EIDUR GUDJOHNSEN BIOGRAPHY

7
Gudjohnsen
Eidur GudjohnsenReykyavik (Iceland)15 September 1978185 cm82 kg
-->
Biography
Eidur Smari Gudjohnsen is the first player to play for Barca from Iceland, a country perhaps better known in sporting circles for handball or cross country skiing than football.
Gudjohnsen began to make his mark as a footballer from a young age, perhaps inspired by his father, who was also an Icelandic full international. When he was just 16, Eidur made his debut in the Icelandic league and ended up with 7 goals in 17 games - a return that caught the eye of PSV Eindhoven for whom he played for the following two seasons.
Gudjohnsen returned to his native Iceland to play for KR Reykjavik in the 97-98 season before signing for the Premier League club Bolton Wanderers, where he played for two seasons before joining Chelsea. He left the London club to replace Larson at Barca with a record of 62 goals in 219 games in his 6 years at Stamford Bridge, am experienced player with an impressive cv at the highest level.

ETO'O BIOGRAPHY

9
Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o FilsNkon (Cameroon)10 March 1981180 cm75 kgDebut 18 August 2004
-->

Biography
Samuel Eto'o Fils made an impact on the world of football while still a teenager. He has exceptional physical qualities and made the leap to European football at the tender age of just 16 when Real Madrid signed him up and loaned him out to second division Leganés. At the age of 17 years and 3 months he became the youngest player at the 1998 World Cup in France and was the only player who had been born in the '80's.
After Leganés, he went on loan to RCD Espanyol (1998-1999) but played very little and subsequently retuned to Real Madrid (1999-2000). In the 1999-00 season, he played a few times for RCD Mallorca, eventually spending four seasons there (2000-04), with the Balearic Island club sharing his rights with Real Madrid.
During his time with Mallorca, he became the highest ever league goal scorer in the history of the club, with 54 goals. He signed for Barca in the summer of 2004 for a transfer fee of 24 million euros after a long series of three-way negotiations with RCD Mallorca and Real Madrid, thus becoming the first Cameroonian player to defend the Barca colours. He made his debut for FC Barcelona in the first game of the season at Ràcing Santander, on August 29, 2004.
Since then, he has become a veritable goal machine, scoring 25 times in his first season and making a huge contribution to winning the championship. His goal against Levante clinched the league title. He has needed just 67 matches to reach the landmark figure of 50 goals, outstripping some of the great Barca legends of the past.
Since he joined the Club he has been chosen as African Player of the Year 2004, 2005 and 2006, and picked up third place in the FIFA World Player 2005. He is a full international and one of the outstanding players in the Cameroon team and has a huge popular following in his country.In the 2005-06 season, he was the top scorer in the Spanish League with 26 goals. In the Champions League Final on May 17 in Paris, it was Eto'o who scored Barcelona's equaliser after the Blaugrana had gone a goal down to Arsenal.

EDMILSON BIOGRAPHY

15
Edmílson
Edmílson José Gomes de MoraesTaguaritinga (Brasil)10 July 1976186 cm75 kgDebut 04 August 2004
Biography
José Gomes Edmílson Moraes, known in the world of football as Edmílson, started his footballing career with Brazilian club Sao Paulo, making his debut in 1994. His performances grew in stature until he became a fixture in the centre of the Sao Paolo defence.
In the summer of 2000, Edmílson signed for French club Olympique Lyon where he was an undisputed first choice during four seasons and won three league championship medals. In July 2004 he signed for FC Barcelona.
Luiz Felipe Scolari handed him his international debut with Brazil on 18th July 2000 against Paraguay. Together with Ronaldinho and Belletti he won a World Cup winner's medal in 2002.
Edmílson signed for FC Barcelona in the summer of 2004 and made his league debut in the third game of the season at the Vicente Calderón (Atlético Madrid 1-Barça 1). He was Frank Rijkaard,s first choice defensive midfielder, but was seriously injured on October 3 in a game between Barça and Numancia. The Brazilian tore cruciate ligaments in his right knee and was sidelined for six months. He did not return until the second to last game of the season against Vila-real.
In the 2005-06 season, Edmílson was one of the stars of the Barça side that conquered both the League and Champions League. He played 28 league games and 9 in the Champions League.

