DO YOU KNOW THE YOUNGEST CAPTAIN TO LIFT THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE / EUROPEAN CUP?

Didier Deschamps at the age of 24 years is the youngest ever captain to lift the UEFA Champions League / European Cup trophy. 

The current France's LesBleus manager lifted the trophy with Olympique Marseille in May 1993 when they defeated AC Milan 1-0 in Munich courtesy of Basile Boli's header in the first half.That Marseille team was coached by the late Belgian, Raymond Goethals who was also the oldest man to do so at 72 years old.

DO YOU KNOW THE LAST BRITISH PLAYER TO BE THE TOPSCORER IN A EUROPEAN CUP / UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE COMPETITION?

Ally McCoist for Rangers F.C in the 1987/1988 season was the last British player to come Top Scorer in a European Cup / UEFA Champions League competition. He tied with Gheorghe Hagi of Steaua Bucherest, Jean-Marc Ferreri of Bordeaux, Rabah Madjer of F.C Porto, Petar Novák of Sparta Prague, Míchel of Real Madrid and Rui Águas of Benfica all on 4 goals.

DO YOU KNOW THE TWO REAL MADRID MANAGERS SINCE 1989 THAT HAVE SURVIVED TWO CALENDAR YEARS?

                           

Jose Mourinho & Vicente del Bosqu

Since the year 1989, only Vicente del Bosque and Jose Mourinho have survived 2 calendar years as Real Madrid manager.


In 1999/2000, Del Bosque took over from John Toshack in November 1999 and he lasted till June 2003 when his contract was not renewed. 

Mourinho took over the Real Madrid managerial reigns from Manuel Pellegrini in July 2010 after he led Inter Milan to a treble of the Italian Serie A, Coppa Italia and the UEFA Champions League in the highly successful 2009/2010 season. He threw in the towel at the Santiago Bernabeu in May 2013.

DO YOU KNOW THE ONLY ENGLAND PLAYER TO FEATURE IN A UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL WITHOUT HAVING A SINGLE CAP FOR ENGLAND?

                                                             

Jermaine Pennant is the only English player to have played in a UEFA Champions League final, not to be capped for the England Three Lions.

He featured for Liverpool F.C. in the final of the 2006/2007 edition of the UEFA Champions League at the Olympic Stadium, Athens against AC Milan which they lost to the Rossonerri 1-2.

Despite being of Jamaican and Irish descent, Pennant has so far opted to represent England internationally; although he has played at under-21 level, he has not played for the senior team.

DO YOU KNOW THE INTER MILAN LEGEND THAT HIS NUMBER 3 JERSEY WAS RETIRED FOR HIS EXEMPLARY SERVICE TO THE CLUB?

Giacinto Facchetti

Giacinto Facchetti who played his whole football career for Inter Milan as one of the first truly great attacking-full backs, and one of the best ever in his position from 1960 to 1978, played 634 official games and scored 75 goals.  

Facchetti won 4 Italian Serie A Scudetto in 1962/1963, 1964/1965, 1965/1966 and 1970/1971 seasons; one Coppa Italia in 1978; two European Cups (now UEFA Champions League) in 1963/1964 and 1964/1965; and two Intercontinental Cups in 1964 and 1965.

His number 3 jersey he wore for Inter Milan all through his career was retired posthumously in his honour after he died of pancreatic cancer in Milan on September 4, 2006 as the club President.

HOW MANY SEASONS DID DIDIER DROGBA SPENT AT OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE BEFORE JOINING CHELSEA FC IN 2004?

Didier Drogba in Marseille's colours

Signed from Guingamp for a fee of £3.3 million by Olympique Marseille in the summer of 2003,  Didier Drogba spent just one season at the Stade Valedrome. 

He appeared in 35 games and scored 19 goals in all competition especially the 5 goals he scored in the UEFA Champions League and 6 goals he delivered in the UEFA Cup in that same season. 

He subsequently signed for Chelsea FC in the summer of 2004 for £24 million under Jose Mourinho till 2012 where he became their fourth highest goalscorer of all time with 157 goals in all official competition behind of Frank Lampard.

