UEFA Champions League 2012/2013

[Hoeness]

Messi can lead Barcelona to a famous comeback against Bayern, says Steve Archibald
The former Scotland striker, who was signed by the Catalan club to replace Diego Maradona in the 1980s, believes Leo can inspire a turnaround on Wednesday




Bayern must win treble to be the best - Ribery
The Frenchman has set his sights on success on all three fronts and is confident the Bundesliga champions will eliminate Barcelona in Europe




Santana: Dortmund fought hard to make final
The Brazilian defender has voiced his delight with BVB's Champions League success and feels they deserve their place at Wembley




Cristiano Ronaldo not the only one who missed chances, says Xabi Alonso
The influential midfielder refuses to hold the Portugal international responsible for Madrid's semi-final exit against Borussia Dortmund




Diego Lopez: Madrid missed a bit of luck
The shot stopper feels the Spanish champions could have made it to the final at Wembley had they had been more fortunate on Tuesday




Barcelona's dreadful transfer business is the cause of their Munich mauling
The Blaugrana looked set to dominate the Champions League after their 2011 triumph - but they have paid the price for failing to strengthen their squad sufficiently and adequately




Final place all that mattered - Lewandowski
The Dortmund striker has admitted that Real Madrid made life difficult for BVB but was quick to stress that progress was all that really counts




Robben: Bayern even stronger than last year
The Netherlands international has set his sights on European success at last and feels the Bundesliga champions dominated Barcelona last week

[Hoeness]

Dortmund sweating over Gotze fitness ahead of Champions League final

By Stefan Coerts
May 1, 2013 1:03:00 PM



The attacking midfielder could miss the rest of the season - including the Champions League final - due to a thigh injury picked up against Real Madrid

Jurgen Klopp fears that Borussia Dortmund will have to make do without the services of Mario Gotze for the remainder of the 2012-13 campaign due to a muscular problem.

The Germany international picked up a thigh injury in the opening stages of BVB's 2-0 Champions League loss against Real Madrid on Tuesday and limped off the pitch after only 14 minutes of play.

It's not yet exactly known how long the 20-year-old will be out of action due to the knock, but Klopp believes Gotze could face a race against time in order to be match fit in time for the Champions League final on May 25.

"Mario picked up a muscle strain. It's going to be race against time for the things to come," Klopp was quoted as saying on the club's official website.

Gotze is expected to undergo a series of tests once Dortmund return to Germany after Tuesday's match at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The attacking midfielder will certainly miss this weekend's Bundesliga game at home against Bayern.

[Grace]

.
///
football is about teamwork.
.
Not one man.
.
why Babilona depend on MessY?
.
///
xxx

[Hoeness]

Barcelona 0 Bayern Munich 3 (agg 0-7): No Messi, no comeback as Wembley gets set for all-German Champions League final

By MICHAEL WALKER PUBLISHED: 20:32 GMT, 1 May 2013 | UPDATED: 22:52 GMT, 1 May 2013

No surprises here. It will be an all-German Champions League final at Wembley three weeks on Saturday. In emphatic, persuasive fashion, Bayern Munich sealed the deal begun by Borussia Dortmund in Madrid on Tuesday as all of last week’s claims about the baton passing from La Liga and the Premier League to the Bundesliga had their credibility enhanced.Barcelona had needed some sorcery to overcome the 4-0 lead Bayern raced to in the first leg but for magic you need a magician, and Lionel Messi was on the bench.



Wembley, here we come: Arjen Robben (centre) celebrates after opening the scoring at the Nou Camp



Fussball's coming home: Bayern secured an all-German Champions league final against Borussia Dortmund



No stopping that: Robben (unseen) cut inside and curled a brilliant finish into the far corner of Barca's net



Hamstrung: Lionel Messi (right) was left on the bench despite Barca's need to overturn a four-goal deficit

MATCH FACTS

Barcelona: Valdes, Dani Alves, Pique, Bartra (Montoya 87), Adriano, Xavi (Sanchez 55), Song, Iniesta (Thiago 64), Villa, Fabregas, Pedro.
Subs not used: Pinto, Messi, Jonathan, Montoya, Tello.

