the Champions League

If it had gone in, I think it would have been the best goal in the Champions League, but I still haven't managed to score one like that yet.

Our objectives are the Coppa Italia and at least the fourth place in the league to qualify for the Champions League.

"Domestic titles are very important but to win the Champions League you are saying we are the best team in Europe, " he said.

He has won the Champions League and the FA Cup, got to another Champions League final and just missed out on the title.

Dortmund was a very hard game and a point away from home in the Champions League is always a very good result.

The club have appreciated that we have fought right to the end of the championship and got to the Champions League final.

You all know how much we want to qualify for the Champions League without the preliminary round.

I made a bid on the day Sevilla played in the Champions League, so he did not play as he was waiting for the transfer.

If I could set a target for this season, it would without doubt be the Champions League Final, especially as it is to be played in Rome.

He was all set to join after Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005 but he took up Anfield's offer of a one-year contract extension.

I was unlucky and did not play much; but the previous season we won the Champions League, and I made a great contribution to Milan.

The Champions League, FA Cup, league - it's not easy to keep this level if you do not have the money that maybe other teams have.

The German to Tuttosport: "I say yes to Italy. " The Werder Bremen striker has no problems with missing out on the Champions League.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti made a number of changes to the side that lined-up in the Champions League final on Wednesday.

"Since they went out of the Champions League, the Rossoneri have been giving everything and seem to be fighting back, " Nedved stressed.

My one big frustration at Feyenoord was that I never got a chance in the Champions' League.

Nani was unfortunate not to be picked for the Champions League final, but he is still young and he is maturing all the time.

Maybe it's lost a bit of charm, with the Champions League becoming more important, but it's still a massive cup.

However, the fact isn't lost on Andriy that Liverpool stand between us and a place in the Champions League final in Rome.

Are you pleased to have avoided Liverpool in the Champions League draw and how much are you looking forward to facing Roma again?

I consider Milan the best team in Europe and the Champions League has always been our primary target, just as it will be this year.

Even if we do not reach the Champions League, that does not matter. I knew this was the situation and am ready to accept this sacrifice.

For me the only one in contention with him was Samuel Eto'o, who won the Champions League and the Spanish Championship.

MILAN - Juventus are concentrated on the Champions League and do not, for the moment, want to think about Milan.

But if you are competing in the Champions League then you know you are going to be up against some top quality strikers just to get a game.

If Arsenal progress in the Champions League, the Dutchman would also be in contention to play around the time of the semi-finals.

"It's going to be a big plus having Essien fit and ready to go, " Mikel said. "Hopefully, the Champions League can be the next target. "

A draw is a draw and especially in the last 16 of the Champions League you know a good team is coming your way.

It turned out to be a brilliant save. A point would have taken United through to the Champions League knockout stage.

All the players that did not participate in the Champions League encounter against Dynamo Kyiv trained as normal and played in the match.

They have experience and quality, great fitness condition and intensity in their game, and the Champions League is all about that.

We must keep this attitude for the next match, so that the Champions League starts like this as well.

"My dream would be to see Juve winning the Champions League and St Etienne the UEFA Cup, " concluded the Frenchman.

Despite its appeal, that sort of instability prevents teams from consolidating in the Champions League.

We're very good friends nowadays, and it was really hard for me to see how sad he was after the Champions League final [this year].

The Champions League has been good for me as a player and I wasn't at all fazed to have played in the final.

The curly-haired legend went on to say that he believes Juventus should put more emphasis on Serie A, not the Champions League.

It was certainly unexpected, but that's the Champions League for you, especially away from home where there can be nasty surprises.

Even though today we did not win anything, we have reached the direct qualification to the Champions League.

Deschamps, 37, signed a two-year deal with Juventus despite knowing their likely fate. He took Monaco to the Champions League Final in 2004.

Eriksson's assistant Tord Grip will explain afterwards: "He took one really well for Liverpool in the Champions League final. "

I expect to be back in shape for February and my ambition this season is to win the Champions League.

I would like to close my career with a victory in the Champions League. I believe that the next three months will be hellish.

Harry Kewell believes he could be back in a Liverpool shirt in time for the Champions League double-header with Barcelona.

I could feel from the first day I arrived here that the main thing was the Premier League, not the Champions League.

We have not had too much luck in the Champions League over the years so hopefully we are due a bit as well.

McCarthy said he would contact Ferguson but only to wish him good luck in the Champions League.

I had a difficult half-time in the way I had to speak with the players because at half-time we were out of the Champions League.

