crazyvols@comca

Well-deserved indeed. Bravo, BB.

retired_destiny1124

Well deserved BB Great work on this (as usual)

Raptor

Don't worry about updating just once a week, a fixed format will help set this story apart from others.

Though an extra midweek edition to celebrate this accolade wouldn't go amiss.

retired_loubou

Congratulations Bobbev, It is deserved and I know it's a lot o work to write such a story. My story is only about the Premier League and it's a lot of work so surely it's deserved.

retired_amyslack

European Soccer Weekly

Midweek Supplement
Welcome to the first in an occasional series of Midweek Supplements where we will take an in-depth look at an aspect of the European Soccer scene. In this edition.....

The Toon's Greatest Triumph
In the 2001/2002 season Sir Bobby Robson led his beloved Newcastle United to their supreme moment of glory when they captured the Champions League. In this article we will follow in their footsteps as we relive their crowning glory. The season got underway on August 8th, 2001 with their Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round match against Slavia Mozyr of Bulgaria. Their European adventure was almost ended at the first hurdle as they slumped to a horrendous 4-1 defeat in the first leg in Bulgaria. As things turned out the away goal would prove to be very important as they turned the tie around with a 5-1 home win to progress 6-5 on aggregate and take their place in the lucrative group stages.

Newcastle were drawn in Group E with Sparta Prague of the Czech Republic, Ajax of Holland and Juventus of Italy - a tough group that they would do well to qualify from. Before the group phase started the bread and butter of the league season got underway. The Magpies did not have the best of starts, with a draw and two defeats in their first 3 games. The media were not optimistic about Newcastle's chances of qualification, but they got off to a decent start, beating Sparta Prague 1-0 in Prague. In the other game in the group, Ajax recorded a narrow 1-0 win over Juventus in Amsterdam.

In the second group game 6 days later, Newcastle gave notice that they were a team to be reckoned with when they outplayed Ajax to get a great 3-0 win at St. James's. With Juventus beating Sparta Prague 1-0 in Turin, the Magpies were top of the table with 2 wins out of 2. Next up was the visit of Juventus, and Newcastle lost a thrilling match 3-2 to drop their first points in the group. Ajax suffered a shock 4-0 reverse in Prague and the group remained wide open.

Come mid-October and their visit to Turin, the Magpies had only 2 league wins to their credit and were firmly in the bottom half of the table. However, they were able to put their indifferent league form behind them and fought out a battling 2-2 draw to keep their qualification hopes very much alive. The penultimate Phase 1 matches were to prove critical. Newcastle beat Sparta Prague 2-0 at home whilst Juventus lost a tight match 2-1 to Ajax in Turin. This sent Newcastle to the top of the group on 10 points, Ajax second on 9 and Juventus third with 7. The 3-point gap was important, as it meant that if the Magpies could avoid defeat in their final game in Amsterdam then they would qualify.

Newcastle travelled to Holland still struggling badly in the league but this didn't seem to affect them and they got the point they needed with a 2-2 draw and qualified for Phase 2 as group winners. Ajax also qualified despite Juventus winning 4-2 in Prague to go level on points, as the Dutch team had defeated the Italians both home and away.

The Phase 2 draw proved interesting as Newcastle ended up in the same group as Celtic, Inter and Leverkusen. The first Phase 2 matches took place towards the end of November and by that time Newcastle had gained only three league wins and had been dumped out of the League Cup by Blackburn. Their poor results continued as Leverkusen just edged a tight contest 1-0 at St. James's. Celtic fared better in Italy, getting a gritty 2-2 draw with Inter.

Newcastle's next Champions league encounter saw them travel to Glasgow and record a narrow 1-0 win over Celtic, with Inter coming off best in an exciting 3-2 win over Leverkusen in Germany. Either side of the Celtic match the Magpies picked up a couple of league wins, both by the same 1-0 margin. It wasn't pretty but it provided badly needed league points and a valuable confidence boost to the players. Sir Bobby was clearly concerned by their league form but remained upbeat under the constant media pressure.

The Champions League then entered the winter hiatus, with hostilities suspended until mid-February. In the intervening period, Newcastle continued their up-and-down form in the league and ended up on the wrong side of an FA Cup upset when they were beaten away from home 2-1 by Second Division Notts County in the 3rd Round. In many ways the Champions League was a welcome relief from their domestic struggles. Out of both cup competitions and looking unlikely to gain a place in Europe through their league form, Newcastle had nothing else to play for. Sir Bobby had even joked that their only hope of playing in Europe next season was to go and win the final.

