
2002/2003 - 16th
Having reached the Premiership courtesy of the playoffs two seasons ago, Millwall escaped the drop by the comfortable margin of 10 points last season and will be looking to build on that success. Manager Mark McGhee has had a major clear out this summer, with no fewer than 11 players departing, mostly on free transfers. The only addition has been Dominic Matteo (29, SW/D/M LC) from Leeds for £1.8M. With a squad devoid of star players, McGhee relies upon the work ethic that he has instilled into the team. His players will have to work very hard indeed this season if they are to preserve their place in the top flight.

Newcastle
2001/2002 - 10th
2002/2003 - 4th
Who can forget the fairy tale ending to season 2001/2002 when Sir Bobby Robson's beloved Newcastle captured the Champions League trophy with a stirring 2-1 victory over Milan. The memory of Craig Bellamy's stoppage time winner will stay with us forever. As Sir Bobby slipped into graceful retirement, young gun Martin O'Neill was tempted from Celtic as the great man's replacement. O'Neill steered The Magpies to a respectable 4th place finish in his first season. Unfortunately, the defence of their Champions League title was short lived, as they failed to get past the first group stage. However, they did have the consolation of winning the Intercontinental Cup, defeating Vasco of Brazil 3-0 in Tokyo. Veteran striker Alan Shearer (33, S C) can still deliver the goods, as his performances in the recent World Club Championship showed, where he finished top scorer with 6 goals in 5 games.

Southampton
2001/2002 - 15th
2002/2003 - 15th
Manager Gordon Strachan continues to keep a somewhat mediocre squad of players in the top-flight, but quite how he does no one knows. The grim process of league survival has been lightened by a couple of good cup runs, reaching the League Cup Final in 2001/2002 before losing 3-1 to Fulham, and Reaching the FA Cup Semi Final last season, losing 1-0 to Arsenal after extra time. This summer's major signing has been Ricardo Gardner (24, D/AM L) from Bolton for £9.25M.

Sunderland
2001/2002 - 12th
2002/2003 - 14th
A couple of mediocre seasons has meant the recent departure of Howard Wilkinson and the arrival of Gary McAllister from Blackpool. With no major signings so far this season, McAllister has the unenviable task of coaxing a higher level of performance from the existing squad. It would be a brave man who would bet on him succeeding, but stranger things have happened. Much will depend on the partnership up front of Tore Andre Flo (30, S C) and Kevin Phillips (30, S C).

Tottenham
2001/2002 - 13th
2002/2003 - 9th
Manager Glenn Hoddle has not dipped into the transfer market so far this season so his league campaign will begin where it left off last season. Much will depend on the form of star player Robbie Keane (23, F C) and midfield dynamo Simon Davies (23, M RC). The strike partnership of Sergei Rebrov (29, F RC) and Steffen Iversen (26, S C) will need to be much more productive than it has up till now if progress is to be made. Some notable departures during last season included the veteran Teddy Sheringham (37, F C) released on a free, Darren Anderton (31, AM RC) to Notts Forest for £3.3M and Gary Doherty (23, D/S C) to Blackburn for £4.6M.

West Brom
2001/2002 - 5th
2002/2003 - 13th
To everyone's amazement (including his own in all likelihood) Gary Megson steered The Baggies to a place in Europe in the 2001/2002 season. With Megson head-hunted by Chelsea at the end of last year, Ian Holloway was the man chosen as his successor. With an unchanged squad Holloway will have his work cut out to emulate his predecessor. The closest that West Brom have to a star player is Jason Koumas (23, AM RLC) capped 15 times for Wales. West Brom's biggest weakness is probably up front and they will find goals hard to come by this season and may struggle as a consequence.

West Ham
2001/2002 - 16th
2002/2003 - 6th
A rather poor performance in 2001/2002 led to the departure of Glenn Roeder and the appointment of Steve McMahon. The new Manager made an immediate impact, reaching the League Cup Semi Final and gaining a UEFA Cup place. McMahon was fairly active in the transfer market last season, but his only acquisition so far this season is the signing of veteran Paul Merson (35, AM C) on a Bosman from Portsmouth. He has also sold Sebastien Schemmel (28, D R) to Charlton for £1.1M. Talisman Paolo Di Canio (35, F RC) continues to be an influential presence in the team but the jewel in the crown is still Joe Cole (21, AM LC). Cole already has 15 caps for England and was last seasons Supporters Player of the Year and English Players Young Player of the Year.

Wolves
2001/2002 - 2nd in First Division
2002/2003 - 17th
Having guided Wolves to the Premier league in 2001/2002, it was surprising to say the least when Manager Dave Jones was sacked in July last year and replaced by Alex Totten. Even more surprising was the survival of Wolves even though they did not add a single player to their squad throughout the entire season. This tight-fisted approach has continued so far this season - perhaps Chairman Jack Hayward is running a bit short of money. Veterans Paul Ince (35, DM C) and Denis Irwin (37, D RL) both left the club this summer on free transfers. It is hard to see how Wolves will last another season in the Premiership without bringing in some additional players.

2002/2003 Table

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st C Liverpool 38 17 2 0 44 6 10 7 2 29 15 90 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Arsenal 38 16 1 2 39 10 12 1 6 34 23 86 3rd Man Utd 38 16 2 1 49 11 10 4 5 29 19 84 4th Newcastle 38 16 2 1 43 15 5 7 7 25 35 72 5th Blackburn 38 12 3 4 34 16 9 1 9 29 30 67 6th West Ham 38 12 6 1 40 22 6 3 10 25 37 63 7th Fulham 38 12 2 5 30 18 5 4 10 23 39 57 8th Leeds 38 11 2 6 41 18 5 3 11 19 31 53 9th Tottenham 38 9 4 6 38 30 5 6 8 18 25 52 10th Middlesbrough 38 11 3 5 32 21 4 3 12 18 36 51 11th Chelsea 38 11 2 6 28 16 2 6 11 18 32 47 12th Aston Villa 38 10 5 4 37 26 3 3 13 19 40 47 13th W.B.A. 38 9 5 5 29 25 3 6 10 13 27 47 14th Sunderland 38 9 6 4 32 21 3 3 13 25 43 45 15th Southampton 38 6 8 5 18 18 4 5 10 18 34 43 16th Millwall 38 9 4 6 24 23 2 4 13 14 30 41 17th Wolves 38 8 7 4 32 21 1 2 16 18 45 36 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th R Man City 38 5 6 8 29 34 2 4 13 19 40 31 19th R Birmingham 38 3 6 10 14 33 4 2 13 11 28 29 20th R Preston 38 5 2 12 24 34 0 4 15 14 48 21</pre>


Game of the Week

Saturday August 9th, 2003
Scottish Premier League
Celtic 5 Hearts 0
Celtic gained their third straight victory in their league campaign with a clinical demolition of hapless Hearts. The home side were quickly into their stride and Julio Ricardo Cruz forced Hearts keeper Michael Heidrich into action 3 times in the first 15 minutes. Cruz had 2 headers and a free kick well saved by the young German. In the 24th minute a controversial incident changed the complexion of the match when Hearts captain Steven Pressley was shown the red card for an off the ball incident. Less than 10 minutes later and Celtic were in the lead. Heidrich made another fine save from Cruz but Stilian Petrov was first to the rebound for an easy tap in. A couple of minutes before half time saw Celtic double their advantage when Chris Sutton latched on to a long clearance from Ooijer, jinked past two defenders and sent an unstoppable shot past Heidrich.

Within 5 minutes of the restart Hearts fell further behind when a Cruz free kick deflected off the defensive wall and Joos Valgaeren was presented with an easy chance. In the 63rd minute Cruz got the goal that he so richly deserved when he headed home a long cross from Venetis to make the score 4-0. The final goal came from the penalty spot after a determined run from Didier Agathe was stopped illegally by Stephen Simmons in the area. Chris Sutton gleefully dispatched the spot kick to make the final score 5-0.

