Latest Champions League News

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LONDON (AP) _ Chelsea has left Germany captain Michael Ballack off its squad for the group stage of the Champions League. Ballack was linked with a transfer, most notably to Real Madrid, during the off-season but Chelsea said it omitted the midfielder because the ankle injury that has prevented him from playing this season may rule him out of the majority of the club's six group matches. However, Germany manager Joachim Loew has said he hopes Ballack will ...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) _ Thousands of police began taking up positions in Athens for Wednesday's Champions League final, while authorities arrested suspected scalpers accused of selling tickets for up to 2,500 euros (C$3,650). A Greek travel agent was arrested in Athens for trying to sell black market tickets at nearly 18 times the cover price of 140 euros (C$200) to undercover officers. A warrant was issued for an alleged accomplice. A school teacher was arrested last week trying ...

LONDON (AP) _ With the Champions League final nearly three weeks away, AC Milan midfield star Gennaro Gattuso is already criticizing Liverpool's style of play. The tough-tackling Italy World Cup star described Rafa Benitez' side as a long-ball team which was nowhere near as technically gifted as Manchester United, which Milan beat 3-0 in the semifinal on Wednesday. ``All Liverpool try to do is defend together, with everyone behind the ...

ATHENS, Greece (AP) _ Greece's police chief urged English soccer fans not to travel to Athens for the Champions League final on May 23 unless they have a ticket. About 20,000 officers will be deployed from greater Athens and other cities for the match in security measures similar to those used for the 2004 Olympics. One English team is guaranteed to play the final. In the semifinals, Liverpool faces Chelsea ...

ROME (AP) _ Two Manchester United fans who were stabbed during clashes before a Champions League match with AS Roma remained in hospital Thursday and are expected to live. Rome prefect Achille Serra said the fans were stabbed in either the groin or backside during clashes with Roma supporters. A total of 18 fans were reported injured and Serra said at least three were Italian. ``On both sides there is ...

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) _ The winners of Europe's major domestic cup competitions could gain berths into the Champions League. UEFA said Thursday it was considering the option as part of the planned reform of its premier club competition. Cup winners currently gain entry into the lower-level UEFA Cup. ``Perhaps we can move certain cup winners into the Champions League,'' said William Gaillard, the special adviser to UEFA president Michel Platini. ...

NYON, Switzerland (AP) _ Valencia defender David Navarro's suspension for his part in a brawl during a Champions League game has been reduced from seven to six months. Also Wednesday, UEFA halved Valencia defender Carlos Marchena's four-game suspension and reduced Inter defender Maicon's six-game ban from European club competitions to three. The ban for Inter's Ivan Cordoba was cut to two games from three. But European soccer's governing body upheld ...

NYON, Switzerland (AP) _ UEFA president Michel Platini will write to all 53 European soccer associations to urge them to combat violence. Platini, who was elected president of European soccer's governing body in January, has been trying to clamp down on violence on the field and in the stands since he took office. Last week, he met with government and police experts from around the continent, reiterating his plea for ...

Avoid Barcelona. That's the hope of many clubs in Friday's draw for the last 16 of the Champions League. There are several teams in the field who have won multiple titles but the team they most want to stay away from is defending champion Barcelona, which has only won the competition twice. Frank Rijkaard's team, which also won the European Cup in 1992 before it became known as the Champions ...

A six-point lead at the top of the English Premier League and firmly in the hunt for the Champions League title. After two seasons lagging behind Chelsea, Alex Ferguson's Manchester United is regenerated and challenging for top trophies again. A year ago, United was dumped out of the Champions League in the group stage by Benfica and struggling to keep up domestically with the Blues. ``Sometimes you need that disappointment ...

Steven Gerrard scored in the 65th minute Wednesday to lift Liverpool to a 2-0 victory over PSV Eindhoven, guaranteeing the five-time European champions will finish first in Group C. Peter Crouch added the second goal in the 89th minute on a header. Liverpool and PSV had already clinched spots in the second round, but finishing first _ in theory _ gives Liverpool an easier draw in the next round. Liverpool ...

Ludovic Giuly and Andres Iniesta scored Wednesday to lead FC Barcelona to a 2-0 win over Levski Sofia 2-0 in Group A of the Champions League. Giuly scored in the fifth minute from inside the area, beating Levski goalkeeper Georgi Petkov. In the 65th minute, Petkov blocked a powerful shot by Deco and Iniesta scored from the rebound. The defending champions badly needed the victory to have a chance to ...

Chelsea advanced to the second round of the Champions League despite losing to Werder Bremen 1-0 Wednesday in Group A. Both Chelsea and Bremen have 10 points, but the English champions lead the Germans on head-to-head. Bremen can still clinch if it gets at least a draw at FC Barcelona in its last group match. Barcelona beat Levski Sofia 2-0 in the other group match to move to eight points. ...

Inter Milan and Chelsea claimed spots in the second round of the Champions League on Wednesday, leaving six berths to be filled. Inter advanced from Group B after beating Sporting Lisbon 1-0 on Hernan Crespo's 36th-minute goal. Bayern Munich had already clinched the other group place. Chelsea, despite losing 1-0 at Werder Bremen on Per Mertesacker's 27th-minute goal, guaranteed itself a place in the knockout round from Group A. Ten ...