February 13th and 20th saw back-to-back matches against Inter, the outcome of which would prove to be pivotal. In the first match in Italy, Newcastle put in a battling performance and left the Guiseppe Meazza with a 1-1 draw. Leverkusen beat Celtic 2-1 at Parkhead to go to the top of the group with Milan second and Newcastle third. A week later Inter came to St. James's Park and lost a tense encounter 1-0, with Leverkusen recording the same score at home to Celtic. These results effectively eliminated the Scots and lifted the Magpies to second above Inter.

The win over Inter gave Newcastle's league form a boost and they won their next two Premiership games before facing their final group matches. The penultimate match would be absolutely critical as Newcastle travelled to the BayArena to face Leverkusen. Despite being under intense pressure for much of the game, the Magpies sneaked a 1-0 win. Celtic's 2-1 win over Inter in Glasgow meant that the Italians could not qualify and both Newcastle and Leverkusen would enter the Quarter Final draw. The final group matches were somewhat of an anti-climax as Newcastle beat Celtic 3-1 at St. James's and Inter had a 1-0 win over the Germans.

In the Quarter Finals Newcastle were drawn against their Phase 1 group opponents Ajax, with the first leg to be played in Amsterdam. Two goals from the excellent Jari Litmanen put the home side in the driving seat in the first half. Injuries to Alan Shearer and Laurent Robert didn't make Newcastle's task any easier but a second half goal from Shola Ameobi gave the Magpies hope for the return.

The second leg was a thrilling encounter and Newcastle took a 2-0 lead in the first half thanks to Kieron Dyer and Nolberto Solano. However, the young Egyptian player Mido scored for Ajax within minutes of the restart. As the match moved towards extra time Craig Bellamy grabbed a dramatic winner in stoppage time to send the Toon Army wild as the Magpies secured their Semi Final place.

In the other Quarter Final encounters Manchester United had a very impressive 5-0 aggregate win over Deportivo, the foundation of which was an outstanding 4-0 win at the Raizor. Leverkusen beat Spatak Moscow 5-3 over the two legs and Milan had a narrow 2-1 aggregate win over Olympiakos.

Newcastle were to face Leverkusen in the Semis, with the first leg being played at St. James's Park. Kieron Dyer was on target once more to give the Magpies a great start after just 10 minutes. However, 15 minutes later Oliver Neuville scored the equaliser for the visitors. There was no further scoring in an exciting match, but both keepers were called into action several times as the sides each looked for a winner. The 1-1 result gave Leverkusen a distinct advantage for the return match in Germany.

Shearer and Robert had still not recovered from injury when Newcastle travelled to Leverkusen and Sir Bobby made a courageous decision in selecting the youngster Michael Chopra to partner Craig Bellamy up front. Captain Nikos Dabizas opened the scoring for Newcastle just before half time but within minutes of the restart the Brazilian Franca got an equaliser for the home side. With the scores tied, there was very little to choose between the two sides. Newcastle suffered a blow when Kieron Dyer had to be replaced with 20 minutes remaining. But with extra time just 10 minutes away, Craig Bellamy was once more the hero as he scored the winning goal. The 2-1 win on the night meant a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in the Champions League Final.

Their opponents in the Final at Hampden Park in Glasgow were to be Milan. Manchester United had won a thrilling first leg 3-2 at Old Trafford but could not hold on to their narrow lead in the return. They held out for 70 minutes until Andriy Shevchenko scored from the penalty spot. Vitaly Kutuzov added a second in stoppage time and Milan triumphed 4-3 on aggregate.

Newcastle ended their disappointing league campaign by finishing in 10th place in the Premiership, but all thoughts were on the forthcoming match against Milan for the biggest prize in European football. Wednesday May 22nd was a wet evening in Glasgow with a steady drizzle making the conditions underfoot quite treacherous. The talismanic Alan Shearer was back in the side for the biggest match in the history of Newcastle United. Both teams were very evenly matched and scoring opportunities were few and far between. The first half ended scoreless which was probably a fair reflection of the balance of play.