Booked: Dani Alves, Pique

Bayern Munich: Neuer, Lahm (Rafinha 77), Boateng, Van Buyten, Alaba, Javi Martinez (Tymoschuk 74), Schweinsteiger, (Gustavo 66) Robben, Muller, Ribery, Mandzukic.

Subs not used: Starke, Dante, Shaqiri,Gomez.

Goals: Robben 49, Pique o.g. 72, Muller 76

Booked: Robben

Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)
Attendance: 90,000

Without Messi any team would be inferior and it is no different for Barcelona, even if they still had Xavi and Andres Iniesta. But those two were substituted shortly after Arjen Robben had made the aggregate scoreline 5-0 in the 48th minute. Gerard Pique then scored an own goal and Thomas Muller’s header made it 3-0 on the night with 15 minutes left. The Nou Camp has witnessed teams being outplayed many times — just not Barca. Indeed, it is the first time their side have lost both legs of a European tie since 1987, when the opponents were Dundee United.Bayern looked a good team last season in reaching the Champions League final on their own turf. Now they look very good. Strong and skilful, quick but patient, Bastian Schweinsteiger personifies the Jupp Heynckes team soon to be taken over by Pep Guardiola. Schweinsteiger was immense.This will be their third final in four years and after defeats by Inter Milan and Chelsea, there will surely be belief that this is their year. They last won the European Cup 12 years ago, beating Valencia on penalties.



That's all we kneed: Gerard Pique (third right) scored an embarrassing own goal in the second half



Hang your head: Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes screams in frustration after Pique's gaffe



Salt in the wounds: Bayern's Thomas Muller (centre left) headed in a third goal late on

The warm Catalan day began with optimism: Barca had to cancel out a four-goal lead just to take the game to extra-time, but the statistics said that on 84 occasions in the last four seasons Barcelona had scored four. Moreover, 59 of those had been at the Nou Camp and 14 in the Champions League.

Against that was the ominous record of Bayern: it was over a year since they last failed to score on the road. And that was before the Messi news. If as Pique said on Tuesday, ‘football is very psychological’, it was advantage Bavaria before a ball was kicked.



'Proud of Barca!': Barcelona's fans packed out the Nou Camp in the hope of seeing a comeback



London calling: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (left) and his team-mates have a final date

The absence of Messi from the starting XI meant Heynckes could leave three of the six players he had on yellow cards on the bench — Dante, Luis Gustavo and Mario Gomez. Messi’s omission also meant that Fabregas was Barca’s No 9, or ‘false 9’.

There was one authentic striker, David Villa. But when he was robbed of the ball in the seventh minute by David Alaba, Bayern went on an 80-yard move featuring Philipp Lahm and Schweinsteiger that revealed the confidence of the visitors, not the menace of the hosts.



Crowded out: Andres Iniesta (right) attempts to shoot past Daniel Van Buyten and Jerome Boateng



No way past: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (left) blocks a shot from distance



Heated: Bayern head coach Jupp Heynckes, (right) talks to midfielder Franck Ribery

There had already been a couple of unusually tentative touches from Barca players and the sense that Bayern felt un-intimidated grew when Schweinsteiger set Robben free behind the back four. It required a last-ditch tackle by Pique to prevent Robben scoring. And it was only the 11th minute. It would be the 23rd before Manuel Neuer was forced to make a save, from a 25-yard drive by Villa.
The crowd roared approval but this was a different atmosphere to the previous night in Madrid.

The decibel level then reflected the expectation in the air; here they needed a first-half breakthrough more and one problem was Bayern’s obvious desire to score and kill off the remote chance of a Barcelona triumph.



What's gone wrong? Gerard Pique, David Villa and Cesc Fabregas were left scratching their heads



Going down: Marc Bartra comes off second best in a challenge with Mario Mandzukic



Eye on the ball: Barcelona defender Gerard closes down Bastian Schweinsteiger

The effect was that Barca had to go forward looking over their shoulder; they were also confronted by massed defence when they did. And the man for that situation was on the bench.

