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.

Champions League semi-finals are served. The big clashes between Liverpool FC and  Chelsea FC and FC Barcelona and Manchester United FC will select the two teams who will travel to Moscow for the Final on 21^st May. Reds boss Sir Alex Ferguson can’t wait to face Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final and is advancing some of his thoughts.
The Catalans beat Schalke 1-0 (2-0 on aggregate) to progress to the semi-final, but they will be without suspended skipper Carlos Puyol for the first-leg tie at the Camp Nou on 23^rd April and Alex Ferguson opinion on this fact after United’s 1-0 win over Rome, which takes the Reds comfortably through 3-0 on aggregate is: “Payola’s is a very good player, so that’s interesting,”
And he adds: “We have the opportunity now to achieve something really special. We want to go to Barcelona and show we’re a good team. Barcelona are a wonderful club but we can’t go there and be negative. If we do that then we’ve got a chance.”
The United manager surprised everyone with his starting line-up against AS Rome, leaving Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes on the bench. But he defended his decision and maintained his faith was repaid by the performance and the final result.
“We have to think about Arsenal on Sunday and you have to look at the big picture at times,” Sir Alex added: “We were going into a game at Old Trafford with a two-goal lead and I have to trust the players in that situation.
“I keep saying it’s the best squad I’ve ever had so if that’s the case then why shouldn’t I play them? I took out Scholes, Rooney and Ronaldo, but Ji-sung Park, Carlos Tevez and Owen Hargreaves were our three best players.”Having said all this, Alex Ferguson as well as all football fans must await the matches to be played at Camp Nou on 23r^d April and at Old Trafford on 29^th April to know the final result although what it is 100% sure is that at least an English team – Liverpool or Chelsea – will be one of the finalists.