This now appears almost certain to happen, as the player wants to have one last crack at the Champions League before he retires.

When the Champions League list was made up we talked with all our international players, along with Leonardo, to see if everything was OK.

Just look at Liverpool, who haven't made an impact in the Premier League for years and yet are always doing well in the Champions League.

Liverpool are as much of a mystery as a menace to all rivals in the Champions League.

Carlo Ancelotti was extremely satisfied for the performance of his squad in the last weeks and also spoke about the Champions League race.

Talks have taken place between the two clubs since Bayern crashed out of the Champions League to AC Milan last Wednesday.

"I would give up a year of life in order to lift the Champions League trophy, " Gigli told Juventus Channel.

MARCEL DESAILLY says winning the Champions League will allow Jose Mourinho to quit with his head held high.

"If you come to United, you want to win titles and play in the Champions League beyond the group stages, " he said.

The next game for Suwon is in the Champions League, with a tricky trip to China and Henan Constrauction on Wednesday night.

After the Champions League final in Rome, Ferguson tried to sign me but I told him I was moving on.

In this way we would be able to overtake Italy in the UEFA club rankings and have an extra place in the Champions League in the future.

And he's prepared to jump in straight away, looking ahead to the Champions League and Serie A.

At Thursday's AGM at Emirates Stadium, Wenger said he was "convinced that we have a chance to qualify [for the Champions League] again" .

We're in a very bad position and can't win the Champions League now so we will just have to do our best in the next game.

We are giving our all at the moment, although undoubtedly lately we have struggled, we are paying for the Champions League preliminaries.

Teammate Sebastiano Siviglia also hopes to be available for the Champions League fixture, as he is recovering from a knee injury.

It has excellent offensive qualities, we saw them during the qualification for the Champions League and the start of the Portuguese league.

After the ongoing traumas of the Champions League, this was a match in which Rafael Benitez needed to convince.

Whether or not the Champions League is a realistic option, given that the Semi-Final draw puts Chelsea againstBarcelona, who knows?

We now look ahead to two away games in a week, at Genk in the Champions League and at Blackburn in the Premier League next weekend.

He gave me the best trophy I could win as a club footballer, the Champions League, so he's a manager I'll never say anything bad about.

From the moment I came to Milan, I've played four matches in the Champions League at San Siro, which Milan were able to win.

I feel good because our target was to be in the semi-final of the Champions League, and we did it.

Gerrard backing Gunners STEVEN GERRARD, the last man to lift the Champions League trophy, is willing Arsenal to repeat Liverpool's heroics.

The Brazilian injured himself in the Champions League clash with AEK Athens on Tuesday.

"Porto had more experience than any other team in the top level of the Champions League, " added the manager.

We wanted to go into the Champions League winning, but it's okay like this too.

It is a big disappointment to be out of the Champions League, but we have to win a trophy. A big team like Liverpool must accept that.

His last trip came in March 2002 in the second group stage of the Champions League, when Liverpool again held out for a draw.

We are totally calm right now because we have achieved our first objective of the season and that was to get back into the Champions League.

Tonight we saw an unusual defence with Flamini, he had already tried to play as left back in the Champions League with Arsenal.

The team did not start well but we almost turned it around to reach Europe. We must return to the Champions League next season.

He said: "We want the title back and we want to go one better this season. We want the Champions League title too. "

Since Alonso quit Anfield for Real Madrid, Liverpool have crashed out of the Champions League and are struggling in the Premier League.

Thank you all and I hope to see you in the Champions League final next season.

But in this, of all years, there are other, far greater consolations to be sought for the pain of going out of the Champions League.

He have had an excellent season and we hope that next season is even better with the Champions League, something we missed this year.

Milan must play in the Champions League, even though so far we have lost so many points at home and the league position is not optimal.

I feel so happy to win the Champions League, it is one of the best days in my life.

It is crucial we do not go into the Champions League group stage on the back of a loss.

It could be a year where we have a pause but I am counting on us doing well in the Champions League.

You can qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League, the Premier League can maybe start taking its pattern by the end of December.

Asked directly on the eve of the Champions League quarter-final about the player and the links, Jose Mourinho ruled out a move here.

Our aim is to get better. Our aim is still to try and get to the Champions League, maybe that's where I need to have my focus.

Lazio are lining up a bid for Portuguese striker Nuno Gomes as they look to strengthen their squad for the Champions League.

Some of the Champions League teams who could drop into the Europa League include Bayern Munich, Marseille, Stuttgart and Atletico Madrid.

