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The CL beckons again..
It’s around this time of the summer that fans and players start itching for the new season and planning the months ahead. The transfer window is open and the rumour mill is in full flow but for some fans, there is something even more important on the horizon.
The draws for the qualifying rounds of the Champions League and the re-modelled Europa League are a few days away and there are some big names entering the frame. Many fans are still waiting to get their summer holiday this year but with one or two tasty European ties to come in the not too distant future, one or two may be persuaded to hold off and splash their cash following their team.
It is inevitable that the Champions League gets most of the publicity and hype because it is Europe’s most important football tournament. This was emphasised when Real Madrid unveiled Kaka and Ronaldo in the Bernabeu with a bevy of European Cup and Champions Leagues behind them.
Madrid were obviously in the mood to remind the world of which team has had the most success in Europe’s premier tournament but you get the feeling there was a darker motive than this. Madrid must be hurting badly at the fact that Barcelona are the current Champions League holders and have won the trophy twice since Madrid got anywhere close to a sniff at the famous competition.
All of the past glories can count for nothing when your bitter rivals are the current champions. So, with the big cup back on everybody’s mind, who is lining up for a crack at this year from the qualification rounds?
A Very Short First Round
The first round, strangely enough, only featured two games as the tournament got off to a quiet start. First team to progress from the round was UE Sant Julia from Andorra, who triumphed on penalties after two 1-1 draws.
Their passage through means that the team from the principality will face Levski Sofia in the second round, which is sure to be a much harder task than their first round match. Levski Sofia are a team with a decent name and reputation around Europe based on a number of years sterling efforts when football in the Eastern Bloc was well regimented and it is likely that Levski will bring the Andorrans run to a halt.
That said, Sant Julia should feel nothing but pride and elation about making it through the first round of the qualifiers and it may be something that the team can build from in years to come. The other first round tie saw Mogren from Montenegro take a 2-0 lead in their away tie against Hibernians of Malta and with the home tie to follow, they should be the team progressing to the next round. The prize for the winner of this tie will be a game against FC Copenhagen, a team with a strong level of Champions League experience and who will be strong favourites to come through this round.
A Partisan Crowd Awaits
Even in the forthcoming second round, some big names of European football come into the fray with Partizan Belgrade and Dinamo Zagreb being forced into action very early on. It is fair to say that the level of football in the countries these clubs play their football in has dipped but entering at such an early stage against some of the minnows of Welsh, Azerbaijan or the North of Ireland must rankle with the powers that be who run these clubs. That unfortunately is just the way that football has gone in recent years and if these teams think they have a tricky time, wait until it becomes time for third round.
The draw for the third round, which will be taken next week on the 17th of July, sees some big names come into the reckoning and some of these sides can consider themselves unlucky to not be involved directly or with a more favourable seeding in the Champions League proper.
Celtic Fans Rejoice in Strachan’s Departure
The winners of the last ever Uefa Cup final, Shakhtar Donetsk, are involved and any team who are unlucky enough to be drawn up against them will likely be shuttling on to the Europa League. Any fan who likes to see the green and white hoops play football is definitely in for a treat with this round as both Celtic from Scotland and Sporting Lisbon from Portugal are involved, although as both sides are seeded, neither can face each other.
Celtic will be entering the fray with a new manager at the helm, former centre half Tony Mowbray after Gordon Strachan was eventually ejected from the hot seat. The Parkhead club has developed a strong reputation in Europe, with their home ground being a fortress on many European nights but their former managers reign will be bookended by European disasters and most fans have been delighted to see the back of a man whose tenure was marked by bitterness and small-mindedness from the manager, not to mention questionable tactics and fall-outs with key players. It will be interesting to watch Celtic this season and evaluate if any of the players will perform better under a new manager than they did under their previous boss.
Add to this teams the calibre of Panathinaikos, Anderlecht, Sparta Prague, Dinamo Bucharest, Twente and Dynamo Moscow and you start to see how many teams are striving to be part of the Champions League and how limited the tournament is. It is great to see all the big name stars and big name teams but is it worthwhile having four clubs from the major leagues at the expense of having one or two of the truly great European sides involved.
It may seem too early to be worrying about competitive football but a failure to be prepared for action now could see a team having a long and uninteresting year out of the European football spotlight. It may be bright and sunny but any team who experiences a European knock-out this early will be in for some dark times and stormy clouds over the next few months
by Andrew Reilly
for The Silver Circle at www.footballtip.co.uk
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Dear Greg,
I've been a member since July 2003, maybe one of the first to join the Silver Circle.
2004 was a good year but I really enjoyed the long run we had in, I think, July 2005. It was exhilarating! 2006-2007 was not as exciting although still quite profitable and so far 2007-2008 looks quite good. I'm wondering if we're going to hit a long one again soon. Anyway, it's been a pleasure as always with your service, Greg. Armstrong and you are one of the few people I trust on the internet. You have made my retirement so much more fun and financially happy!
Best Wishes, Trent Wrayford, Sidney
