[Milan Are Brilli...]

(IMG:http://i53.tinypic.com/144boy8.jpg)

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HOLDERS: Barcelona (Spanish)

UEFA Champions League/European Cup Recent Winners (Since '92):

92/93 Marseille
93/94 AC Milan
94/95 Ajax
95/96 Juventus
96/97 Borussia Dortmund
97/98 Real Madrid
98/99 Manchester United
99/00 Real Madrid
00/01 Bayern Munich
01/02 Real Madrid
02/03 AC Milan
03/04 Porto
04/05 Liverpool
05/06 Barcelona
06/07 AC Milan
07/08 Manchester United
08/09 Barcelona
09/10 Inter Milan
10/11 Barcelona


Some stats:

-Milan stays the only city that won the tournament with two different teams. London and Madrid were near, with Atletico, Arsenal and Chelsea as runners-up.

-Milan leads the Italian clubs list with most CL seasons (15). Juventus (12) and Inter (11) follow up.

-Milan players with more then 100 appearances: Paolo Maldini (140), Andriy Shevchenko, Clarence Seedorf and David Beckham.

-The tournaments top scorers are: Raúl (71), Ruud van Nistelrooy (56), Thierry Henry (51), Andriy Shevchenko (48), Filippo Inzaghi (46).

-All European top scorers: Raúl (73) and Filippo Inzaghi (70).

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GROUP STAGES

Group A:
Bayern Munich
Villarreal
Manchester City
Napoli

Group B:
Inter Milan
CSKA Moscow
Lille
Trabzonspor

Group C:
Manchester United
Benfica
Basle
Otelul Galati

Group D:
Real Madrid
Lyon
Ajax
Dinamo Zagreb

Group E:
Chelsea
Valencia
Bayer Leverkusen
Genk

Group F:
Arsenal
Marseille
Olympiakos
Borussia Dortmund

Group G:
Porto
Shakhtar Donetsk
Zenit St Petersburg
Apoel FC

Group H:
Barcelona
AC Milan
BATE Borisov
Viktoria Plzen

This post has been edited by Milan Are Brilliant: Aug 25 2011, 05:41 PM

[Danny]

Can't see past Barcelona for this again. The only 2 sides who could stop them are a resurgent us as long as we make the right signings, and, imo, a Hiddink-managed Chelsea.

But even then, they just seem to be beyond imperious and absolutely unstoppable.

Certainly the best football team of the last...30 years?

[kurtsimonw]

The first time I read that through, I honestly thought you meant Rangers when you said 'us'.

[Jack Bauer]

Certainly the best football team of the last...30 years?

Milan of late 80's - early 90's was a better team IMO, though less hyped.

[acid911]

Certainly the best football team of the last...30 years?

I personally consider the legendary Barcelona of 1994 (managed by Johan Cruyff) to be better than this one. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) And Milan's Invincibles gave them a nice beating in that final. You don't go not letting a goal for 929 minutes, or not losing for close to 60 matches for nothing. They really were the number one!

I am sure you may have seen videos and read about that Milan squad, but really they had the best defense of all time, Boban, Lentini, Savićević and that Dutch goal scoring master, Marco van Basten. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/devil.gif) Plus other legends who are better pound-for-pound than some current Barca players. This Barcelona squad has had it far too easy, not just in the league, but with UEFA favors and a bit of a dirty play mixed into their game. No surprises, as their current coach was a tough nut in the midfield back in the days. And got beat in the 1994 CL final, as I mentioned.

Even if you think they are the best right now, or the last 30 years, they still are not the "Best Football Team". Best club team I can understand, but I can count a dozen NT teams that could eat this Barcelona alive. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Starting with the 2002 World Cup Winning Brazil, or in case of beautiful football, the 70s Brazil Dream Team.

Milan of late 80's - early 90's was a better team IMO, though less hyped.

Or this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) Agreed.

[Danny]

The first time I read that through, I honestly thought you meant Rangers when you said 'us'.

Rangers have as much chance of winning the CL as Villa (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Last 16 would be very jolly, I'd be bloody happy with that.

[mishie]

because i'm old i was fortunate to witness *Il Grande Milan" and not being biased this current edition of the Barca side aren't as good as them, simple reasons as Jack and acid stated the defence. The best back 4 ever in the greatest team ever (as voted by UEFA) so if Barca buy a defence and be the 1st team in the C.L era to retain the trophy then they have a case...until then they're still 2nd best in the all time list but on top of the pile currently (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Fillipo Simone]

I hope Milan will win it, but be aware of the two Portuguese coaches lurking for a CL trophy.

[LaPalma]

This Barca is certainly the best team since Sacchis Milan. How they dominated this years final...that was impressive. United never had a chance. I have to admit that they're the best team of the 21st century.

[Danny]

I didn't get into Milan till Channel 4 started showing Football Italia following Gazza's move to Italy, so I think I missed out on Sacchi's era.

