For UEFA Ref, Tom Øvrebø, his performance on the night was John-Arne-Riise-esque: Norwegian & vaquely one-sided. Mr Ø, indeed, had a poor match but it was not that bad under the difficult circumstances.

On account of the beauty of Barça’s footballing, a favoritism for them was installed in the Zeitgeist. That feeling was is amplified by the ugliness of Chelsea’s footballing in general and by the negative approach Chelsea took last week to the semifinal 1st Leg at Camp Nou in particular.

Mr Ø probably had this very intuition clanking about his subconscious (Barça = Beautiful) and was loath to give Chelsea a significant decision unless clearly, visibly earned. Refs, after all, are people.

I felt the worst decisions on the evening were the Pique handball, which was clearly a loss of an earned-advantage by Chelsea (despite being ball-to-hand) — a deserved penalty for Chelsea to take, if seen. The other was the sending-off of Barça’s Abidal which, in my opinion, was pure simulation by Anelka — a frame-job. If the rest are just gray calls, these two mistakes largely offset as well. However, in the final calculus an unwarranted dismissal for Barça is the heavier burden to carry. It is Barça who should have been howling like a petulant child who has missed his dose of Ritalin, rather than Chelsea.

When we saw Ballack’s & Drogba’s anger spill over on the telly, you can be sure this was their own anger at themselves for not taking earlier and obvious chances. Champions win football matches through goals, and do not passively await decisions on points.

The important point I haven’t seen made — which favors Mr Øbrevø — is that by diving all over Christendom (and Asia too), Drogba & Anelka make a technically difficult job by the Referee EVEN MORE DIFFICULT. These players — and Drogba in particular — cannot be trusted NOT to simulate, so a ref’s bias to reward them sparingly is assured & reinforced.

Which of a thousand falli fatti is CLEAR, I ask you? The disadvantage is self-imposed in the arrogant habit of begging-the-decision.

The weaker parts of Drogba’s character have boomeranged upon him (as they do, and should, for us all) and upon the Chelsea Football Club. Consequently, I am glad to see this truth acknowledged in the Club’s murmuring without hesitation about Drogba’s transition out, although I wonder if their firm price doesn’t reflect a lack of sincerity. Sort of takes QPR & Sheffield Wednesday out of the running. It’s good & necessary for Chelsea to cut right to the chase, remove the cancer and move on to next year. Ballack should go too, but only because his footballing contributions are so conspicuously prosaic. Let’s be clear that Ballack is not a simulator. Drogba & Anelka — in the mood — get goals, but the net effect of having these two head-cases is more than a club of Chelsea’s ambitions can tolerate.

Roll the tape. I feel Lampard was disgusted by his colleagues’ performances and believe he will agree that all disadvantage & misfortune Chelsea experienced on the day was self-inflicted.

“Seedorf Cites Power vs Panache” | Jeffrey Marcus | Goal blog | 5 May 2009

“Normally, when I look at the Arsenal, sometimes they score five, sometimes four,” Seedorf said. “But their game is too much about possession than about going to score goals.”

“Every time Manchester go up front, they do it to score goals.”

How true.

It’s true, given how mercilessly Barça disassembled Bayern Munich in the CL quarterfinal and then how clinically they dispatched Sevilla in La Liga last week. Pep Guardiola’s Barça are playing in that special place called The Zone.

What we see from Barça is a sublime creativity in the final third supported by such efficiency on the ball from Xavi & Iniesta that they hardly look like they are working … except perhaps when Thierry Henry repeatedly falls over.

Barça’s efficiency is worth special comment. They trap close, like they’ve magnets in their Adidas, and already in position to do something positive. First-touch is sublime. I believe the team has learned this in training from Iniesta; he’s raised the bar and this unique body-balance on the ball has caught on around the squad. Moreover, Guardiola has them exploding into purposeful action at the rare times they lose the ball.

What Barça did to Bayern & Sevilla in equal measure was to demoralize them so completely in this endeavor that in the odd times Barça’s opponents got the ball they were consumed by utter hopelessness; their individual & collective energy seemed to leave them. I think Chelsea will be fine until they recognize their bind: the only way to stop Barça is to foul them and Chelsea cannot then escape their own artlessness in the final third. This is what’s causing Guus the most worry.

