<div id="attachment_1892" style="width: 510px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Pictures of famous Athletic Bilbao players at San Mamés. Photo courtesy of Nicholas McGowan.</div>
Athletic Bilbao would have no problems with the proposed UEFA plan of mandating eight homegrown players in the squad of eighteen for every match or the theoretical 6 + 5 rule, where six players of the starting eleven would have to be eligible for the national team of their club’s country.&nbsp; Athletic Bilbao refuses to sign anyone not of Basque heritage.&nbsp; This policy seems out of touch with modern times, as top European teams and minnows of UEFA try to sign the best players within their means, regardless of country or province of origin.&nbsp; As their record of accomplishment indicates of always staying in the top flight of Spanish football, Bilbao is doing something right.&nbsp; In the past four years, however, Bilbao finished in the bottom half of the table, including a last gasp win in the final round of the 2006-2007 season to stave off relegation.
Forsaking the cantera plan never entered the minds of the Bilbao boardroom.&nbsp; These local players from the Basque gelled together in the past few years, taking the best shots from La Liga and many times plummeting onto the canvas.&nbsp; Under the leadership of manager Joaquín Caparrós, Athletic Bilbao is now in a position to finish in the top half of the table and compete for European places.
Because of their amazing Copa del Rey cup run to the finals, Bilbao earned a spot in the Europa League.&nbsp; After narrow escapes against Swiss team Young Boys in the third qualifying round and Norwegian outfit Tromsø in the playoff round, they commenced their voyage in the Europa League group stage with a 3-0 thrashing of Austria Wien.&nbsp; In La Liga, Athletic won their first two matches, narrowly defeating Espanyol at San Mamés 1-0 and dispatching newcomers Xerez 0-1 at Chapín.&nbsp; Bilbao’s first real test came Sunday against a Villarreal team who was searching for their first win in La Liga after two 1-1 draws with Osasuna and Mallorca.
Both Athletic Bilbao and Villarreal played in the Europa League on Thursday, so they were on equal footing when it came to a quick turnaround.&nbsp; Villarreal was used to coping with midweek European matches along with their Spanish league responsibilities since they played in European competitions for the past six seasons.&nbsp; It was Athletic, though, who looked like the fresher of the two teams from the outset.&nbsp; Villarreal’s intricate passing and possession football were overmatched by Bilbao’s more physical and direct style of play.&nbsp; Being that Bilbao’s roots derived from immigrant English steel and shipyard workers, Bilbao’s physical style and use of whipping deep crosses and a strong, tough target man should be of no surprise.
Bilbao created most of the first half chances, and they converted on two of these opportunities, giving them a 2-0 lead at halftime.&nbsp; Villarreal did not have an attempted shot until the 36th minute, and by the end of the half, the Yellow Submarine had two shots total with none of them on goal.&nbsp; Central defenders Diego Godín and Iván Marcano could not handle the brute strength and the technical skill of Bilbao talisman Fernando Llorente; Gaizka Toquero and David López ran rampant on the wings in support of Llorente; and Igor Gabilondo’s wicked crosses and free kicks created opportunities for his teammates and kept the Villarreal fullbacks in defense rather than making overlapping runs in the attack.
Villarreal manager Ernesto Valverde made a conscious decision to become more direct in the second half to counter Bilbao’s dominance.&nbsp; This strategy paid off in the 49th minute when Cani scored to cut the deficit in half.&nbsp; Joan Capdevila’s cross traveled deep into the penalty area, where Joseba Llorente headed the ball into Cani’s path, and Cani smashed it home from twelve yards out.&nbsp; Despite this development, Bilbao was unfazed and eventually regained their two-goal advantage when Javi Martínez headed in the third goal from a Gabilondo corner in the 59th minute.&nbsp; Athletic eventually won the match 3-2 and kept their 100% record.
Only La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid share a perfect three for three record with Bilbao, and while no one claims that Bilbao will keep pace with them for the remainder of the season, the swagger is back with this Bilbao team.&nbsp; Iker Muniain and Isaac Aketxe, both 16 years old, made substitute appearances, 21 year old Javi Martínez scored a goal, 24 year old central defender Fernando Amorebieta effectively phased out Giuseppe Rossi and Joseba Llorente for the most part, and 24 year old Fernando Llorente showed the form that made him a strong candidate for inclusion into the Spanish national team for the 2010 World Cup.
Joaquín Caparrós constructed a team that stayed true to their origins with their direct play while incorporating the highly technical football necessary to compete successfully in La Liga.&nbsp; Even if Athletic were relegated for the first time in their history, their supporters would not want Athletic to renounce its cantera policy and sell out for some extra wins.&nbsp; The Basques want their club to be represented by their own, and the young talent that Caparrós brought into the fold promises a budding future for Los Leones.&nbsp; While the economic inequities between Real Madrid and Barcelona and the rest of La Liga may prevent Athletic Bilbao from consistently challenging for titles as they did in the 1980’s, the Euskaldunak have a team of which they can be proud not just for their heritage but also for their football.