DECO BIOGRAPHY

20
Deco
Anderson Luis de SouzaSao Bernardo do Campo (Brasil)27 August 1977177 cm73 kgDebut 18 August 2004
-->
Biography
Anderson Luis de Souza, known in the world of football as 'Deco', began his professional career in Brazil with Nacional Sao Paulo (1995-96 and 1996-97). He spent a brief time with Corinthians (1997) before making the leap to European football.
He signed for Benfica for the 1997-98 season but was sent to their reserve team, Alverca, in the second division. He had a good first season and came to the attention of Porto. He spent the 1998-99 season playing for another small club, SC Salgueiros but then moved definitively to Porto on the recommendation of coach Fernando Castro. He had five successful seasons with Porto from 1999 to 2004.
He attracted the attention of some of Europe's biggest clubs and with José Mourinho at the helm won a Champions League medal in May 2004. In addition he was chosen as best player in the final against Monaco. He arrived in the summer of 2004 and made his debut for FC Barcelona in the first game of the 2004-05 season, away to Ràcing Santander on August 29. Soon won the fans over with his skilful and intelligent football. Rijkaard early on made him one of the pillars of the new Barca he was building and he figured in 35 of the league winning season's 38 games, contributing goals, determination and a winning mentality.
He took Portuguese nationality and made his international debut with his adopted country on 29th March 2003, curiously enough against his country of birth, Brazil. He scored the only goal of the match and gave Portugal their first win over Brazil for 37 years. In the summer of 2004, he took part in the European Championship with Portugal, losing in the final to Greece (1-0).In the 2005-06 season, Deco was one of the stars of the double winning squad. The Portuguese midfielder played 29 league games and 11 in the Champions League, scoring 5 goals.

RONALDINHO BIOGRAPHY

10
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo de Assis MoreiraPorto Alegre (BraZil)21 March 1980181 cm80 kg42 internationalDebut 27 July 2003
-->

Biography
Ronaldinho signed for Barca in the 2003-04 season following in the footsteps of a number of illustrious fellow countrymen who had enjoyed successful careers with the club: Evaristo, Ronaldo, Romario and Rivaldo.
Ronaldinho began his footballing career with Gremio de Porto Alegre, where his burgeoning talent soon brought him to the attention of the international football world. During the four seasons he spent there, from 1997 to 2001, Ronaldinho also started to claim a place in the Brazilian international side. He won the Copa America in 1999 scoring six goals, including a memorable effort against Venezuela.
In 2001, Ronaldinho decided to try his luck in European football and signed for French league outfit PSG though his debut was delayed due to a financial dispute between the two clubs. Although his time with PSG was not as successful as he would have hoped, Ronaldinho continue to prosper with the international team, winning a World Cup winners' medal at the 2002 Japan-Korea championships.
Right from his very first match in a Barca shirt, the fans were seduced by Ronaldinho's spectacular brand of footballing magic. His ability to change the course of a match with a brilliant solo effort made him the reference point of the Barca attack and one of the truly great footballing icons of the opening decade of the new millennium.
In his first season, the team strung together a sensation run of seventeen consecutive matches without defeat and finished in second place in La Liga, thereby achieving direct qualification for the Champions League. This impetus carried on to the 2004-05 season and Ronaldinho and the rest of the Barca squad soon established a lead at the top of the table that would take them to the league title. In addition, the Brazilian's tremendous talent has received public recognition with individual awards such as the FIFA World Player 2004 and 2005 and the Ballon d'Or 2005.
Since then, Ronaldinho has become the leader of the mighty Brazil side, with which he won a Confederations Cup winners' medal in Germany 2005.

