General

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) with 31 goals scored (62 points) during season 2007/08 in the Premiership (England) is the new winner of the European Golden Boot, the prestigious trophy awarding the top scorer of European National Leagues. Cristiano Ronaldo is also maximum favourite to obtain the ‘Golden Ball’ and ‘FIFA World Player’ of this season. After Cristiano Ronaldo, in the Top Scorers list in Europe this season, other important players have been qualified: Dani Güiza (Mallorca) with 27 goals scored (54 points), Klass-Jan Huntelar (Ajax) with 33 goals scored (but only 49,5 points because the league in Holland has a lower coefficient) and Adebayor (Arsenal), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla) and Luca Toni (Bayern Munich) all with 24 goals scored (48 points).But let’s go also to see the statistics of this trophy only referred to the Premiership in England since season 1994/95. 1994/95 A. Shearer (Blackburn), 34 goals scored; 1995/96 A. Shearer (Blackburn), 31 goals scored; 1996/97 A. Shearer (Newcastle), 25 goals scored; 1997/98 D. Dublin (Coventry), M. Owen (Liverpool) and C. Suttun (Blackpool), all with 18 goals scored; 1998/99 D. Yorke (Manchester United), M. Owen (Liverpool) and J. F. Hasselbaink (Leeds), all with 18 goals scored; 1999/00 K. Phillips (Sunderland) 30 goals scored; 2000/01 J. F. Hasselbaink (Chelsea), 23 goals scored. 2001/02 T. Henry (Arsenal), 24 goals scored; 2002/03 R. v. Nistelrooy (Manchester United), 25 goals scored; 2003/04 T. Henry (Arsenal), 30 goals scored; 2004/05 T. Henry (Arsenal), 25 goals scored; 2005/06 T. Henry (Arsenal), 27 goals scored; 2006/07 D. Drogba (Chelsea), 21 goals scored.

Few days before the opening of the Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland and just looking at the Euro Cup history it is easy to understand why it has become so popular. The European Championships were first held in 1960 and were originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup. Initially it was hard to get many teams to compete, but by 1968 the tournament when it changed its name to the European Football Championship becomes very popular.
Since its creation the team winners have been: 1960 USSR, 1964 Spain, 1968 Italy, 1972 Germany, 1976 Czechoslovakia, 1980 Germany, 1984 France, 1988 Holland, 1992 Denmark, 1996 Germany, 2000 France and 2004 Greece.Let’s go now through some remarkable facts along the 12 championships played until now. 1960: Spain was eliminated from the tournament when General Francisco Franco’s government refused to let the Spanish team travel to Moscow. 1964: Largest crowd in championship history — 125,000 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in the final match (Spain-USSR). 1968: Name was changed from the Nations Cup to the European Championship. 1976: Czechoslovakia won on penalties. 1980: The final field was increased to eight teams from four. 1984: Spanish ‘keeper Luis Arconada knocked the first goal over his own line. 1988:Only three of the eight finalists from ‘84 qualified, including France. 1992: U.N. sanctions forced out war-torn Yugoslavia. 1996: First Golden Goal in a major international championship. 2000: Sylvain Wiltord shocked Italy by scoring the game 3 minutes into injury time when the Italians were leading the whole match with David Trezeguet scoring the Golden Goal winner 13 minutes to win.

Zenit St. Petersburg became the second Russia squad in the last four seasons to win football UEFA Cup, defeating Scotland’s Glasgow Rangers 2-0 in the final match at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.