Claudio Pizarro scored two goals Tuesday to help Bayern Munich earn a 2-2 draw at Spartak Moscow in Group B of the Champions League. Pizarro headed in a cross from Hasan Salihamimidzic in the 22nd minute to equalize after Maxym Kalynychenko had given the hosts the lead in the 16th with a curling free kick. The Peru international made it 2-1 in the 39th with a powerful shot from 28 ...

Shunsuke Nakamura scored from a free kick in the 81st minute Tuesday to lift Celtic to a 1-0 win over Manchester United and, for the first time in club history, a spot in the second round of the Champions League. Man United now needs a draw against Benfica in the final Group F game to advance. A draw against Celtic would also have been enough. Louis Saha had a chance ...

Celtic and AC Milan reached the second round of the Champions League on Tuesday, joining six other clubs that have already qualified. Bayern Munich, Liverpool, PSV Eindhoven, Valencia, Lyon and Real Madrid had already gained berths in the final 16 of Europe's top club tournament. Celtic reached the knockout round for the first time, beating Manchester United 1-0 on a curving free kick in the 81st minute from Japan winger ...

Wayne Rooney has regained his scoring touch, giving Manchester United a lift as it faces Scottish rival Celtic with a chance of qualifying for the next round of the Champions League. United's surprise 1-0 loss to FC Copenhagen two weeks ago ended the Red Devils' perfect record in Group F. So the second ``Battle of Britain'' has gained greater importance. Alex Ferguson's team needs only a draw in his hometown ...

A win for Arsenal won't guarantee the Gunners a spot in the second round of the Champions League. It won't hurt, though. Arsenal, which earned only one point from its last two matches against Group G leader CSKA Moscow, faces Hamburger SV on Tuesday. ``I think we are under serious pressure to deliver and I think we will,'' Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said. ``We know what we have to do.'' ...

Real Madrid aims to end Lyon's perfect record in the Champions League this season and keep alive its chances of finishing top of Group E. Only a victory on Tuesday for the nine-time European champion at its Santiago Bernabeu Stadium will be enough. Anything less will leave the French champions as certain group winners and sentence Madrid to a second-place finish _ and a match against another group winner in ...

Inter Milan finally won a game in the Champions League on Wednesday. Chelsea won another. Inter scored its first goals in this year's competition, getting two from Julio Cruz in a 2-1 win over Spartak Moscow in Group B. Didier Drogba got Chelsea's lone goal in the 47th minute, scoring from the edge of the penalty area to give the English Premier League champions a 1-0 win over defending champion ...

Peter Crouch scored in the 58th minute and Liverpool won 1-0 at Liverpool in a Champions League match on Wednesday. The win gave Liverpool seven points in Group C and left Bordeaux, which has yet to score a goal, with only one point. Crouch's converted a header for his third goal in the competition so far. Liverpool was missing captain Steven Gerrard with a hamstring injury, and striker Robbie Fowler ...

Real Madrid scored two goals in each half to beat Steaua Bucharest 4-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday. Sergio Ramos, back from a one-game ban, headed into the net from 12 yards on a corner kick in the ninth minute. Raul Gonzalez doubled the lead in the 33rd minute from close range after goalkeeper Carlos Fernandes had blocked a shot by Ruud van Nistelrooy. Robinho, starting for the first time this season, beat Klemi Saban to make it ...

Manchester United stayed perfect in Group F of the Champions League, beating FC Copenhagen 3-0 Tuesday. Paul Scholes, John O'Shea and Kieran Richardson scored a goal each for Manchester United, which leads the group with nine points. Scholes scored in the 39th minute, driving the ball from the edge of box past diving Copenhagen goalkeeper Jesper Christiansen and into the near corner. ``We're really pleased, we got three goals and three points and it was an important win ...

Manchester United and Lyon stayed perfect in the Champions League on Tuesday, each winning their third straight match to close in on qualifying for the second round. AC Milan also won, beating Anderlecht 1-0 despite playing without defender Daniele Bonera for almost the entire second half after he was sent off in the 47th minute for getting a second yellow card. Manchester United beat FC Copenhagen 3-0 at Old Trafford ...

Daniel Carvalho scored a first-half goal Tuesday to give CSKA Moscow a 1-0 victory over Arsenal in the Champions League. Sergei Ignashevich rolled the ball from a free kick to the Brazilian midfielder, who sent a hard shot past Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann in the 24th minute. CSKA got the free kick after Arsenal defender Johan Djourou fouled Dudu. ``It was a tough match,'' CSKA coach Valery Gazzayev said. ``I ...

Valencia can make itself firm favourite to reach the next round of the Champions League if it maintains its perfect start to this season's competition against visiting Shakhtar Donetsk on Wednesday. Valencia, which was the losing Champions League finalist in 2000 and 2001, leads Group D with six points after two wins. AS Roma has three points, while Olympiakos and Shakhtar each have one. Olympiakos entertains Roma in the night's ...

Inter Milan leads Serie A. In the Champions League, it's another story. Inter is bottom of the Group B standings without a point or even a goal. Wednesday's game against Spartak Moscow is crucial. Spartak has one point, while Bayern Munich leads the group with six points. ``We have to win at all costs now,'' club owner Massimo Moratti said. ``It's a decisive game, like each of the four games ...

Bordeaux playmaker Johan Micoud is struggling with poor form and mounting criticism ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match against Liverpool. Micoud scored on the opening day of the season but has done little since, with Bordeaux winning just five of 11 matches this season. Much of the blame has been directed at Micoud, who joined in the off-season from Werder Bremen, where he recorded a league-high 14 assists in last season's ...