Teams
Celtic: Magnus Hedman, Didier Agathe, Tassos Venetis, Dianbobo Balde, Ulrik Laursen, Joos Valgaeren, Andre Ooijer (captain), Stilian Petrov, Chris Sutton, Julio Ricardo Cruz, David Vaughan

Subs not used: Stephen Crainey, Michael Herbert, David Fernandez, John Hartson, Michael Lamey

Hearts: Michael Heidrich, Thomas Flogel, Austin McCann, Gary Sundgren, Steven Pressley (captain), Stephen Cosgrove, Jon, McCarthy, Stephen Simmons, Andy Kirk (Ryan Davidson 61), Scott Severin (Jimmy Sandison 62), Robert Sloan (Dixon 55)

Subs not used: Andy Webster, Andy Carlin

Scorers
Celtic: Petrov 33, Sutton 43, 84 (pen), Valgaeren 51, Cruz 63

Man of the Match: Chris Sutton

Yellow Cards
Hearts: Stephen Simmons, Jimmy Sandison

Red Cards
Hearts: Steven Pressley

Attendance: 44,951

BarryLFC

I know how much work goes into a story like this - it's very much appreciated

retired_amyslack

Thanks HD. To be honest, it's much more time consuming than I had expected before I started. However, it is very satisfying and I plan to stick with it.

crazyvols@comca

We got 4.6 MILLION for that lump Doherty? Whoo-hoo!

retired_amyslack

European Soccer Weekly

Friday August 22nd, 2003

News
The major transfer story this week concerns the move of young Italian defender Enzo Maresca (23, DM LC) from Chelsea to Middlesbrough for £12M. Chelsea bought the youngster just over a year ago from Paicenza for £1.3M - not a bad profit in 12 months. On the same day Brazilian Matuzalem (23, DM C) moved from Brescia to Sampdoria for £7.75M and Xavier Becas (24, M FR) was sold by Angers to Caen for £3.9M.

Champions League
On Wednesday the Third Qualifying phase was completed and the qualifiers for the first group stage were decided. Celtic had a comfortable 6-1 aggregate win over Croatian side Slaven Belupo and Manchester United had the same aggregate score in their tie against Levski Sofia. Meanwhile Rangers lost a thrilling match in Rotterdam 3-1 after extra time with Feyenoord going through 4-3 on aggregate. With the home side holding a 2-0 lead with 3 minutes remaining, Rangers looked down and out, but Neil McCann grabbed a late equaliser to force extra time. However, Feyenoord were not to be denied and Pierre van Hooijdonk got the winning goal near the end of extra time.

UEFA Cup
The next evening the Qualifying Round second leg ties were played. Welsh side Caersws just lost out to Teuta Durres of Albania 3-2 on aggregate and compatriots Barry Town recorded a fine 1-0 win over Red Star in Belgrade. Unfortunately for Barry, they had already lost the first leg 5-0 but at least they went out on a high. Northern Ireland's Distillery had a disappointing 3-1 loss at home to Olimpija to go out 4-2 and Carrick lost 6-0 overall to Denmark's OB. But the Republic of Ireland had some success, with Bohemians recording an excellent 7-1 aggregate over fallen Hungarian stars Ferencvaros, Shamrock Rovers shocked Motherwell with a 2-0 win at Fir Park for a 3-0 total and St. Pat's Athletic beat Zalgiris 2-0 on aggregate.


Spotlight on ..... The Bundesliga
Whilst no one would predict a repeat of the thrilling climax of last season's Bundesliga, when a single goal separated first and second, another close contest is expected. FC Bayern will be looking for their 6th successive title but Dortmund will be desperately keen to deny them.

1.FC Köln
2001/2002 - 3rd in Second Division
2002/2003 - 14th
One of last season's promoted clubs, Köln finished a couple of spots above the relegation places. Manager Freidhelm Funkel has certainly splashed out on players in the summer, spending no less than £18M on four acquisitions and at the same time releasing 9 of the existing squad, mostly on Bosmans. His two major signings have been Frank Fahrenhorst (25, D LC) from Bochum for £6M and Hungarian International Pál Dárdai (27, M LC) from Hertha BSC for £8.25M. After such an outlay the Board and the fans will be expecting a good season.

1860 München
2001/2002 - 3rd
2002/2003 - 5th
Under the guidance of Peter Pacult, "the other" team in Munich have done well in the last couple of seasons. Last season they reached the second group stage of the Champions League and were German Cup finalists, losing 2-1 to Dortmund. Last summer the club splashed out £14.5M to obtain the services of Danish striker Ebbe Sand (31, F C) from Schalke 04. This year there has been a massive clear out of the squad, with no fewer than 16 players leaving on free transfers or Bosmans. This has been offset somewhat with the addition of 9 players, a mix of veterans and youth, for a total outlay of £10M.

Borrusia M'gladbach
2001/2002 - 13th
2002/2003 - 10th
It has been a story of mid-table mediocrity for coach Hans Meyer recently, but an active summer in the transfer market may signal better things. 10 players have been unloaded and 8 have been brought on board. The biggest signing has been that of Marcel Ketelaer (25, AM L) from Rostock for £8.25M. They do have a potential goalscorer in the shape of promising Danish striker Morten Skoubo (23, S C) but suffer through the lack of a creative midfielder.

Cottbus
2001/2002 - 18th
2002/2003 - Second Division Champions
Relegated in 2001/2001, Cottbus proved too strong for the Second Division and return to the top division as champions. Manager Eduard Geyer has had a busy summer in the transfer market, spending £22M on 11 new players. This has been balanced by the sale of 13 players for a total of £18.75M. It remains to be seen the impact that such a change in personnel will have and Cottbus are amongst the favourites for the drop.

Dortmund
2001/2002 - 2nd
2002/2003 - 2nd
Manager Matthias Sammer is convinced that this will be the season when Dortmund break FC Bayern's grip on the title. They couldn't have come closer last season, losing out on goal difference by a single goal. Consecutive victories in the German Cup have provided some consolation, but the fans are desperate for the league title. Dortmund have some wonderful talent available including Czech pair Tomás Rosicky (22, AM/F RC) and the giant Jan Koller (30, S C), Brazilian Dédé (25, D/DM L) and the hugely impressive Christoph Metzelder (22, D C). The squad has been further strengthened by the addition of the exciting young American Landon Donovan (21, F RLC) from Shakhtar for £3.1M and the highly experienced Dietmar Hamann (29, DM C) from Liverpool for £9M. Hamman will be hoping that he makes a bigger impact than his club mate Markus Babbel (30, D RC) who came from Liverpool at the end of last year for £6M but has so far only made 4 appearances for his new club.

FC Bayern
2001/2002 - 1st
2002/2003 - 1st
Despite their recent domestic success, Bayern have not enjoyed much success in Europe, failing to get to the knockout stages for the past two seasons. This is something that Ottmar Hitzfeld will be keen to rectify this season. There is quality throughout the squad, including last seasons German Midfielder of the Year Michael Ballack (26, AM C) and German Goalkeeper of the year Oliver Khan (34, GK). Other top players are Sebastian Deisler (23, AM RC), Brazilian striker Élber (31, S C) and England International Owen Hargreaves (22, D/DM RLC). There have been no significant additions to the playing staff for a year or two, and some observers feel that some new blood is required to stimulate the team.

Greuther Fürth
2001/2002 - Second Division Champions
2002/2003 - 15th
The new boys just managed to avoid relegation by a single point last season and Manager Eugen Hach will do very well to repeat the feat again this season. This is another team that has a much-changed squad, with 6 players coming in and some 11 departing. With no household names in the team, the nearest thing to a star player for Greuther is Austrian Gernot Plassnegger (25, D/DM RL) who joined last summer for a club-record £2.3M from SVW Mannheim.

