The Latest Football News and Opinions From 90 Minutes Online
Eredivisie: McClaren on top of the Netherlands
Details
Written by Darren Douglas
Nine games in and things continue to look good for FC Twente, who finally claimed the top of the table all for themselves this last weekend. McClaren's team continued their unbeaten domestic season with another win, this time 3-1 away at mid-table Heracles. Meanwhile nearest rivals PSV fell 2 points behind the Eredivisie table-toppers, after being held 0-0 at Utrecht.
Things didn't initially start too well for FC Twente on Sunday. In the ninth minute the visitors conceded an unnecessary, if slightly dubious looking freekick. Everton curled in the set-piece with his right foot and it managed to allude everyone and bounced in past the goalkeeper.
Tits, thighs and castration: another week in Poland
Details
Written by Ian Shine
Polish football was far from hit this week by Jagiellonia Białystok midfielder Marco Reich’s comments that the Ekstraklasa is comparable in quality to the German third tier.
Whether it’s true or not, the former Walsall, Crystal Palace and Derby County man is the one poor enough to be playing in the Ekstraklasa, and he played 84 minutes this week as Jagiellonia upset high-flying Legia Warszawa thanks to a fine display by Kamil Grosicki.
Champions League minnows are bigger than you think
Details
Written by Darren Douglas
Just two games into this season's Champions League group stage, and it is becoming apparent that the dynamics of European club football is reflecting more that of international football. It has been a common soundbite in recent years that there are no easy international matches anymore, and likewise judging by some of the results, the same could now be said for the highest level of club football.
If you only take a fleeting look at the scorelines of this weeks round of Champions League matches, you could be forgiven for thinking that there were some mistakes in the reporting. The stand-out results involved both of Milan's clubs. Firstly Jose Mourinho's Inter only managed a 1-1 draw in Russia against Rubin Kazan, and then on Wednesday AC Milan fell to a 1-0 home defeat to Swiss champions FC Zürich.
Chelsea were making steady progress up the Premier League ladder when, in 2003, Roman Abramovich came along and pumped in a few billion roubles. In 2004/05 The Blues put a smile on their Russian owner’s face by winning their first top flight championship for 50 years, but Abramovich’s lusty eyes are still set on the elusive Champions League trophy.
Former manager José Mourinho won it with Porto but couldn’t win it with Chelsea. Current boss Carlo Ancelotti won it twice with AC Milan and won his first Champions League game with Chelsea 1-0 against Porto. His progress might be hindered somewhat though by the transfer ban that FIFA has slapped on the club until 2011.
90minutesonline spoke to Rowan Farnham-Long, editor of CFCnet, about his team and his hopes for this season… before they lost 3-1 to Wigan.
Rising from the ashes of Wimbledon FC’s decision to relocate to Milton Keynes and become Milton Keynes Dons, AFC Wimbledon formed in 2002.
Having won promotion four times in seven seasons the club now play in the Blue Square Premier and are just one promotion away from League Two. Impressively, AFC Wimbledon also hold the record for most consecutive games unbeaten by a senior football club with a whopping 78.