One question I'd ask - yes, the Barca defence is not outstanding in the way that Milan's team seemingly was. But did Sacchi's men play as good football as this Catalan lot do? Did their players tear defences to shreds? Did they dominate midfield? Did they have anyone who could score goals at will like Messi?

[mishie]

I didn't get into Milan till Channel 4 started showing Football Italia following Gazza's move to Italy, so I think I missed out on Sacchi's era.

One question I'd ask - yes, the Barca defence is not outstanding in the way that Milan's team seemingly was. But did Sacchi's men play as good football as this Catalan lot do? Did their players tear defences to shreds? Did they dominate midfield? Did they have anyone who could score goals at will like Messi?

At the time their football was a class above the rest, the midfield dominated everyone, Desailly, Albetini, Rikjaard etc the best midfield for a generation. Goals at will is a bold statement but they had Marco Van Basten i think thats all that needs to be said. Add to the mix Gullit, Boban, Donadoni i think there'd be more than a match

[Fillipo Simone]

Mostly - yes. It was a different time back then, players like Davids or Gattuso didn't exactly exist in the modern sense of football - an even under such circumstances, Milan presented players like Rijkaard or later on Desailly, along with classical midfielders of the era, like Colombo or Ancelotti.

The game was played differently and a comparison is therefore hard.

But, I think mostly the answer is yes. In Marco van Basten Milan found a player who's both decisive and creative, so he could carry the teams attack. They had Gullit, a media built superstar who was in some ways a prototype of the modern day arrogant star who the media adore, but in the end, his fame wasn't long lasting.

Did we dominate in midfield? In a different, more traditional way, yes. Donadoni was a special RM, who had many qualities other then the obvious - his passing was very accurate, he had a certain vision and feel, a nice touch and could turn into a hard worker and runner. With players like Evani or Galli on the bench we had more depth then most of the teams back then. A few years in the Sacchi era we also had a highly talented and promising Marco Simone, who's career does not always reflect the talent and capability he had, but who nevertheless played a long-term important role with Milan. Massaro, was in some ways the proto-Pedro. He wasn't as talented as Gullit, van Basten, or later Papin and Savečević, but he was a good integrative factor in the team, a player valuable in some tactical aspects.

The defense - well, there's nothing to say really, other then the best I've seen in my entire life.

[Milan Are Brilli...]

Draw in a bit for this and the Europa League.

Heard that Wembley have got the CL final again in 2013, seems slightly unfair for other nations.

[Fillipo Simone]

It's totally unfair and without any presedan. Why did that happen?

[Milan Are Brilli...]

It's totally unfair and without any presedan. Why did that happen?

Champions League final returns to Wembley in 2013
Published: Thursday 16 June 2011, 18.30CET

Wembley's reward for the spectacular success of last month's final is to host the event again in 2013, the record seventh time the showpiece will have been staged at London venue.

Never before has a stadium been awarded Europe's premier club fixture twice in three years but hosting the 2013 UEFA Champions League final is Wembley's reward for the spectacular success of last month's event. It also marks the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the Football Association (FA).

The decision was taken by the UEFA Executive Committee in Nyon and means the fixture returns to Wembley for a record seventh time, the second since the stadium was rebuilt. "Given the exceptional nature of this historic moment in our beautiful game, and the fact that we will also celebrate 150 years of the Laws of the Game, we felt it was our duty at UEFA to help the FA celebrate in some special way," UEFA President Michel Platini explained.

London will also stage the 2013 UEFA Women's Champions League final and Champions Festival, which this year were at Fulham FC's Craven Cottage and Hyde Park. The XXXVII Ordinary UEFA Congress will also be held in London in the days leading up to the final.

FA chairman David Bernstein said: "UEFA viewed the 2011 Champions League final at Wembley as a major success and today they have paid us the ultimate compliment by announcing that they will return to our national stadium in 2013, the year of the FA's 150th anniversary.

"It will be a major celebration of football in this country during a landmark year for our organisation and is an acknowledgment of Wembley's status as one of the very best football stadiums in the world."

After the previous stadium was closed in 2001, the famous twin towers made way for an iconic arch over what is now one of the most breathtaking arenas in the world. Boasting a seated capacity of 90,000, the new Wembley opened its doors in 2007 and is once again home to the England national side, as well as host to the nation's premier domestic cup finals.

Located in north London, Wembley not only staged a record six European Champion Clubs' Cup deciders but also two UEFA Cup Winners' Cup finals. Wembley was the venue for the 1966 FIFA World Cup and EURO '96 finals and having been the main stadium for the 1948 Olympic Games will welcome the football finals in 2012.

The original Wembley Stadium was known as the Empire Stadium, and was built as the centrepiece of a British Empire Exhibition at the end of the First World War. Though not officially opened by King George V until 23 April 1924, the stadium hosted its first FA Cup final the previous year, when an estimated 200,000 people crammed in to watch Bolton Wanderers FC defeat West Ham United FC 2-0. That match famously became known as the White Horse final, as a mounted policeman took to the pitch to keep fans at bay.

The 2012 UEFA Champions League final will be on 19 May at Fußball Arena München.

UEFA.com - Source