Hannover 96
2001/2002 - 9th
2002/2003 - 4th
2002/2003 was Hannover's best ever season, finishing 4th in the league and reaching the German Cup Semi Finals. Much credit must go to Manager Ralf Rangnick for the way he has developed the team. This summer Ralf has been allowed free rein in the transfer market and he has taken full advantage of his opportunity. 12 players have gone to pastures new and a baker's dozen have arrived for a total cost of £24.5M. Big money indeed for a relatively small club. His signings include Rayk Schröder (28, D C) and Paulo Roberto Rink (30, F C), both from Cottbus for £5.25M and £5.5M respectively. But his most expensive signing is René Rydlewicz (30, AM/F R) who cost £6.75M from Rostock.

Hertha BSC
2001/2002 - 10th
2002/2003 - 13th
The Hertha Board have been changing managers with alarming frequency recently. First to go in March of last year was Huub Stevens. His replacement, Klaus Augenthaler lasted 6 months before he was sacked. The current man in the hot seat is the experienced Dutch coach Guus Hiddink. This summer Guus has been seriously re-vamping his squad. No less than 17 players have departed. Most have been released, but Hungarian Pál Dárdai (27, M LC) did raise £8.25M from 1.FC Köln. A total of £25M has been spent on 7 new players. These include David Mendes (21, D/DM C) from Olympiakos for £6M, Steven Pienaar (21. AM C) from Ajax for £6.25M and Chen Yang (29, S C) from St. Pauli for £6.5M. After such an investment it will be interesting to see how long Chairman Bernd Schiphorst will be prepared to wait for success.

HSV
2001/2002 - 5th
2002/2003 - 12th
A disappointing showing in the league last season saw the departure of Manager Kurt Jara in March of this year. His replacement is the legendary Sepp Maier, one of Germany's greatest ever goalkeepers with 95 caps for his country. This far there have been no significant dealing in the transfer market by Sepp and with an unchanged squad, he will be relying on his motivational and tactical skills to elevate the team's performance. The wonderfully named Argentinean Bernardo Romeo (25, S C) has been both the top scorer and the Supporters Player of the Year for the last two seasons, and much will depend on his continued good form.

Kaiserslautern
2001/2002 - 7th
2002/2003 - 3rd
Manager Eric Gerets guided his team to their best finish in the league for some years last season. The fans will be hoping for more of the same this season, but with no major signings to bolster the squad they may end up being disappointed. Much of last season's success was built around striker Miroslav Klose (25, S C). He has a wonderful year, scoring 25 goals and winning both the German Striker of the Year and the Player of the Year. A repeat performance will be required this season. He does have an able strike partner in Czech Vratislav Lokvenc (29, S C) and is well supported from midfield by the Brazilian Lincoln (24, AM C).

Leverkusen
2001/2002 - 12th
2002/2003 - 6th
Despite reaching the Semi-Finals of the Champions League in 2001/2002, Leverkusen had a disappointing league finish. Last summer coach Klaus Toppmöller ruthlessly pruned his squad, disposing of 13 players and generating £46.5M in transfer fees. The unhappy Oliver Neuville (30, F RC) went to Atletico Madrid for £18.75M and Boris Zivkovic (27, D RLC) raised £10M from Kaiserslautern. Toppmöller has yet to spend a penny of his windfall but with players of the quality of Brazilian Lucio (25 D C), Bernd Schneider (29, AM RC) and the masterful Jens Nowotny (29, S/D C) at his disposal he may well feel that he has no need of new players. Nowotny was the recipient of the German Sweeper of the Year award last season and it is unfortunate that he is somewhat injury prone. In the last two seasons he has missed over 5 months through injury.

Nürnberg
2001/2002 - 6th
2002/2003 - 8th
Since their promotion to the top division Nürnberg have been tipped for the drop each season, but have continued to confound the pundits by finishing in the top half of the table. Manager Michael Skibbe has done an excellent job to get his team playing at such a high level. Towards the end of last year Skibbe smashed the club's transfer record when he paid Hannover 96 £12M for Fredi Bobic (31 S C) and it has proved to be an inspired signing as Fredi scored 15 goals in 26 games last season. This summer has seen the arrival of Richard Knopper (25, AM C) from Lorient for £5.25M. Most of this fee has been covered by the departure of 9 players, including the £3.6M fee received from Cottbus for Kai Michalke (27, F LC).

SC Freiburg
2001/2002 - 8th in Second Division
2002/2003 - 3rd in Second Division
Having secured promotion to the First Division for the first time in their history, pretty much everyone expects Freiburg to make an immediate return to Divison Two. With limited transfer funds available Manager Jürgen Röber will certainly not be able to buy success. A dozen players were released in the summer, with out of favour Georgian Levan Tskittishvili (26, D/DM RL) bringing in a useful £4.4M from Wolfsburg. With key attacker Ibrahim Tanko (26, F C) out with a long-term injury it may turn out to be a long, hard season.

Schalke 04
2001/2002 - 4th
2002/2003 - 11th
A disappointing league position last season, after an excellent 2001/2002, saw the departure of coach Frank Neubarth in February of this year. New Manager Bernd Schuster will be expected to produce an improvement quite quickly. He has already released 9 players this summer, all for free with the exception of Kristijan Djordjevic (27, AM R) who was sold to Cottbus for £4.8M. A couple of promising young players have been brought into the squad - Dutchman Mike Zonneveld (22, D/DM L) cost £6.75M from NEC and Belgian Steed Malbranque (23, AM RC) was bought from Fulham for £8M. Malbranque joins fellow Belgian Emile Mpenza (25, S C) who, along with Gerald Asamoah (24, AM FR), will be key to any revival in Schalke's fortunes.

VfB Stuttgart
2001/2002 - 16th
2002/2003 - 2nd in Second Division
The last of the promoted teams, Stuttgart have had a couple of volatile seasons. Relegated in 2001/2002 they bounced straight back last season. The team has had 3 Managers in that time with Felix Magath and Miroslav Votava both fired. Klaus Augenthaler is the current incumbent and most pundits are forecasting an ultimately unsuccessful struggle to beat the drop. With a small and ageing squad, Augenthaler will do well indeed to defy the predictions. 9 players were released during the summer, with 3 signings coming in. Their most influential player last season was the Croatian Bosko Balaban (24, S C) who was signed last summer from Aston Villa for £4.2M. It was Bosko's 25 goals in 36 matches that were instrumental in gaining promotion.

Werder Bremen
2001/2002 - 14th
2002/2003 - 9th
Manager Thomas Schaaf has overseen a steady improvement for the last couple of years with the highlight being an appearance in the 2001/2002 German Cup Final (they lost 2-1 to Dortmund). With half a dozen of the squad having left in the summer and only a couple of replacements brought in, Schaaf may struggle to continue this trend. There are a couple of decent Brazilians in the team - Ailton (20, S C) and Roni (26, F RC), but a few more quality players are required.

Wolfsburg
2001/2002 - 11th
2002/2003 - 7th
The current Manager Volker Finke joined the club in April last year, replacing Wolfgang Wolf. This was a big disappointment to many journalists as Herr Wolf had provided many amusing headline opportunities whilst at Wolfsburg! Last summer the club invested over £20M on new players and it paid off, with Wolfsburg finishing in a creditable 7th position and gaining a UEFA Cup place. This summer Finke has been more constrained, with just 2 players joining, although 15 have departed. Their most highly rated players are Spaniard Diego Klimowicz (29, S C) and Brazilian Robson Ponte (26, F RC).


