Bayern Hattrick (3)

Roth completes Bayern hat-trick

FC Bayern München 1-0 AS Saint-Etienne

The European Champion Clubs' Cup provided some striking results in 1975/76. Yet the end product was the same as in the two previous seasons, with FC Bayern München completing a hat-trick of wins in the competition.

Bayern on a rollÚjpesti TE had set the tone when beating FC Zürich on away goals in the first round: the Hungarian side controlled the first leg 4-0 but lost the return 5-1. Next Real Madrid CF took up the erratic baton, overcoming a 4-1 away defeat to knock out Derby County FC 6-5 in the second round. Madrid then edged past VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach - drawing 1-1 and 3-3 with the German champions - before running into a Bayern side fresh from arguably their best performance of the period, their 5-1 thumping of SL Benfica at the Olympiastadion which included two goals from Gerd Müller. The German international scored three more in the semi-finals as Bayern held Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu then picked them off 2-0 in Bavaria.

French flavour
The only question now was which of the other last-four pairing would make it to the final at Glasgow's Hampden Park. There were no doubts as to the character of either - AS Saint-Etienne and PSV Eindhoven had recovered 2-0 first-leg deficits against FC Dynamo Kyiv and HNK Hajduk Split respectively in the quarter-finals. But Les Verts had the quality of Dominiques Bathenay and Rocheteau, and won through 1-0 to become the first French finalists since Stade de Reims Champagne in 1959. The final was a similar story, though this time the only goal came from Bayern's free-kick specialist Franz Roth. And not even a late St Etienne cavalry charge could deny Beckenbauer and Co their famous treble.

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source:http://www.uefa.com/news/newsid=390064,printer.htmx

Bayern Hattrick (2)

Bayern triumph enrages Leeds

FC Bayern München 2-0 Leeds United AFC
FC Bayern München became the fifth team to successfully defend the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1974/75. However, their 2-0 victory in the final against Leeds United AFC was a contentious one, on and off the park. Bayern scored late goals through Franz Roth and Gerd Müller, but not before the referee had disallowed a Peter Lorimer effort and turned down two English claims for a penalty. So while Dettmar Cramer's men celebrated the win that rescued an otherwise disappointing season - they were 10th in the German first division - Leeds fans ripped out seats at the Parc des Princes.

Barcelona defeated
In fact, Bayern only really hit form in the semi-finals, having struggled past 1. FC Magdeburg and FC Ararat Yerevan. Here, against an AS Saint-Etienne side that had come from 4-1 down to beat HNK Hajduk, they followed up a 0-0 draw in France with a 2-0 success at the Olympiastadion. Leeds, on the other hand, had made short work of FC Zürich and Újpesti TE before overcoming FC Barcelona - Cruyff, Neeskens et al - in the last four.

Leeds anger
With a 3-2 aggregate triumph, Don Revie's players emulated the Catalan side's achievement in reaching the finals of all three UEFA club competitions. Yet they were also in the habit of losing on the big stage, and where Bayern's campaign ended in a blaze of glory, the footnote to Leeds's was a three-year European ban for crowd violence.

©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights reserved.

Source:http://www.uefa.com/news/newsid=390060,printer.htmx

Bayern's Hattrick (1)

Müller ends Bayern wait

FC Bayern München 1-1 Club Atlético de Madrid (aet; Bayern win 4-0 in a replay)

The year 1974 was one to remember for German football: West Germany hosted and won the FIFA World Cup; FC Bayern München lifted the European Champion Clubs' Cup; while 1. FC Magdeburg brought home the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. However, it was an even better 12 months for Sepp Maier, Paul Breitner, Georg Schwarzenbeck, Franz Beckenbauer, Uli Hoeness and Gerd Müller - the six Bayern players who starred for the national team as well as Udo Lattek's side.

Bayern stealth
Not that their Munich putsch was one long procession. Far from it where Bayern were concerned: the Bavarian side had needed penalties to overcome Åtvidabergs FF; they had edged past 1. FC Dynamo Dresden by the odd goal in seven; in fact, they had only really shown their class when beating AFC Ajax's conquerors, FC CSKA Sofia, and then Újpesti TE in the semi-finals. Still, they were through to the final along with Club Atlético de Madrid.

Müller goals
The Spanish team had won at Galatasaray SK, FC Dinamo Bucuresti and FK Crvena Zvezda to set up a semi-final clash with Celtic FC that proved to be a meeting of inexorable forces. Atlético had three players sent off in the Celtic Park stalemate which prefaced their 2-0 success back at the Vicente Calderón, and all their efforts caught up with them at Brussel's Heysel stadium. Leading through a Luis Aragonés free-kick seven minutes from the end of extra-time, they were denied the prize they craved by Schwarzenbeck's last-gasp strike. Bayern twisted the knife in the replay two days later, Hoeness and Müller sharing the goals in a 4-0 rout.