LIONEL MESSI BIOGRAPHY

30
Messi
Lionel Messi(Santa Fe - Argentina)24 June 1987169 cm67 kgDebut 17 November 2003
-->

Biography
This Argentinian striker's footballing career started in 1995 at Newell's Old Boys, where he played until the year 2000. At the age of 13, Lionel Messi crossed the Atlantic to try his luck in Barcelona, and joined the Under 14s. Messi made spectacular progress at each of the different age levels, climbing through the ranks of the different youth teams and then Barça C, followed by Barça B and the first team in record time.
In the 2003-2004 season, when he was still only 16, Messi made his first team debut in a friendly with Porto that marked the opening of the new Dragao stadium. The following championship-winning season, Messi made his first appearance in an official match on October 16, 2004, in Barcelona's derby win against Espanyol at the Olympic Stadium (0-1).
With several first team players seriously injured, the services of several reserve team players were called upon, and Messi became a regular feature of Barça squads. On May 1, 2005, he became the youngest player ever to score a league goal for FC Barcelona - against Albacete when Messi was only 17 years, 10 months and 7 days old.
At the Under 20 World Cup in Holland, Messi not only won the title with Argentina, but was also the leading goalscorer and was voted best player in the tournament. Aged 18 years, he had become one of the hottest properties in the world game. Shortly after, he made his first full international appearance in a friendly against Hungary.His breakthrough as a player came in the 2005-06 season, starting with an amazing performance in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Juventus. He was also outstanding at the Santiago Bernabéu, in Barcelona's unforgettable 3-0 win, and also at Stamford Bridge, in the Champions League match against Chelsea. Injury kept him sidelined for much of the latter stage of the season. Messi played a total of 17 league games, 6 in the Champions League and 2 in the Copa del Rey. Messi scored eight goals.

AC MILAN HISTORY

Club History
AC Milan Soccer Club has been growing since it's founder Andrew Pagnotta established the club on August 15, 1999. The club originally started as Diavoli - Steelers. Andrew Pagnotta had taken over Waiward Steelers Soccer Club (Division 7/8 Mens) as they did not want to play in the EDSA league no longer. Under EDSA bylaws, the club was to carry the Diavoli-Steelers name for one year. After carrying the name for the year, the club decided to change it's name to AC Milan Diavoli Soccer Club. The club used this name as it was the founder's favorite team in the Italian Serie A Soccer League. The team jerseys were very similar to the actual AC Milan team in Italy, only with a logo that staff decided on. The logo to the left is what started off the club's soccer campaign.
After one year, the club decided to move into a competitive direction. A special thanks goes out to Spruce Grove Saints Soccer club and Al Rashid Soccer Club for their affiliation help over the years. The club spent 5 years getting its main team into Division 1 and all players involved should be proud to say, "WE WORKED TO GET WHERE WE ARE". AC Milan Diavoli Soccer Club changed its club name in the 2002/2003 Indoor Season to Serie A Soccer Club. This was done to develop a competitive status within the league. The club decided to go with three mens teams in that season (Serie A - AC Milan, Serie A - Inter Milan and Serie A - Lazio). All teams had great success as we tried to create a club using Italian Serie A Soccer League Club Names. In the 2003 Outdoor Season the club decided to go with two men's teams (Serie A - AC Milan and Serie A - Lazio) as the coaching staff thought it was a better way to develop its players. Congratulations to Serie A - AC Milan as they were promoted to Division 1 for the 2004 Outdoor Season. In the 2003/2004 Indoor Season the club again decided to go with two men's teams (Serie A - AC Milan and Serie A - Inter Milan). Congratuations to Serie A - AC Milan as they were promoted to Division 1 for the 2004/2005 Indoor Season. The logos to the left were all the logos used for the club over the years.
AC Milan Soccer Club also fielded its first womens team (Serie A - AC Milan) in the 2003/2004 Indoor Season. The team was coached by long time keeper Stefano Pagnotta. The women were mainly first time players and had a great learning experience. Their record was 0-18, but many people within the league had informed the club that the ladies made great improvements in their game. Stefano has decided to coach the women and develop the womens program. Th women are enjoying much more success these days due to his dedication. He has even given up playing to have the program succeed. Viva soccer! It's great to see more people involved in this great game. As you now know, the womens program is just starting to grow and will always accept players that want to have great fun in soccer. For further information please email the Women's Director on the Staff Directory link. Check out the first women's team picture.
AC Milan Soccer Club will have two mens teams in Division 1 for the 2005/2006 EDSA Indoor Season They are looking at fielding another mens team for the upcoming Indoor Season as well. AC Milan soccer club has 3 mens teams in Division 1, 2 and 3 for the EDSA Outdoor Season presently. The club has decided to use the AC Milan name for all teams as it has developed a strong reputation within the league. The mens team coaches include: Andrew Pagnotta ("C" License Coach) Jason Philip ("B" License Coach), Bradley Reddy ("B" License Coach) and Cam Leverman (Grant MacEwan Coach). All coaches recruit their players from the local high school soccer programs, youth soccer programs and general adult scouting. Many of these players were very greatful that they were given the opportunity to play at a high level and have gladly expressed their gratitude by playing for the club for many years. On top of our great program there is also tournament involvement. We have been involved in at least one outdoor tournament every season. Here are some of the placements at tournaments the club attended.