DID YOU KNOW THE STADIUM WHERE BAYERN MUNICH WON THE 2000/2001 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?

Bayern Munich led by Ottmar Hitzfeld won their 4th UEFA Champions League trophy at the Stadio Giusseppe Meazza in San Siro Milan. The Bavarians beat Spanish side, Valencia CF 5–4 on penalties after a 1–1 draw after extra-time in the 2000/2001 season. 

It was Bayern Munich's first title since 1976 during the era of Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Muller, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Ludwig Schuster and Sepp Maier. The 2000/2001 season final saw the two previous seasons losing finalists clash, Bayern Munich losing to Manchester United in 1999 and Valencia CF losing to Real Madrid CF in 2000.

DO YOU KNOW THE PLAYER THAT SCORED THE WINNER THAT QUALIFIED NEWCASTLE UNITED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IN 1997?

Ketsbaia

Georgian Temuri Ketsbaia newly signed from AEK Athens in the summer of 1997 on a free transfer, scored the crucial goal that qualified Newcastle United for the UEFA Champions League against Croatia Zagreb in extra time for the first time under Kevin Keegan. He is currently the manager of the Georgian national team.

DO YOU KNOW THE REFEREE THAT RETIRED FROM THE GAME ALL BECAUSE OF JOSE MOURINHO'S ACCUSATIONS OF SPEAKING WITH THE OPPONENT'S MANAGER?

Anders Frisk send-off Didier Drogba

Anders Frisk from Sweden is the referee that Jose Mourinho (then manager of Chelsea FC) accused of speaking to Frank Rijkaard ex FC Barcelona manager in their first leg second round UEFA Champions League match in the 2004/2005 season at the Camp Nou which led to his sudden retirement from the game due to threats from Chelsea FC gang fans. Incidentally, he also officiated their duel in April 1999 also at the Camp Nou in the same competition which FC Barcelona won in a 5-1 win.

DO YOU KNOW THE LAST MANAGER TO WIN THE EUROPEAN CUP BACK-TO-BACK?

Arrigo Sacchi

Arrigo Sacchi is the last manager to win the European Cup (now rechristened UEFA Champions League) back to back with AC Milan of Italy during the 1988/1989 and 1989/1990 seasons with outstanding players like Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Franco Baresi, Roberto Donaldoni, Paolo Maldini and a host of others. He was also the manager of Italy's Azzuri from 1991-1996.

DO YOU KNOW THE PLAYER THAT WON THE BALLON D'OR AWARD FOR EUROPEAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR IN 1996?

One of the finest sweeper the game of football has ever produced, Matthias Sammer was voted the Ballon D'Or winner for the European Footballer of the Year in 1996 by France Football with his great efforts that helped Germany to victory in the UEFA Euro 96 in England. He was also instrumental in that same year to the exploits of his club Borussia Dortmond to win the German Bundesliga in the 1997/1996 season which culminated in them winning the UEFA Champions League in 1997.  

DO YOU KNOW THE PLAYER DIEGO FORLAN PIPPED TO WIN THE TWO PICHICHI TROPHY AWARDS FOR THE TOP SCORER WHILE HE WAS IN THE SPANISH PRIMERA LIGA?

Diego Forlan is a two-time winner of the Pichichi Trophy for the top-scorer in the Spanish Primera Liga with two different clubsides. His first Pichichi Trophy was with Villarreal CF 2004–05 season when he scored 25 goals in 38 appearances (averaging a goal every 1.5 games) and helped Villarreal CF to their first ever UEFA Champions League spot. He also jointly won the European Soccer Magazine (ESM) Golden Boot award with Thierry Henry (then of Arsenal FC). Forlan's second Pichichi Trophy came in the 2008-2009 season while at Atletico Madrid and he notched up an impressive 32 goals in 33 matches (essentially a goal per game). Interestingly on both occasion, he came from behind to pip Samuel Eto'o then with FC Barcelona to the prize.