Previous meetings between Chelsea & Barça were typically 1-2, 1-1, 0-1. I think these legs will be much the same with Barça doing just what is necessary to win. Chelsea will stack their strong back-Four along the 18 yard line and be largely effective keeping Barça from getting behind them. (Chelsea will sit the sieve-like Ashley Cole, who is suspended; Bosingwa will play instead at Left Back. Even though Jose’ Bosingwa is right-footed, Messi is a lefty playing on the right side — they match up as well as Chelsea could ever hope.)

Chelsea will foul a lot. So Barça’s goals, consequently, will come from set-pieces and distance … of which they are supremely capable. When Chelsea learn their lesson and stop fouling, the goals will come from artwork inside the box.

Chelsea 2 – 5 Football Club Barçelona (agg).

Far be it for me to introduce the plot & dramatis personae since The McCarra has done it here …

“The tedium … can be thrilling” | Guardian UK | 8 Apr 2009

See you shortly!

Linfield 1–3 Dinamo Zagreb (0–2, 1–1)
Valletta 0–3 Artmedia Petržalka (0–2, 0–1)
Dinamo Tbilisi 3–1 NSÍ Runavík (3–0, 0–1)
Santa Coloma 2–7 Kaunas (1–4, 1–3)
Murata 0–9 IFK Göteborg (0–5, 0–4)
Llanelli 1–4 Ventspils (1–0, 0–4)
Anorthosis Famagusta 3–0 Pyunik Yerevan (1–0, 2–0)
Inter Baku (a)1–1 Rabotnički (0–0, 1–1)
Tampere United 3–2 Budućnost (2–1, 1–1)
F91 Dudelange 0–3 Domžale (0–1, 0–2)
Dinamo Tirana 1–4 Modriča (0–2, 1–2)
Aktobe 1–4 Sheriff Tiraspol (1–0, 0–4)
Drogheda United 3–1 Levadia (2–1, 1–0)
BATE 3–0 Valur (2–0, 1–0)

Second Qualifying Round Fixtures

Rangers V Kaunas
Brann V Ventspils
Inter Baku V Partizan
Tampere United V Artmedia Petržalka
Anorthosis Famagusta V Rapid Wien
Domžale V Dinamo Zagreb
Panathinaikos V Dinamo Tbilisi
IFK Göteborg V Basel
Sheriff Tiraspol V Sparta Prague
Drogheda United V Dynamo Kyiv
Anderlecht V BATE
Beitar Jerusalem V Wisła Kraków
Fenerbahçe V MTK Hungária
Aalborg BK V Modriča

Picks of the round are One-time Champions League finalists Panathinaikos taking on Dinamo Tbilisi, and Goteborg who hammered thier way through the first qualifying round, coming against the tougher Basel.

Games will be played on the 29 and 30 of July, and the the second legs on the 5 and 6 of August.

Linfield 0-2 Dinamo Zagreb
Valletta 0-2 Artmedia Petržalka
Dinamo Tbilisi 3-0 NSÍ Runavík
Santa Coloma 1-4 Kaunas
Murata 0-5 IFK Göteborg
Llanelli 1-0 Ventspils
Anorthosis Famagusta 1-0 Pyunik Yerevan
Inter Baku 0-0 Rabotnički
Tampere United 2-1 Budućnost
F91 Dudelange 0-1 Domžale
Dinamo Tirana 0-2 Modriča
Aktobe 1-0 Sheriff Tiraspol
Drogheda United 2-1 Levadia
BATE 2-0 Valur

Quiz answers will also be very up shortly in the comments thread of there.

Cesare Prandelli – probably the best coach in Italy at this moment in time – marvelled at the way that his side have managed to grab fourth against expectations, while Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti described the year as Purgatory.

“We have to look at the table and accept it leaves us out of the Champions League…It was a season of peaks and troughs, though we paid a particularly heavy price for our poor home record.We’ll have a year in purgatory, but will face it with the same enthusiasm as always, concentrating our energy on Serie A to become more competitive”

The key really was Milan’s home form – which was awful, particuarly in the first half of the season, where they struggled to score, let alone win. Asked whether this will provoke a revolution ala Bayern’s last year when they failed to make the Champions League, the Italian manager tried to keep things in perspective.