That is where Messi stayed after half-time. Within three minutes of the restart, the point of him coming off it was all but gone.

Robben’s left foot may not be Messi’s but it is pretty deft and when he cut inside in that trademark fashion two Barca defenders, balanced perfectly, it was clear Robben was going to bend the ball towards the far corner. He did so, and Valdes was beaten.

All that morning Catalan optimism was buried and now there was a question as to whether the new German champions would ram home their superiority.

Robben and Muller promptly fluffed promising openings. They were just about the only two mistakes Bayern made across two legs.

[Pavlyuchenko]

Messi was not injured, says Vilanova
The 44-year-old also intimated that the Argentine would have made an appearance had he believed his side still had a chance of progressing




Robben: Beating Barcelona wasn't tough
The Netherlands international scored in each leg of the semi-final against Tito Vilanova's side, and was delighted that his team progressed to the final at the Blaugrana's expense




'I don't think things would have been different with Messi' - Pique
The central defender admitted that 'la Pulga' is key to his side's chances, but did not attribute Wednesday's punishing defeat to the Argentine's enforced absence




Barcelona have a lot to learn from unbelievable Bayern
The Bavarians tore their hosts apart to complete a battering over two legs that must prompt a serious reshuffle in Catalunya




We owe Madrid supporters, says Casillas
The goalkeeper was full of praise for the home support, who produced a deafening atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday night




'Madrid were nasty, provocative & powerless' - Rangel
The defender was scathing in his assessment of los Blancos following their European exit on Tuesday night




Piszczek delays surgery until after Champions League final
The full-back admits he may need an operation on his hip but will put it off until after the May 25 European showpiece at Wembley which BVB qualified for on Tuesday




'Madrid fought until the end' - Butragueno proud of Madrid despite defeat
The Blancos director and club legend was proud of the side's efforts, despite a failure to reach the Champions League final for the 11th year in a row




Rummenigge: Bayern want to be the best in the world
The 57-year-old German legend says he dreams of the Bavarians becoming the most feared club side on the planet, ahead of their Champions League clash with Barcelona at Camp Nou




Piszczek: Dortmund rejoicing at final spot
The BVB full-back says the whole club can feel proud of themselves after reaching the showcase of Europe’s premier competition

[Hoeness]

'I don't think things would have been different with Messi' - Pique

By Daniel Edwards
May 1, 2013 10:30:00 PM



The central defender admitted that 'la Pulga' is key to his side's chances, but did not attribute Wednesday's punishing defeat to the Argentine's enforced absence

Gerard Pique refused to blame the absence of Lionel Messi for Barcelona's 3-0 Champions League semi-final defeat to Bayern Munich.

The defender's own goal was sandwiched between strikes from Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller, as the Bavarians ran out 7-0 aggregate winners and set up an all-German final with Borussia Dortmund.

Messi played no part in the game, remaining an unused substitute following a recurrence of an old injury, but Pique believes the Argentine could have done little to turn the tie around.

"Messi is the best in the world. Obviously it's not the same without him on the pitch but I don't think things would have been so much different with him," he explained after the final whistle.

"It's not pleasant living a situation like this one. We tried in the first half but after the first goal we just fell apart. The last 45 minutes were so hard."

Barca president Sandro Rosell, meanwhile, highlighted Messi's absence from the second leg, while admitting that Bayern were superior.

"If the best player in the world is not on the pitch, the team is not the same but all players play hard and believed and we showed that Barcelona know how to win and how to lose. It's the coach who decides with the staff and the doctors. They take the decision and we just accept it," the chief explained.

"We have to congratulate Bayern. They were clearly the better team and deserve to be at the final in Wembley."

Xavi was another Blaugrana representative with high praise for the Germans, who he believed were worthy winners against his club.
The midfielder told Canal Plus: "We had many problems in defence with [Carles] Puyol, [Eric] Abidal, [Javier] Mascherano, [Sergio] Busquets and [Lionel] Messi too... but we can't look for excuses, Bayern were better.

"It's not fair saying German football is better than Spanish only because of these matches. Our team is still a good team and one that can keep on winning for many years, even if we didn't know how to play against Bayern or Real Madrid."