Igor Denisov staked Zenit to a 1-0 lead in the 72nd minute and Konstantin Zyryanov completed the scoring in injury time.It marked the first UEFA Cup for Zenit coach David Advocaat, who, ironically, coached Rangers from 1998 to 2002. “I feel very happy winning the prize like this,” he said. “The way we played in this tournament, we really deserved this.”Glasgow Rangers has failed to win a European championship since capturing the now-defunct Cup Winners’ Cup in 1972.”Over the tournament, we have worked very hard to get to the final,” Rangers coach Walter Smith said. “There was not that much in it overall and we had a few chances ourselves. Zenit looked the more offensive team. But obviously, at this stage, I’m disappointed to have lost.”Zenit controlled the first half, but Rangers goalkeeper Neil Alexander kept it scoreless with saves on Anatoliy Tymoschuk, Radek Sirl, Zyryanov and Alexander Anyukov. Zenit attacked more and when they were successful against their opponent’s goal, it was quite clear that they will maintain this advantage. Anyway was Zenit who controlled all the match from the very beginning and everybody was convinced that finally Zenit would win.CSKA Moscow was the first Russian team to win the UEFA Cup in 2005.

When the European Football 2007/08 season is almost finishing, different things can be analysed to check how the season has developed and which have been the most relevant facts during the nine months of competition.One of the most important facts are the goals scored, both in the domestic leagues and in the Champions League. In this aspect there is a name leading both tables: Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United with a total of 37 goals scored followed by Fernando Torres from Liverpool with 29 goals scored. But let’s go to the tables to see all details of the goals scored:                                                                                                 (1)    (2)      (3)      (4)     (5)      (6)    (7)      National LeaguesCristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United     30      3       88      38      33     20       3Daniel Güiza - Mallorca                                 24       0      115      38      34     18        1Emmanuel Adebayor - Arsenal                    24       3      118      32      35      17        1Luis Fabiano - Sevilla                                     23       2       93      33      28      16       4Fernando Torres – Liverpool                        23      0      106     35       32      17       4Luca Toni – Bayern Munich                          21      0      117      34       29      15       3

Marco Borriello – Genoa                                19      5       146     43       33     14       4

David Trezeguet – Juventus                          19      1       152      27       34     14       2

Mario Gomez – Stuttgart                                18     0      100      32       23     13       2

Alessandro del Piero – Juventus                   18     2       143      26       35     13       3

Kevin Kuranyi – Schalke 04                           15     0       171       28       30    10       1 Champions League    Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United       7     1       128       36       10       6      3Steven Gerrard – Liverpool                               6    2       182       20       12       6      0Didier Drogba – Chelsea                                    6    0       151        31        10      4      2

Fernando Torres – Liverpool                            6     0       145       20       10      5      1

Lionel Messi – FC Barcelona                                 6     1        121       33         9      5      1

(1)   Goals Scored

(2)  Penalties

(3) Minutes per Goal

(4)  % of Team Goals

(5)  Appearances

(6)  Games Scored

Crucial Goals   

Referees at Euro 2008 will come down hard on players who use excessive force or show dissent if they follow instructions they were given on Thursday. The 12 referees who will officiate at the June tournament in Austria and Switzerland were handed a six-point list of instructions at the end of a four-day workshop at their Euro 2008 base near Zurich. The instructions, compiled by European soccer’s governing body UEFA, order referees to ‘act firmly (red card) against challenges involving excessive force…including the illegal use of arms and elbows.’ UEFA said that players would also be expected to respect officials’ decisions. ‘Referees can accept a spontaneous expression of frustration from players,’ the instructions state, ‘but will firmly sanction players who show dissent to the referees by word or action.’ The referees have also been instructed to control holding or pushing in the penalty area prior to corners and free kicks and to punish ’simulation intended to deceive the referee’ with yellow cards. The list ends with a note to team coaches, advising them that they will be ‘left to do their jobs’ in the technical area immediately in front of the team bench provided they act responsibly. ‘If a coach openly criticises the referee, action will be taken to curb his behaviour,’ the instructions add. The list of the 12 Euro 2008 referees is the following: Konrad Plautz (Austria), Frank de Bleeckere (Belgium), Howard Webb (England), Herbert Fandel (Germany), Kyros Vassaras (Greece), Roberto Rosetti (Italy), Pieter Vink (Netherlands), Tom Henning Ovrebo (Norway), Lubos Michel (Slovakia),
Manuel Enrique Mejuto Gonzalez (Spain), Peter Frojdfeldt (Sweden) and
Massimo Busacca (Switzerland).

