Euro Footy Kicks Off

It’s September and the European Leagues are in full swing once again. One of the world’s longest seasons trots towards it May finish as the best clubs contend for the numerous trophies up for grabs.
Milan (remember, they don’t say AC in Italy) are the defending Champions League winners and it will be interesting to see if they have the youth to contend again. Paolo Maldini is entering the final season of his magnificent career and rearguard partner Alessandro Nesta’s age is rising as well. Kaka is the only player of considerable youth and is widely considered to the world’s best at present. But the rest of the squad is beginning to show their lack of youth and in need of some exciting youngsters. They will still be a force to reckoned with because of their discipline and strength, which helps make up for their age, but winning silverware will be a big challenge.
The team that will feel the most pressure to take Europe’s crown jewel away from the Italians will be Chelsea. Jose Mourinho has delivered two Premier League titles but Roman Abramovich wants the Champions League. There are rumors that the relationship between the two is less than healthy and one suspects the former Porto manager will surely be gone if he doesn’t deliver, which may be the fundamental reason the London club will not win the Champions League. Abramovich’s billions have made the difference in the club from just four years ago but it tends to a have nasty side effect. Every time the club underperforms new players are brought in increasing the player turnover. Frank Lampard, John Terry, Didier Drogba and Petr Cech have been the only consistent members since Mourinho’s tenure began. They have done well domestically because their depth propels them while other struggle with injuries but the game on the continent requires a different approach. The strategy changes and the level of play increases. The chemistry must be just right for a club to handle a different style of team every round. Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United only won the European Crown after his core players of David Beckham, Roy Keane Peter Schmeichel, Ryan Gigs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville had been together for four of five years. The waters are too difficult to navigate with the roster being redone every year.
Like Chelsea, Barcelona is facing a lot of pressure to succeed this year. They gave the La Liga title back to Real Madrid last term and were extremely weak in their defense of the Champions League. Thierry Henry is a wonderful player but it will be difficult for Frank Rijkaard to find the right chemistry with him, Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o and Messi. They seem to be drudging down the same path Real Madrid did by buying all the expensive players and not always the best ones. So it’s good to see that Madrid finally has moved on from that era and they are seemingly starting to realize the best balance of the team. They have seem to have struck the right chemistry with strength up the middle in Fabio Cannavaro and Mahamadou Diarra and good linking play with Guti, Raul and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Meanwhile back in England, Liverpool is craving their league title in nearly two decades and Rafa Benitez seems to finally have a roster capable of doing just that. Fernando Torres looks to be worth every pound as he finally gives them a real attacking threat. The Merseysiders can win the Premier League if Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard continue to lead with brilliance and they developed a killer instinct in front of goal.
Euro 2008 is less than a year away and the big boys are still struggling to qualify. France, Portugal, England and the Netherlands are all still needing wins to guarantee their place next summer in Austria-Switzerland. The European Champions is a unique contest. It doesn’t have the pure international feel of a World Cup but the level of play is higher without some of the weaker teams from certain parts of Africa, Asia and Central America. It is almost a more impressive competition to win considering the groups usually look like the “Group of Death” at the World Cup.
The fun has begun and we still have still have nearly 10 months. So enjoy the goals, the dives and drunken fans.