However, the second half got off to an explosive start when Andriy Shevchenko displayed deadly finishing skills to put Milan into the lead. Showing what may be called a "typical Italian" attitude, Milan prepared to shut up shop and deny their opponents an equaliser. As the match entered the final 30 minutes, Sir Bobby was pacing around in the technical area, oblivious to the steadily falling rain. With typical Robson bravery, the great man made a triple substitution, removing 3 defensive minded players and replacing them with attackers. The gamble paid off in style as one of the subs, Lomana Lua-Lua, grabbed the equalising goal with some 20 minutes remaining. The influential Rivaldo had to be taken off a few minutes later and Newcastle continued pressing for the winner. Extra time looked to be a certainty but the young Welsh dynamo Craig Bellamy was once again the hero. With seconds remaining in stoppage time his electrifying pace took him clear of the Milan defence and he slid the ball home for the winning goal.

With his last remaining ambition fulfilled, Sir Bobby decided that the time was right for him to retire gracefully and allow a younger man to take over. But the Toon Army will never forget that night in Glasgow and the memory of Bellamy's dramatic winner will stay with those who were there for many years to come.


Do you want to know how your team is doing? Is there a particular player that you want to know about? DO you have any ideas for future features or articles that you would like to see? ESW welcomes feedback and questions from our readers - you can contact our intrepid reporters using the email address in the author's profile.

BarryLFC

Too lazy to use email :p
Would like to know how Ayr are getting on, also the progress of Wigan's Gary Teale

Another great addition to the tale, by the way

retired_liew wai kheng

Congrats BB, This is superb work, keep it up.

p.s. wondering if coventry are inept in this game as they are in real life ???

retired_froglover104

Congrats Bob. Story of the Week or not I'd be proud of this. :thup:

KUTGW!!

retired_amyslack

European Soccer Weekly

Friday September 19th, 2003

News
On Wednesday this week Danish Premier Division club AB sacked their manager Ivan Nielsen. With only 2 wins out of 7 games so far this season, AB are just a point off the relegation places.

In England, it seems only a matter of time before Terry Venables and Leeds part company. The Yorkshire club are bottom of the English Premier League with only 1 win out of 5 matches so far.

French First Division club Troyes, in deep trouble at the foot of the table with "nil points", have dispensed with the services of Faruk Hadzibegic.

In Norway, Premier League Odd Gernland have waved goodbye to Arne Erlandsen. Arne has paid the price for a disappointing league campaign this season.

With the Portuguese season only just started, Academica have wasted no time in sacking Jose Couceiro; 2 defeats in 2 games was all it took.

League Roundup
Charleroi march on in Belgium with 6 wins out of 6 and in Croatia Hajduk dropped their first points of the season with a home draw but remain top. Danish leaders FC Midtjylland suffered their first defeat but in England Middlesbrough continue their fine start to the season. HJK still set the pace in Finland and nearest challengers MyPa are now 13 points adrift with a couple of games in hand. In Germany Nürnberg and Schalke 04 both have 100% records and AZ currently top the table in Holand after 4 games. Northern Ireland sees Portadown with a narrow lead at the top and Institute propping up the rest with not a point to their name so far.

In Norway Brann head Rosenborg on goal difference, but the leaders have played a game more. Gil Vicente have 3 wins out of 3 in Portugal and Shamrock Rovers are setting the pace in the Republic of Ireland. Krylja Sovetov maintain their 4-point lead over Lokomotiv Moscow with 6 games remaining in the Russian Premier Division. In Scotland Celtic have stretched their lead at the top to 6 points but the Raith Rovers fairy tale continues. The Fife minnows lie 3rd in the table and last weekend they recorded a wonderful 2-1 home win over Rangers. Sevilla are still top in Spain with a 100% record. In Sweden Malmö and Halmstad are neck and neck with only goal difference keeping Malmö on top. Fenerbahçe have established a narrow lead in the Turkish Premier Division and in Wales Newtown set the pace and poor Afan Lido are bottom with a perfect zero point total.

Champions League
The Phase 1 Group matches continued this week. In Group A Manchester United continued to progress, beating Rosenborg 2-0 at Old Trafford. FC Bayern recovered from their defeat at home last week with a solid 4-0 win over Anzhi in Russia. Group B saw Roma get their first points with a 3-0 home win over Lens. Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw away to Dinamo Kiev in Group C and in Group D, PSV made it 2 out of 2 with a 3-2 win at home to Betis. Both Celtic and Arsenal had away draws in Group E and in Group F Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 home win over Olympiakos. In Group G Milan easily beat Lyon 3-0 in France to stay top and Feyenoord had their first success, beating Sporting 2-1 in Rotterdam. In Group H []bDortmund[/b] got back on track with a 2-0 home victory over Fenerbahçe but Real Madrid had their second consecutive draw, 0-0 at Elfsborg.


