2011-12 European Club Football/Soccer Thread

[BroadwayBomber55]

Cesena signed Fiorentina headache striker Adrian Mutu
http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=ap-cesena-mutu

[BroadwayBomber55]

Transfer News, Gossip, Blogs and Clockwatches: June 23, 2011

ESPN Soccernet
http://blogs.soccernet.com/onthemove..._young_one.php

Sky Sports
http://www.skysports.com/football/tr...,14896,00.html

BBC Sport
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13600908.stm

Yahoo! Sports UK and Ireland
http://uk.yahoo.eurosport.com/footba...tid=c18db8531c

Fox Soccer via Yardbark and RivalsDM
http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/e...r-fight-062311;
http://www.yardbarker.com/soccer

[BroadwayBomber55]

Bonjour PSG: Inter Milan Leonardo to be Paris Saint-Germain sporting director
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...ns-psg?cc=5739

[BroadwayBomber55]

Gian Piero Gasperini takes the Inter Milan reins
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...-coach?cc=5901

[BroadwayBomber55]

Malaga sign two new players...

Valencia winger Joaquin Sanchez
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...oaquin?cc=5901

And Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...switch?cc=5901

[bxnyy1889]

Malaga sign two new players...

Valencia winger Joaquin Sanchez
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...oaquin?cc=5901

And Lyon midfielder Jeremy Toulalan
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...switch?cc=5901

malagais really looking to compete next year they maybe competition for the 5/6 spots in the league

[BroadwayBomber55]

I have a question.

If you were an international footballer/soccer player that is competing in all the major top-tier domestic league (i.e. the English Premier League), continental and international competitions for both club (i.e. the UEFA Champions League) and country (FIFA World Cup, Summer Olympics, FIFA Confederations Cup and the continental tournament like the UEFA European Football Championship), what is your ranking in terms of importance and why?

Here are mine (in the European view)...

#1 (Most important) Domestic top-tier league like the Premier League. Why? It's every year.

#2 The top tier club competition like UEFA Champions League/UEFA Europa League. Why? It's every year.

#3 FIFA World Cup. Why? The most important for a footballer playing in the international stage. However, it's every four years.

#4 The top-tier country tournament like the UEFA European Football Championship. Why? Second most important tournament behind both the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League to win for a footballer.

#5 Olympic Gold Medal. Why? It's mostly for U-23 squads except for three members that can be over 23. Unless you're 23+ of age and get called up for the Olympics, it won't happen. Xavi and Carles Puyol were the closest players to win the entire career club and country set: Won 3 UEFA Champions Leagues with Barcelona, won UEFA Euro 2008 and 2010 FIFA World Cup with Spain, won silver medal in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney to Cameroon and third-place in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

#6 FIFA Confederations Cup. Why? Bonus trophy to complete the set with the three most important trophies in FIFA history: World Cup, Olympic Gold Medal and Confederations Cup. France and Argentina are the only teams that complete the set.

Thoughts?

[BroadwayBomber55]

Returning to Holland: Co Adriaanse to become FC Twente Enschede boss
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...ntment?cc=5901

[BroadwayBomber55]

Lens defender Raphael Varane is off to Real Madrid
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...varane?cc=5901

[BroadwayBomber55]

Sporting Braga defender Silvio goes to Atletico Madrid
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...silvio?cc=5901

[BroadwayBomber55]

Zenit St. Petersburg snatch up Domenico Criscito
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...-genoa?cc=5901

[BroadwayBomber55]

Transfer Blogs, Rumors and Clockwatches: June 27, 2011

ESPN Soccernet
http://blogs.soccernet.com/onthemove...r_thiago_1.php

Sky Sports
http://www.skysports.com/football/tr...,14896,00.html

Yahoo! Sports UK and Ireland
http://uk.yahoo.eurosport.com/footba...tid=c18db8531c

BBC Sport
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13600908.stm

Fox Soccer via Yardbarker
http://www.yardbarker.com/soccer

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues Teams: 2011-12 French Ligue 1
Season
Starts: August 6, 2011
Ends: May 20, 2012
http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breve...le-6-aout.html
Winter Break:
http://new.lfp.fr/calendriers/2011_2..._2011_2012.pdf