DO YOU KNOW THE ONLY TEAM TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN TWO PENALTY KICK SHOOTOUTS IN THE SAME SEASON OF THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?

FC Barcelona led by English man Terry Venables is the only team to have been involved in two penalty shootouts in the same season of the European Cup (now UEFA Champions League). In 1985–86 season, they beat IFK Göteborg in the semi-final, but lost to Steaua Bucharest in that cursed final in Seville, no thanks to the heroics of their goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam, who after keeping a clean sheet, saved all four of FC Barcelona's penalties to win the cup.

DO YOU KNOW THE ONLY CLUB TO HAVE WON THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE MORE TIMES THAN THEY HAVE WON THEIR DOMESTIC LEAGUE TITLE?

Nottingham Forest is the only club to have won the European Cup (now UEFA Champions League) more times (twice) than they have won their domestic league (once). Nottingham Forest won the English Division 1 League in 1978 before winning the European Cup in 1979 and defending it in 1980. Nottingham Forest are also the only previous winners of the European Cup to be later relegated to the third tier of their national league (in 2005).

DO YOU KNOW THE FIRST PLAYER TO WIN THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE IN TWO CONSECUTIVE SEASONS WITH DIFFERENT CLUBS?

Desailly with Milan

Desailly celebrating with Marseille

Ghanaian born French defender, Marcel Desailly is the first player to win the UEFA Champions League in two consecutive seasons with different clubs. His first triumph was with Olympique Marseille of France in the 1992/1993 season against AC Milan at the Olympiastadion in Munich while in the following season (1993/1994), he won it with AC Milan when they defeated FC Barcelona in Athens Karaiskakis Stadium where he scored the last goal in a 4-0 thrashing.

DO YOU KNOW THE CLUB THAT HAVE THE WORST WINLESS RECORD IN THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE?

Partizan against Arsenal in 2010

The team with the worst winless record in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League is Partizan Belgrade, who have played in the group stage twice and lost all 12 of their matches. They lost home and away clashes to FC Porto, Olympique Marseille and Real Madrid in 2003/04 and then to Shakhtar Donetsk, Arsenal and SC Braga in the 2010/2011 season.

DO YOU KNOW THE OLDEST MAN TO COACH A UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNING TEAM?



Raymond Goethals hoisting the UEFA trophy

By May 1993, Raymond Goethals had become the oldest man at 72 years to coach an European Champions Cup winning team when he coached Olympique Marseille to winning the UEFA Champions League title in 1993 against AC Milan at the Olympic Stadion in Munich which was the first in the new format.

DID YOU KINOW HOW MANY EUROPEAN CUP THAT FERENC PUSKAS WON WITH REAL MADRID?

Ferenc Puskas at Real Madrid

Despite Ferenc Puskas's legendary status and the European Cup (now UEFA Champions League) winning spree of Real Madrid CF in the late 1950's to the early 1960's, he only won one trophy out of the 5 they garnered which is the 7-3 1960 victory against Eintracht Frankfurt of Germany at Scotland's Hampden Park. He had the bad fortune of always been injured when Real Madrid CF got to the final.

DO YOU KNOW THE ONLY EUROPEAN COUNTRY THAT HELD ALL THREE EUROPEAN CLUB TROPHIES IN ONE SEASON?



Marco van Basten

 Italy is the only country to have won all three European club diadems in the 1989/1990 season. AC Milan won the UEFA Champions Cup (now UEFA Champions League), the UEFA Cup Winners Cup was clinched by Sampdoria and the UEFA Cup was captured by Juventus FC. Interestingly, all three teams were beaten by AS Roma in the 1990/1991 Coppa Italia campaign.

WHICH CITY HAS WON THE UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WITH TWO DIFFERENT CLUBSIDES?

The city of Milan in Italy is the only one that have won the UEFA Champions League with two different teams: Inter Milan and AC Milan. The two clubs have won ten trophies and therefore being the most succesful in the history of the tournament. They once met in the Semi Final of the 2002/2003 season and AC Milan triumph 1-1 on away goals rule even though they both play at Stadio Giusseppe Meazza, San Siro.