United end century on top of the world
Manchester United are English football's best-supported team and also its most successful since the inception of the Premier League in 1992. After waiting 26 years for a league title they have been crowned champions eight times in the last 13 seasons and now stand second only to northwest Liverpool in terms of silverware won.
A brief history...
Manchester United are English football's best-supported team and also its most successful since the inception of the Premier League in 1992. After waiting 26 years for a league title they have been crowned champions eight times in the last 13 seasons and now stand second only to northwest Liverpool in terms of silverware won.
The glamour of the modern-day Old Trafford is a different world from United's humble origins as Newton Heath LYR (Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway), a club founded by railway workers in 1878. After joining the Football League in 1892, they changed their name to Manchester United a decade later and in 1908 celebrated their first league championship.
It was not until after the Second World War, however, that United began to build a reputation for winning football and the man responsible for this was Scotsman Matt Busby. He arrived at a club who were playing their matches at neighbouring Manchester City due to bomb damage to Old Trafford during the war. Yet under his guidance, team and stadium developed together. After winning three league titles in the 50s, however, his exciting young side, the 'Busby babes', was decimated by the Munich air crash of February 1958 which occurred on the way back from a European Champion Clubs' Cup tie in Belgrade and claimed the lives of 23 people, eight of them players.
Busby recovered from serious injuries to build another team, featuring such greats as Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law, and a decade later he saw them win the European Cup for the first time with a 4-1 win over Benfica at Wembley. However, the successes of the 60s gave way to a relatively barren period in the 70s and it was not until Sir Alex Ferguson took the reins in 1986 that another era of glory opened at Old Trafford.
As with Busby, Ferguson saw the importance of youth and struck gold with a generation of youngsters including Ryan Giggs, David Beckham and Paul Scholes. After ending the long wait for a league title in 1993, United dominated English football for the next ten years and in 1999 beat Bayern Munich in Barcelona to capture the European Cup for a second time.
Club Profile
Manchester United FC
City: Manchester
Founded: 1878
Official website:www.manutd.com
Honours:
* 1 Intercontinental Cup: 1999
* 3 European Cups/UEFA Champions Leagues: 1968, 1999, 2008
* 1 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1991
* 17 English Championships: 1908, 1911, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1965, 1967, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008
* 11 FA Cups: 1909, 1948, 1963, 1977, 1983, 1985, 1990, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004
* 2 League Cups: 1992, 2006
Legendary players:
Dennis Viollet (1950-62), Duncan Edwards (1953-58), Bobby Charlton (1956-73), Denis Law (1962-73), George Best (1963-74), Bryan Robson (1981-94), Mark Hughes (1983-86, 1988-95), Ryan Giggs (since 1990), Peter Schmeichel (1991-99), Eric Cantona (1992-97), Roy Keane (1993-2005), Paul Scholes (since 1993)
Records:
Ryan Giggs - played his 759th game for the club on 21 May 2008.
Bobby Charlton - 249 goals
Atletico seize opportunity with both hands
The history of Atletico de Madrid is a tale of glorious highs and crushing lows. As the Madrid team with the biggest working-class following, Atletico have always tried to do things differently to their eternal city rivals, Real Madrid. Their trophy cabinet may not be as full as their neighbour's, but they remain one of Spain's most successful and best-loved clubs.
A brief history...
The history of Atletico de Madrid is a tale of glorious highs and crushing lows. As the Madrid team with the biggest working-class following, Atletico have always tried to do things differently to their eternal city rivals, Real Madrid. Their trophy cabinet may not be as full as their neighbour's, but they remain one of Spain's most successful and best-loved clubs.
Atletico came into being on 26 April 1903 when the Basque community living in the Spanish capital decided to base a youth team from Athletic Club de Bilbao in Madrid. In 1911 they began wearing the famous red-and-white stripes, which earned them the name "los colchoneros" (the mattress-makers) as mattress covers at that time were the same colour.
After the Spanish Civil War (1936-9) the club merged with Aviación Nacional, the Air Force team, and became Atletico Aviacion, winning two consecutive Liga titles in the immediate post-war era. In 1947 the team was rechristened Club Atletico de Madrid. Their heyday probably came in the 60s and 70s, when the team's charisma and popular appeal reached new heights. It was during this period that Atletico won their two international titles, the European Cup Winners Cup in 1961 and the Intercontinental Cup in 1974.
