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The Champions League for dummies...

 by Jimi Devine
Exchange Staff

      For many of my American friends out there, the question has arisen of why are random soccer games from Europe on ESPN2 every couple weeks. 

      Well my friends this is called the European Champions League, originally called the European cup, this league is completely consisted of the top teams from all the European leagues. The top two or three domestic teams qualify. Its in a similar style to the world cup, but some countries are more respected then others and send more teams to compete.
 
      For example in England the top two teams automatically qualify for the Group stage (like the World Cup), and the third and fourth place teams are entered into the qualifying rounds to play against other runners up from across Europe.  In many countries like France only the champion automatically qualifies.

     The teams are put into eight groups and you play everyone in your group, the same point system that is used in the World Cup is used to determine group winners. The group stage is then narrowed down to the round of 16.

     The round of sixteen consist of the top two teams from each group which involve two legged match ups one home game and one away, the winner is based on an aggregate score from both games. 
 
      Then eventually the final is played at a neutral location, in a big European city, recent hosts have been Paris, and Istanbul. This years champions league has been packed with action and big upsets.  This week FC Copenhagen  amazingly stunned England big wig Manchester United.

      This is one of the great things about the champions league on any given match day you can see a big upset or spectacular game. These teams are all top class they play in many quality European leagues, some of those leagues being the best in the world.

      Right now of the eight groups English teams are on top of three of them. French Champions Lyon are the only team perfect so far earning 12 points from four matches. Spanish sides Valencia and Real Madrid top the scoring charts with ten a piece.

     Last year's winner Barcelona is in second place to the super buying power of Roman Abramovich. The Chelsea owner and Russian oil tycoon purchased Chelsea and gave it a 770,000,000 Euro facelift. Now two English Championships later they are in search of the elusive double of Champions league and domestic victory. This past off season they brought in the one man Ukranian strikeforce that is Andriy Shevchenko.

     Recently Sir Alex Ferguson Manager of Manchester United for the past 20 years said he wants one more European title before he calls it quits. An inspired Manchester United is the last thing any team wants to face. There attacking force is one of the most formidable in Europe featuring the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and a reemerging Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who at 33 years old is second on the team in goals to Wayne Rooney.

      Hopefully you'll find this interesting to wait till May to see who wins it all. I'll keep you updated.
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