Europa League Thread

[NTGuilty]

Could this be our year ?

Just 8 teams are left in the race to win Europa League and, as UEFA.com discovers, all of them have reason to believe they are destined for glory on 15 May.

With the UEFA Europa League entering its quarter-final stage, the competition has reached fever pitch and, as UEFA.com discovers, every participant will have reason to believe this could be their year.

FC Basel
Sure, they have never got to a European semi-final before, nor has a Swiss club ever lifted a major UEFA trophy, but this may yet be Basel's moment. The only reigning domestic champion left in the competition, they have significant experience: midfielder David Degen has played more UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League games than any player still in contention (44) while striker Alexander Frei – who retires this summer – has scored more UEFA club competition goals than any remaining player (32). Moreover, Murat Yakin, like all three previous UEFA Europa League-winning coaches, is in his first season at his club.

Benfica
The only team to have won all four of their UEFA Europa League matches since the turn of the year, the Eagles can take comfort from the fact their last-eight opponents Newcastle United FC lost to Benfica's Lisbon neighbours Sporting Clube de Portugal – who featured current Benfica midfielder Carlos Martins – when they last made it to the quarter-finals of this competition in 2004/05. Should Jorge Jesus's side progress and be paired with Tottenham Hotspur FC in the semis, it could be destiny. When Benfica won the 1961/62 European Champion Clubs' Cup, they beat Tottenham in the last four and then triumphed in the final in – where else? – Amsterdam.

Chelsea
The Londoners have experience on their side: a UEFA Cup winner with Valencia CF in 2003/04, Chelsea boss Rafael Benítez has handled his various teams in 134 UEFA competition games – by far the most of any of the quarter-finals coaches. Moreover, the only three players in the last eight to have played more than 100 UEFA competition games are all Stamford Bridge residents: Frank Lampard (112), Petr Čech and Ashley Cole (both 102). The European champions can become the first English side to complete a clean sweep of major UEFA club titles with success in the UEFA Europa League – and they have never lost a home match in the UEFA Cup or UEFA Europa League, though admittedly they have played just six of them.

Fenerbahce
After accounting for FC Viktoria Plzeň in the round of 16, the Yellow Canaries have now figured in the last eight of all three leading UEFA competitions, having reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals in 2007/08 and the European Cup Winners' Cup equivalent in 1963/64. While they have never played in a semi-final before, they may yet be in line to become the second Turkish team to land a major European trophy. Their arch-rivals Galatasaray AŞ beat Arsenal FC on penalties to win the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup – could Aykut Kocaman's men match their neighbours' feat with victory against the Gunners' north London nemesis, Spurs?

Lazio
The omens are good ahead of their tie with Fenerbahçe. Lazio coach Vladimir Petković has beaten Kocaman's club with two former employers (BSC Young Boys and Samsunspor) while all six of the Yellow Canaries' previous games in Italy have ended in defeats by two goals or more. UEFA Cup runners-up in 1997/98, Lazio may have the ammunition to take it a step further this time – they are the tournament's top scorers with 19 goals, boast the eight-goal leading marksman in Libor Kozák and are the only side left who have not lost a UEFA Europa League game this term. Lazio's Brazilian defender André Dias, meanwhile, celebrates his birthday on the day of the UEFA Europa League final ...

Newcastle United
... as does Newcastle centre-back Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, and there are good reasons to believe he will be ending the day as a UEFA Europa League winner at the Amsterdam ArenA, where Magpies' midfielder Vurnon Anita celebrated Dutch titles with AFC Ajax in 2010/11 and 2011/12. Newcastle do not score many goals – a mere nine since the start of the group stage – but they have the competition's most miserly defence. Tellingly, they have not conceded in their last four UEFA Europa League outings, while their opponents Benfica have lost all five of their past quarter-final encounters with English clubs.

Rubin Kazan
The darkest of dark horses, Rubin went into the last 16 as one of three Russian representatives in the UEFA Europa League, but were the only Premier-Liga team to make it to the last eight. Though Kurban Berdyev's charges have never contested a European quarter-final before, they have some impressive stats – they head for Chelsea undefeated in five European away games this season. Moreover, having seen off UEFA Europa League holders Club Atlético de Madrid in the round of 32, who is to say they will not eliminate the European champions en route to glory in Amsterdam.

Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs lifted the UEFA Cup in 1971/72 and 1983/84 and have more recent know-how in their ranks too – boss André Villas-Boas won the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League in his first full campaign with FC Porto. First time could be the charm again for the Portuguese coach – and as he will remember from his Porto days, both preceding editions of the UEFA Europa League in which three sides from the same nation reached the last eight were decided by finals involving two of those teams. Should that be an all-London affair against Chelsea, Tottenham could feel confident having beaten the Blues 2-1 to win the 1966/67 FA Cup and 2007/08 League Cup finals.


