the knock out stage is finally here

The expected draw for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League concluded with very interesting encounters. Six European giants will battle in three key games.Current champions AC Milan from Italy will play against English premier league leaders Arsenal. Last season's finalists Liverpool will test Italian Series A side Inter-Milan. And Spanish leaders Real Madrid will receive challenges from another Italian team AS Roma.

In other clashes, Manchester United will face Olympique Lyon, Barcelona will take on Celtic. Schalke will combat Portuguese Porto, Olympiakos will fight against powerful Chelsea. And Sevilla will do battle with Fenerbahce from Turkey.

BARCA PULL THROUGH WITHOUT MESSI

Midfielder Xavi Hernandez flicked in a cross from the left by Ronaldinho Gaucho in the fourth minute to give Barcelona FC a 1-0 triumph over Scotland's powerhouse Celtic as the Spanish club advanced 4-2 overall.However, the young talent Lionel Messi, the competition's leading scorer with six goals, pulled up as he made a run. He left the field in tears in the 35th minute of the second-round, second-leg match at Camp Nou.

This serious injury was similar to the one which sidelined Messi for six weeks in December and January, club officials admitted."I feel sad and I really feel for him and for the team, above all for Leo (Messi), who is very upset," Barcelona president Joan Laporta stated afterwards.

It's important to consider that the Argentine international, who scored twice in Barcelona's 3-2 win in the first leg, had been recalled to the starting lineup to join with Ronaldinho and Samuel Eto'o, with Thierry Henry left on the bench.In the end, the blaugrana team advanced to the quarterfinals on 4-2 aggregate.

ARSENAL ELIMINATES AC MILAN

Surprisingly, current champion AC Milan was eliminated from the European Champions League, losing 2-0 at home last night to English Arsenal.Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas beat goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac with a long bouncing shot from outside the penalty area in the 84th minute and Emmanuel Adebayor scored from close range in injury time."It's really good for such a young team to beat a team like Milan with so much quality," Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger admitted.

"It will be positive for the future and the rest of our season."Indeed, the Gunners advanced to the quarterfinals on 2-0 aggregate in the home-and-home series and became the first English club to beat the popular team AC Milan at San Siro stadium."There are no regrets," the "rossonero" Coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted. "There are regrets when you could have done more, but they didn't allow us to. Both teams did their best and we have to accept the loss and move on." he concluded.

The history of the UEFA Champions league

marseile celebrate after winning the first UEFA champions league in 1993

Europe's premier club competition was launched one month after UEFA's first Congress, held in Vienna on 2 March 1955 yet, curiously, the so-called "European Cup" was not a UEFA initiative.
French foundersWhereas many of UEFA's founder members were more interested in establishing a national team competition, the French sports daily L'Equipe and their then-editor Gabriel Hanot, were championing the cause for a European-wide club competition. Hanot, together with colleague Jacques Ferran, designed a blueprint for a challenge tournament to be played on Wednesdays under floodlights.

Sporting recordThe tournament initiated by L'Equipe did not stipulate that the participating teams had to be champions of their country, but they invited clubs who they considered had the most fan appeal. Representatives of 16 clubs were invited to meetings on 2 and 3 April 1955 and the L'Equipe rules were unanimously approved. The first European Champions Clubs' Cup fixture was played in Lisbon and Sporting Clube de Portugal were held to a 3-3 draw by FK Partizan.

The Yugoslav side won the return leg in Belgrade 5-2 to advance to the next round.
Madrid dominateReal Madrid CF immediately made the tournament their own by winning the first five finals. Since then, other clubs have also enjoyed fruitful runs in the competition with AFC Ajax and FC Bayern München both completing three consecutive wins. However, no one club has been able to claim long-term domination. Ajax waited 22 years to add a fourth title to the hat-trick obtained in the early 1970s; Madrid's win in 1998 was their first in 32 years; and Bayern's penalty shoot-out success in Milan in 2001 ended a 26-year wait for their fourth success.

Liverpool successLiverpool FC's four victories between 1977 and 1984 deserve special mention as the English club won its four trophies with essentially different teams. The Reds' European pedigree shone brightly again in 2005 when they battled back from 3-0 down to defeat AC Milan on penalties in what was perhaps the competition’s most exciting and memorable final.
Honours listReal Madrid CF and AC Milan have been the most successful sides in the UEFA Champions League, winning the competition three times. Madrid are also the most successful side overall with nine triumphs, followed by seven for Milan, five for Liverpool and four each for Bayern and Ajax.