Spotlight on ….. The Italian Serie A
Roma finished as Serie A champions last season with a 7-point lead over Milan and Parma and they will be looking to make a determined defence of their title. Lazio, Inter and Juventus will be striving for an improvement having finished 5th, 6th and 7th respectively and 4th placed Bologna will hope to maintain their fine form.

Ancona
2001/2002 - 9th in Serie B
2002/2003 - 2nd in Serie B
Having guided his team into Serie A last season, manager Luigi Simoni retired and was replaced by Massimo Carrera. Carrera's biggest signing of the summer was Stefano Rossini (32, D/DM LC) from Genoa for £1.6M but this was more than paid for by the sale of Stefano Lombardi (27, D LC) to Lecce for £1.8M. Ancona have a very experienced squad (some would say an ageing squad), with the bulk of the first team well into their 30's. This is having a demoralising effect on some of their younger players who are frustrated at their lack of first team opportunities.

Ascoli
2001/2002 - 11th in Serie B
2002/2003 - 3rd in Serie B
In contrast to their fellow newcomers Ancona, Ascoli have a much younger squad and manager Marino Magrin has nurtured them into quite an effective outfit. The undoubted star of the team is young Bosnian striker Zlatan Muslimovic (22, S C) but he is rumoured to be very unsettled and actively seeking a move to a bigger team. Other key players include Salvatore Monaco (30, SW/D C), a bargain summer signing from Serie B side Catania for £240K, and club captain Cristian Sebastian Cejas (28, GK).

Atalanta
2001/2002 - 6th
2002/2003 - 8th
Manager Giovanni Vavassori has done little to change his squad in the last 2 seasons. Last July he did spend £7.5M to bring midfielder Beto (28, M C) from Flamengo but the Brazilian failed to impress last season. This summer has seen the departure of Ivan Javorcic (24, DM R C) to Slaven Belupo for £2.1M. There are some fine players in the squad, including experienced internationals Fausto Rossini (25, S C), Luciano Zauri (25, D/DM RLC) and Cristiano Doni (30, AM LC). A couple of youngsters also stand out - Gianpaolo Bellini (23, D/DM RL) and Giampaolo Pazzini (19, S C).

Bologna
2001/2002 - 7th
2002/2003 - 4th
Francesco Guidolin led his side to am impressive 4th place finish in Serie A last season and the fans will be hoping for a repeat performance this time round. The Manager's transfer dealings have been very shrewd. Last summer he splashed out £8.75M for the Danish midfielder Martin Jørgensen (27, AM RL) who was a key contributor to their success in the league. This July Giovanni Tedesco (31, DM C) joined from Perugia for £5.75M. However, he has turned a nice profit by offloading Julio Ricardo Cruz (28, S C) to Celtic for £8.5M and Pierre Wome 24, D/DM LC) to Bielefeld for £2.6M last year and Giulio Falcone (29, D RC) to Inter for £6M this summer.

Chievo
2001/2002 - 16th
2002/2003 - 4th in Serie B
After the disaster of relegation in season 2001/2002, the Chievo board kept faith with Manager Luigi Del Neri. Their patience was rewarded with an immediate return to Serie A via the playoffs. This has been achieved with a substantially unchanged squad, although the addition of Ermin Rakovic (26, FC)from Maribor on a free transfer has strengthened the attack and taken some of the load off Massimo Marazzina (29, F RC). Veteran German striker Oliver Bierhoff (35, S C) is on the transfer list at his own request and has been loaned out for the season to German regional club Aue.

Empoli
2001/2002 - 12th
2002/2003 - 12th
Empoli have clung to their Serie A status for the last two seasons and the signs are that Manager Silvio Baldini will repeat this feat again this season. Summer signing Massimo Maccarone (24, S C) who joined from Middlesbrough for £1.3M has strengthened the attack and he is proving an effective partner for Luca Suadati (25, S C). However, key defensive pairing of Emilson Sanchez Cribari (23, D C) and Stefano Lucchini (22, D RC) are both rumoured to be looking for a move and they will be hard to replace if they do decide to move on.

