hugh

Aug 26 2010, 07:43 PM

Is it just me or do Arsenal always get piss-easy groups?

uefa.com

 

Who are they?
Formed: 1965
Nickname: De Tukkers
League titles: 1
Dutch Cup: 1

FC Twente were founded in 1965 after Enschedese Boys merged with Sportclub Enschede and they came to prominence in the following decade, challenging for the Dutch title, reaching the 1975 UEFA Cup final and winning the Dutch Cup two years later. After relegation in the 1980s and financial struggles in the 1990s, the club made their comeback in the following decade.

Twente finished seventh in 2005/06, fourth and second in the following years under Fred Rutten then, after the arrival of former England manager Steve McClaren, were runners-up again in 2009 before finally claiming the title last season. AFC Ajax won their last 14 games but Twente's 2-0 victory at NAC Breda on the final day sparked huge celebrations in Enschede. McClaren left for VfL Wolfsburg but the new man in charge is Preud'homme, who brought R. Standard de Ličge their first championship in 25 years and won the Belgian Cup with KAA Gent last year.

One to watch
Bryan Ruiz, 25, forward
Ruiz joined Twente last year from Gent, where he worked under Preud'homme, to replace Eljero Elia and proved an immediate hit. Able to play on either wing as well as attacking midfield, the left-footed Costa Rican international claimed 24 Eredivisie goals last term including the opener at Breda. Ruiz also registered eight assists and on 27 March scored a four-minute hat-trick against Sparta Rotterdam.

Memorable match
Juventus 0-1 FC Twente, UEFA Cup semi-final second leg, 23 April 1975
The Turin Miracle, as the match is often described, began with Twente leading 3-1 from the first leg but they were still outsiders against Italy's champions elect. Ten minutes in Johan Zuidema's solo goal extended their aggregate advantage and a lineup containing Epi Drost, Frans Thijssen, Kick van der Vall, Theo Pahlplatz and Jan Jeuring kept out Juve. Twente went on to lose the final 5-1 on aggregate to VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Greatest player
Epi Drost
Although goal machines like Jeuring and Blaise Nkufo have become club heroes, the late Epi Drost is at the top of the pantheon, voted player of the century by fans and nicknamed Mr FC Twente. The diminutive moustachioed libero, capped nine times by the Netherlands, was the key to the club's success between 1968 and 1980, returning briefly in 1983. His passing, insight and motivational skills made him the perfect captain, the man that lifted the Dutch Cup in 1977 after one of his famous long-distance shots. The club were deeply shocked by his death from heart failure aged 49 in 1995.

Did you know?
In the FC Twente Stadium above the Vak-P section behind the goal, the red and white seats form the image of Epi Drost.

uefa.com

 

After missing out on a UEFA Champions League berth on the final day of the 2005/06 season, Tottenham Hotspur FC will be eager to make an impact in their long-awaited group-stage debut.

Who are they?
Formed: 1882
Nickname: Spurs
League titles: 2
FA Cups: 8
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1
UEFA Cup: 2

The only non-league side to lift the FA Cup, in 1901, Tottenham Hotspur have a reputation as cup specialists. Their greatest season came in 1960/61 when they became the first English team of the 20th century to claim the league and cup double, although the domestic championship has eluded them since. Legendary manager Bill Nicholson followed up that success by leading the White Hart Lane outfit to two more FA Cups, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1963 and the UEFA Cup in 1972. Further FA Cup glory followed in 1981 and 1982, and the UEFA Cup in 1984, but Tottenham's fortunes fluctuated until Harry Redknapp took over in October 2008 with the squad bottom of the Premier League. The new boss secured safety before guiding Spurs to Europe's premier club competition for the first time in 49 years the next season. Their UEFA Champions League quest looked in danger when they trailed 3-0 inside 28 minutes at BSC Young Boys in the play-off first leg but they pulled two goals back before a 4-0 second-leg victory.

One to watch
Gareth Bale, 21, left-back/left midfield
Bale broke into the Southampton FC team aged 16 and within months became Wales's youngest ever player and goalscorer. The following summer he moved to Tottenham for a reported initial fee of €7.5m. An impressive start was curtailed by injury and it was not until the latter stages of last term that he cemented a regular place, proving equally adept in midfield as in his previous full-back role. Decisive goals against Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC were critical to Spurs' top-four finish and his industrious displays, coupled with sumptuous left-foot delivery, have made him a crowd favourite.

Memorable match
Manchester City FC 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur FC, Premier League, 5 May 2010
Tottenham began the penultimate match of last season one point above their opponents in the race for England's final UEFA Champions League qualifying berth. Redknapp's side gave a dominant performance against their big-spending rivals, earning victory and a spot at European club football's top table thanks to Peter Crouch's late header.