The players took their foot off the gas after the second goal went in as they were thinking ahead to the Champions League game.

I don't know if winning the Champions League is an obsession for Chelsea, but I'll say it definitely is for me.

We are in the Champions League as well now, so fighting on two fronts means we'll need all the players to give their contribution.

However, if I had the choice of winning the Champions League or the Golden Boot, I'd pick the Champions League every time.

Then again, even if the title is secured, Gudjohnsen insisted Chelsea would not rest on their laurels in the Champions League.

What better way to bounce back from a late defeat at Chelsea than by booking a place in the Champions League final?

I knew I wasn't going to be playing in the Champions League final [at Wembley, against Barcelona].

After the Debrecen game we were very down because we were knocked out of the Champions League.

Now we shouldn't talk like this, just because we are out of the Champions League.

Promising young Lille star Johan Audel won't be available for the Champions League group phase due to a shoulder injury.

Chelsea were the nearly team of European football last season. They came so close to the Champions League and Premier League.

People say we are in the bottom three. I look at it and say we are five points from the Champions League.

The captain also has Bayern in his sights and he will be working with the Champions League on his mind.

Gilardino is in an excellent moment, the two goals in the Champions League have given him more confident.

Our main goal is to qualify for the Champions League. If we don't it would be a major disappointment.

Like I said before the results are what count and Milan are in the Champions League final.

Maybe next year, with me, they're going to win the league. Maybe with me, we even win the Champions League next season.

The Champions League is the dream of every club.

He has done it for United, most memorably on his debut when he scored a hat-trick versus Fenerbahce in the Champions League.

In fact, I wish to point out that Almiron has received several offers from clubs that will be in the Champions League next season.

I remind you that we are the last Italian team to have won the Champions League.

Did you get better after you were hit by a firecracker during the Champions League derby against Inter?

We want to have the Champions League under the umbrella of Uefa, but we also want Uefa to hear our demands.

The Champions League clash between Barcelona and Bayern Munich was a showcase for some of the world's finest talent.

I have played 60 games in the Champions League and I bring all that experience to Lazio.

Rio Ferdinand faces a critical 24 hours in his race to be for the Champions League final against Barcelona next Wednesday.

Arteta got another taste of the Champions League in Dortmund a fortnight ago and cannot wait for his first European night in north London.

We already had a big setback with the elimination from the Champions League and then we won the next league game against Athletic Bilbao.

With the Champions League Quarter final a few days away, it is vital that our best players are 100% healthy.

However, one game we didn't win, through no fault of our own, was the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona.

Liverpool now finish the season without a trophy and having to qualify for next season's Group stage of the Champions League.

They wished me good luck. I understood - I would be the same when you lose in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

With Real Madrid out of the Champions League, United have an excellent chance of reaching their third successive final.

He has won five Serie A titles playing as a striker for his team, and won the Champions League in 1996 as well.

Firstly, what an amazing effort by the players to put {0} through to the Champions League Final, just brilliant.

The ambition to win the Champions League is certainly here but we know it will not be so easy.

A move concerning Cassano and Ricardo Oliveira would be impossible because both have played in the Champions League.

Bolo Zenden is facing a race against time to be fit for the Champions League final after picking up an ankle injury in training this week.

Our objective is the Champions League and move up the league table, the whole team is working hard for this.

The Frenchman takes his Arsenal side to Spain on Monday ahead of the Champions League Quarter-Final second leg against the holders.

The Champions League licence is central to the game and the menus give you all the encouragement you need to get started on your campaign.

Barcelona fullback Adriano is set to miss the Champions League clash against Milan with a hamstring problem.

He began March on the substitutes bench but came on during the 2-1 win against Reading and the Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven.

Then, the attention will switch to the European front, where the Rossoneri will face Bayern Monaco in the Champions League eighth-finals.

If you could win only one competition this season would you prefer to win the league, the FA Cup or the Champions League?

They have the Champions League next season and thus like the old times, they would need to reinforce accordingly.

That Liverpool went on to win the Champions League that season is rapidly becoming a legend shrouded in the mists of time.

Roberto Mancini insists his Manchester City team are now equipped to deal with qualification for the Champions League.

Milan are out of the Champions League, but Adriano Galliani insists it is a good opportunity to focus on the Scudetto next season.

We have gone out in the Champions League and only just in special circumstances.

Steve Finnan claims he and his teammates hold no fear ahead of this afternoon' s draw for the Champions League group stages.

So - is Ribery out of Arsenal's and Manchester United's reach now that Marseille are in the Champions League?