©UEFA.com

[beavis]

Defoe injury blow for Spurs

Jermain Defoe is likely to be on the sidelines for around 3 weeks after aggravating a muscle injury.

The 30-year-old is definitely out of Thursday's Europa League quarter-finals against FC Basel at White Hart Lane.

Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas admits he has doubts over the availability of the England international for the second leg in Switzerland.

And Villas-Boas believes the Premier League visit of Manchester City on 21 April is a realistic target for Defoe's return.

[beavis]

[portughezu']

Au scazut sansele lui Tottenham de a se califica, fara Bale s-a vazut ce poate in returul cu Inter..
Basel a mai avut 2 ocazii mari de gol, s-ar putea sa fie supriza de anu asta din EL.

[usern]

cred ca va bate tottenham in retur..s-a terminat 2-2 doar..in returul cu Inter au jucat prea relaxati..la fel a facut si Bayern cu Arsenal,cand au pierdut cu 2-0 in retur..

[beavis]

Tottenham trio injured

Tottenham Hotspur expect Gareth Bale, Aaron Lennon and William Gallas "to return to training within 2 weeks".

All 3 players started, but failed to finish, Thursday night's Europa League quarter-finals first leg against FC Basel.

Winger Lennon was replaced with a knee injury after just 24 minutes of the 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane, while Bale (ankle) and defender Gallas (calf) both departed in the second half.

The trio underwent scans on Friday, with a subsequent club statement confirming they should all be available again within a fortnight. However, they must be considered extremely doubtful for next week's return fixture in Switzerland.

[b3bytzu]

[NTGuilty]

as vrea o finala Benfica - Chelsea

[beavis]

Hazard and Terry in doubt for Europa League Final

Chelsea has injury problems ahead of Wednesday's Europa League Final after defender John Terry was stretchered off against Aston Villa and Eden Hazard also went off with a hamstring problem.

The club captain, who missed last season's Champions League Final through suspension, appeared to severely twist his ankle after a collision with Villa's Nathan Baker midway through the second half.

Hazard, who created both goals in Chelsea's 2-1 win, went down holding his hamstring after darting down the left flank, forcing Chelsea to finish the game with 9 men as all 3 substitutes had been used and Ramires was dismissed in the first half.

"Maybe we paid too much - John Terry twisted his ankle, we're waiting for the scan to see how serious it is", manager Rafael Benitez told Sky Sports after the game.

"Hazard also felt something in his hamstring so again we're waiting for the scan. A pity for the Final but at least we won and it was a good game."

The severity of both injuries remains to be seen, but with only 4 days until the Europa League Final, Chelsea will be sweating on the fitness of two key players.

[beavis]

Benfica vs Chelsea preview

Benfica and Chelsea go head-to-head for Europa League glory when the sides meet at the Amsterdam ArenA on Wednesday.

Rafael Benitez's men go into the Final as favourites and could become the first team to win Europe's second-tier competition having lifted the Champions League the season before.

Benfica, meanwhile, will need to recover from their demoralising last-gap defeat to title rivals FC Porto on Saturday if they are to stand any chance of victory.

Jorge Jesus' men were minutes away from sealing a 1-1 draw at Estadio do Dragao which would have maintained their 2-point lead at the top of the Liga Sagres with just one game remaining.

But 19-year-old striker Kelvin's 91st-minute goal swung the momentum in the favour of Porto and left Jesus - who dropped to his knees in anguish as the strike hit the back of the net - needing to rally his troops urgently.

His team have lost just 4 fixtures all season, with 3 of those coming in European competition, as they bid to win the Europa League for the first time in their history.

Chelsea have also never won this tournament before, but were in a similar position ahead of their historic victory over Bayern Munchen last May.

The London club have no domestic commitments to worry about for the remainder of the season, after they all but sealed their place in the top 4 with a 2-1 win over Aston Villa last time out.

Demba Ba will be unable to feature due to his participation in the competition with Newcastle earlier in the season, but Chelsea have an otherwise fully-fit squad to choose from.

Benfica also have no new injury worries, though the scars from their defeat to FC Porto may be more mental than physical.

The two teams last met in the quarter-finals of last season's Champions League, with Chelsea winning 1-0 in Portugal and 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on their way to overall victory.

[beavis]

Europa League by numbers

UEFA.com brings you the key numbers from this season's Europa League after Chelsea triumphed in Amsterdam, becoming the first team to hold both of UEFA's major club trophies at the same time.