Athletic Bilbao Maintains Perfect Start and Basque Heritage - World Soccer Talk

Athletic Bilbao Maintains Perfect Start and Basque Heritage

<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>A massive number of clubs are involved in the Second Qualifying Round (80 in total).
The winners of the 23 First Qualifying Round ties were joined in this round by a further 57 clubs that includes the domestic cup winners from the national associations ranked 30 to 53 in the UEFA coefficient, the runners-up from the associations ranked 19 to 34, the third-placed sides from the associations ranked 16 to 21, the fourth-placed sides from the associations ranked 10 to 15 and the fifth-placed sides from the associations ranked 7 to 9.
What does all that mean? It means that some well known names enter the competition like Romanian giants FC Steaua Bucure?ti, Turkish side Galatasaray SK, Danish club Aalborg BK (a participant in last season’s Champions League group stage. The Danish sides did not farewell in the first leg as Brøndby IF, the first Danish side to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage in 1995/96, succumbed 1-0 at home against Estonian side FC Flora. Meanwhile Aalborg BK could only draw 0-0 with FK Slavija Sarajevo.
The biggest wins of the night went to Dutch side NAC Breda and Rapid Vienna. Brada ran riot on Armenia’s Gandzasar, racking up a 6-0 scoreline. Rapid Vienna also had a good day at the office as they beat Vllaznia of Albania 5-0.
The complete first leg results were as follows (winners are in bold):
Sliema Wanderers (Malta) 0-0 Maccabi Netanya (Israel) 
Crusaders (Northern Ireland) 1-1 Rabotnicki (FYR Macedonia) 
Zestaponi (Georgia) 1-2 Helsingborg (Sweden) 
Milano (FYR Macedonia) 0-4 Slaven Belupo (Croatia) 
Naftan (Belarus) 2-1 AA Gent (Belgium) 
MSK Zilina (Slovakia) 2-0 Dacia Chisinau (Moldova) 
Flamutari Vlore (Albania) 1-0 Motherwell (Scotland) 
Liepajas Metalurgs (Latvia) 2-1 Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) 
Sevojno (Serbia) 0-0 FBK Kaunas (Lithuania) 
Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) 0-0 Tromso (Norway) 
Honka (Finland) 2-0 Bangor City (Wales) 
Metalist Donetsk (Ukraine) 3-0 MTZ-RIPO (Belarus) 
Tobol (Kazakhstan) 1-1 Galatasaray (Turkey) 
Zimbru Chisinau (Moldova) 0-0 Pacos de Ferreira (Portugal) 
Skonto Riga (Latvia) 1-1 Derry City (Ireland) 
Bnei Yehuda (Israel) 4-0 Dinaburg (Latvia) 
Rosenborg (Norway) 0-0 Karabakh (Azerbaijan) 
Anorthosis (Cyprus) 2-1 Petrovac (Montenegro) 
Vetra (Lithuanua) 0-1 HJK Helsinki (Finland) 
Suduva (Lithuania) 0-1 Randers (Denmark) 
Elfsborg (Sweden) 3-0 Haladas (Hungary) 
Cherno More (Bulgaria) 1-0 Iskra-Stal (Moldova) 
Sigma Olomouc (Czech Republic) 1-1 Fram (Iceland) 
Rapid Wien (Austria) 5-0 Vllaznia (Albania) 
Sturm Graz (Austria) 2-1 Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia-Herzegovina) 
Basel (Switzerland) 3-0 Santa Coloma (Andorra) 
Steaua Bucuresti (Romania) 2-0 Ujpest (Hungary) 
Omonia (Cyprus) 4-0 HB (Faroe Islands) 
AaB Aalborg (Denmark) 0-0 Slavija (Bosnia-Herzegovina) 
Legia Warsaw (Poland) 3-0 Olimpi Rustavi (Georgia) 
Gorica (Slovenia) 1-0 Lahti (Finland) 
Differdange (Luxembourg) 1-0 Rijeka (Croatia) 
Rudar Velenje (Slovenia) 0-1 Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) 
Brondby (Denmark) 0-1 Flora Tallinn (Estonia) 
Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina) 1-0 Spartak Trnava (Slovakia) 
Juvenes/Dogona (San Marino) 0-1 Polonia Warsaw (Poland) 
Falkirk (Scotland) 1-0 Vaduz (Liechtenstein) 
NAC Breda (Netherlands) 6-0 Gandzasar (Armenia) 
St. Patrick’s Athletic (Ireland) 1-1 Valletta (Malta) 
KR (Iceland) 2-0 Larissa (Greece)

Europa League 2009-10: Second Qualifying Round, First Leg Results - World Soccer Talk