“We will not have a revolution, but there will be a few introductions”

If rumours are to be believed however, one of those introductions might be Jose Mourinho, who is reportedly in Milan, and the rumour mill is on overdrive speculating he’ll either join Milan or thier cross-town rivals Inter, who despite clinching a third straight Scudetto (well, technically at least) will probably part ways with manager Roberto Mancini.

Life is happier in Florence though, and after Fiorentina’s UEFA cup dissapointment, they can now look forward to the qualifying stages of the Champions League. Cesare Prandelli wanted to give all credit to his players.
“We will play the preliminary round at the end of an extraordinary season…Yet again I must thank these wonderful lads.Osvaldo [Daniel Pablo Osvaldo, who won the game with a spectacular bicycle kick] has these quirks and incredible tricks, but he needs to improve on the simple things…
We have achieved a very important objective and President Della Valle came into the locker room to compliment everybody. Tonight in Florence we will celebrate. In this moment in time I am very happy, it’s amazing how one goal can change everything. Now we will rest and then sit around a table to prepare for next season”

He has also been links with a move to a ‘bigger’ club, but he gave time to laugh off such rumours.

“Will I stay on? Absolutely!”

Off course he will. Otherwise he’d never be able to wear that ridiculous purple puffajacket again. Right?

Good news then for La Viola as they plan for next season’s Champions League, and can look to expand upon thier squad. Commiserations to Milan, but I’m sure after a year in the UEFA cup they will bounce back again next year.

His argument basically works around the idea that Milan are the only team left in Italy that are capable of winning it, and therefore are Italy’s best hope at a bit of pride, and the best hope for a non-all-English final this time next year. Basically he expects Inter to flatter to decieve (as always), Juve to underachieve in Europe again, and Roma to sell Mancini so not have the squad depth they need. Milan he feels, could wheel and deal thier ay to the CL trophy next may.

The trouble is, any of the other sides could make the right buys and win it as well. If Roma were to get bought out it would undoubtedly change everything (I appriciate its all up in the air at the moment), Juve are looking to make shrewd signings without spending silly money, and if Inter paid attention to Figo and bought in Mourinho, they could be a force.

He also completely dismisses Fiorentina’s chances in next years CL as well. Ignoring the fact that the CL would provide a bit of money and the attraction of new players – as well as the ability to keep the likes of Adrian Mutu and Sebastian Frey – he seems to be underestimating how well a percieved ‘little side’ can do with a great coach (something which Fiorentina really do have, probably the best in Italy) Zico led a supercharged Fenerbahce to the Quater-Final’s this year (and were unlucky against Chelsea), with Sevilla following thier UEFA cup victory with a good run as well. And who can forget Jose Mourinho guiding Porto to victory a few years ago?

I’m not saying Fiorentina would win it, and I’m not saying that a Champions League without Milan wouldn’t be a little odd, but I think the idea that Milan are Italy’s only hope is massively misplaced. The Milan squad needs a big overhaul – the ageing players need to be begining to be lost, and the club building toward a future.

Fiorentina have also been better in Serie A this season. Whereas Milan have stuttered at home, especially in the first part of the season, Fiorentina have consistantly been among the top 4. Some wondered how they would cope without Luca Toni (who is going to make a massive splash in next years CL judging by his Bayern form), but they’ve been doing just fine. When he’s not injured Adrian Mutu has been quietly reminding everyone why he is a great forward.

I quite like both Fiorentina and Milan if truth be told. When I was growing up in the 1990s, Milan were the best side in Italy, so I always will have a sort of admiration for them. Fiorentina I have an inexplicable soft spot for, I’ve just liked alot of the players they’ve produced over the years.

The other thing, that is overlooked in the article, is that if Milan make the CL again, there is a danger of a ‘Big Four’ type gap opening in Serie A as it has in the Prem. I don’t think this would be good for Italian football to be honest – and its always nice to see a smaller side break the monopoly.

Who would you rather see make it? Fiorentina, or Milan? I think I’d like to see Fiore make it. Mix things up, keep them interesting. Comments are welcome as always.