European Leagues Thread 2012/2013

[soggy biscuit]

lolz @ 17 yellow cards (5 red) being shown at the Bilbao V Santander match last night

[FORSTERS_RIGHT_FOOT]

Coach Klinsmann sacked by Bayern .

Bayern Munich coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been sacked after only eight months in charge at the Allianz Arena.

The German giants lost 1-0 to Schalke on Saturday, a result that leaves them third in the league and in danger of missing Champions League qualification.

Bayern also crashed out of Europe at the quarter-final stage of this year's Champions League after an emphatic 5-1 aggregate defeat by Barcelona.

Former coach Jupp Heynckes will take charge for the remainder of the season.

"We did not come to this decision lightly," club chairman Karl-Heinze Rummenigge said in a statement.

"But the results of the past weeks, the way in which they came about and above all, the situation we find ourselves in five games before the end of the season forced us to act out of a sense of responsibility to the club."

The club website stated that the decision had been taken as a result of the board's concern that the club "may not achieve its minimum targets for the season".

Klinsmann had returned to the club he represented as a player, tasked with restoring them as a force in Europe - his coaching reputation established by Germany's impressive World Cup campaign in 2006 where he guided them to the semi-finals before being beaten by eventual winners Italy.

He had been criticised before the tournament for his insistence on dividing his time between his homeland and the USA, where he was impressed by the psychological preparation undergone by athletes.

But his unorthodox training methods failed to win over either the fans or the Bayern hierarchy as the side struggled in the defence of its Bundesliga title, despite some solid European form.

Heynckes, who has guided Bayern to two league titles in the past and has also coached Borussia Moenchengladbach and Real Madrid, will be assisted by current reserve team coach Hermann Gerland.

News of Klinsmann's departure, along with his assistants Martin Vasquez and Nick Theslof, came following reports that the club had approached Arsenal to enquire about the availability of manager Arsene Wenger.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8020338.stm

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Current Golden Boot standings:

1. Marc Janko (Salzburg)
2. Samuel Eto’ (Barcelona)
3. David Villa (Valencia)
4. Vedat Ibesevic (Hoffenheim)
=5. Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
=5. Diego Forlan (Villarreal)
=7. Marco Di Vaio (Bologna)
=7. Patrick Helmes (Leverkusen)
9. Kris Boyd (Rangers)

[soggy biscuit]

Fabio Cannavaro agrees to rejoin Juventus

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Steve McLaren's FC Twente beat Champions AZ 3-0 to guarantee a runners up spot and the clubs highest finish for 25 years. FC Twente also play Heerenveen in the cup final in 2 weeks time.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Encore

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Sounding more and more like Van Gaal will be the Bayern Munich manager next season

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Lyon's results just get funnier and funnier as the weeks go by.

Additional LOLz @ Barcelona for being 2 minutes away from winning the league and then letting a goal in at home.

[soggy biscuit]

3 games to go in Turkey & Germany and 6 teams could all still win the leagues in both countries.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Lyon's results just get funnier and funnier as the weeks go by

It's over for them.

They're 7 points back of two sides with 4 to play, so their max haul is 73 points, which either of Marseille (leaders with a goal difference differential of +1 and with one more goal scored) or Bordeaux would top with a pair of wins.

As it is, they've got PSG a point behind 'em and Toulouse three back. Still to play:

Marseille (68/+27)....Nice (A) Lyon (H) Nancy (A) Rennes (H)
Bordeaux (68/+26)....Valenciennes (A) Le Mans (H) Monaco (H) Caen (A)
----------------------------
Lyon (61/+16).........Nantes (H) Marseille (A) Caen (H) Toulouse (A)
----------------------------
PSG (60/+12)..........Le Mans (A) Auxerre (H) Valenciennes (A) Monaco (H)
Toulouse (58/+16)....Lille (H) St-Etienne (A) Nice (A) Lyon (H)
----------------------------
Lille (56/+10).........Toulouse (A) Nice (H) Le Havre (A) Nancy (H)
Rennes (54/+9).......Caen (H) Nantes (A) Lorient (H) Marseille (A)

Because Bordeaux won the Coupe de La Ligue and should finish in the top two, it's now all but certain that the top five (four being the regular league allocation) will play in Europe next season. That may prove to be all that gets OL in the hat. Their run of league titles ends at seven in any event.

[soggy biscuit]

With the top 2 still to play away this season I am predicting that Lyon will have to settle for the euROFLopa LOLeague next season.

Big LOLZ after sitting top for most of the season

[RoyalChicagoFC]

euROFLopa LOLeague

It will come as no surprise to you whatsoever that I was thisclose to going precisely there myself

Right, Germany with three rounds to go:

Wolfsburg (60/+27/67s)......Dortmund (H) Hannover (A) Werder (H)
Bayern (60/+25/64s)..........Leverkusen (H) Hoffenheim (A) Stuttgart (H)
----------------------------
Hertha (59/+10/46s)..........Cologne (A) Schalke (H) Karlsruhe (A)
----------------------------
Stuttgart (58/+18/58s).......Schalke (A) Cottbus (H) Bayern (A)
B Dortmund (55/+20/53s)....Wolfsburg (A) Bielefeld (H) 'Gladbach (A)
----------------------------
Hamburg (55/0/43s)..........Bochum (H) Cologne (H) Frankfurt (A)
Schalke (49/+14/44s).........Stuttgart (H) Hertha (A) Hoffenheim (H)

With Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen having reached the German Cup final and neither with a shot at finishing in the top five, that's your lot (in a nut's hell: everybody roll over for Bayern again )

New for this season: promotion/relegation playoff over two legs between the third bottom side in the top division and third place in the second

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Not a bad goal by Yaya Toure last night to help Barca win the Cup
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/?id=2849599

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Not a bad goal by Yaya Toure last night to help Barca win the Cup
http://www.d1g.com/video/show/?id=2849599

It's probable we could find room for him here

Wow, Germany --full card in midweek, with no changes at the top except for Hamburg leapfrogging Borussia Dortmund into fifth by beating Bochum 3-1 after leaders Wolfsburg had taken down Dortmund 3-0 on the nite before.

Borussia Monchengladbach also may have saved themselves with a latelatelate winner away to Cottbus, which put them three clear of both the latter and Arminia Bielefeld and left bottom side Karlsruhe eating their dust. Bochum, on 28 points, were a point better than Cottbus and Bielefeld headed into today's Round 37.

From that, Wolfsburg are now poised to win the title after hammering Hannover 5-0 away as Bayern were held 2-2 at Hoffenheim. With goal difference solidly in the leaders' favour, Bayern's only hope lies in a win over visitors Stuttgart as Wolfsburg lose at home to Werder

Stuttgart moved past Hertha Berlin into third on level points with Bayern, beating Cottbus 2-0 at home as Hertha were held to a nil draw at home to Schalke and slipped to fourth, a point back of Bayern and Stuttgart who will square off in Munich next Saturday.

In the fight for fifth and the last remaining berth in Europe, Dortmund reclaimed the spot by destroying Bielefeld 6-0 as Hamburg lost 1-0 at home to Cologne. Here's the picture headed into next Saturday's final round:

Wolfsburg (66/+35/75s)......Werder (H)
Bayern (64/+28/69s)..........Stuttgart (H)
----------------------------
Stuttgart (64/+21/62s).......Bayern (A)
----------------------------
Hertha (63/+11/48s)..........Karlsruhe (A)
B Dortmund (58/+23/59s)....'Gladbach (A)
----------------------------
Hamburg (58/+1/46s).........Frankfurt (A)

It'd be something if Bayern drew with Stuttgart and Hertha leapfrogg'd 'em both with a win. In any case, it's looking awfully good for Wolfsburg at the top.

At the other end of things, Eintracht Frankfurt were made safe by other results below them today despite losing 2-0 at home to Bochum, who made themselves safe with the win and relegated bottom side Karlsruhe despite the latter's 3-1 defeat of Werder away (edit/correction: Karlsruhe are not relegated but are assured of finishing in the bottom three and still hopeful of finishing third bottom and playing off to stay up). 'Gladbach are just about safe on goal difference despite their 5-0 pummelling at the hands of Leverkusen as Cottbus and Bielefeld below them both lost today.

'Gladbach (30/-23/38s)......Dortmund (H)
----------------------------
Bielefeld (27/-27/27s).......Hannover (H)
Cottbus (27/-30/27s)........Leverkusen (H)
Karlsruhe (26).................relegated

Freiburg are promoted to the top flight, and Mainz and Nurnberg are locked in a battle for second with Furth, Aachen and Kaiserslautern lurking. Whoever finish third will play off over two legs with third bottom from the top division.

[Victor Meldrew]

Fantastic result for little Wolsberg today-is it down to goal difference or results against the other side if they are level on points at the end?
If it's on goal difference they only need a point at home to Werder Bremen and for us romantics a championship for the little club.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

is it down to goal difference or results against the other side if they are level on points at the end?

Order of tiebreakers in Germany
1) Goal difference for the entire league season
2) Total goals scored for the entire season
3) Total points in head-to-head league play
4) Goal difference in head-to-head league play
5) Goals scored in head-to-head league play
6) Total away goals scored for the entire league season
7) One-off tie at a neutral venue

Wolfsburg with no real worries with respect to anyone who still finish level with 'em; the most realistic of scenarios would have them drawing with Werder as Bayern beat Stuttgart by no fewer than 8, with Bayern thus winning the title on goal difference.

Here's a column about Wolfsburg that I enjoyed reading four years ago

[bobbybottler]

Here's a column about Wolfsburg that I enjoyed reading four years ago

Yes, interesting, but no mention of former manager Wolfgang Wolf.

[RoyalChicagoFC]

Barcelona officially champions of Spain now with Real failing to win at Villarreal (lost 3-2 in fact)

Villarreal in fourth position on level points with Valencia, whom they host next week and drew 3-all at the Mestalla earlier in the season (Spain breaks ties using head-to-head results, away goals rule inclusive)

[Starfish]

Here's a column about Wolfsburg that I enjoyed reading four years ago

Yes, interesting, but no mention of former manager Wolfgang Wolf.

Indeed. I loved that a man named Wolfgang Wolf had been manager of Wolfsburg. He became manager of Nuremberg after that and made one or two players who were bought during his tenure were very very astute signings. Does he have a job now?