The draw for the third and final qualifying round of the Champions League has been made today with Liverpool drawn against Standard Liege. The first leg will be played in Belgium on August 12th or 13th, while the second leg at Anfield is scheduled for August 26 or 27th. Standard is one of the most […]

This week we make the short trip west on the A40 from Dortmund past Bochum to Gelsenkirchen, home to Schalke 04 and their new coach, Fred Rutten. Much like his new Ruhr rival, Jürgen Klopp, Rutten has been a one club man for almost his entire 30-year playing and coaching career, all with FC Twente […]

Continuing our series introducing the Bundesliga's newest gaffers is Jürgen Klopp now with Borussia Dortmund. For those of you at home wondering why Klopp was chosen to follow Klinsmann wonder no more. Was it to juxtapose the long-serving Klopp with the journeyman Klinsmann? Was it because both were football commentators for the German public television […]

July 1st saw the formal beginnings of five coaches' tenures at the helms of Bundesliga clubs. Over the next several weeks every Thursday we'll introduce these men to you. Our series of profiles begins with Bayern München's Jürgen Klinsmann, striker par excellence and noted diving enthusiast. We detail the man, his plan, his challenges, and […]

UEFA have annulled an earlier decision to exclude Porto from next season's Champions League. Porto were initially expelled from Champions League play over alleged bribery of referees in the 2003-04 season. UEFA's appeals body decided to send the issue back for consideration to their Control and Disciplinary Body, effectively annulling the June 4 decision to […]

Just days after Porto FC were stripped of their place in the Champions League, CSKA Sofia have suffered the same fate though for different reasons. CSKA won their 31st Bulgarian league title this season and earned a place in the Champions League's third qualifying round but could not meet the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) Licensing […]

Football is not always a beautiful game; sometimes bookings are necessary. This season was no different in Germany, even if statistically player discipline was comparatively better than in the past several seasons. While goal scorers have the Torjägerkanone (awarded by the magazine kicker) to shoot for, no comparable trophy exists for the Bundesliga's best/worst troublemakers. […]

UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body has stripped Portuguese champions Porto FC of their place in next season's Champions League over alleged bribery of referees during the 2003/04 season. UEFA cited Article 1.04 (d) of the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League regulations (available via this PDF) in their decision. The article states that to be eligible to […]

The marathon of the Champions League Final is over, and what an ordeal it was. Frankly I'm embarrassed by what I witnessed. Embarrassed because of the lack of sportsmanship shown by both sides. Embarrassed because this was supposed to be the final that provided an entertaining example of what English football can be. Instead what […]

If you're desperate to follow the Champions League Final today, you can't watch it on TV and you don't have a Slingbox, listen to the live radio commentary from The Sun. The audio quality is usually suspect, but at least you'll be able to follow the biggest match of the year online. And, don't forget, […]

Am I the only person who is getting a bit sick of the Champions League press coverage? The match hasn't even begun yet, but the newspapers continue writing article after article leading up to Wednesday's match between Manchester United and Chelsea. Sure, I'm looking forward to the match just as much as anyone, but I […]

The 45th season of the Bundesliga has come to an end with comparatively little drama or theatrics. Bayern all but guaranteed itself the title with a busy summer in the transfer market, spending 70 million Euros on Luca Toni (the league's top scorer), Franck Ribery (world class playmaker) and the rest. While this investment was […]

Liverpool and Chelsea are often blamed for sucking the essence and style out of football, and no player embodies that more than Dirk Kuyt. His work-rate is tremendous., his vitamins are in order, and he covers great ground. At the same time, he has the finesse of a demented walrus and is as pleasing to […]

The Kids, they're alright. But alright does not win you a title. Yes, Arsenal got hosed. Theo Walcott's coming out party was spoiled by a pathetic penalty decision, a putrid product of the Kop End. Stevie G got to grin and smile like he had won the match, though he did everything in his power […]

Everyone was crying after this match. Merseyside denizens shed tears of joy. The Nerrazzuri cried into their cappuccinos. Neutrals bellowed in agony at having been forced to watch the full ninety minutes. But, for better or for worse, Liverpool is through to the Champions League quarterfinals defeating Inter Milan 3-0 on aggregate. Liverpool held a […]