Madrid also hold the record for final appearances, with 12. Milan's 2002/03 success came after a marathon 19 games from the third qualifying round of the competition all the way to their penalty shoot-out success against Juventus in the final.
Competition change

The major turning point in the evolution of the competition came in the 1992/93 season when the UEFA Champions League, involving a group stage in addition to the traditional knockout elements, was officially inaugurated after a pilot round robin during the previous season. The popularity of the group phase has witnessed the competition grow from eight to 32 teams with matches taking place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays across Europe.

Previous seasons / Winners
2006 - 2007 AC Milan »
2005 - 2006 FC Barcelona »
2004 - 2005 Liverpool FC »
2003 - 2004 FC Porto »
2002 - 2003 AC Milan »
2001 - 2002 Real Madrid CF »
2000 - 2001 FC Bayern München »
1999 - 2000 Real Madrid CF »
1998 - 1999 Manchester United FC »
1997 - 1998 Real Madrid CF »
1996 - 1997 BV Borussia Dortmund »
1995 - 1996 Juventus »
1994 - 1995 AFC Ajax »
1993 - 1994 AC Milan »
1992 - 1993 Olympique de Marseille
1991 - 1992 FC Barcelona
1990 - 1991 FK Crvena Zvezda
1989 - 1990 AC Milan
1988 - 1989 AC Milan
1987 - 1988 PSV Eindhoven
1986 - 1987 FC Porto
1985 - 1986 FC Steaua Bucureşti
1984 - 1985 Juventus
1983 - 1984 Liverpool FC
1982 - 1983 Hamburger SV
1981 - 1982 Aston Villa FC
1980 - 1981 Liverpool FC
1979 - 1980 Nottingham Forest FC
1978 - 1979 Nottingham Forest FC
1977 - 1978 Liverpool FC
1976 - 1977 Liverpool FC
1975 - 1976 FC Bayern München
1974 - 1975 FC Bayern München
1973 - 1974 FC Bayern München
1972 - 1973 AFC Ajax
1971 - 1972 AFC Ajax
1970 - 1971 AFC Ajax
1969 - 1970 Feyenoord
1968 - 1969 AC Milan
1967 - 1968 Manchester United FC
1966 - 1967 Celtic FC
1965 - 1966 Real Madrid CF
1964 - 1965 FC Internazionale Milano
1963 - 1964 FC Internazionale Milano
1962 - 1963 AC Milan
1961 - 1962 SL Benfica
1960 - 1961 SL Benfica
1959 - 1960 Real Madrid CF
1958 - 1959 Real Madrid CF
1957 - 1958 Real Madrid CF
1956 - 1957 Real Madrid CF
1955 - 1956 Real Madrid CF

Last eight sets sight on last four

THE UEFA CUP


AS Roma will attempt to avoid another miserable night against Manchester United FC while two other English clubs meet elsewhere in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first legs.



Unhappy memories

Roma fans could have been forgiven a groan when the last-eight draw paired them with United again. The two sides know each other well – both from this season's group stage and from last term's quarter-final tie when Roma won 2-1 at home only to crash 7-1 at Old Trafford, their heaviest defeat in UEFA competition.

Point to prove

The teams renew acquaintances at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday 1 April, with Giallorossi goalkeeper Doni confident of an improvement on last season. "That was a very bad game for us at Old Trafford, but this year we are different – we are more experienced," he said. "Five or six players in our squad really wanted to get United in order to gain revenge."

Schalke thrills

Also on 1 April, UEFA Champions League knockout-stage debutants FC Schalke 04 entertain FC Barcelona in the only quarter-final without English involvement. Thrilled by his side's progress, Schalke coach Mirko Slomka said that facing Barcelona is a "super draw for the club and for the players". The winners of that contest will take on United or Roma in the semi-finals. The second legs of Tuesday's ties are scheduled for 9 April.

English affair

On Wednesday 2 April, the focus will switch to London where Arsenal FC host Liverpool FC in an all-Premier League showdown – for the fifth successive campaign, the UEFA Champions League has an English-only affair. This will be the 200th match between the two teams, but their first European encounter. Visiting manager Rafael Benítez said of the draw: "Playing the second game at home could be very positive for us, because whenever we play at Anfield, it is an inspiration to us."

Return dates

On the same night, Fenerbahçe SK welcome Chelsea FC to Istanbul, with the eventual victor destined to play Arsenal or Liverpool. The Turkish club may be new to the knockout rounds yet winger Uğur Boral has no fear. "We are talented, fit and strong, so there is no reason for us to fail," he said. The return legs of Wednesday's games will take place on 8 April, with the semi-finals to be held on 22/23 and 29/30 April.