2002/2003 Table

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st C FC Bayern 34 13 3 1 38 8 11 2 4 28 10 77 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Dortmund 34 15 1 1 47 8 9 4 4 28 20 77 3rd Kaiserslautern 34 13 1 3 39 18 6 4 7 25 25 62 4th Hannover 96 34 12 2 3 35 19 6 5 6 29 25 61 5th 1860 München 34 11 5 1 24 9 6 4 7 14 16 60 6th Leverkusen 34 9 4 4 27 11 8 1 8 28 25 56 7th Wolfsburg 34 11 3 3 28 13 5 3 9 23 33 54 8th Nürnberg 34 13 1 3 37 20 3 5 9 25 41 54 9th Werder Bremen 34 12 3 2 28 11 2 4 11 17 33 49 10th M'gladbach 34 10 3 4 34 24 2 7 8 13 22 46 11th Schalke 04 34 12 2 3 33 18 1 4 12 19 47 45 12th HSV 34 9 5 3 27 15 2 3 12 19 36 41 13th Hertha BSC 34 8 5 4 28 23 1 4 12 13 37 36 14th 1.FC Köln 34 4 7 6 26 24 4 3 10 11 24 34 15th Greuther Fürth 34 5 4 8 23 26 3 2 12 9 27 30 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------16th R Bochum 34 5 5 7 26 30 2 3 12 18 37 29 17th R Bielefeld 34 7 1 9 29 37 1 2 14 18 48 27 18th R Lübeck 34 2 7 8 20 30 1 2 14 7 43 18</pre>


Game of the Week

Thursday August 21st, 2003
UEFA Cup Qualifying Round Second Leg
Motherwell 0 Shamrock Rovers 2 (aggregate 0-3)
Having been surprisingly beaten 1-0 in the first leg in Dublin, Motherwell were anxious to get an early goal. However, the visitors kept things tight at the back and the home team struggled to create an opening. The first effort on goal was not until the 25th minute, but a fine effort it was. Steven Rennie picked up a loose ball and his chipped pass reached James McFadden on the corner of the penalty area. The youngster's first-time volley looked a goal all the way until it smashed off the bar and rebounded to safety. A few minutes later Rovers almost caught Motherwell napping. A low cross from Shane Robinson played behind the defence found Martin Kavanagh but his shot was too near the keeper and Craig Nelson was able to get a hand to it.

Motherwell's next opportunity came from a free kick played in by Martyn Corrigan. Dirk Lehmann outjumped David Healy but his header was palmed away by Tony O'Dowd. Stephen McGuinness was first to the ball and his long clearance fell to Sean Francis who powered his way down the right flank. His cross reached Kavanagh in the area but his first time volley flew wide. On the stroke of half time McFadden made a determined run to the byline and hit the ball in hard and low. Corrigan got a touch but once again O'Dowd made the save.

In the second half the visitors started to venture forward a bit more and had a spell of sustained pressure. A 4-man passing move resulted in Nelson making a good save from substitute Anthony Stewart. From the resulting corner Patrick Deans forced Nelson into action again as the keeper turned his header away for another corner. Rovers right wingback Shane Robinson was having an excellent game and he sent in a well-placed corner. Mark Campbell just beat Pat Scully to the ball, at the expense of yet another corner. This time Robinson's delivery wasn't quite so good and Motherwell managed to clear the ball at last.

But the visitors kept up the pressure, denying the home side any time and space. And then in the 61st minute a fine run and cross from Robinson was met by the head of Alan Doherty and Rovers were in front. Motherwell now had a mountain to climb, with the away goal meaning that they would have to score 3 to go through. They almost equalised straight from the restart as a flowing move presented Derek Adams with a great chance. Unfortunately he lost his composure and sliced his shot well wide. Then with 20 minutes left Rovers made the tie safe. Once again Robinson was the provider as another strong run and cross found Sean Francis. His shot was slightly mis-hit but it was still good enough to slip past Nelson. To their credit Motherwell kept coming forward, and created 4 good chances before the end of the game. However a combination of poor finishing and determined defending kept them at bay and allowed Shamrock Rovers to record an excellent victory over their more-favoured opponents.

Teams
Motherwell: Craig Nelson, Graeme Mathie, David Partridge, Mark Campbell, Steven Rennie, Scott Leitch (captain), Martyn Corrigan, Keith Lasley (Mark Canning 54), Joe Osei-Kuffour (Derek Adams 59), Dirk Lehmann, James McFadden

Subs not used: Mark Mills, Steven Woods, David Clarke, Ian Morris, Martin Lauchlan

Shamrock Rovers: Tony O'Dowd (captain), Shane Robinson, Patrick Deans (Colin Boyle 66), Stephen McGuinness, Terry Palmer, Pat Scully, David Healy (Jason Colwell 75), Alan Doherty, Martin Kavanagh (Anthony Stewart 50), Sean Francis, Richie Byrne

Subs not used: Kevin Kenny, Paul Bailie, Kevin O'Shea, James Keddy

Scorers
Shamrock Rovers: Doherty 61, Francis 71

Man of the Match: Shane Robinson

Yellow Cards
Motherwell: Scott Leitch
Shamrock Rovers: David Healy

Attendance: 6,520


Stop Press
The European Super Cup was decided tonight, with Barcelona beating PSV 1-0 after extra time. An open and entertaining game ended 0-0 at full time. Neither side could make a breakthrough in extra time but, with penalties fast approaching, Dani broke the deadlock in the last minute with a "Golden Goal".

retired_zamzam

Great stuff...

Starling2003

This is awsome, keep it up!!!

retired_amyslack

Thanks guys

European Soccer Weekly

Friday August 29th, 2003

News
Seven days is a long time in football. Last week we were commenting on the fine job that Thomas Schaaf has been doing at Werder Bremen; this week our top news item is his sacking. Bremen have played 5 competitive matches so far this season and lost them all. They were defeated in both legs of their Inter-Toto tie against Turkish side Gaziantepspor and have lost both of their league matches and lie bottom of the table. But the final straw was their defeat in the German Cup 1st Round to Ahlen from the Regional League.

The biggest transfer of the week also took place in Germany with Luizao (27, S C) leaving Hertha for 1.FC Köln for a fee of £9.25M. The Brazilian was not a regular starter at Köln but when he got a game he usually also managed to get a goal. His scoring rate of 14 goals in 25 games is not to be sniffed at.

The Finnish season is two-thirds complete and HJK still head the table but defending champions MyPa have 3 games in hand but an 11-point deficit to make up. At the bottom of the table AC Allianssi and KuPS are beginning to lose touch with the teams above them.

With 6 games remaining in Norway it is very tight at the top. Brann have top spot on goal difference over Rosenborg, with Molde two points back and Lyn one point behind them. At the foot of the table Lillestrøm, Sogndal and last seasons First Division champions L/F Hønefoss prop up the table.

In Russia Krylja Sovetov continue to set the pace, with a 4-point lead over Lokomotiv Moscow with CSKA a point further back. At the opposite end of the table things look grim for Uralan and Chernomorets.

There is a fine old battle taking place in Sweden with just one point separating the top three. Hamlstad hold first place on goal difference from defending champs Elfsborg with Malmo third. At the bottom Trelleborg look doomed, lying 9 points from safety and running out of games.

The Spanish Super Cup was decide this week, with Athletic Bilbao recording a superb 6-3 aggregate win over Barcelona. Having lost the first leg 2-0 away from home, the Spanish Cup winners from last season demolished Barca 6-1 in Bilbao.


Spotlight on ..... The Spanish Primera Liga

Many commentators would say that the Spanish First Division (the Primera Liga) is the perhaps the most competitive league in Europe. With so many strong teams there is rarely an easy game and whoever wins this title are worthy champions indeed.

Athletic Bilbao
2001/2002 - 1st
2002/2003 - 4th
Athletic Bilbao caused a major upset two seasons ago by winning their first title since 1984. German Manager Jupp Heynckes has continued to bring success to the club. Despite a slightly disappointing 4th place finish last season, Bilbao won the Spanish Cup and the Super Cup, and reached the Quarter Finals of the Champions League before bowing out to Inter. Their achievements are all the more impressive considering the club's policy of only signing Basque players. Key players include Julen Guerrero (29, AM C), Ismael Urzaiz (31, S C) and Tiko (26, AM C). Urzaiz won the Spanish Player of the Year award last season having score 26 goals in 49 games.

Atlético Madrid
2001/2002 - 5th
2002/2003 - 5th
Their veteran Manager Luis Aragones was sacked this summer and replaced by Fernando Castro Santos who himself had been fired by Valencia a few weeks earlier. The board are clearly desperate to move out of the shadows of their neighbours, the famous Real Madrid. Despite the change of manager, there are rumours of much discontent and disharmony, with a number of players unhappy with their current contracts. Last season's major signing Oliver Neuville (30, F RC), bought from Leverkusen for £18.75M, had a fine debut season, scoring 23 goals. Other important players include the young Argentinean defender Fabricio Coloccini (21, D C) and Javi Moreno (28, S C).