Schedule:
http://www.ligue1.com/ligue1/calendrier_resultat

Teams
Stadia and locations
Club Location Venue Capacity Average Attendance
Ajaccio Ajaccio Stade François Coty 10,660
Auxerre Auxerre Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps 24,493
Bordeaux Bordeaux Stade Chaban-Delmas 34,462
Brest Brest Stade Francis-Le Blé 16,000
Caen Caen Stade Michel d'Ornano 21,500
Dijon Dijon Stade Gaston Gérard 15,998
Évian Annecy Parc des Sports 12,243
Lille Villeneuve-d'Ascq Stadium Nord Lille Métropole 18,185
Lorient Lorient Stade du Moustoir 18,890
Lyon Lyon Stade de Gerland 41,842
Marseille Marseille Stade Vélodrome 60,013
Montpellier Montpellier Stade de la Mosson 32,900
Nancy Tomblaine Stade Marcel Picot 20,085
Nice Nice Stade du Ray 17,415
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Parc des Princes 48,712
Rennes Rennes Stade de la Route de Lorient 31,127
Saint-Étienne Saint-Étienne Stade Geoffroy-Guichard 35,616
Sochaux Montbéliard Stade Auguste Bonal 20,005
Toulouse Toulouse Stadium Municipal 35,470
Valenciennes Valenciennes Stade Nungesser II 25,000

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues Teams: 2011-12 German Bundesliga
Season
Starts: August 5, 2011
End: May 5, 2012
Winter Break: December 17, 2011-January 20, 2012
http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/b...omsearchresult

Schedule:
http://www.bundesliga.de/en/liga/mat...ndex.php?tag=1

Teams
Team Location Stadium Capacity
FC Augsburg Augsburg SGL Arena 30,660
Bayer Leverkusen Leverkusen BayArena 30,210
Bayern Munich Munich Allianz Arena 69,000
Borussia Dortmund Dortmund Signal Iduna Park 80,720
Borussia Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach Borussia-Park 54,057
SC Freiburg Freiburg Badenova-Stadion 24,000
Hamburger SV Hamburg Imtech Arena 57,000
Hannover 96 Hanover AWD-Arena 49,000
Hertha BSC Berlin Olympiastadion 74,244
1899 Hoffenheim Sinsheim Rhein-Neckar-Arena 30,150
1. FC Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern Fritz Walter Stadion 50,000
1. FC Köln Cologne RheinEnergieStadion 50,000
1. FSV Mainz 05 Mainz Coface Arena 33,500
1. FC Nuremberg Nuremberg EasyCredit-Stadion 48,548
Schalke 04 Gelsenkirchen Veltins-Arena 61,673
VfB Stuttgart Stuttgart Mercedes-Benz Arena 55,896
Werder Bremen Bremen Weserstadion 42,100
VfL Wolfsburg Wolfsburg Volkswagen Arena 30,000

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues Teams: 2011-12 Italian Serie A
Season
Starts: August 28, 2011
Ends: May 13, 2012
Winter Break: TBD
http://www.legaseriea.it/it/sala-sta...11_2012/430992

Schedule: late July

Teams
Team Home city Stadium Capacity
Atalanta Bergamo Atleti Azzurri d'Italia 24,642
Bologna Bologna Renato Dall'Ara 39,444
Cagliari Cagliari Sant'Elia 23,486
Catania Catania Angelo Massimino 23,420
Cesena Cesena Dino Manuzzi 23,860
Chievo Verona Marc'Antonio Bentegodi 39,211
Fiorentina Florence Artemio Franchi 47,282
Genoa Genoa Luigi Ferraris 36,685
Internazionale Milan San Siro 80,074
Juventus Turin Juventus Arena 41,000
Lazio Rome Olimpico 72,698
Lecce Lecce Via del Mare 33,876
Milan Milan San Siro 80,074
Napoli Naples San Paolo 60,240
Novara Novara Silvio Piola 10,106
Palermo Palermo Renzo Barbera 37,242
Parma Parma Ennio Tardini 27,906
Roma Rome Olimpico 72,698
Siena Siena Artemio Franchi 15,373
Udinese Udine Friuli 41,652

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues Teams: 2011-12 Dutch Eredivisie
Season
Starts: August 2011
Ends: June 2012
Winter Break: TBD