When many European Football Leagues have not yet finished, specially in Eastern countries there are 10 clubs already qualified for the first phase of the competition and 21 clubs also qualified for the preliminary phase. The 10 clubs already qualified for the first phase of the competition are: Real Madrid (Spain), Bayern Munich (Germany), Manchester United and Chelsea (England), Internazionale and Rome (Italy), Olympique Lyon and Girondins Bordeaux (France), Porto (Portugal) and PSV Eindhoven (Holland). Another 5 clubs will join the above 10 as soon as their national leagues finished: 1 club from the following countries: Spain, Germany, Greece, Portugal and Russia.The 21 clubs already qualified for the preliminary phase of the competition are: Arsenal and Liverpool (England), Juventus (Italy), Sparta Prague and Slavia Prague (Czech Republic), CFR 1907 Cluj and Steaua Bucarest (Rumania), Shakhtar Donetsk and Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine), Standard Liege (Belgium), FC Santa Coloma (Andorra), Rapid Vienna (Austria), CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria), Anorthosis Famagusta (Cyprus), Lanelli AFC (Wales), Dinamo Tiblisi (Georgia), Linfield Belfast (North Ireland), F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg), Valetta FC (Malta) and Wisla Krakow (Poland). But still other 50 clubs will join the 21 above clubs when their domestic leagues completed.Spain, England and Italy (4 clubs each country), France, Germany, Portugal, Holland, Greece and Russia (3 clubs), Scotland, Turkey, Czech Republic, Rumania, Ukraine and Belgium (2 clubs) and other 39 countries (1 club each).In total it will be 81 clubs that will fight for the Champions League 2008/09. But let wait for the complete list and the preliminary qualification phase results to know the last 32 clubs which will go into the draw next September to conform the eight definitive groups.

This season’s UEFA Champions League Final will see Chelsea - Manchester United go head to head in arguably the biggest match ever played between two English clubs. Of course it’s not being played on English soil, with both teams and their fans travelling to Moscow for the 21 May showdown at Luzhniki Stadium. This will be the third occasion where two teams from the same country – England – will play the final match of the Champions League joining two other countries – Spain and Italy – that have done the same. In year 2000 it was Real Madrid and Valencia who played the final match at Saint Denis Stadium in Paris (Real Madrid win 3-0) and in year 2003 Milan and Juventus have done the same at Old Trafford Stadium in Manchester (Milan win 3-2 pen). Europe’s top club competition has never featured two English sides in the Final before. But Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers did contest the UEFA Cup Final over two legs in 1972. In the early years of the competition two English sides couldn’t meet, because only the League Champions were able to enter. Manchester United entered as holder in 1968, but avoided Manchester City in the First Round draw and City were surprisingly knocked out by Fenerbahce from Turkey. In 1977 Liverpool won the ‘European Cup’, as we called it in those days, but they were League Champions too.Manchester United and Chelsea FC will fight for this year European crown and the winner will receive the competition trophy number 53.