Europa League 2009-10: Second Qualifying Round, First Leg Results

<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>
Without a lot of herald or <a href="http:\/\/www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/may/31/europa-league-experiment-five-officials" target="_blank">press coverage</a>, UEFA announced at the start of the week that there will be five referees on the pitch for all Europa League matches next season. &nbsp;An additional pair of eyes will be stationed behind each goal, focusing on incidents in and around the penalty area.
I’m 100% behind this move by Michel Platini. &nbsp;The debate about video replays seems to polarize fans’ opinion, and I’m no different. &nbsp;I just can’t see a workable situation that will cover the most contentious decisions in a way that doesn’t detract from the beauty of the game.
The vantage point from behind the goal will perfectly supplement the referee in the middle of the pitch. &nbsp;Between them, they should be able to make better quality decisions that will make the game more fair. &nbsp;The reports from the trial of the system reported fewer controversies and and reduction of holding and pushing at set-plays.
Back in the days of the Soccer Shout podcast (circa 2005-06) I was a big proponent of this approach – before it was being talked about by UEFA – so I’m going to throw a few more predictions into the ring:
<ul>
<li>Five referees in the Premier League in the 2010-11 season.</li>
<li>Five referees in (gasp!) the World Cup.</li>
</ul>
What do you guys think – about the system and my predictions?

Five Referees at Every Europa League Game - World Soccer Talk

Five Referees at Every Europa League Game

<div><figure class="image"></figure></div>As we reported on a number of weeks ago, the UEFA Executive Committee has finalized the change in name of the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League starting in the 2009-10 season. Along with the new name come major changes to the competition, which will feature a 48-team group stage.
Changes to the name, logo and brand identity of the competition are seen by UEFA as the next logical step following the decision to alter the format of the UEFA Cup and create a true group stage, with both home and away matches. That decision was made back in December 2007 so this is not an overnight decision.
UEFA’s ambition in making all these changes is to rejuvenate the competition that has fallen into the shadows of the massive success of the Champions League. The UEFA Cup, which was introduced in 1971-72 season and replaced the Inter Cities Fairs Cup, has been the only European club competition other than the Champions League since the Cup Winners’ Cup was dropped in 1999. The fact that clubs who have failed to survive the group stage of the Champions League continue in the UEFA Cup has contributed to its perception as a second-rate event and the general perception is still that the ‘big clubs’ will be in the Champions League.
However, I think the UEFA Cup/Europa League is an important and often underrated competition. While perhaps not as prestigious as the Champions League, it does offer other clubs a vehicle to earn extra revenue and gain experience playing against clubs outside their domestic league. It seems to be mostly the mainstream media and a large number of bloggers that trash the UEFA Cup as meaningless but those same outlets are generally only focused on the so-called “glamour” clubs.
I think if you ask fans of the clubs involved in the UEFA Cup, they are happy to be there and competing for a trophy. There have been some great matches in the UEFA Cup including last season’s final and semi-final involving Zenit St Petersburg. That club is a prime example of what this competition can do for a ‘smaller’ club that is looking to advance itself.

UEFA Cup Changed to Europa League - World Soccer Talk

UEFA Cup Changed to Europa League

<a href="http:\/\/uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKB22397520080707"></a><div><figure class="image"><a href="http:\/\/uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKB22397520080707"></a></figure></div><a href="http:\/\/uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKB22397520080707">Reuters reports</a> that UEFA is considering changing the name of its second tier UEFA Cup competition to the UEFA Europa League or the Europa Cup. The planned rebranding was revealed by Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, also the acting chairman of the new European Clubs Association, The European Clubs Assocation was presented with the proposal on Monday.
Rummenigge alluded to the general impression that maintains that the UEFA Cup is a second-class competition . Despite the fact that it is often more exciting and more unpredictable than the Champions League, casual football fans choose to turn their nose up at the UEFA Cup simply because the ‘big clubs’ are not involved rather than judging the quality of football on offer. However, the thinking is that a fresh start for the competition and more aggressive marketing might net UEFA more dollars in terms of advertising and TV deals.
The name change will likely be brought in at the same time as the revamped format for the UEFA Cup takes hold as of the 2009-10 season. The new group stage will directly copy the format of the Champions League.
I don’t want to be a stodgy traditionalist and I am in favour of the group stage changes but I have to admit that I’m initially not impressed with the proposed name change. Europa League? It just doesn’t carry the excitement of a name like Champions League. One thing for sure is that it will certainly take a while before people stop calling it the UEFA Cup or ‘competition formerly known as the UEFA Cup’.
What’s your take on the proposed name change? Feel free to post alternate name ideas and/or your suggestions for improving the competition.

UEFA Cup To Become Europa League? - World Soccer Talk

UEFA Cup To Become Europa League?

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Athletic Bilbao Maintains Perfect Start and Basque Heritage

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Europa League 2009-10: Second Qualifying Round, First Leg Results

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Five Referees at Every Europa League Game

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UEFA Cup Changed to Europa League

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UEFA Cup To Become Europa League?