The Sign of Four : Arsene Wenger

A gaping blank – an unexplained one at that – exists in Arsene Wenger’s managerial CV. For all his achievements at club level, it is odd that a manager of his status has never won a continental title.

Twice, he was denied in UEFA’s secondary cup competitions. In 1992, his Monaco lost to Werder Bremen in the Cup Winners Cup Final while it was the heartache of a penalty shootout that brought about loss to Wenger’s Arsenal in the 2000 UEFA Cup final against Galatasaray.

It is however Europe’s premier competition

The Sign of Four : Jose Mourinho

From unknown to special; to public enemy number one, Jose Mourinho has always courted controversy. He divides opinion more than most.

For him however, he recognises that the world is a stage and thus he always plays his part. Mainly cast as the villain, it is surprising just how many times it is he who has performed heroic achievements.

Winning the Champions League with Porto in 2004 was

The Sign of Four : Pep Guardiola

At Barcelona, he exemplified all the features of Plato’s proverbial philosopher king. Born and bred in Catalunya’s playing fields, he rose to dominance with poetic displays in midfield. Then he left, only to return as manager and build probably the greatest club side in history. Certainly, the greatest this side of the century thus far.

Bayern Munich however provides a totally different challenge to Pep Guardiola.

It is a club steeped in different traditions to those of

The Sign of Four : Carlo Ancelotti

After the retirements of Jupp Heynckes and Sir Alex Ferguson, it seems that the most experienced manager left in the competition who can boast some level of Champions League success is Carlo Ancelotti.

But far from experience, the Italian manager brings so much more to Real Madrid. His tactical awareness has meant that he is willing to explore various formations. He may have written a thesis on the 4-3-2-1 –and this is the formation he has used at least once in every managerial job that he has had – but he is not stubbornly stuck to it.

At the same time, he provides contrast to

The Sign of Four

  A look into four managers who could inspire the narrative with a Champions League win

Bill Shankly meant it absolutely. “John, you’re immortal now.”

These were the words the former Liverpool manager said to Jock Stein after Celtic lifted the European Cup in 1967. Of course, there was much context to it – not only were Celtic the first British club to win Europe’s most coveted trophy but there was also an air of moral victory. Their victims had been

The magic of Wembley

All set for the 2013 UEFA Champions League Final *** image courtesy of zimbio ***

East or west, invariably home is best. Football’s greatest annual game sees Europe’s elite teams battle it out in football’s most prestigious competition. No place would be better suited than football’s proverbial home.

Wembley will be the stage for what has now become the greatest show on earth. Forget the World Cup – that comes once every four summers. Forget the Olympic Games and the sports which we never knew existed and which we will never see on T.V. for another four years. Forget the American sports and the huge amount of following they get in the greatest country on earth. For worldwide appeal year in year out, look no further than the Champions League Final.

And so, in the 150^th year since

Real Madrid decima-ted

Robert Lewandowski ***image courtesy of zimbio***

Robert Lewandowski finds himself in very illustrious company.

In the Champions League era, he became the first player ever to score four goals in a semi-final. He also became the first player to score four against Real Madrid in this competition that so defines los merengues.

It means that he puts his side in a wonderful position to go through to the final. Certainly, in as far as history is concerned, this is not a huge feat for Borussia Dortmund. In context however, it means that a young team, experiencing only its second ever Champions League is potentially continuing a dream run.

It will certainly raise eyebrows. Those in Manchester will wonder

Bayern dethrone mighty Barca

 

Bayern celebrating in last years Champions League Final *** image courteys of zimbio ***

Such is the nature of football that even in a score-line as emphatic as 4-0, it is the slimmest of margins that illuminate.

As such, it has been coming for some time now. Barcelona was bound to lose out someday. Dethroned they have been, but nobody thought it would come in this way.

Of the many traits that have been bestowed on this Barcelona side is the fact that it was never expected that they would capitulate in the same manner that Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team did in the 1994 Final. Whereas Cruyff considered identity above everything else, this Barca side had the insatiable desire to produce results on a constant occasion. Thus success has

Changing times for Barcelona and Bayern

What next? ***image courtesy of zimbio***

[This is a Champions League semi-final preview of Bayern vs Barcelona. For Dortmund vs Real Madrid, click here]

The change of guard is probably here. As the players step onto the pitch and listen to that Champions League anthem, they will know that the shaking of hands that follows may very well symbolise the passing on of the baton.

Bayern Munich are most certainly the next kings of Europe. It is they who look most likely to dominate Europe in years to come the same way Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona did. As such, Guardiola himself seems to acknowledge – he will be coaching the Bavarian side as from next season.

Bayern come up against a wounded

Battle royal as Dortmund battle Real

They meet again *** image courtesy of zimbio ***

[A Champions League semi-final preview of Borussia Dortmund vs Real Madrid. For Bayern vs Barcelona, click here]

When Santiago Bernabeu became President of Real Madrid, this was exactly what he envisioned. As Madrid went on to win the first five European Cups from 1956 to 1960, it was done with a galaxy of stars who invoked fear as they went about conquering Europe.

As such, it defined what a club from Madrid would eventually come to be associated with. So, nothing at the moment is bigger at Real Madrid than the fact that finally, the 10 year wait for a European Cup seems likely to be over.

It is so big it papers over the cracks of the civil war that has existed