One Month to Go: The Champions League Gears up for the Quarters - by Christopher Morgan

The Champions League is the best football competition in the world for one simple reason: It brings together Europe’s elite football teams, teams full of talent and tantrums, brilliance and barbarism, and pits them against one another in a glorious battle to the death.

Each year the competition showcases the world’s greatest football players, tactics and managers. Players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Ribery, and Van Persie get to show off their footballing gifts to millions of people, there is also the added bonus of Jose Mourinho showing off his sociopathic dad routine, and Sir Alex Ferguson’s constant ‘wasp’ chewing.

This year promises to be a mouthwatering display of Europe’s finest, and the footballing gods have delivered a Quarter final line-up of the highest calibre. With matches such as Manchester United vs. Real Madrid and AC Milan vs. FC Barcelona, football fans the world over are just waiting for January to tick down.

Last year, the trophy was won by the least likely of winners, Chelsea, who this year have already been knocked out of the competition, stopping them from retaining the trophy for a consecutive year; a feat not achieved since, bar AC Milan’s back to back victories in old European Cup format in 1989-90.

A Bit of History

Since the competition’s inception, there have been 22 different club winners, with 12 winning the coveted trophy more than once. Real Madrid have the highest affinity with the cup, with no less than 9 wins and 3 runners up medals. AC Milan, interestingly, come a close second with 7 wins and 4 runners up medals.

Madrid can lay claim to best goal scored in the final, with Zinedine Zidane’s left footed volley from the edge of the penalty area against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001-2002 final.

 

2012/13 Competition

This season the competition has already knocked out a few possible contenders for the trophy. Chelsea, as previously mentioned, were knocked out in the group stages; and Manchester City, who were hoping to improve on last season’s early knock out of the competition and finally mount a solid attack on a first ever Champions League triumph, were once again an early casualty.

 

The once Dutch ‘giant’ Ajax were also knocked out during the group stages, lagging behind Mourinho’s Real Madrid by a huge seven points. Lille, last year’s Ligue 1 runners-up, finished bottom of Group F, winning only a single match and losing every other.

 

This year’s last 16 will be a fascinating affair. With the reigning champions already knocked out, and with the new footballing powers such as Shakhtar, PSG and Dortmund attempting to make the jump up the big boy’s table, who are flexing their muscles ready for action - we will certainly be spoilt for choice come the 12th of Feb.  

Links and Pictures: BBC Sport, The Daily Telegraph, talksport.co.uk, youtube.com, bleacherreport.com

Catch up with Chris on his blog: http://notionsofawriter.tumblr.com/archive