[Hoeness]

'Barcelona are a different team without Messi' - Heynckes

By Joe Wright
May 1, 2013 11:23:00 PM



The 67-year-old coach hailed his side's "clever" performance on Wednesday night, but feels they were fortunate not to have had to contend with the Argentine ace

Jupp Heynckes believes Bayern Munich were lucky that Lionel Messi did not feature for Barcelona in the Bavarians' 3-0 win at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

The Argentine watched on from the substitutes bench as Arjen Robben's stunner, a Gerard Pique own goal, and Thomas Muller's late strike condemned his side to a 7-0 aggregate defeat in the Champions League semi-final.

And while Heynckes was proud of his team's focus in the tie, he acknowledged the Blaugrana are a different prospect without their talismanic attacker.

"I think it was clearly noticeable that my team entered this game extremely focused," he told reporters after the match. "We played great right from the start. However, there is no denying it – Barcelona is a different team without [Lionel] Messi.

"Still, I am sure no one expected us to win 7-0 on aggregate. I would not say that we witnessed an end of an era tonight. Barcelona were missing a lot of players and we showed a clever performance."

Bayern will now contest the final on May 25 against Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund, and Heynckes feels BVB's place at Wembley is fully deserved, albeit a little surprising.

"Dortmund deserve to be in the final, as they are playing a great season as well," he continued. "Sure, it is a small surprise that they reached the final. I obviously hope that we can be successful in Wembley. We will now reflect on what we achieved tonight, enjoy the moment and then put our focus on the game against Dortmund on the weekend [in the Bundesliga]."

Much has been made of the future of Heynckes as the arrival of Pep Guardiola draws ever closer, but the 67-year-old has stressed there has been no contact with Real Madrid over a possible return to the Santiago Bernabeu.

"Madrid have not been in contact with me," he remarked to Marca after Wednesday's match.

"On May 9 I turn 68, I think I should be thinking about taking a break."

[Hoeness]

Messi was not injured, says Vilanova

By Livio Caferoglu
May 1, 2013 11:48:00 PM



The 44-year-old also intimated that the Argentine would have made an appearance had he believed his side still had a chance of progressing

Tito Vilanova has revealed that injury was not the reason behind Lionel Messi's absence during the second leg of Barcelona's Champions League semi-final with Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

The Argentine attacker was a surprise omission from the Blaugrana starting line-up against the Bavarians, with many speculating that he suffered a recurrence of his recent hamstring knock prior to the 3-0 defeat.

However, this was not the case according to his coach, who also claimed that Messi would have made an appearance in the second half had he thought the Catalans still had a chance of making the final on May 25.

"Messi was not injured, but he was not feeling okay, and I thought that in his situation he would not help the team," Vilanova told reporters.

"He played in Bilbao because he was in much better condition, but at the end of the game he contracted some strange sensations.

"We would have taken the risk of playing Leo towards the end of the match if we still had a chance of making the final."

Reflecting on his side's performance at Camp Nou, Vilanova admitted that Barca were "massively" outclassed by Bayern but insisted that widespread personnel changes would not be necessary during the close season.

"Bayern are physically at a great level. The difference today between the sides was massive and I congratulate them on their progression, but also thanks to our fans for their support," he added.

"We've been suffering with injuries all season and at this level you pay for that. Every squad needs to be changed, but we have a good squad already.

"We don't need to make a lot of changes as we have some players who are still recovering."

Meanwhile, David Villa supported Vilanova's assertion that Messi was not in the right physical condition to start at Camp Nou, but nonetheless urged his team-mates to move on quickly from their European humbling.

"They were better during both matches, we must admit it. We're sad because we were close to Wembley but they deserved it and we must congratulate them," the Spain striker remarked.

"We tried to attack from the beginning in order to quickly reduce the aggregate, but the difference was too big in the end.

"Messi wanted to play but during the day he knew he wouldn't be able to do it. It's not an excuse, even if he is the best player in the world.

"Now we must forget about the Champions League and focus on La Liga. There are still many happy moments that we are yet to experience and we are close to winning the league title."