EURO CUP HISTORY

Euro Cup
The first ever Euro competition took place in 1960 under the name of European Nations' Cup and included four teams that won a qualifying phase held over 2 years.The tournament took the name of UEFA European Championship in 1968, also the year when the actual qualifying format was adopted. Uefa European Championship also named the Euro is held every 4 years, two years from the World cup.From an obscure football tournament, the euro became a very important competition, the most important national team tournament in Europe.The Euro has a very challenging qualifying round that stretches over two years and in witch 50 national teams are divided in seven groups (2008 two host countries Austria and Switzerland are directly qualified), six of them consisting of seven countries and one of eight. The end of the qualifying round see the winners of the groups go straight to the tournament and the runner's up have to participate in a knock out.The Euro 2008 will take place in Austria and Switzerland and will start on 7 June 2008 and will last until the final on 29 June. The two winning countries faced stiff competition for hosting the event but they managed to go past Greece-Turkey, Scotland-Ireland, Russia, Hungary and Croatia-Bosnia-Herzegovina.Ten countries have clinched Europe's most voluble football trophies: Soviet Union 1960, Spain 1964, Italy 1968, Germany 1972&1980&1996 , Czechoslovakia 1976, France 1984&2000, Netherlands 1988, Denmark 1992 and Greece 2004. The competition being held in the following countries: France 1960 & 1984, Spain 1964, Italy 1968 & 1980, Belgium 1972, Yugoslavia 1976, Germany 1988, Sweden 1992, England 1996, Belgium and the Netherlands 2000, Portugal 2004.

UEFA CUP HISTORY

Uefa Cup
The Uefa Cup football competition is the second most important club tournament in European football after the Champions League. This tournament was established in 1971 when it replaced the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and took the name of Uefa Cup.Teams are participating in the Uefa Cup thanks to their position in league standings and progress in national cups. It has been regarded as a competition weaker team than the Champions League but every ear it proves otherwise with the quality of football and players.This football competition is a chance for the underdogs to prove their value and show the world that there are good teams outside the Champions League.In the 2004-2005 season group stages where introduced to the Uefa Cup, there are 8 groups consisting of 5 teams, to get there teams must go trough qualifying round and no team is directly qualifying to the groups.Each of the five teams in the group must play four matches, two on home pitch and two outside, there are no return legs.Teams that finish top tree in the Uefa Cup group go forward to the knock out stage, first place teams play teams that finish third in other groups, second place teams play teams that come from the Champions League and of course third place teams play first placed teams in the Uefa Cup groups.The teams that have won the Uefa Cup in descending order starting with 2005-2006 winner Fc Sevilla,2005 CSKA Moscow, 2004 Valencia, 2003 FC Porto, 2002 Feyenoord, 2001 Liverpool, 2000 Galatasaray, 1999 Parma, 1998 Inter Milan, 1997 Schalke 04, 1996 Bayern Munchen, 1995 Parma 1994 Inter Milan 1993 Juventus 1992 Ajax 1991 Inter Milan 1990 Juventus, 1989 Napoli, 1988 Bayer Leverkusen, 1987 IFK Goteburg, 1986 Real Madrid, 1985 Real Madrid, 1984 Tottenham Hotspur, 1983 Anderlecht, 1982 IFK Goteburg, 1981 Ipswich Town, 1980 Eintract Frankfurt, 1979 Borussia Monchengladbach, 1978 PSV Eindhoven, 1977 Juventus, 1976 Liverpool, 1975 Borussia Monchengladbach, 1974, Feyenoord, 1973 Liverpool, 1972 Tottenham Hotspur, 1971 Leeds United.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HISTORY

