Love the view from behind where Rino lays the ball off, not much of a clear shot and an absolute bust by Ronaldinho.

Brad Guzan plays lights out in a rare start (Brad Friedel was rested) in Aston Villa’s 1-0 UEFA Cup win over Slavia in Prague. 

Great atmosphere (4:40 mark).

They weren’t given much of a chance before tonight, but this result by Liege against a very good Sevilla team should go a long way on confidence.

Olympique Marseille President Pape Diouf has expressed his anger and disappointment following UEFA’s original 3 match European home ground ban against La Liga and Champions League side Atletico Madrid being reduced to just one game, the November 26th match against PSV and another deferred for two years.

Via SkySports

“If there is a sanction remaining, that is the proof there were breaches and mistakes from Atletico,” said Diouf.  “I am against the fact that Uefa has not considered the whole situation.

“Because you can’t forget the unbelievable violence our fans were victims of.  Uefa won’t get rid of violence and racism from stadiums with sanctions that look like fly bite.”

image via Ww2 

UEFA ruled on Friday that Atletico Madrid will be forced to play their next UEFA Champions League match November 26th against PSV in an empty Vicente Calderon Stadium after investigating claims of fan racism and violence during the October 1st match against Ligue1 side Marseille.

Mexican born head coach Javier Aguirre was also banned for the next two Champions League matches at Liverpool and home against PSV after UEFA’s disciplinarians found him accused of insulting a Marseille player, while the second match ban that was to be played behind doors will be deferred for two years as of now.

And while Atletico has said that they will challenge the verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, they were also ordered to pay a 130 Thousand Euro fine.

Via IHT

“UEFA policy is clear - zero tolerance of violence, racism or discrimination,” Platini said in a letter to delegates who represent UEFA at Champions League matches.

“It is vital that your post-match reports … demonstrate no leniency whatsoever in the face of violent, racist or discriminatory behavior on the part of players, club officials, technical staff or fans.

image via Portugoal

UPDATE - Group stages are set as the draw is in.

GROUP A: Schalke 04, Paris Saint Germain, Manchester City, Racing Santander, FC Twente

GROUP B: Benfica, Olympiakos, Galatasaray, Hertha Berlin, Metalist Kharkiv

GROUP C: Sevilla, VfB Stuttgart, Sampdoria, Partizan Belgrade, Standard Liege

GROUP D: Tottenham Hotspur, Spartak Moscow, Udinese, Dinamo Zagreb, NEC Nijmegen

GROUP E: AC Milan, Heerenveen, SC Braga, Portsmouth, VfL Wolfsburg

GROUP F: Hamburg, Ajax, Slavia Prague, Aston Villa, MSK Zilina

GROUP G: Valencia, Club Brugge, Rosenborg, FC Copenhagen, Saint-Etienne

GROUP H: CSKA Moscow, Deportivo La Coruna, Feyenoord, Nancy, Lech Poznan

The UEFA Cup draw is set for Tuesday as the top three qualified for the knock-out rounds, where they are joined by eight teams from the Champions League.

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Numero uno is FIFA’s president Joseph Blatter, and they give a great quote from Sepp:

“FIFA is like the United Nations but it has more members and is more powerful”

Six of the top ten most powerful global figures have soccer ties including Becks clocking in at No. 5, Roman Abramovic at No. 6, and Cristiano at 7. Herbert Hanier the president of Adidas is No. 4 and Michel Platini UEFA president is 8. Click on this link for the slideshow and complete coverage from Business Week.

photo. getty images

I.Shouldve.Played.Soccer

Michel Platini has sexified the UEFA Cup for the 2009 season, re-naming the new look league the UEFA Europa League and adding to 48 clubs in 12 groups of 4, with the top two in each joining the 8 third place clubs in the Champions League 32 club knockout phase.

The league will also have it’s television rights sold the same way as the Champions League.

“I am convinced the new format will give the Uefa Europa League a successful new impetus,” said Uefa president Michel Platini.

“These changes will improve this historic competition, which is very important for Uefa and for European football as it gives more fans, players and clubs the thrill of European club football.”

image via Telegraph

With scoring the all important away goal in a 2 - 1 loss last week, Rennes came back and got the 2 - nil result at home that puts them through to face the Freaky, Deeky Dutch side FC Twente.

With all the hoopla surrounding today’s Uefa Super Cup Final between Manchester United (Champions League Winner) and Zenit St. Petersburg (Uefa Cup Holders) on Fox Soccer Channel at 11.30am (West Coast), the 2008/09 Uefa Cup First Round draw might have gotten lost in the shuffle.

And while every team’s am is to get to the final at Instanbul’s Sukru Saracoglu Stadium on May 20th, pushing through the first home (September 18th) and away leg (October 2nd) will be the first test.

Some of the more interesting pairings are after the Jump….

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