Badajoz
2001/2002 - 16th in Second Division
2002/2003 - 3rd in Second Division
Following an undistinguished season in 2001/2002 it was quite a surprise when Badajoz were promoted from the Second Division last year. It will be an even bigger surprise if they do not return there this season. Last summer their young Manager Rodri made wholesale changes to the squad, bringing in no less than 16 players with 6 departing. His most inspired purchase was the Costa Rican international Senteno (28, S C) from AEK Athens for £1.1M. His 24 goals played a big part in their promotion. Another half a dozen players have come in this season. Rodri has played the transfer market very astutely in the last couple of seasons. He has brought in 27 players for an outlay of £4.1M, but this has been more than balanced by the sale of just 8 players for £5M.

Barcelona
2001/2002 - 2nd
2002/2003 - 1st
Under the guidance of Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, Barca have been one of the most successful clubs in Europe over the past two seasons. In 2001/2002 they won the UEFA Cup, beating Rosenborg 1-0 after extra time. Last season they won the Champions League as well as the First Division title. This was in addition to the European Super Cup. It was no surprise that the Dutchman won the Spanish Manager of the Year award for the second consecutive season. The only significant acquisitions in that time was the purchase of Lilian Thuram (31, D RC) from Juventus for £12M in June and Victor (29, F RC) for £4.3M from Villarreal in July. With a squad packed full of talent, it is difficult to highlight individual players. However, the strike partnership of Patrick Kluivert (27, S C) and Javier Saviola (21, F C) takes some stopping. Combine that with midfield talent such as Gaizka Mendieta (29, AM RC) and Juan Roman Riquelme (25, A MC) and you can see why they have had such success.

Betis
2001/2002 - 6th
2002/2003 - 2nd
Real Betis had the best season in their history last year, finishing as runners-up to Barcelona in the league under the control of Manager Paco Fortes. Their best-known player is probably the Brazilian midfielder Denilson (26, AM/F LC). However at the end of last month they set a new transfer record by splashing out £16.25M on Djibril Cisse (22, S C) from Auxerre. Unfortunately Cisse is currently sidelined with a groin strain and is not expected to see any action for at least 2 months. It would be surprising if they can repeat their heroics of last season and mount a championship challenge.

Celta
2001/2002 - 7th
2002/2003 - 9th
Celta Vigo invested nearly £20M in new players last season but still managed to finish lower in the league than in the previous season. Hernan Jorge Crespo (27, S C) was signed from Inter for £7.5M last summer. Crespo had done OK at Inter so his sale was a surprise and, based on his performance for Celta he has been a bargain signing. His 28 goals made him the First Division's highest goalscorer last season. In December last year, 3 more players joined - Boudewijn Zenden (27, AM/F L) for £5.25M from Chelsea, Josep Guardiola (32, DM C) for £4.2M from Roma and Dida (29, GK) from Milan for £2.8M. None of these players have been much of a success thus far. We suspect that Manager Miguel Angel Lotina may find his position in jeopardy if he fails to deliver a better league performance this season. Celta did reach the 4th round of the UEFA Cup before losing to eventual finalists Blackburn.

Deportivo
2001/2002 - 3rd
2002/2003 - 6th
Manager Irureta was another big spender last December, bringing in Celtic legend Henrik Larsson (31, F C) for £9.25M and Jose Maria Movilla (28, DM LC) from Atletico Madrid for £10.75M. Deportivo continue to depend on the goals of Diego Tristan (27, S C) and the creative play of Roy Makaay (28, F RC). Much is expected of the team by their supporters this season, and failure to deliver could result in a change in management.

Elche
2001/2002 - 2nd in Second Division
2002/2003 - 13th
Following their promotion from the 2nd Division last season, Elche surprised everybody by not just retaining their place in the Primera Liga, but finishing a respectable 13th. Manager Txetxu Rojo has brought the best out of a small but tightly knit squad. Key players include last season's top scorer Jose David Cabello (25, F C) and fellow forward Manuel Serrano (30 S C). It would be another fine achievement to avoid the drop this season.

Espanyol
2001/2002 - 15th
2002/2003 - 16th
The "Other" team in Barcelona are even more firmly in the shadow of their illustrious neighbours than Atlético Madrid are compared to Real. Perennial strugglers in the league, the club parted company with Javier Clemente towards the end of last year and replaced him with Julian Rubio. With little money to spend on players, the squad has not been improved materially in the past two seasons. Their most prominent players are Savo Milosevic (29, S C) and Martin Posse (28, F RC). Savo will be well known to Aston Villa fans and is not the most prolific of goalscorers. There seems little prospect of Espanyol having any more success than of recent times and they look likely to be in the thick of the relegation struggle.

Levante
2001/2002 - 7th in Second Division
2002/2003 - 2nd in Second Division
The second of last season's promoted teams, Valencia's less-distinguished neighbours Levante are inevitably regarded as a prime relegation contender this season. Manager Gonzalo Arkonada has steadily improved the squad over the last 12 months or so. His most expensive signing took place earlier this month with the purchase of Hector (28, D R) for £1.5M from Deportivo. The books have been more than balanced by a couple of big sales - at the end of last year Felix Dja Ettien (23, D RC) went to Tenerife for £3.5M and this summer saw the departure of Dani Pendin (28, M RC) to Oviedo for £2.3M. There are many veteran players in the squad, with one of last season's top performers the experienced Antonio Diaz (34, AM C) who scored a remarkable 20 goals in 36 appearances.

Malaga
2001/2002 - 8th
2002/2003 - 15th
Having dispensed with the services of Manager Joaquin Piero last summer and replaced him with Rafa Benitez, the club must have been very disappointed to have had such a poor season. The new manager spent over £13M on players, including Anatoliy Tymoschuck (24, D/DM RLC), Fernando Sales (25, AM RC), Savio (29, AM L) and Luis Garcia (25, F LC). Although not a prolific scorer, Dario Silva (30, F C) remains the fan's favourite, winning the Supporters Player of the year award for the last 2 seasons.

Oviedo
2001/2002 - 3rd in Second Division
2002/2003 - 14th
Under the guidance of Quique Marigil, little Oviedo had a marvellous 2001/2002, gaining promotion from the Second Division and reaching the Spanish Cup Final, losing to penalties to Real Madrid after a 1-1 draw. Having maintained their top-flight status last season, the club has invested some £7M in players this season. One of the most interesting purchases is the £2M spent on ex-Liverpool keeper Sander Westerveld (28, GK) who joined from Real Sociedad. Established players such as Roberto Losada (26, F RC), �ñigo Idiákez (29, DM RC) and Oli (31, S C) will need to be at their best to keep Oviedo out of the relegation dogfight.

Racing Santander
2001/2002 - 17th
2002/2003 - 11th
Having just avoided relegation in 2001/2002, Manager Manuel Preciado did very well to steer the club to a mid-table finish in the last campaign. Young Nigerian Julius Agahowa (21, F RLC) was purchased from Shakhtar for £4.2M last December and was a key figure in Santander's success. The fans were therefore disappointed when he was sold to Real Madrid in the summer for £12.75M, but from a financial perspective, it was an offer that could not be refused. Most of the profits have been used to strengthen the squad, buying players such as Jesuli (25, F LC) for £3.9M and Pablo Coira (23, D R) for £3.3M, both from Celta. Veteran Albert Ferrer (33, D RC) also joined from Sunderland for £525K.