Champions League
The Uefa Champions League is the world's most prestigious club football competition. This competition is held annually since 1955 when it was founded at the proposal of the French sports journalist Gabriel Hanot. At it's beginning is was named the European Cup and included the winners of national championships in Europe.Since the 1992-1993 season the competition changed it's name and format becoming the Champions League. This new competition included not only the national champions of European leagues but top teams that proved their strength in valuable national leagues.The Champions League consists on three preliminary knockout qualifying rounds before the group stage. Teams enter the competition in different qualifying rounds or directly to the Champions League groups.The Champions League groups are composed of 4 teams that play 6 matches, 3 outside and 3 on their own pitch. The first 2 teams that finish the group stage go forward in the competition's knock out stage where they will face teams from the other groups. The team that finishes third is qualified for the Uefa Cup knock out stage.The final of the Champions League is held in May on a stadium prior chosen and catches the attention of millions of football fans.The teams that have won the Champions League in their history are: Real Madrid, A.C. Milan, Liverpool F.C., AFC Ajax, FC Bayern München, SL Benfica, Internazionale, Manchester United, FC Juventus, FC FC Porto, FC Barcelona, Celtic FC, Feyenoord, Aston Villa, FC Hamburger SV, Steaua Bucharest, PSV Eindhoven, FK Red Star, Olympique de Marseille, BV Borussia Dortmund, FC Nottingham Forest.Only 10 nations have teams that won the Uefa Champions League, here they are in order of the number of trophies they have won: Spain (11),Italy (10), England (10), Germany (6),Netherlands (6), Portugal (4), France (1), Romania (1), Scotland (1), Yugoslavia (1).

THE BEST PLAYERS PHOTO

GERRARD,LAMPARD(ADIDAS)

LIVERPOOL INFORMATION

PREMIER LEAGUE PERFORMANCE
With a record 18 league titles and five European Cup triumphs under their belt, Liverpool are always a contender for football's honours. The Reds kicked off their pursuit of the FA Premier League championship in 1992, just weeks after celebrating an FA Cup final victory over Sunderland under Graeme Souness' leadership. Souness was unable to muster a sustained title challenge and long-time Anfield man Roy Evans ushered in a new wave of young talent after taking charge in 1994. Robbie Fowler took over the goalscoring duties from folk hero Ian Rush, and in turn Michael Owen became the attacking focal point for both club and country. With some rich talent at his disposal, Evans revived the Reds who registered four top-four finishes in the FA Premier League. Frenchman Gerard Houllier took charge in July 1998 - initially alongside Evans - and added steel, epitomised by England star Steven Gerrard, to the undoubted style of the Liverpool team. An amazing 2001 saw Houllier's team lift five trophies, including the FA and UEFA Cups, and 2002 proved fruitful as well as they finished the season in second spot - the Reds' best finish in the FA Premier League. The signings of Australia's Harry Kewell and Irish star Steve Finnan further boosted one of the strongest squads in the top division. They achieved a fourth-placed finish in 2003-2004, but Houllier departed soon afterwards, with former Valencia coach Rafael Benitez taking charge. And the Spaniard secured silverware in his very first season as Liverpool lifted the 2004/05 Champions League following a thrilling victory over AC Milan. The 2005/2006 campaign saw the Reds deliver a much-improved Barclays Premiership performance - finishing third - as well as adding a seventh FA Cup courtesy of a penalty shoot-out victory over West Ham United.
CLUB
Formed in 1892 following a dispute over rent between Everton FC and their landlord at Anfield - John Houlding - who founded Liverpool as Everton departed for Goodison Park. The Reds soon established themselves as one of the country's top teams with five league titles between 1900 and 1947, before slipping into Division Two in 1954. But the reigns of Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley from 1959 to 1983 saw power shift significantly towards Anfield. After gaining promotion to the top flight in 1961, the club earned honour after honour, including four European Cup triumphs. Their 18 First Division title victories is a proud record on Merseyside. However, the club and the city reeled from two disasters - Heysel in 1985 and Hillsborough in 1989. The 1990s was something of a transitional period for the club, with one FA Cup and one League Cup added to the trophy cabinet. But the arrival of a new regime, led by French coach Gerard Houllier, reprised the glory days. In one calendar year, 2001, Houllier's side collected a staggering five trophies, although the much-coveted Premiership title remains elusive so far. After Houllier's depature in May 2004, Rafael Benitez was the man appointed to seek the top prize. And Benitez immediately secured his place in the Anfield history books with victory in the 2004/05 Champions League - the Anfield outfit's fifth triumph on Europe's biggest stage.
CLUB HONOURS
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS1900-01, 1905-06, 1921-22, 1922-23, 1946-47, 1963-64, 1965-66, 1972-73, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1985-86, 1987-88, 1989-90
CHARITY/COMMUNITY SHIELD WINNERS1964, 1965, 1966, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2001, 2006
F.A. CUP WINNERS1965, 1974, 1986, 1989, 1992, 2001, 2006
LEAGUE CUP WINNERS1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003 .