Atletico's last major success came in the 1995/1996 season, when they did the historic Liga/Copa del Rey double. However, true to form, just four years later the team were relegated to the second division bringing a tear to the eye of many a fan.
Despite being cast adrift for two years in Spanish football's second tier, the legendary loyalty and devotion of the long-suffering supporters never wavered. The second division years saw Atletico beat season ticket records and continue to pack the stadium until their triumphant return in 2002. They made it just in time to enjoy their centenary celebrations as a top-flight club, during which a huge party saw the streets of Madrid dyed red and white as a tribute to the team's biggest asset, their fans.
Club Profile
Club Atletico de Madrid
City: Madrid
Founded: 26 April 1903
Official website:www.clubatleticomadrid.com
Honours:
1 Intercontinental Cup: 1974
1 European Cup Winners' Cup: 1962
9 Spanish Championships: 1940, 1941, 1950, 1951, 1966, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1996
9 Spanish Cups: 1960, 1961, 1965, 1972, 1976, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1996
Legendary players:
Adelardo (1959-76), Luis Aragones (1964-74), Ufarte (1964-74), Jose Garate (1966-77), Javier Irureta (1967-75), Luis Pereira (1974-80), Hugo Sanchez (1981-85), Paolo Futre (1987-93, 1997-98), Bernd Schuster (1990-93), Kiko (1993-2001)
Records:
Atletico de Madrid goalkeeper, Abel Resino, set a record by going 1,274 minutes without conceding a goal (13 Liga games without conceding a goal, plus 59 minutes against Mallorca and 45 against Sporting de Gijón).
Escudero is their leading all-time Liga scorer with 150 goals.
Adelardo has played most First division games for Atletico (401).
Shootout heroes emulate Cruyff and co
In 1883, a group of friends including Han Dade, Carel Reeser and Floris Stempel founded a small football club initially called "Union", before being renamed "Footh Ball Club Ajax" in 1894.
At the end of the century, having achieved little in the way of success, in dire straits financially and with numerous players departing, Dade, Reeser and Stempel created a "completely new football club".
A brief history...
In 1883, a group of friends including Han Dade, Carel Reeser and Floris Stempel founded a small football club initially called "Union", before being renamed "Footh Ball Club Ajax" in 1894. At the end of the century, having achieved little in the way of success, in dire straits financially and with numerous players departing, Dade, Reeser and Stempel created a "completely new football club". And so it was at a historic meeting on 18 March 1900 in the Café Oost-Indië in Kalverstraat, Amsterdam, that "Football Club Ajax" was formed - this time with the correct spelling. The club joined the Amsterdam Football Association (AVB) and rented a ground in the north of the city where they would play their home games. Their endeavours were swiftly rewarded with the new club finishing runners-up in the AVB championship on two occasions.
However, it was not until the 1930s that the club really blossomed. In ten years, Ajax won seven league titles and five national championships. This golden era also saw the construction of the new stadium "De Meer" on the Middenweg in Watergraafsmeer to accommodate the growing fan base who would flock to watch heroes such as Gerrit Fischer ply their trade.
The club enjoyed its second coming under legendary coach Rinus Michels who instilled the offensive philosophy for which Ajax teams are still renowned today. The "General" led Ajax to four Dutch championships and three Dutch Cups in six years, winning the club's first double in 1966/1967. Ajax's reputation also began to transcend domestic borders as the club became the nation's first representatives in a European Cup final in 1969.
Despite a 4-1 defeat by AC Milan, that final would herald the start of an irrepressible ascent to the pinnacle of European football as Ajax lifted a hat-trick of European Cups in 1971, 1972 and 1973. The club also won their first Intercontinental Cup in 1972 after a two-legged tie against Independiente of Argentina, strolling their way to the Dutch championship in the same year. Goalkeeper Heinz Stuy went 1,082 minutes without conceding a goal in 1971, while in 1972 and 1973, Ajax scored over 100 goals in the league. Johan Cruyff, the linchpin of the Ajax team, departed for Barcelona in 1973 and promptly spurred the Catalan club to their first Liga title in 14 years. The other names of the Ajax team from that era are still music to the ears of football fans - Arie Haan, Johan Neeskens, Piet Keizer, Wim Suurbier, Johnny Rep or Ruud Krol.