Inter
2001/2002 - 4th
2002/2003 - 6th
Hector Cupar will be hoping for an improvement on last season's 6th place in the League, although Inter did contest a Champions League Semi Final, losing narrowly to Roma by the aggregate score of 2-1. This summer's major purchase was the £6M transfer of Giulio Falcone (29, D RC) from Bologna. Inter are well equipped to compete for the title with players of the calibre of Christian Vieri (30, S C), Francesco Toldo (31, GK), Fabio Cannavaro (30, D C) and club captain Javier Zanetti (30, D/DM R). If they do have a weakness it may be the lack of a world-class creative midfielder, although the club has high hopes for Danish youngster Mads Beierholm (18, AM RC) and Mohamed Kallon (23, F RLC) from Sierra Leone was voted Young Player of the Year last season.

Juventus
2001/2002 - 5th
2002/2003 - 7th
Marcello Lippi will want to put a disappointing season behind him and look to mount a serious title challenge this year. Juve did reach the Italian Cup Final last season, but were beaten 3-1 on aggregate by Roma. There have been no additions to the squad for the past 2 seasons, and this, combined with the departure of some major names, is causing some concern amongst the Juve faithful. The sale of superstar Lilian Thuram (31, D RC) to Barcelona for £12M in June caused some raised eyebrows but the departure in July of Paolo Montero (32, SW/D C) to Arsenal for £6.75M and Edgar Davids (30, DM C) for £14.75 to Lazio have really sent tongues wagging. However, there is still talent aplenty in the squad. When you can field David Trezeguet (25, S C) and Alessandro Del Piero (28, F RLC) up front and have Marco Di Vaio (27, F RC) and Marcelo Salas (28, S C) on the bench, then you are not short of firepower. With the likes of Gianluca Zambrotta (26, AM RL) and Pavel Nedved (31, AM LC) in midfield and the excellent Gianluigi Buffon (25, GK) between the sticks the rest of the team isn't too shabby either.

Lazio
2001/2002 - 8th
2002/2003 - 5th
Despite an appearance in the Italian Cup Final (they lost 4-1 to Roma on aggregate) in 2001/2002, Lazio parted company with manager Roberto Mancini and hired Marco Tardelli in his place. With 80 caps for his country Tardelli had a very successful playing career and made a reasonable start to his managerial career, finishing 5th in the table. Having spent £23M this summer on Figo (30, F RLC) and Edgar Davids (30, DM C), more of the same is expected this year. Defensively they are very strong with club captain Angelo Peruzzi (33, GK) having gained 30 caps for Italy. Jaap Stam (31, SW/D RC) and Juan Pablo Sorin (27, DM L) are also part of a solid back line. If exciting young Georgian prospect Sandro Iashvili (18, S C) can adjust to life in Italy then he may make quite an impact in the next few years.

Lecce
2001/2002 - Serie B Champions
2002/2003 - 10th
Lecce followed up on their Serie B championship of 2001/2002 with a very solid mid table finish last season. Manager Delio Rossi has kept his squad together during this period and has fashioned them into a pretty effective outfit. Their forward pairing of Davor Vugrinec (28, S C) and Alessandro Corallo (24, F RLC) have a great understanding. But sources at the club tell us that Vugrinec, who was voted the Foreign Player of the Year last season, is keen to move on and that his strike partner is rather upset at the prospect of his departure. It remains to be seen how this will affect the team on the pitch, but they do have a competent replacement in the shape of Uruguayan Chevanton (23, F C). They also have a teenage Bulgarian striker, Valeri Emilov Bojinov (17, S C), waiting in the wings who could be a star in the making.

Milan
2001/2002 - 1st
2002/2003 - 2nd
2001/2002 was a fine season for Carlo Ancelotti as he saw his side take the Serie A title and also reach the Champions League Final before losing out to Newcastle 2-1. Last season was less successful as they saw Roma take their title and only progressed as far as the Quarter Final in the Champions League, losing out to Roma once again. This summer has seen Clarence Seedorf (27, DM RLC) departing for Real Madrid for £14.25M and Zinedine Zidane (31, AM C) being signed from the same club for £16.5M. However, based on early season form the best signing of the summer was the arrival of Joaquin (22, D/AM R) from Betis on a Bosman. The young Spaniard has looked a class act in the right wingback position. Up front, Andriy Shevchenko (26, S C) continues to terrorise Serie A defences everywhere he goes. The defence is marshalled superbly by Dario Simic (27, D RC) and Rivaldo (31, AM LC) is still a major influence in midfield. The seemingly ageless Paolo Maldini (35, SW/D LC) continues to inspire the team as club captain, as well as captain of the national side, where he recently won his 143rd cap.