ARSENAL INFORMATION

PREMIER LEAGUE PERFORMANCE
Arsenal are recognised as one of the giants of English football and a consistent challenger for top honours. Arsenal, under the leadership of enigmatic Frenchman Arsene Wenger, shook off their 'boring' image and began to serve up some of the most attractive football in the league. Thanks in the early days to the immense influence of Tony Adams and the astute signings of players such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira - now departed for Juventus - and Freddie Ljungberg, Arsenal climbed back to the top of the pile. Their rise culminated in a second Premier League and FA Cup double in 2002, to add to their 1998 achievement. Three runners-up finishes in the intervening years displays how the north London giants have lived up to their high standards over the last decade. The famous old Arsenal defence has a new look these days, but the replacements, and the recruits to midfield and attack - including talented young Spaniard Jose Reyes - have done enough to assure fans that they can live up to the achievements of their predecessors. The Gunners added a third Premiership crown of Wenger's reign as their astonishing and unprecedented unbeaten run throughout the entire 2003/04 league season saw them lift the title. The 2006/07 season saw the Gunners move away from Highbury - their home for the previous 93 years - to the plush new Emirates Stadium.
CLUB
London's most successful Premier League club was formed by workers at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich and was initially known as Dial Square before adopting the name Royal Arsenal in 1886. Renamed Woolwich Arsenal in 1891, they moved to Highbury in 1913 and dropped the prefix. They had to wait until the 1930s for their first period of sustained success when five Division One championships were won under Herbert Chapman and George Allison. Another pair of league trophies were lifted soon after the Second World War before further success arrived with the league and FA Cup Double in 1971. More near misses came before George Graham, a hero of 1971, was named manager in 1986 and the glory days returned. Two league titles, two League Cups, the FA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup were garnered during his nine-year reign. Frenchman Arsene Wenger was named Gunners boss in 1996 and the roll of honour continued. A first Premier League title made up half of the club's second Double in 1998. Their second Premier League title in 2002 - when they ended the season on a 28-game domestic unbeaten run - was also coupled with victory in the FA Cup final. Wenger guided the Gunners to the Champions League final in 2006. Their hopes were dented by the early dismissal of goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, but Sol Campbell's header gave the north London side a half-time advantage. However, Barcelona hit back with two late goals to clinch the title in Paris.
CLUB HONOURS
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS1930-31, 1932-33, 1933-34, 1934-35, 1937-38, 1947-48, 1952-53, 1970-71, 1988-89, 1990-91, 1997-98, 2001-02, 2003-04
CHARITY/COMMUNITY SHIELD WINNERS1930, 1931, 1933, 1934, 1938, 1948, 1953, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004
F.A. CUP WINNERS1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005
LEAGUE CUP WINNERS1987, 1993