Greatest player
Danny Blanchflower
"Football is about glory. It is about doing things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom." Blanchflower's famous quote is part of Tottenham folklore and epitomises the club's philosophy. Captain in the double-winning season and during their first European triumph, the Northern Ireland midfielder played more than 300 matches in a decade at White Hart Lane and is one of the select few to be named Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year twice.

Did you know?
The origin of their name is something of a mystery. Most suggest it is a reference to 14th-century nobleman Sir Henry Percy, the Harry Hotspur of Shakespeare's Henry IV Part I. Equally unusually, both their league titles and five of their eight FA Cups wins have come in years ending in one.

TC Admin

Sep 9 2010, 08:51 AM

Alle...

I'm going to Chelsea v Marseille for real!

uefa.com

 

Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC won the Israeli title for the first time in ten years last season and, having overcome FK Željezničar and FC Salzburg in qualifying, take their place in the UEFA Champions League as one of six newcomers.

Who are they?
Formed: 1926
Nickname: Ha'adumim (The Reds)
League titles: 13
Israeli Cup: 13

In the two and a half years since Eli Gutman was appointed, Hapoel have been transformed from a club battling relegation to one competing among Europe's big names. Gutman took charge ten matches into the 2007/08 season with Hapoel bottom of the table but guided them to a seventh-place finish, four points clear of danger. From that point on, Gutman − assisted by former Hapoel midfielder Yossi Abuksis − and the Reds have never looked back.

A runners-up spot ensued in 2008/9, followed by a domestic double and progress in Europe last term. Hapoel topped a UEFA Europa League group containing Hamburger SV, SK Rapid Wien and Celtic FC en route to a last 32 defeat by FC Rubin Kazan. Etey Schechter, who played under Gutman at Maccabi Netanya FC, scored 31 goals in all competitions in his first campaign at the club, while Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama scored five times as Hapoel's designated penalty taker.

One to watch
Gil Vermouth, 25, playmaker
Vermouth returned for a second stint at Hapoel in 2008 after a short spell with Belgium's KAA Gent. The diminutive playmaker came through the ranks at Hapoel Haifa FC before joining the Reds in 2005. Vermouth had a canny tendency to score when it really mattered last term, giving Hapoel the lead in a title-winning victory at Beitar Jerusalem FC on the final day and registering twice against Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv FC in the Israeli Cup final. His 13 domestic goals and 16 assists in 34 league matches unsurprisingly earned him Israel's player of the year award.

Memorable match
Beitar Jerusalem FC 1-2 Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC 2, Israeli Premier League, 15 May 2010
Hapoel travelled to Teddy Stadium on the final day needing to win and for Maccabi Haifa FC to drop points against Bnei Yehuda to stand a chance of winning the title. Vermouth gave Hapoel the lead early on but when Omri Kende was dismissed on the half-hour mark and Barak Yitzhaki equalised before the break, Hapoel's number looked to be up. However, Beitar were reduced to ten men midway through the second half and, with Maccabi Haifa drawing, Eran Zahavi struck an added-time winner.

Greatest player
Yehoshua Faigenbaum
A revered figure for Hapoel in the 1960s and 70s, Faigenbaum still holds the record as the club's all-time top scorer with 131 league goals. Faigenbaum, who grew up in a house just outside Bloomfield Stadium, joined Hapoel aged eight. In 15 seasons, he won two league titles, finished leading scorer ten times and in 1972 lifted his final trophy having headed in the winner against Hapoel Jerusalem FC in the cup final. He has also had two spell as coach, in 1994 and 2004, saving Hapoel from relegation on each occasion.

Did you know?
Hapoel share Bloomfield Stadium with bitter city rivals Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC and Bnei Yehuda. Last season they lost just once in 35 league matches – a 2-1 home defeat by Maccabi Haifa – and were crowned champions by virtue of a superior goal difference over the latter.

uefa.com

 

Bursaspor surprisingly won the Turkish title for the first time in their history last season, beating the likes of Fenerbahçe SK, Galatasaray AŞ, Beşiktaş JK and Trabzonspor AŞ.

Bursaspor's reward for their maiden Turkish title was to be one of six debutants in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage and UEFA.com takes a look at Ertuğrul Sağlam's side.

Who are they?
Formed: 1963
Nickname: Yeşil Timsahlar (The Green Crocs)
League titles: 1
Turkish Cup: 1

Bursaspor overhauled Fenerbahçe SK on the final day of last season to become the first side from outside Istanbul to win the Turkish title since Trabzonspor AŞ's 1984 success. Despite being one of the clubs with the most Super League experience, their only previous silverware had been a 1986 Turkish Cup triumph that earned one of their two UEFA Cup Winners' Cup campaigns, the club having previously reached the 1974/75 quarter-finals. Sağlam's appointment in January 2009 transformed their fortunes, going close to a UEFA Europa League spot that season with a mix of youth and experience, all with a hunger for success.