[Hoeness]

Barcelona 0 - 3 Bayern Munich

[Hoeness]

Hummels: Dortmund's attack among Europe's best
The Germany international has praised his side's strength in attack and believes they fully deserve their place in the Champions League final




Kehl wants to ruin Bayern's season
The BVB skipper has stressed that the pressure is on the Bavarians and is optimistic about his side's chances of causing an upset on May 25




Schweinsteiger: I will step up to the spot again
The Germany international insists he bears no scars from last season's penalty miss and will happily take responsibility again




'Champions League can save Dortmund's season' - Weidenfeller
Jurgen Klopp's side have failed to get the better of die Roten domestically this term but that will count for nothing if they win at Wembley on May 25




Muller: Gotze deal adds extra spice to Champions League final
The 20-year-old playmaker is to move to the Allianz Arena, with die Roten having agreed to meet the Germany international's €37 million buy-out clause




Heynckes drops retirement hint
The veteran coach has revealed that he will say farewell to the Bundesliga once the 2012-13 campaign comes to an end, while admitting that a move abroad is unlikely




I hope Gotze will play the final - Rummenigge
The Bayern Munich supremo wants the Germany international to shake off his injury problems in time for the match against his future club




Klopp: Bayern won't beat us like they beat Juve & Barca
The Borussia Dortmund boss is adamant that his side will put up a better fight that the Italian and Spanish giants in the Champions League final




Lahm: Bayern targeting treble glory
The Bavarians skipper is brimming with ambition and has his sights set on both a European title and the German cup to add to their league triumph




Hamann fears for Bayern's Champions League 'scars'
The retired Germany midfielder questions the mental strength of the players at his former club, concerned that the team might have a complex after their recent final defeats




Buffon: Bayern two steps ahead of the rest
The legendary Italian goalkeeper saw first hard just how good the Bavarians are during his side's 4-0 aggregate loss to Jupp Heynckes' men last month




Gotze edging closer to comeback ahead of Champions League final
The Germany international is set to make the next step in his recovery process as he targets a comeback before the Champions League final




Thiago Silva wants to win Champions League & World Cup double in 2014
The defender admits he feels the pressure in his role as captain at domestic and international level but is aiming high for next year




Rummenigge: Bayern-Dortmund not like Clasicos
The former die roten player rejects the idea of games between Germany's top two teams will court as much controversy as the biggest game in Spain




Hitzfeld: Muller, Gotze or Lewandowski can dethrone Messi
The former Bayern and BVB coach thinks that a Bundesliga player could win the Ballon d'Or this year following their fine results in Europe




Neuer: Dortmund equal to Bayern
The Bayern goalkeeper has warned that their Bundesliga rivals will prove to be a tough opponent in the Champions League final




'Heynckes is the real Special One'
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has lavished praise on the outgoing coach while insisting the club have learned from recent Champions League final losses




Weidenfeller hopes for 'perfect' storm against Bayern
The experienced German shot-stopper believes his side will have to perform to their peak abilities when they meet the Bundesliga champions on May 25




Beckenbauer: Hoeness has Bayern backing
The Germany legend feels the Bavarians are well and truly behind the 61-year-old, despite his current personal problems




Boniperti: Juventus too weak to win Champions League
The 84-year-old believes his ex-team will struggle to compete with the continent's best until they become more physically imposing




Hitzfeld tips Bayern to win Champions League final
The former coach of both clubs believes the Bavarians are favourites to beat rivals Borussia Dortmund on May 25 at Wembley, but warns BVB have nothing to lose




Conte: Signing Suarez, Higuain or Ibrahimovic not enough to win the Champions League
The successful coach feels signing a top striker is not the way to close the gap with Europe's elite and is looking to emulate Bayern Munich instead




Sammer: All-German Champions League final is extraordinary
The former Germany international has voiced his delight with the up-coming clash between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, and downplayed his touchline spat with Jurgen Klopp




Bundesliga is number one, says Bierhoff
The former striker has suggested there may be a "changing of the guard" in European football on the back of a successful season for German clubs in the Champions League