Schedule: TBD

Teams
Club Location Venue Capacity
ADO Den Haag The Hague Kyocera Stadion 15,000
Ajax Amsterdam Amsterdam ArenA 52,960
AZ Alkmaar AFAS Stadion 17,150
Excelsior Rotterdam Stadion Woudestein 3,531
Feyenoord Rotterdam Stadion Feijenoord 51,577
De Graafschap Doetinchem De Vijverberg 12,600
Groningen Groningen Euroborg 22,579
Heerenveen Heerenveen Abe Lenstra Stadion 26,800
Heracles Almelo Almelo Polman Stadion 8,500
NAC Breda Breda Rat Verlegh Stadion 19,000
NEC Nijmegen Stadion de Goffert 12,470
PSV Eindhoven Philips Stadion 35,119
RKC Waalwijk Waalwijk Mandemakers Stadion 7,500
Roda JC Kerkrade Parkstad Limburg Stadion 19,979
Twente Enschede De Grolsch Veste 24,244
Utrecht Utrecht Stadion Galgenwaard 24,426
Vitesse Arnhem GelreDome 25,000
VVV-Venlo Venlo De Koel 8,000

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues Teams: 2011-12 Portuguese Liga
Season
Starts: 14 August 2011
Ends: 13 May 2012
Winter Break: TBD

Schedule: TBD

Teams
Team Home city Stadium Capacity
Académica de Coimbra Coimbra Estádio Cidade de Coimbra 30,210
Beira-Mar Aveiro Estádio Municipal de Aveiro 30,127
Benfica Lisbon Estádio da Luz 65,400
Feirense Santa Maria da Feira Estádio Marcolino de Castro 4,667
Gil Vicente Barcelos Estádio Cidade de Barcelos 12,374
Marítimo Funchal Estádio dos Barreiros 8,922
Nacional Funchal Estádio da Madeira 5,132
Olhanense Olhão Estádio José Arcanjo 10,000
Paços de Ferreira Paços de Ferreira Estádio da Mata Real 5,255
Porto Porto Estádio do Dragão 50,399
Rio Ave Vila do Conde Estádio do Rio Ave FC 12,815
Sporting CP Lisbon Estádio José Alvalade 50,080
Sporting de Braga Braga Estádio Municipal de Braga 30,152
União de Leiria Leiria Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa 30,000
Vitória de Guimarães Guimarães Estádio D. Afonso Henriques 30,165
Vitória de Setúbal Setúbal Estádio do Bonfim 25,000

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues Teams: 2011-12 Super League Greece
Season
Starts: Late August/early September 2011
Ends: May 2012 with the last matches of the European playoff round.
Winter Break: TBD

Website: http://www.superleaguegreece.net/

Teams
Club Location Venue Capacity
AEK Athens Athens Athens Olympic Stadium "Spyridon Louis" 71,030
Aris Thessaloniki Kleanthis Vikelidis Stadium 22,800
Asteras Tripolis Tripoli Asteras Tripolis Stadium 6,430
Atromitos Athens Peristeri Stadium 8,939
Ergotelis Heraklion Pankritio Stadium 26,240
Kavala Kavala Anthi Karagianni Stadium 12,500
Kerkyra Corfu Kerkyra Stadium 2,685
Olympiacos Piraeus Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium 33,334
Olympiakos Volou Volos Panthessaliko Stadium 22,700
Panathinaikos Athens Athens Olympic Stadium "Spyridon Louis" 71,030
Panetolikos Agrinio Panetolikos Stadium 5,500
Panionios Athens Nea Smyrni Stadium 11,700
PAOK Thessaloniki Toumba Stadium 28,701
PAS Giannina Ioannina Zosimades Stadium 7,500
Skoda Xanthi Xanthi Skoda Xanthi Arena 7,361
TBD TBD TBD TBD

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues Teams: 2011-12 Scottish Premier League
Season
Starts: 23 July 2011
Ends: 12/13 May 2012
http://www.scotprem.com/content/default.asp?page=s49

Schedule:
http://www.scotprem.com/content/defa...=home_Fixtures

Teams
Team Stadium Capacity
Aberdeen Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen 22,199
Celtic Celtic Park, Glasgow 60,832
Dundee United Tannadice Park, Dundee 14,209
Dunfermline Athletic East End Park, Dunfermline 12,509
Heart of Midlothian Tynecastle Stadium, Edinburgh 17,420
Hibernian Easter Road, Edinburgh 20,250
Inverness Caledonian Thistle Caledonian Stadium, Inverness 7,500
Kilmarnock Rugby Park, Kilmarnock 18,128
Motherwell Fir Park, Motherwell 13,742
Rangers Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow 51,082
St. Johnstone McDiarmid Park, Perth 10,673
St. Mirren St. Mirren Park, Paisley 8,016