2 - Rafael Benitez is just the 4th coach to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League twice, and the second to do it with different clubs following his 2004 success with Valencia . The Chelsea manager joins fellow Spaniards Juande Ramos (FC Sevilla 2006, 2007) and Luis Molowny (Real Madrid 1985, 1986) as 2-time winners, as well as Italy's Giovanni Trapattoni (Juventus 1977, 1993, Internazionale Milano 1991), the only coach to lift the trophy 3 times.

2 - After 3 seasons without one, the Europa League had its first penalty shoot-out as Steaua Bucharest became just the second team to recover a 2-goal first leg deficit to advance in the competition. Ajax were their round of 32 victims, going down 4-2 on spot kicks. There was soon a second shoot-out as FC Basel prevailed 4-1 against Tottenham Hotspur in the quarter-finals.

4 - Victory in Holland made Chelsea the 4th side to win all 3 UEFA club competitions following their past successes in European Cup Winners' Cup (1971, 1998) and Champions League (2012). They join Juventus, Bayern Munchen and Ajax, who had all previously collected the 3 trophies.

4 - Edinson Cavani scored all 4 goals in Napoli's 4-2 home win against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk on matchday 4 - an exploit achieved just once before in Europa League, by Radamel Falcao for FC Porto against Villarreal in the 2010/2011 semi-finals. It was one of 6 hat-tricks in this season's competition.

8 - Czech striker Libor Kozak scored 8 times in Lazio's run to the quarter-finals to finish as the tournament's leading marksman. Remarkably, going into the final weekend of fixtures in Serie A, he has not found the net once in the Italian top flight all season.

10 - Young Boys became the first team in UEFA Cup/Europa League history to pick up as many points as their group winners and still fail to qualify for the last 32 - losing out on head-to-head record in a 3-way tussle with Liverpool and Anji Makhachkala. Their 10-point haul in Group A bettered that of 5 sides who advanced from other sections.

34 - Benfica forward Eduardo Salvio has played in more Europa League matches than any other player (34), but missed out on becoming the first player to win the competition 3 times, having triumphed twice before with Atletico Madrid. 7 other players have also won it twice, though only one with different clubs - Radamel Falcao (FC Porto and Atletico).

37 - At 37 years and 214 days, Pavel Horvath of Viktoria Plzen extended his own record as the Europa League's oldest goalscorer with his matchday 5 penalty against Academica de Coimbra.

42 - On matchday 5, FC Twente's Sander Boschker, aged 42 years and 33 days, replaced David Weir as the oldest player to appear in Europa League.

43 - Academica had not won a European game in 43 years, since 1969, before their shock 2-0 success at home to Atletico, in the process ending the holders' 16-match winning run in UEFA competition.

2000 - Cavani's late winner for Napoli at AIK on matchday 5 was the Europa League's 2000th goal.

[beavis]

Europa League - Team of the Season


Yann Sommer (FC Basel)



Ivanovic (Chelsea) - Schar (FC Basel) - Vertonghen (Tottenham)



Kuyt (Fener) - Hernanes (Lazio) - Guarin (Inter Milano) - Juan Mata (Chelsea)



Kozak (Lazio) - Torres (Chelsea) - Cardozo (Benfica)

[usern]

Comitetul Executiv al UEFA a aprobat, miercuri, ca echipa care va câştiga Europa League, începând cu sezonul 2015/2016, să evolueze în următorul sezon al Champions League.

Interesant

[beavis]

2015 Finals hosts set

The 2014/2015 Champions League Final will be staged at Berlin's Olympiastadion, while the National Stadium Warsaw will hold the 2014/2015 Europa League showpiece.

The decision on the hosts of the major European club competition finals in 2 years' time was announced by the UEFA Executive Committee at its meeting in London on Thursday.

Originally opened in 1936 for that year's Olympic Games, the Olympiastadion, situated in eastern Berlin, has been the home ground of Hertha Berlin since 1963. It staged 3 matches at the 1974 FIFA World Cup and 6 when the global final tournament returned to Germany in 2006, including the Final between France and Italy.

The stadium, which underwent 4 years of renovation ahead of the 2006 World Cup, has hosted every German Cup Final since 1985. Next season it will also stage Bundesliga football again after Hertha won the second-tier title this month. With a capacity of just over 74.000, the Olympiastadion also hosts other big events, including music concerts.