CHELSEA INFORMATION

PREMIER LEAGUE PERFORMANCE
Chelsea have become one of the FA Premier League's success stories. The London club have flourished since the competition's inception in 1992 and former chairman Ken Bates oversaw a radical redevelopment of their plush Stamford Bridge base. Mid-table mediocrity was the order of the day before Ruud Gullit's appointment as Chelsea boss in 1996 ushered in a new era. The flamboyant Dutchman helped attract a number of world-class players to Stamford Bridge with Roberto Di Matteo and Gianfranco Zola soon becoming heroes in the royal blue jersey. Chelsea's attractive brand of football earned them sixth place in the Premiership in 1997 and FA Cup glory confirmed their improvement. When Gullit departed in 1998, Gianluca Vialli achieved a fourth-place finish and European Cup Winners' Cup and League Cup wins. The big names continued to arrive, including World Cup winners Marcel Desailly and Didier Deschamps. A third FA Cup triumph was secured in 2000 before Vialli made way for Claudio Ranieri, who soon moulded a competitive side, securing four more top-six placings until his departure in May 2004. A fresh chapter in the club's history was opened with the arrival of new owner Roman Abramovich in summer 2003 as he financed the arrivals of several big-name signings, including Damien Duff, Didier Drogba, Arjen Robben and Joe Cole. Champions League-winning coach Jose Mourinho was added to the Chelsea staff in June 2004 and collected his first piece of silverware in February 2005 with victory over Liverpool in the Carling Cup final. And the club's first Premiership title was clinched on April 30, 2005, with three games of the season remaining, to cap an astonishing debut campaign for Mourinho. The following season, Chelsea became only the second club to retain the Premiership crown when they beat nearest rivals Manchester United on April 29, almost a year to the day after their first triumph. In May 2006, Mourinho bolstered an already formidable squad with the club-record signing of AC Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko.
CLUB
Chelsea have developed a reputation as one the game's glamour clubs and Stamford Bridge has become home to some of football's biggest names over the years. The Blues, founded in 1905, were committed to playing attractive football that matched the stylish surrounds of their West London setting, but silverware initially proved elusive. A First Division championship in 1955 stood alone in the trophy cabinet until a golden period in the 1960s and 1970s. The League Cup, FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup were hoisted in a six-year spell before the dawning of the FA Premier League coincided with another successful era. A losing FA Cup final appearance in 1994 was followed by victory three years later and 1998 alone saw three more trophies - the League Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup and European Super Cup. The FA Cup was won again in 2000 and was followed in 2005 with the Barclays Premiership title, meaning the Blues are now associated with both style and success.
CLUB HONOURS
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS1954-55, 2004-05, 2005-06
CHARITY/COMMUNITY SHIELD WINNERS1955, 2000, 2005
F.A. CUP WINNERS1970, 1997, 2000
LEAGUE CUP WINNERS1965, 1998, 2005

MANCHESTER UNITED INFORMATION

PREMIER LEAGUE PERFORMANCE
Manchester United have dominated the FA Premier League since the inception of the competition in 1992. Sir Alex Ferguson has helped the club set new standards on the field with eight championship victories. The Reds ended a 26-year title wait by lifting the FA Premier League trophy in 1993 with Eric Cantona making a telling contribution following his move from Leeds. The mercurial Frenchman went on to forge legendary status at United and many supporters believe he is the greatest player to pull on the shirt - four championships and two FA Cup wins were celebrated during his five-year spell in Manchester. Home-grown talent such as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have since developed into world-renowned players, and latterly imported stars such as Louis Saha and Ruud van Nistelrooy have added the overseas expertise. Old Trafford has grown into one of the most impressive stadiums in the world with a capacity of over 68,000 and the 'sold out' signs go up for most home matches. Ferguson's decision to postpone his planned retirement and stay on as manager delighted the red army, who also celebrated the record signing of Rio Ferdinand in summer 2002. And there were further celebrations at Old Trafford as United lifted The FA Cup for the 11th time in 2004 with a 3-0 win over Millwall. Wayne Rooney arrived at Old Trafford in August 2004 to complete a formidable-looking front line and the England striker won his first trophy at the club in February 2006, scoring twice in the 4-0 Carling Cup final win over Wigan Athletic at the Millennium Stadium.
CLUB
Formed as Newton Heath in 1878, the 'Red Devils' became Manchester United in 1902 and were crowned Division One champions just six years later. The FA Cup was also on display at their Bank Street home before a move to Old Trafford was secured in 1910, with another league title sewn up under the leadership of Ernest Mangnall. The inter-war years were barren for the Reds, but Sir Matt Busby became manager in 1945 and his 'Busby Babes' won three league titles in the 1950s. However, tragedy struck on the return from a European tie in 1958 when an air crash in Munich claimed the lives of eight United players and robbed the world of one of the most exciting teams of its era. Busby survived and led United to league glory in 1965 and 1967 before a famous and emotional European Cup triumph in 1968. Frequent success in cup competitions, including lifting the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1991, translated into league success in 1993 - the inaugural season of the FA Premier League (1992-93). The red machine went on to dominate English football under Sir Alex Ferguson's leadership. An unprecedented double of FA Premier League and FA Cup Doubles were captured in 1994 and 1996, before 1999's thrilling FA Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League Treble triumph.
CLUB HONOURS
LEAGUE CHAMPIONS1907-08, 1910-11, 1951-52, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1964-65, 1966-67, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2002-03
CHARITY/COMMUNITY SHIELD WINNERS1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003
F.A. CUP WINNERS1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
LEAGUE CUP WINNERS1992, 2006

MANCHESTER UNITED'HEROES

LIVERPOOL'HEROES