Iniesta: Bayern defeat still hurts
The Spain international says Barcelona's fans and players are still shocked by the 7-0 aggregate loss to the Bavarians in the Champions League




Dortmund receive 500,000 Champions League final ticket applications
The Ruhr club have only 24,042 seats for the Wembley clash with Bayern Munich at their disposal but have received an overwhelming amount of demand




Blaszczykowski warns Bayern & Dortmund players to keep cool heads in Champions League final
The Poland midfielder wants football, rather than any conflict, to take centre stage at Wembley when the fierce rivals clash for the biggest prize in European football




Robben: The pressure is on Dortmund
The Dutchman does not believe Bayern will be affected by expectation when they take on BVB in the Champions League final this month




Heynckes targets historic treble
The 67-year-old is fully confident in Bayern Munich's chances of pulling off an unprecedented coup having already secured the league title and two finals ahead




Bayern humiliation confirms that Barcelona are not the greatest club team of all time
There has been a growing consensus over the last few years that the current Barca are the best in history but Carlo Garganese disagrees following Wednesday's thumping

[Hummels]

Champions League - Dortmund's Goetze winning fitness fight for final

Borussia Dortmund's Mario Goetze is expected to recover from a muscle injury in time for the Champions League final against German rivals Bayern Munich on May 25, Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp said on Wednesday.

Reuters – 23 hours ago



Eurosport - Mario Goetze

The talented 20-year-old attacking midfielder, who has already agreed to join Bayern from next season, picked up the muscle injury early in Dortmund's semi-final second leg against Real Madrid on April 30.

"Right now it looks like Goetze could be ready for the final," Klopp told reporters. "His recovery is going according to plan.

"We will intensify training gradually during the week and the plan is for him to join the team training next week. Then we will see if it is good enough."

The Germany international was instrumental in helping Dortmund secure successive league titles from 2011 and helping guide the side to this year's Champions League final at Wembley.

However, Goetze shocked Dortmund fans when his transfer to Bayern was announced a matter of hours before last month's first leg against Real Madrid.

[Hummels]

Champions League - Bayern cannot just brush past us, says Klopp

Bayern Munich crushed European heavyweights Barcelona and Juventus en route to the Champions League final but they should not expect the same to happen against Borussia Dortmund, Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp said on Monday.

Reuters – Mon, May 13, 2013 12:05 BST



Eurosport - Jurgen Klopp, left, heaped praise on his young Borussia Dortmund side

Bayern face their Bundesliga rivals in the first all-German Champions League final in London's Wembley Stadium on May 25.

The Bavarians beat former European champions Juventus 4-0 on aggregate in the quarter-finals before exploding past Spain's Barcelona 7-0 in a sensational run to their third final in four editions.

"Bayern swept Barcelona and Juventus out of the stadium so that they had trouble finding the exit," Klopp told kicker magazine on Monday. "This is hardly possible against us."

"We know how good we are. We are uncomfortable opponents for any team," said Klopp, who led Dortmund to the 2011 league title and the 2012 German league and Cup double.

Bayern, who have already won the Bundesliga this season, are attempting an unprecedented treble of titles for a German club with the Champions League and the German Cup in their sights.

"We have drawn both games 1-1 in the Bundesliga this season and we lost in the German Cup 1-0 where we had a very bad day," said Klopp of this season's clashes against Bayern.

"The gap between Bayern and us is not so big as to say we cannot be that bit better on the day of the final."

[Merl Haggard]

Tis morning had full orgasm when Chelsea scored 30 seconds before the final whistle.

Had a $5000 bet on Chelsea on level ball handicap to win 0.9.

[Hummels]

Fourth is the new first

Is a bona fide battle for a major European league title less important than qualifying for next year's Champions League?

Last modified: 16 May 2013 14:36
Lee Wellings



What have Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City and Real Madrid got in common?

It's not just that they were drawn together in the toughest group in the European Champions League this year.

They also all finished a distant and disappointing second in their domestic leagues.

Dortmund can be excused of course. They have achieved miracles in the Champions League, and who'd really be able to keep up with Bayern Munich the way they have played throughout 2012/2013.