Palermo
2001/2002 - 2nd in Serie B
2002/2003 - 14th
Palermo defied the odds last season by retaining their place in the top flight. Manager Ezio Glerean will do well to do the same this season, with much of the squad grumbling about limited first team opportunities or seeking to negotiate new contracts. This disharmony is already affecting on-field performances and needs to be resolved soon. On the transfer front the sale of Filippo Maniero (31, S C) to Sampdoria generated £6M. Much of this was spent on acquiring 5 new players, including £3.3M for Roberto Guana (22, AM C) from Brescia and another £1M on Abdellah Saber (29, D/DM R) from Napoli.

Parma
2001/2002 - 3rd
2002/2003 - 3rd
Clauido Cesare Prandelli has made no additions to the team that has finished in 3rd place for the last two seasons. Last summer he brought in the experienced Brazilian Edmundo (32, F LC) for £6M from Japanese team Verdy and promising Swedish youngster Alexander Farnerud (19, AM/F RLC) who cost £1.2M from Landskrona. The teenage midfielder looks like a real star in the making and already has 9 caps for his country. Prandelli puts great faith in his youngsters with many of the first team in their early 20's. Parma have a terrific strike partnership in the form of Brazilian phenomenon Adriano (21, F C) and Romanian star Adrian Mutu (24, F RLC). Another Brazilian, Alex (26, AM LC) is a key midfield creator and French keeper Sebastien Frey (23, GK) is tipped for great things.

Perugia
2001/2002 - 9th
2002/2003 - 9th
Manager Serse Cosmi has a solid and reliable squad and has established Perugia as a hard-to-beat mid table team. This summer saw the departure of long-serving midfielder Giovanni Tedesco (31, DM C) to Bologna for £5.75M and the arrival of Frenchman Julien Escude (24, D LC) from Rennes for £8.25M. Defensively they may struggle a little this season with stalwart William Vialli (28, SW/D C) still several months away from seeing any action as he recovers from groin surgery. Team captain Marco Di Loreto (28, D C) is reported to be unsettled and looking for a move. Goalkeeper Sebastiano Rossi (39, GK) is one of the oldest players in Serie A and understudy Guiseppe Aprea (26, GK) lacks experience at this level. Star forward Zissis Vryzas (29, F LC) and strike partner Fabrizio Miccoli (24, F RC) will need to be at their best to avoid being dragged into a relegation struggle.

Roma
2001/2002 - 2nd
2002/2003 - 1st
Roma were undoubtedly the best team in Italy last season, winning the Scudetto and the Italian Cup and only being denied a historic treble by Barcelona after a penalty shootout in the Champions League Final. Coach Fabio Capello, Serie A Manager of the Year last season, will do very well to emulate this success in the current season. The purchase of Roberto Ayala (30, SW/D C) from Valencia for £19.5M last summer was a major factor in Roma's success, as he has been a key component of an awesome defensive unit. In combination with fellow centre back Walter Samuel (25, SW/D C) and young keeper Ivan Pelizzoli (22, GK), a mere 16 goals were conceded in the league last season. Their home record was second to none, with a record of 16 wins and a draw at the Olimpico, with only 4 league goals conceded. Samuel won the Player of the Year and the Defender of the Year awards last season for his faultless defensive displays. This summer scoring sensation Luca Toni (26, S C) was snapped up from Brescia for £3M. With 4 goals from 5 games already this season he is proving to be an absolute bargain. Other top players in the squad include Francesco Totti (26, F C) and Vincenzo Montella (29, S C).

Sampdoria
2001/2002 - 3rd in Serie B
2002/2003 - 13th
Following their promotion from Serie B in 2001/2002, Sampdoria struggled badly and in December last year manager Walter Alfredo Novellino was sacked and replaced by Alberto Zaccheroni. The new boss made an immediate impact and relegation was avoided. However, this summer the club's saviour was head hunted to become the Italian national coach and Guiseppe Pillon is now the man in charge. He has wasted no time in adding to his squad, with Filippo Maniero (31, S C) joining from Palermo for £6.5M and Brazilian Matuzelam (23, DM C) bought from Brescia for £7.75M. After this outlay much will be expected of the team this season.