[BroadwayBomber55]

European Domestic Football Leagues Teams: 2011-12 Spanish La Liga
Season
Starts: 21 August 2011
Ends: 13 May 2012
Winter Break: TBD

Schedule: TBD

Teams
Team Home city Stadium Stadium capacity
Athletic Bilbao Bilbao San Mamés 39,750
Atlético Madrid Madrid Vicente Calderón 54,851
Barcelona Barcelona Camp Nou 99,354
Betis Seville Benito Villamarín 55,500
Espanyol Cornellà de Llobregat Estadi Cornellà-El Prat 40,500
Getafe Getafe Coliseum Alfonso Pérez 17,700
Granada Granada Nuevo Los Cármenes 16,200
Levante Valencia Estadi Ciutat de València 25,534
Málaga Málaga La Rosaleda 28,963
Mallorca Palma Iberostar Estadio 23,142
Osasuna Pamplona Estadio Reyno de Navarra 19,800
Racing Santander Santander El Sardinero 22,271
Rayo Vallecano Madrid Teresa Rivero 15,500
Real Madrid Madrid Santiago Bernabéu 80,354
Real Sociedad San Sebastián Estadio Anoeta 32,076
Sevilla Seville Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán 45,500
Sporting de Gijón Gijón El Molinón 29,800
Valencia Valencia Mestalla 55,000
Villarreal Vila-real El Madrigal 25,000
Zaragoza Zaragoza La Romareda 34,596

[BroadwayBomber55]

2011-12 UEFA Champions League

Qualifying Stages

First Qualifying Round

First Leg Fixtures: June 28-29, 2011

From UEFA.com and Sky Sports

The road to Munich for the 2012 UEFA Champions League finals starts this week with First Qualifying Round action.

FC Santa Coloma 19:00 Dudelange

Tre Fiori 20:30 Valletta

[BroadwayBomber55]

Dimitri Payet, David Rozehnal and Vincent Enyeama sign with defending French Ligue 1 champions Lille
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...ienne?cc=5901;
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...igning?cc=5901

[BroadwayBomber55]

MLS bound: PSV Eindhoven's Danny Koevermans and Werder Bremen's Torsten Frings
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/st...ermans?cc=5901

[BroadwayBomber55]

2011-12 UEFA Europa League

Qualifying Round

First Qualifying Stage

First Leg Fixtures: June 30, 2011

From UEFA.com and Sky Sports

The road to Bucharest starts today.

Thursday 30th June
16:00 AZAL vs Minsk
16:00 Banants Yerevan vs Olimpi Rustavi
16:30 FC Banga vs Karabakh Azersun
16:30 Rad Belgrade vs Tre Penne
16:30 Trans Narva vs Rabotnicki Kometal
17:00 FC Daugava vs Tromso
17:00 FC Honka vs Nomme Kalju
17:00 IF Elfsborg vs CS Fola Esch
18:00 Aalesund vs Neath
18:00 Dinamo Tbilisi vs FC Milsami
18:00 FC Spartak Trnava vs Zeta
18:00 Ferencvaros vs Uliss Yerevan
18:00 UE Santa Coloma vs Paks
18:00 Varazdin vs Lusitanos
19:00 IBV Vestmannaeyjar vs St Patricks
19:00 IF Fuglafjordur vs KR Reykjavik
19:00 The New Saints FC vs Cliftonville
19:00 UN 97 Kaerjeng vs BK Hacken
19:30 Birkirkara vs Vllaznia Shkoder
19:30 Fulham vs NSI Runavik
19:30 Jagiellonia Bialystock vs Irtysh
19:30 Renova vs Glentoran
19:45 Koper vs Shakhtyor Karaganda
19:45 Siroki Brijeg vs Olimpija Ljubljana
20:00 Buducnost Podgorica vs Flamurtari

[BroadwayBomber55]

Transfer News, Blogs, Clockwatches: June 30, 2011

ESPN Soccernet
http://blogs.soccernet.com/onthemove...r_leighton.php

Sky Sports
http://www.skysports.com/football/tr...,14896,00.html

Yahoo! Sports UK and Ireland
http://uk.yahoo.eurosport.com/footba...tid=c18db8531c

BBC Sport
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13600908.stm

Fox Sports via Yardbarker
http://www.yardbarker.com/soccer