Sky satellite viewers in the United Kingdom and Ireland are in for a treat in May and June when ESPN Classic, surely the most reliably entertaining sports channel on television, broadcasts extensive highlights of numerous classic European Championship matches in the build-up to Euro 2008.
On air since March 2006, ESPN Classic got off to a [...]
Entries from March 2008
March 31, 2008
Euromania Comes to ESPN Classic
March 30, 2008
Player Profile: Lukas Podolski
Lukas Podolski came off the bench to score a vital late equaliser for leaders Bayern in the Bavarian derby at Nürnberg on Saturday. It was the German international’s first league goal of the season. Despite starring consistently for the national team – he was superb in the midweek win over Switzerland – it all seems [...]
March 30, 2008
Premier League: Everton’s Glass Ceiling
Liverpool deservedly won the Merseyside derby 1-0 at Anfield today to effectively win the race for the final Champions League qualification spot.
An eighth-minute goal from Fernando Torres won a dire match and highlighted the gap between the Premier League haves and have-nots.
Everton manager David Moyes deserves great credit for putting the Toffees within an ass’s [...]
March 30, 2008
Coupe De La Ligue: Soft Penalty Gives PSG Victory
Controversy in France where struggling Paris St.Germain won the League Cup with a 2-1 victory over hard-done-by Lens at the Stade de France on Saturday night.
With the game set for extra time at 1-1, Vitorino Hilton was adjudged to have fouled Peguy Luyindula in the penalty area. There’s no doubt that there was some contact [...]
March 30, 2008
Champions League Quarter-Finals: Predictions
For all the talk of obvious favourites in this season’s Champions League, I can’t help predicting that at least one, and maybe two, of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Barcelona will fall at the quarter-final stage.
For my money, there is no outstanding club side in Europe at the moment. The bar is set far too [...]
March 30, 2008
Primera Liga: Rijkaard Rumbled Again
Barcelona effectively abdicated the title struggle for another season with a remarkable second-half collapse in Andalucia against Real Betis on Saturday night.
Leading 2-0 through goals from Bojan and Samuel Eto’o, the Catalans contrived to throw away three points in succumbing to a 3-2 defeat at the old Villamarin stadium, now egregiously called the Lopez Ropera [...]
March 28, 2008
Soccer Spin: Keane’s Self-Parody
Sunderland manager Roy Keane on managers’ recent calls for players to respect referees and officials:
“We have got to be careful who we listen to, there are a lot of hypocrites in football. The problem for me when I comment on this, is people say ‘how can you.’ But that was as a player. I [...]
March 25, 2008
Sky’s Champions League Deal Good For Die-Hard Viewers
Last week’s announcement by UEFA that Sky has won extensive UK rights to the Champions League for seasons 2009/10 to 2011/12 is one that this observer welcomes wholeheartedly.
First, the details. The broadcaster paid in excess of £240 million for almost exclusive rights to the tournament over three seasons. Essentially, Sky gets to show 15 of [...]
March 24, 2008
Ligue Une: Flamboyant Lyon Set for Seventh Heaven
Olympique Lyonnais look set for a seventh consecutive French championship after beating relegation-haunted Paris Saint-Germain 4-2 at Stade Gerland on Sunday.
Brazilian forward Fred scored twice to compensate for the loss, through injury, of star striker Karim Benzema. However, PSG fought back to level the game through Zoumana Camara (a near-post header) and a Jerome Rothen [...]
March 24, 2008
Serie A: Juventus Open Door for Roma as Inter Implode
Internazionale’s processional march to the Italian Scudetto was rudely interrupted at the Giuseppe Meazza on Saturday night when old rivals Juventus inflicted a 2-1 defeat on the champions to give Roma a glimmer of hope as the season enters its final stretch.
Having lost to Liverpool in the Champions’ League, Inter saw coach Roberto Mancini walk [...]