Torino
2001/2002 - 14th
2002/2003 - 11th
The glory days for Torino are long gone and Manager Giancarlo Camolese is unlikely to bring much joy to the success-starved supporters with his current squad. The best of the bunch are Cristiano Lucarelli (27, S C) and club captain Simone Vergassola (27, M C). His major summer signing, Giuseppe Colucci (23, M RC), who cost £2.7M from Serie B side Modena, has done little to impress so far and looks a disconsolate figure out on the pitch. It seems that the weight of expectation is proving difficult for him to live up to.

Udinese
2001/2002 - 15th
2002/2003 - Serie B Champions
Many observers expected Manager Luciano Spalletti to be sacked when Udinese were relegated in 2001/2002 but he not only kept his job, he led the team to the Serie B championship and an immediate return to the top flight. Spalletti will have his work cut out to stop his team from yo-yoing back to Serie B, as his squad is none too impressive. One of their most important players is ex-Bayern striker Carsten Jancker (29, S C) and the big front man notched up 25 goals in Serie B last season. The young South Korean forward Lee Chun-Soo (22, F LC) shows some promise, as does Giampiero Pinzi (22, 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 Roma 34 16 1 0 34 4 7 7 3 19 12 77 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2nd Milan 34 10 4 3 36 13 11 3 3 34 15 70 3rd Parma 34 11 5 1 28 11 9 5 3 27 18 70 4th Bologna 34 13 3 1 31 12 7 3 7 23 24 66 5th Lazio 34 11 4 2 26 8 9 1 7 26 17 65 6th Inter 34 10 5 2 25 10 9 2 6 23 15 64 7th Juventus 34 12 3 2 40 17 5 5 7 30 26 59 8th Atalanta 34 10 5 2 24 8 6 4 7 15 18 57 9th Perugia 34 10 2 5 26 13 5 4 8 18 20 51 10th Lecce 34 7 3 7 26 27 5 4 8 22 29 43 11th Torino 34 5 4 8 21 23 7 2 8 25 29 42 12th Empoli 34 6 3 8 17 28 3 5 9 18 27 35 13th Sampdoria 34 4 4 9 14 24 4 6 7 12 23 34 14th Palermo 34 7 1 9 28 35 3 2 12 17 31 33 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------15th R Brescia 34 6 3 8 26 31 2 2 13 13 40 29 16th R Siena 34 2 6 9 13 25 2 3 12 6 23 21 17th R Reggina 34 4 4 9 18 28 1 2 14 5 37 21 18th R Como 34 2 3 12 10 32 2 3 12 16 39 18</pre>


Game of the Week

Saturday September 13th, 2003
Spanish Primera Liga
Elche 4 Barcelona 4
Barcelona's league campaign did not get off to the best of starts against lowly Elche at the Martinez Valero stadium. Despite creating the majority of the scoring opportunities and displaying some scintillating attacking play, slack defending and poor discipline meant that a comfortable 2-goal lead was thrown away. Barca started very positively and after just a couple of minutes Xavi forced a good save from Toni with a scorching left foot half volley. From the resulting corner Saviola beat Pedro Garcia to the ball but his header clipped the bar and went over. After 10 minutes a slick passing move ended with Kluivert threading a pass into the area for the run of Mendieta who flicked it first time past the Elche keeper.

Elche were finding it difficult to get hold of the ball as Barcelona maintained possession and passed the ball around, probing for an opening. Saviola came close to a second goal when he beat first Montoya and then Boriseiko but his shot was well saved by Toni at the expense of a corner. Xavi's near post corner was flicked on by Kluivert, De Boer picked up the ball and squared it to Saviola but his shot was bravely blocked by Capdevila. Elche's first real opportunity came when Cabello made a powerful run from midfield but his attempted shot flew well wide as Frank De Boer did enough to put him off. But moments later the home side did equalise when Zepeda beat an uncertain looking Bonano to a cross from Boriseiko for an easy header. This would not be the last time that the Barca keeper undid the good work of his colleagues.