But as for Real and City ... The harsh truth is that it's not good enough. Manchester United and Barcelona deserve their titles, but they also needed more challenging. Roberto Mancini should have no complaints about his sacking at City, with sympathisers having confused two trophies with 'only two trophies for a club with incredible resources and talent'.

The title races in the other top European leagues have not been title races - yes, Napoli deserve huge credit for second in Serie A but they lost touch with Juventus months ago. Did anyone other than PSG look like winning Le Championnat?

And yet the absence of a bona fide battle for a major European league title has not been noticed or bemoaned. Why? because European league football has been effectively rebranded. Qualifying for a place in the Champions League qualifiers is treated with an importance that gold medal winning champions in other sports would give anything for.

Fourth is the new first.

Is it really acceptable that the battle for fourth place in the English Premier League has been treated with such reverence? What nonsense that the match between Chelsea and Tottenham last week, with a Champions League place on the line, was given such high status.

It's all you hear from fans, managers and owners of the big clubs. We have to finish top four, or top three depending on your UEFA co-efficient. Maybe top two. Whatever happened to top one?

A cautionary tale

Here's a cautionary tale for all those who feel fourth is better than winning an FA Cup, or indeed any trophy, which is surely the point of football competition!

In 2005 Everton finished fourth in the Premier League above Merseyside rivals Liverpool thanks largely to the brilliant management of David Moyes, recognised of course by his new employers Manchester United. They subsequently qualified for the Champions League

But Liverpool won the tournament in the unforgettable comeback against Milan. How could they not be allowed to defend their trophy was then the question. The ensuing furore put huge pressure on the English FA and UEFA and eventually a solution was found that even the most anti-English supporter would accept was fair in the circumstances. The rules would have to be changed but for now both Liverpool and Everton would qualify. Five English teams in Europe for 2005/06.

After so much hot air Liverpool's defence of the trophy didn't quite go to plan. In fact the manner of their exit to Benfica lacked all the heart and determination they had put in to their request to defend the trophy in the first place.

But it's Everton in that precious fourth place I want to use as the example of false Champions League expectations. They came up against a very good Villarreal team in the final qualifiers. The standard of football for early in the season was excellent, and Everton played well. They also have had cause to complain about the performance of Pierluigi Collina, who was usually impeccable. But Everton lost. European season over. In August.

Why must the talk about 'top four' dominate a season. There is no glory in finishing fourth, and I mean no glory. We are back to money yet again. A place in the Champions League earns a club millions of dollars in guaranteed money with more to come as the tournament progresses. Along with the knock-on effects of ticket sales, merchandising etc. and the boost to the club's image. But only if the club qualifies for the group stages.

And that is far from guaranteed for those facing the qualifying process. Even then, getting through to the group stages does not result in a successful season. When Manchester United were knocked out in the 2011 groups their shares suffered. So after that precious qualification from domestic competition there is plenty of hard work still to do.

Champions League football also means the highest quality of players can be attracted. But please let's not presume all players would turn down a higher wages club just to play in this competition. Or rather that their agents would allow it. Manchester City have the money to pay high wages that makes them and north of England attractive to the world's top players - but six games in the group stages of the Champions League are not the first thing on the negotiating table when the Abu Dhabi-owned club sign players. Carlos Tevez certainly didn't seem to treat the trophy with the same respect as the money men during his Munich hissy fit of 2011.

It is of course easy to romanticise over the days when the European Cup really was a Champions League. How a club as relatively small as Nottingham Forest could rise to become kings of Europe, beating Malmo in the 1979 final, then successfully defending their trophy. What chances of Forest or Malmo ever reaching the final again?

The Champions League is of course really the Europa League. The coming together of as many of Europe's top clubs as possible, making huge amounts of money. Yes it's brilliant competition. I've covered a lot of the knockout stages this year and events in Germany on semi-final first leg week as the German clubs humiliated the Spanish giants were momentous and thrilling.

The final between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich will be quite something too. Getting to Wembley is a real achievement.

But let's remember how far those who finish fourth, or third, or even second in their domestic leagues still have to go to be proper winners.

Please don't make fourth the new first.