Real Madrid
2001/2002 - 4th
2002/2003 - 3rd
The hiring of Juande Ramos to replace the sacked Vicente Del Bosque in April last year has not resulted in any significant success. A solitary Spanish Cup win in 2001/2002 is all that Real have won in the past 2 seasons. Even worse, they have failed to progress past the Phase 1 group matches in the Champions League in that time. With nearly £45M spent on players in that time we cannot see Ramos lasting much longer without some significant improvement. Having said that, he has recouped some £35M in sales over the same period. This summer has seen the arrival of Robert Pires (30, AM RLC) from Arsenal for £15.75M and Clarence Seedorf (27, DM RLC) from Milan for £14.25M. On the selling side, big names Figo (30, F RLC) has gone to Lazio for £8.25M and Zinedine Zidane (31, AM C) has joined Milan for £16.5M. With major stars in the squad such as Raul (26, F LC), Fernando Morientes (27, S C), Ronaldo (26, S C) and Roberto Carlos (30, D L), everyone expects Real to be challenging for major honours this season.

Real Sociedad
2001/2002 - 16th
2002/2003 - 10th
A poor 2001/2002 saw the departure of Gonzalo Arkonada and the arrival of Vicente Del Bosque. Last summer Del Bosque made some excellent signings, including exciting young Swede Kim Källström (21, DM C) for £3.1M from Djurgarden and Costa Rican forward Ronald Gomez (28, F RLC). Gomez excelled last season, scoring 23 goals. This summer the veteran Russian Alexander Mostovoi (35, AM LC) joined on a Bosman from Celta. Still a class act, despite his advancing years, Lexi could be a shrewd signing as his experience will be invaluable.

Sevilla
2001/2002 - 12th
2002/2003 - 7th
Sevilla rocked Spanish football earlier this summer when they concluded the purchase of the promising young Argentinean Pablo Aimar (23, AM C) from Valencia for £16M. With this level of investment, Manager Joaquin Caparros will be expected to be pushing for a place in Europe this season. Sevilla have another young midfielder of huge potential in the shape of Jose Antonio Reyes (19, F LC). They are somewhat handicapped however, by the lack of an effective goalscorer to take advantage of their creative midfield talent.

Tenerife
2001/2002 - Second Division Champions
2002/2003 - 17th
Tenerife finished last season just 1 point away from relegation and with Manager Ewald Lienen failing to strengthen the squad so far, it looks like more of the same this season. Their only significant purchase in the last two seasons was in December last year when Felix Dja Ettien (23, D RC) was purchased from Levante for £3.5M. Key players include David Charcos (28, SW/D C), Ivan Ania (25, AM/F L) and Bruno Marioni (28, S C).

Valencia
2001/2002 - 9th
2002/2003 - 12th
A lack of recent success has meant a "revolving door" policy on the managerial front, with three managers in the last two seasons. First to go was Rafa Benitez, sacked in May last year. His successor, Fernando Castro Santos lasted one whole season before his departure. The current man in the hot seat is Mario Reis and we wish him luck! Some major sales over the last 12 months have generated significant transfer revenues. The sale of world-class defender Roberto Fabian Ayala (30, SW/D C) to Roma last July raised £19.5M and the recent departure of Pablo Aimar (23, AM C) to Sevilla a further £16M. It is a matter of some surprise that these riches have not been used to bring in any new players.

Valladolid
2001/2002 - 18th
2002/2003 - Second Division Champions
Manager Pepe Moré paid the ultimate price for relegation in 2001/2002 when he was sacked in December last year. His replacement, Juan Manuel Lillo, guided the club to an immediate return to the Primera Liga. Around £15M has been spent on players in the last 14 months, with some 18 players joining the squad. These include young Romanian Florin Cernat (23, AM C) who was transferred from Dinamo Kiev for £2.5M last summer. He was a key figure in the promotion campaign last season. The biggest purchase this season has been Daniel Lopez Ramos (26, D L) for £2.7M from Cordoba. Their best-known player is probably Jordi (28, S C) who cost £4M from Zaragoza last summer.

Villarreal
2001/2002 - 14th
2002/2003 - 8th
A disappointing start to the 2001/2002 season saw the departure of coach Benito Floro who was replaced by Fernando Vazquez. The new manager has overseen a marked improvement in fortunes that culminated in a place in the UEFA Cup. This was helped by the signing in December last year of Quique De Lucas (25, AM RC). De Lucas has been a very influential player since his arrival from Chelsea for £7.5M. Villarreal have a highly regarded attack featuring the experienced Argentinean Martin Palermo (29, S C) and a young Spaniard by the name of Guayre (23, F C).


2002/2003 Table


<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st C Barcelona 38 18 1 0 43 11 9 4 6 25 19 86 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Betis 38 14 5 0 27 6 8 7 4 23 20 78 3rd Real Madrid 38 13 4 2 31 13 7 6 6 27 21 70 4th Athletic Bilbao 38 14 3 2 40 11 7 3 9 32 34 69 5th Atlético Madrid 38 12 4 3 38 14 8 5 6 24 19 69 6th Deportivo 38 11 8 0 24 8 7 5 7 22 21 67 7th Sevilla 38 11 6 2 37 13 4 5 10 16 30 56 8th Villarreal 38 9 4 6 31 23 7 4 8 24 22 56 9th Celta 38 12 4 3 35 17 3 7 9 18 35 56 10th Real Sociedad 38 11 4 4 36 21 3 7 9 21 28 53 11th Racing Santander 38 9 7 3 40 36 4 5 10 28 36 51 12th Valencia 38 9 4 6 32 23 4 7 8 23 36 50 13th Elche 38 13 1 5 38 14 0 4 15 12 41 44 14th Oviedo 38 7 8 4 23 21 3 5 11 15 26 43 15th Málaga 38 7 3 9 26 29 4 4 11 22 31 40 16th Espanyol 38 5 8 6 26 27 4 3 12 21 35 38 17th Tenerife 38 3 7 9 21 36 5 2 12 18 37 33 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------18th R Mallorca 38 5 4 10 17 25 3 4 12 14 34 32 19th R Alavés 38 4 6 9 21 29 2 5 12 13 43 29 20th R Osasuna 38 5 4 10 31 35 1 3 15 14 49 25</pre>


Game of the Week

Sunday August 24th, 2003
Spanish Super Cup Second Leg
Athletic Bilbao 6 Barcelona 1 (aggregate 6-3)
Barcelona arrived at the San Mames stadium holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg and were strong favourites to get their season off to a winning start. The home side started brightly and forced a series of early corners. Larrazábal forced a fine save from Bonano with a well-struck free kick and Cuyami also came close but Bonano saved well once again. Barcelona first meaningful attack was started by Overmars who picked out Riquelme with an accurate pass. []bRiquelme[/b] neatly beat his man and shot from the edge of the area, only to see Lafuente tip the ball round the post. The resulting corner was cleared up field by Lacruz. Alfonso latched on to the clearance and showed great close control to get past 3 Bilbao defenders before tucking the ball home for a sensational goal. Barca were now 3-0 up and it looked all over for the home side.

Urged on by their fanatical supporters, Bilbao pushed forward trying to get back into the game. They were quickly rewarded when Tiko played a slide-rule pass into the path of Bittor Alkiza who chipped the ball over the onrushing Bonano and into the net. Two minutes later the Bilbao captain Julen Guerrero skipped past Mendieta and Gerard and, from 35 yards out, curled the ball into the top corner for a wonderful goal. From the kick-off Carles Puyol sent a long cross into the penalty area and Victor was first to the ball but his header was well saved by Lafuente. The keeper found Felipe with a quick throw out and he in turn picked out Tiko. Tiko played it first time to Alkiza who, spotting Bonano off his line, played a wonderful lob for Bilbao's third goal. Three goals in four minutes and it was now all square on aggregate.

The home side really had their tails up now and continued to pressure an increasingly nervous looking Barcelona defence. Ten minutes before the break Urzáiz got their 4th, running on to a pass from Guerrero and firing home a dipping shot that deceived Bonano. Four minutes later Urzáiz claimed his second of the match when he headed home an out swinging corner from Alkiza. Half time arrived with match completely transformed and the scoreline 5-1 to the home side.

Overmars did not return for the second half as he had picked up a knock just before the break. The second half was not as dramatic as the first, but both sides did have further chances. Alfonso had a powerful shot well saved by Lafuente and the excellent Alkiza went close for Bilbao with a long range shot that just skimmed the crossbar. But substitute Sivori wrapped up the game in the 66th minute when he headed home a Larrazábal free kick.