I don't want to say that we are in the Champions League, but I am looking at Roma and Inter instead of Milan and Fiorentina.

Apart from the Champions League Final, nothing can match Real Madrid vs Barcelona for a one-off TV audience worldwide.

And he even made a bold promise should the team lift the Champions League crown and complete the double this season.

He was a key performer in United's Premier League title victory and run to the Champions League final last season.

The young Brazilian talent speaks about Milan's moment, from the knock-out of the Champions League to the chance to win the title.

We've faced them several times and I can't forget the two times they've beaten us in the Champions League.

Pacheco made his first-team debut earlier this month as a substitute in the Champions League encounter with Fiorentina at Anfield.

I don't think he'll leave if Liverpool don't make the Champions League. I think he wants to be a red through and through, like Gerrard.

On paper we should be winning this group. The Champions League is just as important to us as the Premier League.

By 2003, won the Golden Ball as the best footballer in Europe and helped Juventus to the Champions League final.

The Champions league is played annually, and over a five-year period, there theoretically could be 40 different teams in the quarter-finals.

Every one of the lads wants to win not just the Champions league but the Premier League also.

UEFA chief Michel Platini was impressed by Milan's triumph in the Champions League Final. "They allowed Latin football to save face. "

Attentions now turn to the Champions League and FA Cup as the Reds prepare to take on Chelsea and Manchester City respectively.

Lukasz Fabianski is confident Arsenal will progress to the Champions League Knockout Stages with victory over Partizan Belgrade tonight.

It's all going to go off badly at Reading and, come Barcelona at home in the Champions League, you'll be the man.

The United boss will be looking for his side to extend their unbeaten start on Wednesday when they face Celtic in the Champions League.

Villa manager Martin O'Neill insisted he would come back next season doubly determined to take the club into the Champions League.

No one believed we would have finished second and reached the Champions League final in Moscow.

Chelsea captain John Terry believes their Carling Cup exit may well help them in their quest to win the Champions League this season.

Equally hard to beat in the Champions League, over one thousand minutes in all competitions passed without a goal.

Michael Ballack scored a late winner as Chelsea overcame an early scare against Porto to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Inter Milan may be top of the League in Italy, but managed only a 2-2 draw at home to Valencia in the first leg in the Champions League.

"I want them to be an international team, maybe to be in the Champions League in the future, " he said.

So to defeat them in the Champions League final would be the ultimate victory.

I dream of the Champions League trophy in my hands and a starring role for Brazil in the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa.

Ferguson picked a team without either Wayne Rooney or Javier Hernandez for the Champions League match against Basel. Both were injured.

Milan eased past Anderlecht to tighten their grip at the top of Group H of the Champions League.

Bayern Munich Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge expects Juventus to offer his side a real test in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

With in-form Arsenal in town for the Champions League semi-final first leg, the boss says United could benefit from a similar atmosphere.

The Gunners have more experience than us in the Champions League as we haven't been involved in that competition for two years.

In 1993, Olympique Marseille won the Champions League final against favourites AC Milan through a solitary Basile Boli goal.

I can say without any fear that Inter is one of the eleven teams who want to win the Champions League.

Last year I said that it would be in Inter that won the Champions League with Mourinho.

MILAN - The draw for the Champions League first knockout round which took place at UEFA's headquarters in Switzerland has just finished.

We want to win the Premier League and the Champions League, they're the main two, but there's also the FA Cup as well.

but the defensive errors of his side told the story of Real's struggles in the Champions League over recent years.

I think Beckham can go out in style by helping us win the Champions League or La Liga in his final few months at Real Madrid.

This time against a Spanish team, Valencia, who have done really well in the Champions League.

The Club's record goal scorer returns in midweek as Barcelona visit London for the first leg of the Champions League Quarter-Final.

But to go to Tottenham and to achieve what we did there was a big step up for the club, going so close to getting in the Champions League.

A club such as Ajax should at least make it into the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

Everybody says the atmosphere at the Emirates is really nice for the games in the Champions League.

But we always tried to give our best in the league and the Champions League, where currently we are top of our group.

Now the pain is so great that my presence next Tuesday for the game with Rosenborg in the Champions League is in doubt.

Milan official Umberto Gandini breathed a huge sigh of relief after they were drawn with Celtic in the Champions League.

Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets can play in the Champions League final against Manchester United after being cleared of racial abuse.

It has been several years since Real Madrid have played in the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

And he's also got a really important away game on Tuesday night in the Champions League.

As usual the Champions League draw in Monte Carlo fires up the summer of European football.