Mendieta's intelligent off the ball running and positioning paid off again on 33 minutes. Saviola sent in a teasing low cross to the near post and Mendieta was first to the ball to restore Barcelona's lead. But just 3 minutes later it was all square again when Bonano failed to collect a Cabello free kick, leaving Pedro Garcia with a free header. For the remainder of the half Barcelona pinned Elche back in their own half and finally got back in front when Xavi played a one-two with Saviola to beat the offside trap and dinked the ball over Toni for a 3-2 lead.

The visitors got their 4th in the 63rd minute when Gerard got behind the Elche defence and sent in a low cross to the far post for Luis Enrique to shoot home. Just 3 minutes later the hapless Roberto Bonano got himself sent off when he rashly challenged Serrano in the area. Saviola was taken off and substitute keeper Robert Enke came on, but he was unable to prevent Rebosio converting the penalty. With a man short, Barca decided to try to defend their lead but they were undone by a breathtaking goal from Pedro Garcia. The defensive midfielder is not normally known for his attacking flair but he took full advantage of the freedom that having an extra man brought. Picking up the ball in the centre circle he went on a dazzling run, beating 4 Barcelona players before unleashing a powerful shot that left Enke helpless. Elche almost grabbed a dramatic winner when Boriseiko was allowed to run from deep in his own half all the way to the Barca goal line but his cross was blocked by Thuram.

Teams
Elche: Toni, Cesar Miguel Rebosio, Joan Capdevila (Antonio Moreno 62), Curro Montoya, Joaquin Bornes (captain), Pedro Garcia, Miguel Zepeda (Loren 73), Angel Sanchez, Manuel Serrano (Sergio Santamaria 73), Jose David Cabello, Dmitry Boriseiko

Subs not used: Jose Ramon De La Fuente, Jose Louis Rondo, Miguel Melgar, Daniel Platero

Barcelona: Roberto Bonano, Gabri, Luis Enrique, Patrik Andersson, Frank De Boer (captain), Lilian Thuram, Gerard, Gaizka Mendieta, Javier Saviola (Robert Enke 66), Patrick Kluivert, Xavi

Subs not used: Marc Overmars, Alfonso, Carles Puyol, Victor, Dani, Haruna Babangida

Scorers
Elche: Zepeda 23, Pedro Garcia 36, 71, Rebosio 67 (pen)
Barcelona: Mendieta 10, 33, Xavi 45, Luis Enrique 63

Man of the Match: Gaizka Mendieta

Yellow Cards
Barcelona: Gabri, Luis Enrique
Red Cards
Barcelona: Bonano

Attendance: 26,911


Reader's Letters

HD writes
Dear ESW,
Can you tell me how my favourite team, Ayr United, are getting on at the moment? Also how is Gary Teale doing?

Well HD, things are not going well for you favourites at present. They are currently bottom of the Scottish First Division with just 4 points from 5 games. In the last two seasons they have finished 4th and 6th but they did reach the League Cup Final in 2001/2002 before losing 2-0 to Dundee United. During that great cup run they disposed of three Premier League teams - Aberdeen, Partick Thistle and Hearts, before falling at the final hurdle. Gordon Dalziel resigned from his managerial position in April this year and was replaced by ex-Morton manager Gary MacKay. Over £4M has been spent on players in the last couple of years, about half of which has been recouped through sales. Their most expensive purchase was the £1.5M spent on Iain Nicolson (26, D/DM RC) from St. Mirren 12 months ago, but his performances have not justified this expenditure. Their biggest sale was in June this year when Craig Nelson (32, GK) was sold to Motherwell for £600K. Experienced forward James Grady (32, S C) has been the club's top scorer for the past 2 seasons and his strike partner Eddie Annand (30, S C) has been the Supporters Player of the Season twice in succession.

The former Ayr favourite Gary Teale (25, AM/F R) was transferred from Wigan to Chelsea in October last year for £3.3M. He had a productive first season for the Blues, making 27 appearances, scoring 5 times and being credited with 10 assists and 1 MOM award. He won his first Scotland cap earlier this month in the Euro 2004 qualifier against Luxembourg when he made an appearance as a 56th minute substitute. Now valued at some £5M, he is a regular starter in the Chelsea midfield.

crazyvols@comca

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HD writes
Dear ESW,
Can you tell me how my favourite team, Ayr United, are getting on at the moment? Also how is Gary Teale doing?
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Sweet, BB.