Teams
Athletic Bilbao: Iñaki Lafuente, José MarÃ*a Lacruz, Aitor Larrazábal, Ã�ñigo LarraÃ*nzar, Óskar Vales (Pablo Orbaiz 75), Bittor Alkiza, Tiko, Felipe, Ismael Urzáiz, Jon Remigio Cuyami (SÃ*vori 54), Julen Guerrero (captain)

Subs not used: Daniel AranzubÃ*a, Santiago Ezquerro, Aitor Aldeondo, Francisco Javier Yeste, Karanka, David

Barcelona: Roberto Bonano, Carles Puyol, Fernando (Luis Enrique 86), Lilian Thuram, Patrik Andersson (captain), Marc Overmars (Xavi 44), Gaizka Zabala Mendieta, Juan Román Riquelme, Alfonso, Victor, Gerard

Subs not used: Michael Reiziger, Robert Enke, Gabri, Oleguer, Dani

Scorers
Athletic Bilbao: Alkiza 22, 26, Guerrero 24, Urzáiz 35, 39, SÃ*vori 66
Barcelona: Alfonso 16

Man of the Match: Ismael Urzáiz

Yellow Cards
Athletic Bilbao: Ismael Urzáiz
Barcelona: Xavi, Luis Enrique

Attendance: 39,991

retired_amyslack

Thanks Brovski, glad you're enjoying it

European Soccer Weekly

Friday September 5th, 2003

News
The major transfer news this week concerns the move of young English striker Alan Smith (22, S C) from Leeds to Celtic for a club record £11.5M. Attracting a top English international north of the border is a major coup for Celts manager John Toshack. On the job front German club Werder Bremen have appointed Bernd Krauss as their new manager. Krauss was sacked by Second Division Eintracht Frankfurt in May of this year.

There has been a busy week of action in the Euro 2004 Qualifiers this week. In Group 1 the Czech Republic booked their place in Portugal with a 3-1 win over their nearest rivals Israel. Holland made sure of winning Group 2 with a 1-0 victory over Estonia and a scoreless draw in Georgia. In the same group Belarus made sure of a playoff place by drawing with Poland and beating Estonia. In Group 3 Yugoslavia have long since secured their place in the sun having won all of their matches so far. Norway and England are neck and neck in Group 4. The Norwegians picked up maximum points in their matches against Macedonia and Malta whilst England disposed of Wales comfortably but stumbled against Switzerland, failing to score in a 0-0 draw.

Group 5 sees Spain and the Ukraine tied on points with both teams guaranteed at least a playoff place. In Group 6 Ireland's 2-2 draw away to Slovenia ended their slim chance of topping the group and France are confirmed as group winners. The Irish continue to chase a playoff place and their narrow 2-1 home victory over Azerbaijan has eased them ahead of Romania. However, the Republic's last game is in Bucharest, so there is still a lot of work to do to get to Portugal. Russia are chasing Italy all the way in Group 7, although a comprehensive 4-0 win for the Italians in Moscow on Wednesday have put them in pole position to win the group.

In Group 8, fierce rivals Denmark and Sweden are battling it out at the top. The Danes hold a 2-point lead and Sweden now depend on Austria doing them a huge favour in Copenhagen next month, assuming that they themselves can beat Moldova away from home of course. The final group sees Germany on top, two pints clear of Turkey and with a home match against lowly Luxembourg to come. Scotland's disappointing campaign sees them in 4th place, rendering their final match at home to the Turks meaningless.


Spotlight on ….. The Danish Superligaen

The Danish Premier League, or Superligaen, has been in progress for several weeks now. Brøndby have won the title for the last two seasons and currently lie third in the table. FC Midtjylland are the surprise leaders at this stage, with equally unfancied Frem in second place. The Danish national team is currently ranked 12th in the World but most of Denmark's best players are based outside of their home country and Danish domestic football suffers as a result.

Akademisk Boldklub (AB)
2001/2002 - 2nd
2002/2003 - 5th
Manager Ivan Nielsen guided AB to one of their best seasons in 2001/2002, finishing second in the league and reaching the Danish Cup Final. In comparison, last season was an anti-climax, although they did have some Cup success, reaching the Semi-Finals. One of their most exciting players is a young Egyptian attacker, Mohamed Zidan (21, F C), the winner of the Superligaen Young Player of the Year last season. In addition they have two more young players being tipped for great things - Rune Rasmussen Lind (18, S C) and Frenchman Jimmy Briand (18, S C).

Aarhus Gymnastik Forening (AGF)
2001/2002 - 3rd
2002/2003 - 6th
At the start of last season, Manager Frank Petersen embarked on a major squad restructuring with 7 players leaving the club and some 15 coming in. His biggest investment was the £1.6M spent on the versatile Carsten Olsen (22, D/DM/F RC). So far Olsen has failed to make any impression and his first team opportunities have been very limited. This summer Danish legend Peter Schmeichel (39, GK) joined as a player/coach, leaving Manchester City on a free transfer. One of last season's top performers was South African Josta Dladla (24, AM/F RC) but so far this season he has been upstaged by the exciting young Danish striker Allan Borgvardt (23, S C).

Aalborg Boldspilklub (AaB)
2001/2002 - 10th
2002/2003 - 9th
Last summer Manager Henrik Larsen spent over £5M on players, a very significant sum for a small club. His biggest purchase was Henrik Lykke (33, D/DM RC) who cost £1.2M from Herfølge. This fee was eclipsed at the start of this season when Ulrich Vinzents (26, D/DM R C) was purchased from First Division Farum for £1.8M. Larsen clearly likes his defensive midfielders! Despite their poor league from AaB did reach the Danish Cup Final last season, losing 3-1 to FC København. AaB have some of the most talked-about youngsters in Danish football, including Claudio (20, M RC), Rasmus Würtz (19, M C) and Michael Silberbauer (22, AM/F RLC). Unfortunately Silberbauer has publicly expressed his frustrations at his lack of first team opportunities and his position at the club is in some doubt.

Brøndby
2001/2002 - 1st
2002/2003 - 1st
Brøndby have been far and away the most successful team in Denmark in recent seasons, completing the domestic league and cup double in 2001/2002 and retaining their league title last season. Managed by Michael Laudrup, the elder of the legendary Laudrup brothers, the squad has not changed in the last 2 years, and many fans are impatient to see new blood arrive. Despite their domestic success, Brøndby have failed to make any real progress in Europe, going out in the first group phase for the last two years. Key players include Peter Madsen (25, F RC), last seasons Superligaen Player of the Year, and Swedish international Mattias Jonson (29, AM/F RLC). They also have the exciting midfield prospect Thomas Khalenberg (20, AM C) and Brazilian prospect Ricardo (21, D RC).

Esbjerg fB
2001/2002 - 12th
2002/2003 - 2nd in First Division
Relegated in 2001/2002, Esbjerg made an immediate return to the top flight last season. Last summer saw Manager Ove Pedersen make extensive changes to the squad, with 15 players joining and 19 leaving. Another half a dozen players came on board this summer with a further 7 in on loan. As a consequence, Esbjerg have one of the largest squads in the division but, unless the Danish FA allow then to field a few extra players in each match, this seems unlikely to preserve their Superligaen status.

FC København
2001/2002 - 6th
2002/2003 - 3rd
The second biggest team in Denmark (at least according to Brøndby fans), København's recent domestic success has been limited to a Danish Cup success last season. Once again a lack of new signings by Manager Poul Hansen has fuelled some discontent amongst supporters, but the squad is still strong. The team includes players such as the highly valued South African Sibusiso Zuma (28, F RLC), the vastly experienced Norwegian international Erik Mykland (32, M C) and defender Bora Zivkovic (29, D C). They also have the form striker in Danish football, Swede Jorgen Pettersson (27, S C). Pettersson has made a sensational start to the season, having scored in all 7 matches that he has played in, he has 10 goals to his credit already.