The same can be said of the National Stadium Warsaw, though it is perhaps most widely known as the venue for the opening game of EURO 2012. Located on the eastern banks of the Vistula in the district of Praga Poludnie, the venue lies on the site of the old 10th Anniversary Stadium, which, partly constructed using rubble collected from the site of the Warsaw Uprising, had stood since 1955.

Primarily a football stadium, it also hosted athletics and cycling, and, in 1983, Pope John Paul II gave mass to a congregation of 100.000. It held its last international that year, but then fell into disrepair, and since 1989 it had been home to a bazaar. Following its reconstruction for EURO 2012, the stadium, which has a retractable roof, reopened in January 2012.

With a 57.000 capacity, it staged 5 matches at last summer's European Championship - 3 group matches, the quarter-final between Portugal and Czech Republic and the semi-final between Germany and Italy.

The Estadio da Luz in Lisbon will hold the 2014 Champions League Final, while Juventus Stadium in Turin will stage the 2014 Europa League showpiece.

[beavis]

PRIMUL TUR PRELIMINAR

(4 iulie tur - 11 iulie retur)

Víkingur (FRO) vs Inter Turku (FIN)
Zalgiris (LTU) vs Saint Patrick's (IRL)
Broughton (WAL) vs FK Ventspils (LVA)
Trans Narva (EST) vs Gefle (SWE)
KR (ISL) vs Glentoran (NIR)

Chikhura Sachkhere (GEO) vs FC Vaduz (LIE)
Milsami Orhei (MDA) vs Dudelange (LUX)
Metalurg Skopje (MKD) vs Qarabag (AZE)
Mladost Podgorica (MNE) vs Videoton (HUN)
Flora Tallinn (EST) vs Kukesi (ALB)

Teteks (MKD) vs Pyunik (ARM)
Teuta (ALB) vs Dacia Chişinău (MDA)
Libertas (SMR) vs FK Sarajevo (BIH)
Sliema Wanderers (MLT) vs Khazar Lankaran (AZE)
Levski Sofia (BUL) vs Irtysh Pavlodar (KAZ)

Hibernians (MLT) vs FK Vojvodina (SRB)
Astana (KAZ) vs N3* (BUL)
Santa Coloma (AND) vs Zrinjski Mostar (BIH)
NK Domzale (SVN) vs Astra Ploieşti (ROU)
Rudar Pljevlja (MNE) vs Mika (ARM)

Santa Coloma (AND) vs Breidablik (ISL)
Drogheda United FC (IRL) vs Malmo (SWE)
Mariehamn (FIN) vs Inter Baku (AZE)
Fuglafjordur (FRO) vs Linfield (NIR)
Prestatyn Town (WAL) vs Liepajas Metalurg (LVA)

Celje (SVN) vs Tromso (NOR)
FC Tiraspol (MDA) vs Skonto Riga (LVA)
Crusaders (NIR) vs Rosenborg (NOR)
IBV (ISL) vs Torshavn (FRO)
Jeunesse Esch (LUX) vs TPS Turku (FIN)

Bala Town (WAL) vs Levadia Tallinn (EST)
Kruoja (LTU) vs Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
La Fiorita (SMR) vs Valletta (MLT)
Laci (ALB) vs Differdange (LUX)
Gandzasar Kapan (ARM) vs Aktobe (KAZ)

Celik Niksic (MNE) vs Budapest Honved (HUN)
Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO) vs MSK Zilina (SVK)
Turnovo (MKD) vs FK Suduva (LTU)

[beavis]

Joi 11 iulie, de la ora 21:00, Digi Sport 1 va transmite în direct şi în exclusivitate partida de pe Arena Naţională dintre Astra şi NK Domzale.

[beavis]

TURUL II PRELIMINAR

(18 iulie tur - 25 iulie retur)

BK Hacken (SWE) vs Sparta Prague (CZE)

FK Sarajevo (BIH) vs FK Kukesi (ALB)

FC Thun (SUI) vs Chikhura Sachkhere (GEO)

Xanthi (GRE) vs Linfield (NIR)

IL Hodd (NOR) vs FC Aktobe (KAZ)

Dila Gori (GEO) vs Aalborg (DEN)

Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs Xazar Lankaran (AZE)

Hajduk Split (CRO) vs Turnovo (MKD)

FK Ventspils (LVA) vs Jeunesse Esch (LUX)

Astra (ROU) vs Omonia Nicosia (CYP)

Skonto Riga (LVA) vs FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)

Pandurii Târgu Jiu (ROU) vs Levadia Tallinn (EST)

Slask Wroclaw (POL) vs Rudar Pljevlja (MNE)

Malmo FF (SWE) vs Hibernian (SCO)

FK Jagodina (SRB) vs Rubin Kazan (RUS)