Ajax lifted their fourth European Cup on 24 May 1995, Patrick Kluivert scoring the winner against AC Milan in Vienna, and followed the feat on 28 November 1995 with their second world club cup, now going by the name of the Toyota Cup, after overcoming Gremio Porto Alegre in the final.
However, these momentous achievements would trigger a string of departures such as Dennis Bergkamp and Wim Jonk (both to Inter Milan), Bryan Roy (Foggia) and Jan Wouters (Bayern Munich), an exodus which gave the club, so famous for its youth development, the opportunity to introduce a new generation of talented footballers. The club also consolidated on its recent achievements with a move to the new Amsterdam Arena in 1996.
Club Profile
Ajax Amsterdam
City: Amsterdam
Founded: 18 March 1900
Honours:
29 Dutch championships, 17 league titles, 16 Dutch Cups, Intertoto Cup, 4 Super Cups, 3 European Champions Cups, 1 Champions League, 1 European Cup Winners Cup, 1 UEFA Cup, 3 European Super Cups, 2 Club World Championships.
Legendary players:
Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard, Ronald de Boer, Frank de Boer, Jari Litmanen, Dennis Bergkamp, Marco van Basten, Arie Haan, Johan Neeskens, Wim Surbier, Danny Blind, Piet van Reenen, Gerrit Fischer, Sjaak Swart.
Records:
Sjaak Swart - 463 appearances,
Piet van Reenen - 273 goals.
Official website:www.ajax.nl
Dragons triumph where Eagles failed on world stage
With wine being so inextricably linked with the history of the city, it seems only fitting that FC Porto were founded on 28 September 1893 by Antonio Nicolau de Almeida, a leading merchant of Porto wines. He had discovered football on a business trip to England and resolved to start a team of his own.
A brief history...
With wine being so inextricably linked with the history of the city, it seems only fitting that FC Porto were founded on 28 September 1893 by Antonio Nicolau de Almeida, a leading merchant of Porto wines. He had discovered football on a business trip to England and resolved to start a team of his own.
The club nonetheless disappeared for a number of years, until it was revived as a generalised sports association in 1906 under the presidency of Jose Monteira da Costa. They acquired their own headquarters in 1907, designed a club emblem in 1910 and finally established sporting facilities three years later.
Despite a few notable exploits along the way, including a 3-2 victory over Arsenal in 1948, Porto lived for a long time in the shadow of the clubs from the capital. They had to wait until 1956 to dispute their first European competition (against Athletic Bilbao), but everything began to change towards the end of the 1970s.
The club started to take on a whole new dimension, and that had much to do with coach Jose Maria Pedroto and extraordinary striker Fernando Gomes (topscorer in Europe in 1983 and 1985). They reached their first European final in 1984, only to lose to Juventus, but they were back three years later and overcame Bayern Munich 2-1, thanks in no small part to Algerian ace Rabah Madjer's famous backheel. Buoyed by that success, they picked up the Toyota Cup and European Supercup soon afterwards. It was a vintage year for Porto, and would be followed by several more from the same barrel.
However, the club had to wait until 2003 to reach those same heights on the European stage again. Pitted against Glasgow Celtic in the UEFA Cup final, the Portuguese side eventually emerged victorious, sealing a 3-2 win at the end of a breathtaking game. Charismatic coach José Mourinho was instrumental in the renaissance, and the Blue and Whites impressed with their efficient counter-attacking style, founded on an impregnable defence. The recipe was so successful, in fact, that Porto added a prestigious Champions League title to their list of honours the very next year, inflicting a heavy 3-0 defeat on AS Monaco in the final.
Club Profile
Futebol Clube do Porto
City: Porto
Founded: 28 September 1893
Official website:www.fcporto.pt
Honours:
* 2 Intercontinental Cups: 1987, 2004
* 2 European Cups/UEFA Champions Leagues: 1987, 2004
* 1 UEFA Cup: 2003
* 1 European Super Cup: 1987
* 22 Portuguese championships: 1935, 1939, 1940, 1956, 1959, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008
* 16 Portuguese Cups: 1922, 1925, 1932, 1937, 1956, 1958, 1968, 1977, 1984, 1988, 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003
Legendary players:
Valdemar Mota, Pinga, Costuras, Kordnya, Correia Dias, Araujo, Azumir, Oliveira, Gomes, Seninho, Duda, Frasco, Costa, Hernani (1950-64), Carlos Duarte (1953-62), Teofilo Cubillas (1974-76), Paulo Futre (1984-87), Jardel (1996-2000), Madjer (1986-91), Fernando Couto (1987-94), Ricardo Carvalho (1998-2004), Deco (1999-2004), Maniche (2002-05)
Records:
Porto won both their Toyota Cups after being taken into extra-time.