When there is only about one month for the 2007/08 season end of the most important football European leagues the probable winners in each country have already a name or at least some teams are clear favourites to obtain the championship.Let’s have a look to the present situation of the football leagues in Spain, England, Germany, Italy, Holland, Portugal, Belgium and Greece.Liga bwin in Portugal: This is the only of the above mentioned countries where there is already a winner of the major football league. Porto with 66 points is the winner when still there are four matches to be played before the end.Super League in Greece: When only one match must be played, Olympiakos with 67 points could be the winner. AEK with 65 points is second. Eredivisie in Holland: Also there is only one match to be played and PSV Eindhoven with 69 points will probably win the championship this season.Jupiter League in Belgium: Four matches to be played and Standard Liege (68 points) has 7 points advantage over Anderlecht (61 points).Premiership in England: Also four matches to be played and Manchester United (80 points) has a comfortable advantage of five points over Chelsea who is second in the table (75 points).Ligue 1 in France: Olympique Lyon with 68 points is the leader followed by Girondins Bordeaux with 64 points when there are still five matches to be played.Serie A in Italy: 4 points is the advantage of Inter (75 points) over Rome (71 points) when still five matches must be played.1 Bundesliga in Germany: 10 points is the comfortable advantage of Bayern Munich over Werder Bremen six matches before the end of the season.Primera Division in Spain: Real Madrid with 69 points is the maximum favourite to obtain the championship because second in the table is FC Barcelona with 60 points when only six matches must be played.According this up to date situation it is almost probable that following teams will go directly into the Champions League next season: Porto, Olympiakos, PSV Eindhoven, Standard Liege, Manchester United, Chelsea, Olympique Lyon, Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen, Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Since 1999 the prestigious French magazine ‘France Football’ publishes the ranking of the players and trainers who earn more money in the world of football. In the indicated figures for the players the money they earn for publicity is also included. Regarding the trainers there are some names that are not working at present.

The first player in the top ten list is David Beckam with 31 million Euro, (6 from  LA Galaxy  and 25 from publicity contracts). Beckam has been already in the top of the list in years 2003, 2004 y 2005 until he was overcome by the star of Barça Ronaldinho. This year Beckam is followed by the mentioned Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona) with 24.1, Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona) with 23, Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC) with 19.5, Thierry Henry (FC Barcelona) with 16.8, John Terry (Arsenal FC) with 13.9, Michael Ballack (Arsenal FC) with 13.8, Ronaldo (AC Milan) with 13.4, Kaka (AC Milan) with 12.9 and Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC) with 11.8.Regarding the teams, 3 players from the top 10 belong to FC Barcelona followed by Arsenal FC and AC Milan with 2 players each.  With reference to trainers one of them is far away in the top list: Jose Mourinho with  29 million Euro. A bit far from him is Fabio Capello with 14.2, Alex Ferguson with 7.4, Juande Ramos with 7.3, Sven Ericksson with 7.1, Arsene Wenger with 6.4, Martin Jol with 5.8, Vicente del Bosque with 5.2, Roberto Mancini with 5 and Frank Rijkaard with 4.8.Seven of them work for English teams (except Capello – he is the coach of  English national team), while three of them (Mourinho, Del Bosque and Jol) are now on ‘unemployment’.Although these figures are high, there other sports that overcome football and for example Beckam would only be the fourth in the absolute ranking behind Tiger Woods (Golf), with 75 million Euro, Oscar de la Hoya (Boxing) with 35 and Phil Mickelson (Golf) with 32,5.

On Saturday 17^th  May, The FA Cup will reach its climax at New Wembley Stadium when Portsmouth and Cardiff City will battle it out to lift the Cup.

The FA Cup is the oldest football competition in the world and is synonymous with Wembley’s rich history. The first FA Cup competition in season 1871-72 had fifteen entries and this season more than 600 took part. Wanderers, a team formed by ex-public school and university players, won the first final 1-0 against Royal Engineers at Kennington Oval. A crowd of 2,000 attended the match and they each paid one shilling for the privilege.
The FA Cup Final has been played at Wembley Stadium from 1923 to 2000 and at Millennium Stadium from 2001 to 2006 and returning to London in 2007. Chelsea are the current holders of The FA Cup after becoming the first team to win the competition coming back to the New Wembley Stadium, beating Manchester United last season.

Tickets for FA Cup Final are being always distributed by the participating clubs. Portsmouth, who plays at the Premiership, reached the final beating in the semi-final to West Bromwich Albion (1-0) on 5^th April.Cardiff City, who plays at the Championship League, is reaching the FA Cup final after a win in semi-final (1-0) over Barnsley on 6^th April.

Cardiff City supporters will return to Wembley 81 years after their previous FA Cup success of 1927 beating Arsenal (1-0) and Portsmouth supporters will also come back to Wembley 69 years after their FC Cup last success in 1939 beating Wolverhampton (4-1).