I need not remind you that this is the team we beat at the end of last season in order to qualify for the Champions League.

Last Wednesday Owen returned from the Champions League game at Milan with a minor injury.

"The club excluded me from the Champions League squad list in January and that does disappoint me, " he revealed.

Two years after that terrible night in Istanbul, Milan and Liverpool come face to face in the Champions League final yet again.

That would also mean he will miss the first leg of the Champions League qualifier and probably the second as well.

The Champions League is the best competition there is and for this reason we are very motivated.

Petr Cech insists Chelsea's winning mentality can help them to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League by knocking out Valencia.

To win promotion this season and qualify for the Champions League next season by finishing in the top two.

I always have confidence in Milan playing well and I hope that we will play a game worthy of the Champions League.

As such, his participation in the Champions League first leg clash against Arsenal already looks doubtful, even if the injury is minor.

Just listen to his ambition for winning the Champions League with us next term.

Should both Benfica and Porto be banned then two of the Champions League groups could indeed feature just three teams.

Scores the winning penalty as Milan beat Juventus in a shootout in the Champions League final at Old Trafford.

Wenger's Arsenal have spent the last 14 years in the top four and, as a consequence, the Champions League.

We have qualified for the Champions League for the last five years, so we know it is important for the club.

Progress in the Champions League is not sufficient to cover deficiencies in other competitions.

He added that, rather than feel envious, he had enjoyed watching his Premiership rivals progress in the Champions League.

he Rossoneri travel to Belgrade with a 1-0 advantage in the hope of qualifying for the group stages of the Champions League.

Our objective is the Champions League and climb the standings as much as possible, the entire squad is working hard for this.

We went out of the Champions League but then we picked up and this isn't a completely bad season.

We are all focused on the Champions League and my dream would be to reach the final in Rome.

Before then is the Champions League draw but Ancelotti declared himself unconcerned about who Chelsea are paired with on Friday.

Rafa Benitez believes Liverpool can reach the Champions League final in Athens even if Chelsea score a crucial away goal on Tuesday night.

I would make many sacrifices to go all the way in the Champions League, as this is a very special competition for me.

He's likely to play, because, apart from the injuries, we'll also have to do without our January signings in the Champions League.

We have had a good start and it is a big relief to have got the result in the Champions League.

He is understood to be keen to play in the Champions League and push his own international ambitions.

It's very disappointing that we don't have the Champions League because, up until last season, we had done so well in the competition.

Drogba received his first red card in the Champions League in a previous encounter with Barcelona.

All I can say to them is that our effort is always the same, in the league as well as the Champions League.

Kuyt believes Liverpool can draw confidence from past experiences in the Champions League as they prepare to lock horns with Les Gones.

They are a good side but we are quite happy with it. If you want to win the Champions League, you have to beat teams like Porto.

I think something could move towards the end of the month. Now the clubs are focused on the championship and the Champions League.

"We left the Champions League with our heads held high, " Iaquinta told Sky Sport Italia.

It's a dream for me and difficult to believe that, after such a short space of time at Arsenal, I am playing in the Champions League final.

Thierry Henry admitted he shuddered when Arsenal were drawn against Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals.

It was important for us to get a victory in the first game against Anderlecht before we face Liverpool in the Champions League.

Everyone wants to be in the Champions League again and to win titles.

Andrea has defined this season as a failure in case that we don't reach the Champions League?

It was nice to taste the atmosphere of the Champions League.

Juventus coach Fabio Capello fears being drawn with Chelsea in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.

We must forget about the national side and think only of Milan, of Serie A and of the Champions League.

Winning the Champions League, UEFA Cup, and six league titles was a mammoth task.

The Togo striker scored his fourth goal in three starts as Villarreal were brushed aside in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Starting from removing the barriers at the Champions League final in Rome? "I wish" .

Ambrosini then analysed the bad spell Milan went through when they were knocked out from the Champions League.

Without wanting to get too far ahead of ourselves, how big a boost for next season would actually winning the Champions League be?

Obviously if you can put the Champions League on your CV it looks quite nice.

The Bianconeri are currently reinforcing their squad ahead of next season's massive assault on the Champions League.

There's still a long way to go. It would be great to get to the Champions League final and win the title with Chelsea.

Juve are in good form going towards the Champions League second round clash, but opponents Chelsea are struggling.

We are top of the league, we defeated Sampdoria in the first leg of the Italian Cup, we qualified to the Champions League knock-out stages.

But Chelsea are understandably terrified of ever failing to qualify for the Champions League.