Now they are in the senior club competition against Manchester United FC, Valencia CF and Rangers FC and have strengthened their squad. Argentinian trio Federico Insúa, Leonel Nuńez and Damien Steinert plus Serbian defender Milan Stepanov, formerly of Trabzonspor, have added to Turkish internationals Sercan Yıldırım, Volkan Şen and Ozan İpek. The club's fantastic supporters should also make their mark.

One to watch
Federico Insúa, 30, midfielder
The experienced Argentinian playmaker is Bursaspor's key summer signing and is set to assume a leading role. Most of his career has been spent in his homeland, winning titles with CA Independiente and CA Boca Juniors as well as 14 caps, also gaining European experience with Málaga CF in 2003/04 and VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach three years later. He missed pre-season with an ankle injury but Bursaspor fans have invested huge expectations in him.

Memorable match
Bursaspor 2-1 Beşiktaş JK, Turkish Super League, 16 May 2010
Bursaspor began the day a point adrift of Fenerbahçe but dominated against Beşiktaş, going two up after Pablo Batalla's strike was followed by an İbrahim Toraman own goal. Beşiktaş pulled one back but Bursaspor held on and news then came through that Fenerbahçe had been held 1-1 at home by Trabzonspor.

Greatest player
Sedat Özden
Having served Bursaspor between 1973 and 1986, Sedat Özden's name is forever linked to the club. The midfielder spent his entire senior career with the Green Crocs, making 335 league appearances and scoring 56 goals. He also won 34 caps for Turkey, scoring seven goals, an impressive record for someone from outside the top teams at a time when the national side did not play many games. Indeed, he captained Turkey three times, including at Wembley in 1985, the year before he skippered Bursaspor to Turkish Cup victory and retired.

Did you know?
Bursaspor's trademark 'crocodile walk' goal celebration was invented by Ugandan forward Majid Musisi during the UEFA Intertoto Cup match against German side Karlsruher SC on 2 August 1995. Musisi, who played for the club between 1994 and 1997, passed away on 13 December 2005 at the age of 38.

uefa.com

 

Two years after announcing themselves with a 2-1 UEFA Cup win at Aston Villa FC, Slovakian champions MŠK Žilina are preparing to take their place at Europe's top table.

Who are they?
Formed: 1908
Nickname: Šošoni (Shoshoni – a Native American tribe)
League titles: 5

Žilina's rise to prominence coincided with the arrival of paper-industry magnate Jozef Antošík who began financing the club in 1995 and became owner in 2003 – a year after they celebrated their first modern Slovakian crown. They sealed back-to-back titles the following season and have won the league five times in the last eight years to match ŠK Slovan Bratislava as the country's most successful side since independence.

One to watch
Momodou Ceesay, 21, forward
Nicknamed Mamu, the Gambian international and Thierry Henry fan was the key figure in Žilina's run to the UEFA Champions League group stage, having joined on loan from Belgian outfit KVC Westerlo in the summer. Still only 21, he struck in the second leg against third qualifying round opponents PFC Litex Lovech, before opening the scoring at AC Sparta Praha in Žilina's play-off opener and burying an acrobatic volley in the return encounter. Those goals proved a quick return on the club's investment, and the tall pacy marksman also registered on his Slovak First League debut at Dukla Banská Bystrica, hitting the winner 24 minutes after emerging as a substitute.

Memorable match
Aston Villa FC 1-2 MŠK Žilina, UEFA Cup Group F, 4 December 2008
Žilina may have failed to reach the round of 32 but they ended their maiden UEFA Cup group stage campaign on a high at Villa Park. Coached at the time by Dušan Radolský, the visitors enjoyed an explosive first 20-minute spell, racing into a 2-0 lead courtesy of Miroslav Leitner and Peter Štyvar. Aston Villa responded through Nathan Delfouneso but were unable to prevent the opposition claiming their first victory in the section.

Greatest player
Róbert Jež
Club captain and a natural leader, Jež may have picked up just four goals last term but he was the outstanding performer in coach Hapal's side and was named player of the year by several media outlets. The 29-year-old midfielder was born in Nitra where he began his career with FC Nitra, and after five years in the Czech Republic with FC Viktoria Plzeň and 1. FK Příbram he signed for Žilina in 2005. The left-footer has subsequently made more than 160 league outings, racking up over 30 goals.

Did you know?
Despite having been the most successful team since the modern Slovakian league started in 1993, Žilina have never reached the Slovakian Cup final.