©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights reserved.

source:http://www.uefa.com/news/newsid=389779,printer.htmx

Team of the Year 2007 announced

Team of the Year 2007 announced
Saturday 19 January 2008
by Adrian Harte from Nyon



The uefa.com users' Team of the Year 2007 has been announced, with UEFA Champions League winners AC Milan having the most players involved.

Milan trio
More than 3.75 million votes were cast by 277,985 individual uefa.com users in the poll. The dream dozen contains just two survivors of last year's team along with five newcomers. Milan's trio includes central defender Alessandro Nesta, who was also chosen in 2002, 2003 and 2004, and left midfield player Clarence Seedorf, who featured in the 2002 lineup. Colleague Kaká, with 220,333 votes, received the highest number of votes overall and is picked for a second successive year, this time as an attacking midfielder.

English representation
Also remaining from 12 months ago is Steven Gerrard, who figures for a third time, and is the only player from beaten UEFA Champions League finalists Liverpool FC to register. English clubs are to the fore, though, with John Terry – selected in 2005 – and newcomer Didier Drogba from Chelsea FC joined by Cristiano Ronaldo, whose previous nomination came in 2004. His Manchester United FC manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is perhaps belatedly named as coach for the first time, recognition of his achievement in guiding his side to the ninth Premier League title of his stewardship. An overdue debutant is Real Madrid CF goalkeeper Iker Casillas, while Sevilla FC right-back Daniel Alves, FC Barcelona left-back Eric Abidal and FC Internazionale Milano striker Zlatan Ibrahimović are also starring for the first time.

User involvement
Adrian Harte, uefa.com site manager, said: "User participation is a popular buzz word today but our users have contributed to the success of uefa.com from the start and we are delighted that they have again voted in huge numbers to choose their team of the year. It is a mix of established figures getting overdue recognition and young players on the way up. Indeed, all 12 will be back in UEFA Champions League action next month, further proof that the competition showcases the best players in the world."
Click here to see the results in full.

uefa.com users' Team of 2007
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF)
Daniel Alves (Sevilla FC)
Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan)
John Terry (Chelsea FC)
Eric Abidal (FC Barcelona)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC)
Kaká (AC Milan)
Clarence Seedorf (AC Milan)
Zlatan Ibrahimović (FC Internazionale Milano)
Didier Drogba (Chelsea FC)
Coach: Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United FC)

uefa.com users' Team of 2006
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Gianluca Zambrotta (FC Barcelona)
Fabio Cannavaro (Real Madrid CF)
Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona)
Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC)
Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal FC)
Kaká (AC Milan)
Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona)
Thierry Henry (Arsenal FC)
Samuel Eto'o (FC Barcelona)
Coach: Frank Rijkaard (FC Barcelona)

uefa.com users' Team of 2005
Petr Čech (Chelsea FC)
Cafu (AC Milan)
John Terry (Chelsea FC)
Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona)
Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)
Luis García (Liverpool FC)
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool FC)
Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona)
Pavel Nedvěd (Juventus)
Samuel Eto'o (FC Barcelona)
Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan)
Coach: José Mourinho (Chelsea FC)

uefa.com users' Team of 2004
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Cafu (AC Milan)
Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea FC)
Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan)
Ashley Cole (Arsenal FC)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United FC)
Maniche (FC Porto)
Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona)
Pavel Nedvěd (Juventus)
Thierry Henry (Arsenal FC)
Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan)
Coach: José Mourinho (Chelsea FC)

uefa.com users' Team of 2003
Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
Paulo Ferreira (FC Porto)
Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan)
Paolo Maldini (AC Milan)
Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid CF)
Luís Figo (Real Madrid CF)
David Beckham (Real Madrid CF)
Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid CF)
Pavel Nedvěd (Juventus)
Thierry Henry (Arsenal FC)
Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United FC)
Coach: José Mourinho (FC Porto)

uefa.com users' Team of 2002
Rüstü Reçber (Fenerbahçe SK)
Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona)
Alessandro Nesta (AC Milan)
Cristian Chivu (AFC Ajax)
Roberto Carlos (Real Madrid CF)
Clarence Seedorf (AC Milan)
Michael Ballack (FC Bayern München)
Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid CF)
Damien Duff (Blackburn Rovers FC)
Thierry Henry (Arsenal FC)
Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF)
Coach: Senol Günes (Turkey)

uefa.com users' Team of 2001
Santiago Cañizares (Valencia CF)
Cosmin Contra (Deportivo Alavés)
Sami Hyypiä (Liverpool FC)
Patrik Andersson (FC Barcelona)
Bixente Lizarazu (FC Bayern München)
David Beckham (Manchester United FC)
Patrick Vieira (Arsenal FC)
Zinédine Zidane (Real Madrid CF)
Kily González (Valencia CF)
Thierry Henry (Arsenal FC)
David Trezeguet (Juventus)
Coach: Gérard Houllier (Liverpool FC)

©uefa.com 1998-2008. All rights reserved.

source:http://www.uefa.com/news/newsid=647292,printer.htmx