Stromsgodset (NOR) vs Debrecen (HUN)

Petrolul Ploieşti (ROU) vs Vikingur (FRO)

Rijeka (CRO) vs Prestatyn Town (WAL)

Zalgiris (LTU) vs Pyunik Yerevan (ARM)

Beroe Stara Zagora (BUL) vs Hapoel Tel-Aviv (ISR)

Honka Espoo (FIN) vs Lech Poznan (POL)

Crvena Zvezda (SRB) vs IBV (ISL)

Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) vs Milsami Orhei (MDA)

FK Vojvodina (SRB) v Budapest Honvéd FC (HUN)

Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs MSK Zilina (SVK)

Inter Baku (AZE) vs Tromso (NOR)

Chornomorets Odesa (UKR) vs Dacia Chişinău (MDA)

IFK Goteborg (SWE) vs Trencin (SVK)

Dinamo Minsk (BLR) vs Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)

Reykjavik (ISL) vs Standard Liege (BEL)

Santa Coloma (AND) vs Botev Plovdiv (BUL)

Qarabag (AZE) vs Piast Gliwice (POL)

Rosenborg (NOR) vs Saint Johnstone (SCO)

Trabzonspor (TUR) vs Derry City (IRL)

Valletta (MLT) vs FC Minsk (BLR)

FK Senica (SVK) vs FK Mladost Podgorica (MNE)

Anorthosis Famagusta (CYP) vs Gefle (SWE)

Sturm Graz (AUT) vs Breidablik (ISL)

Irtysh Pavlodar (KAZ) vs NK Siroki Brijeg (BIH)

Differdange (LUX) vs FC Utrecht (NED)

[beavis]

Chico doubtful for Malmo clash

Swansea City defender Chico Flores is a doubt for Thursday's Europa League clash with Malmo.

Swansea are currently preparing to host the Swedish side in the first leg of their third round qualifying tie but are likely to be without the Spanish centre-back.

The 26-year-old is back in training after suffering a thigh injury but is unlikely to be risked by the club's manager, Michael Laudrup.

"We'll have to see. We have to be careful about muscle injuries", Laudrup said.

"He's been out for nearly 2 weeks. He'd been training with a dead leg with a lot of liquid in his leg."

"Hopefully he can train with us on Monday or Tuesday but it's not that he has to play in two, three, four, five or six days."

"Because one or two players are out injured we don't have to change or drop in performance."

[beavis]

PLAY-OFF

(22 august tur - 29 august retur)


Kuban Krasnodar (RUS) vs Feyenoord (NED)
Zulte Waregem (BEL) vs APOEL (CYP)
Rapid Wien (AUT) vs Dila Gori (GEO)
Tromso (NOR) vs Besiktas (TUR) *
Pandurii Târgu Jiu (ROU) vs Sporting Braga (POR)

Apollon Limassol (CYP) vs Nice (FRA)
Aktobe (KAZ) vs Dynamo Kiev (UKR)
Swansea City (ENG) vs Petrolul Ploieşti (ROU)
Atromitos (GRE) vs AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Hafnarfjordur (ISL) vs Genk (BEL)

Elfsborg (SWE) vs FC Nordsjaelland (DEN)
Slask Wroclaw (POL) vs FC Sevilla (ESP)
FC Salzburg (AUT) vs Zalgiris (LTU)
Qarabag (AZE) vs Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
FC Minsk (BLR) vs Standard Liege (BEL)

FK Jablonec (CZE) vs Real Betis (ESP)
Rijeka (CRO) vs VfB Stuttgart (GER)
Chornomorets Odesa (UKR) vs Skenderbeu (ALB)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) vs PAOK (GRE)
St Gallen (SUI) vs Spartak Moscow (RUS)

Molde (NOR) vs Rubin Kazan (RUS)
Vojvodina (SRB) vs Sheriff (MDA)
Trabzonspor (TUR) vs Kukesi (ALB)
Esbjerg (DEN) vs Saint-Etienne (FRA)
Grasshopper (SUI) vs Fiorentina (ITA)

Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs Astra (ROU)
Udinese (ITA) vs Slovan Liberec (CZE)
Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) vs Tottenham Hotspur (ENG)
Estoril (POR) vs Pasching (AUT)
Nomme Kalju (EST) vs Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR)
Partizan (SRB) vs FC Thun (SUI)

[portughezu']

HE HE Pandurii
Ce gol a dat Ciucur in min 117
Jos palaria pentru aceasta echipa si pentru tot ce au facut pana acum, pentru niste debutanti, s-au descurcat de extraordinar, ajungand in grupele UEL.