FC Midtjylland
2001/2002 - 8th
2002/2003 - 10th
Having narrowly escaped relegation last season, it is a major surprise to say the least to see Henrik Jensen's team at the top of the Superligaen, with 5 wins out of 6. With no household names in the squad it is the contribution of unsung players such as Mogens Laursen (23, S C) and Morten Rutkjær (29, D LC) that have been significant. But the biggest contribution so far has come from Christian Magleby (26, AM RC) whose 6 goals in 6 games have propelled Midtjylland to the top of the table.

Frem
2001/2002 - 1st in First Division
2002/2003 - 8th
Frem are the employers of Brian Laudrup, the younger of the famous pair, who heads their scouting operation. Manager Johnny Petersen credits him with much of the success of the club as some of the cheap, or even free, players that the scouts have unearthed have been significant. None more so than veteran attacker Christian Lundberg (33, F C), purchased from First Division Aarhus for £130K last September. His 14 goals in 26 games were a major factor in keeping Frem in the top flight and this season he has found the target 7 times in 6 games to push Frem up to second spot.

Herfølge
2001/2002 - 2nd in First Division
2002/2003 - 4th
Herfølge had a dream debut following their promotion to the Superligaen, finishing 4th in the table and clinching a place in Europe. Unfortunately, their UEFA Cup adventure was short-lived as they lost to Gil Vicente of Portugal in the Qualifying Round on penalties. Manager Frank Andersen has assembled a reasonable squad. The team is spearheaded by the striking partnership of Kaan Metin (28, F C) and Chris Hermansen (28, S C), with the re-vitalised Dutch player Richard Sneekes (34, AM RC) pulling the strings in midfield.

Odense Boldklub (OB)
2001/2002 - 5th
2002/2003 - 2nd
Last season's runners-up have got off to a terrible start so far, with just 4 points from 5 games, and there are already some mutterings of discontent over Manager Ebbe Skovdahl, particularly in his failure to add to the squad over the summer. Two of the clubs most influential players, Zambian internationals, Andrew Tembo (32, DM RLC) and Mwape Mipi (30, F LC), are now both in their thirties and the fans are anxious to see some youngsters getting a chance. Last season's top player, the versatile Dennis Siim (27, SW/D/DM RLC), has had a public falling out with Skovdahl and has not seen any first team action this season. Last year's runner-up in the league's Player of the Year award, Siim was an essential part of the OB rearguard and his presence has been sorely missed. A player for the future is German youngster Matthias Wolf (19, DM RLC) but it may be a season or two before he sees any first team action.

Vejle
2001/2002 - 9th in First Division
2002/2003 - First Division Champions
Following a dreadful league campaign in 2001/2002, a major rebuilding exercise last summer by Manager Keld Bordinggaard saw Vejle capture the First Division title last season. Their fight to remain in the top flight is spearheaded by experienced defender Jacob Rasmussen (28, D C) who was purchased from Silkeborg for £210K last September. He has proved to be an excellent buy and is a very steadying influence at the back. Up front, the youthful pairing of Kenneth Knudsen (22, S C) and Johnny Randløv (18, S C) are troubling the opposition defences.

Viborg FF
2001/2002 - 7th
2002/2003 - 7th
The archetypal mid-table team under Manager Ole Mørch, Viborg have an ageing squad and are expected to struggle this season. Players such as Martin Birn (35, D C) and Jan Laursen (35, AM/F RC) have been brought in this summer for their experience, but time is catching up with them. However, they do have a youngster with a lot of potential in the shape of Poul Erik Mikkelsen (20, D/DM RC).


2002/2003 Table

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">Pos Team Pld Won Drn Lst For Ag Won Drn Lst For Ag Pts---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1st C Brøndby 33 12 4 1 37 11 8 7 1 25 11 71 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd OB 33 7 6 3 33 27 10 3 4 33 19 60 3rd FC København 33 8 8 0 30 12 7 4 6 27 24 57 4th Herfølge 33 9 5 2 32 20 6 4 7 25 29 54 5th AB 33 10 3 4 24 19 5 3 8 19 28 51 6th AGF 33 10 2 5 31 23 3 4 9 19 30 45 7th Viborg FF 33 10 2 5 27 18 3 3 10 28 37 44 8th Frem 33 6 6 4 28 23 3 8 6 20 28 41 9th AaB 33 8 3 5 37 31 2 6 9 15 32 39 10th FC Midtjylland 33 4 6 6 20 20 3 6 8 25 34 33 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11th R Farum 33 6 4 7 29 31 1 2 13 20 45 27 12th R Silkeborg IF 33 1 6 10 16 30 1 5 10 9 27 17 </pre>


Game of the Week

Wednesday September 3rd, 2003
European Championship Qualifying Group 7
Italy 4 Russia 0
Russia walked out at the Olimpico in Rome at the top of Group 7 on goal difference from their hosts. 90 torrid minutes later they found themselves 3 points behind and looking at a place in the playoffs. Italy totally dominated this match with a vibrant attacking display. Such was the quality of their defence and midfield that the visitors did not register a single shot on target all evening.

Italy got off to a dream start when Gianluca Zambrotta put them ahead after just 3 minutes. Nesta brought the ball out of defence and fed the ball to Panucci on the right flank. The Italian right back easily beat Russian captain Onopko and sent in a wonderful cross for the inrushing Zambrotta to head home. The game settled down for the next 20 minutes or so, with Italy keeping possession and probing for chances but the Russians denying them space and time. Cristiano Doni created a good chance for Inzaghi with a near post cross, but the striker's header was high and wide. Doni was becoming increasingly influential and he forced a good save from Nigmatullin with a strongly struck free kick. On the half hour mark Doni and Inzaghi once again combined but the final header was wide of the mark.

Italy got their second goal right on the stroke of half time. Doni was again the initiator, sending in a low cross that was controlled first time by young Matteo Brighi who ghosted past the static Onopko and lashed the ball home. Early in the second half the ineffective Inzaghi was replaced by the Juventus forward Marco Di Vaio who made an immediate impression by scoring the third just a few minutes after his introduction. He finished off a wonderful flowing 6-man passing move with a powerful header that left Nigmatullin helpless. The Russians were looking increasingly disconsolate and the game was wrapped up 20 minutes from time when the excellent Luca Toni punished the visiting keeper for some sloppy handling by firing home Italy's fourth of the night.

Coach Alberto Zaccheroni will have been very pleased with his team's performance. The defence never looked troubled and the midfield dominated the match. Doni in particular was outstanding and fully deserved his Man of the Match award. []bToni[/b] and Di Vaio were a lively pair up front and caused endless problems to a sluggish Russian defence. On this showing, Russia will have to perform at a much higher level if they hope to progress through the playoffs to Lisbon next year.

Teams
Italy: Ivan Pelizzoli, Christian Panucci, Paolo Maldini (captain), Fabio Cannavaro (Mark Iuliano 22), Alessandro Nesta, Damioano Tommasi (Francesco Totti 73), Gianluca Zambrotta, Matteo Brighi, Filippo Inzaghi (Marco Di Vaio 52), Luca Toni, Cristiano Doni

Subs not used: Carlo Nerva, Francesco Toldo, Max Tonetto, Fausto Rossini

Russia: Ruslan Nigmatullin, Andrey Solomatin (Rolan Gusev 73), Oleg Kornaukhov, Dmitry Ananko, Eugeny Bushmanov, Viktor Onopko (captain), Dmitry Khokhlov (Rustem Bualtov 73), Omari Tetradze (Alexander Mostovoi 53), Vladimir, Alexandr Kerzhakov, Sergey Semak

Subs not used: Dmitry Sychev, Vitaly Baranov, Alexandr Kolotilko, Alexandr Shirko

Scorers
Italy: Zambrotta 3, Brighi 45, Di Vaio 58, Toni 73

Man of the Match: Cristiano Doni

Yellow Cards
Russia: Omari Tetradze

Attendance: 82,916

retired_deljo

this really is superb