Herrera outwits Independiente in successive finals
Internazionale Milano Football Club, commonly known as "Inter" for short, came into existence on 9 March 1908 in the back room of the "L'Orologiaio" ("the clock") restaurant in Milan, under the impetus of dissident members of the "Milan Cricket and Football Club," the ancestors of the present day AC Milan. These members were in dispute with MCFC's management, as they wanted to open up the club to foreign players at a time when it was strictly reserved for Italians.
A brief history...
Internazionale Milano Football Club, commonly known as "Inter" for short, came into existence on 9 March 1908 in the back room of the "L'Orologiaio" ("the clock") restaurant in Milan, under the impetus of dissident members of the "Milan Cricket and Football Club," the ancestors of the present day AC Milan.
These members were in dispute with MCFC's management, as they wanted to open up the club to foreign players at a time when it was strictly reserved for Italians. For this reason, when the breakaway club's statutes and famous blue-and-black strip were set at this meeting, the word "Internazionale" was included into the name.
Due to a lack of financial resources, the club's early days were tough, so much so that the players even had to pay for their own shirts and boots. Within two years, however, Inter had won their first title, even if the term "scudetto" had not yet been coined.
When the fascists came to power in Italy, the word "Internazionale" was deemed to be a reference to the international communist movement and, in 1932, Inter were forced to merge with the Milanese Unione Sportiva to become Ambrosiana-Inter until the fall of the regime.
Four of the players (Allemandi, Castellazzi, Demaria and Meazza) from the Squadra Azzurra side that triumphed at the 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy were supplied by Inter, as were a further quartet (Ferrari, Ferraris II, Locatelli and Meazza again) for the FIFA World Cup in France four years later.
Two personalities have left a particularly powerful mark on Inter's history. The first was the truly gifted Giuseppe Meazza, scorer of 283 goals in 408 games for the club. In 1979, a year after his death, the San Siro was renamed in his honour, with the agreement of the ground's co-occupants AC Milan, despite the strong rivalry between the two clubs.
In the Sixties, under the chairmanship of Angelo Moratti, father of the current chairman Massimo Moratti, Inter enjoyed their golden age under the management of the "magus" Helenio Herrera, the inventor of the Catenaccio. In the space of four years between 1963 and 66, Inter won practically everything there was to win (three Scudetti, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups) by perfecting this ultra-defensive and unspectacular tactical system.
In 1998, Ronaldo became the first Inter player ever to win the FIFA World Player award, but the club is still struggling to recreate its past glories. Massimo Moratti, who let the chairmanship pass to Giacinto Facchetti in 2004 while remaining the club's owner, still dreams of emulating his father's epic sixties adventure.
Club Profile
Internazionale Milano Football Club
City : Milan (Italy)
Founded: 9 March 1908
Official website:www.inter.it
Honours:
* 2 Intercontinental Cups: 1964, 1965
* 2 European Cups: 1964, 1965
* 3 UEFA Cups: 1991, 1994, 1998
* 16 Italian Championships: 1910, 1920, 1930, 1938, 1940, 1953, 1954, 1963, 1965, 1966, 1971, 1980, 1989, 2006, 2007, 2008
* 5 Italian Cups: 1939, 1978, 1982, 2005, 2006
Legendary players:
Guiseppe Meazza (1927-40), Antonio Angelillo (1957-61), Mario Corso (1957-73), Giacinto Facchetti (1960-78), Luis Suarez (1961-70), Sandro Mazzola (1961-77), Tarciso Burgnich (1962-74), Gabriele Oriali (1971-83), Alessandro Altobelli (1977-88), Guiseppe Bergomi (1980-99), Walter Zenga (1982-94), Lothar Matthaus (1988-92), Javier Zanetti (since 1995), Ronaldo (1997-2002)
Records:
Goals: Giuseppe Meazza - 283
Appearances: Guiseppe Bergomi - 758
