Uefa Champions League 2013-14 Review

Season review
2013/14
Contents
UEFA Presidents message..................................................... 2
Respect........................................................................................... 4
Technical report
Event report
Introduction.................................................................. 8
Brand............................................................................ 94
The lure of Lisbon........................................................ 10
Sponsors...................................................................... 96
The final: A minute difference................................... 18
Official suppliers.......................................................... 98
The winning coach: Carlo Ancelotti.......................... 23
A tale of two cities....................................................100
Technical topics.......................................................... 24
Sponsors: final...........................................................102
Passing......................................................................... 32
UEFA Champions Festival.........................................104
Goalscoring analysis................................................... 34
Social media..............................................................106
The importance of scoring first................................. 42
TV Production............................................................108
Attempts on goal........................................................ 44
Media rights...............................................................110
Crossing........................................................................ 45
Broadcast network....................................................112
Talking points.............................................................. 46
Venue operations......................................................114
Distance covered........................................................ 49
Communications......................................................116
Approaching the goal................................................. 50
Financial summary....................................................118
Discipline...................................................................... 52
UEFA Youth League...................................................120
All-star squad............................................................... 54
2014/15 season preview.........................................122
Results and tables....................................................... 56
Roll of honour............................................................124
Team profiles............................................................... 58
UEFA PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
A season of
excellence
The 2013/14 UEFA Champions League season
will always be remembered for Real Madrid CF
winning La Dcima. After 12 years striving to
reclaim the trophy they had made their own
in the 1950s, the club of Di Stfano, Gento,
Pusks, Hierro, Ral, Casillas and Zidane
captured their elusive tenth European Cup.
New heroes have now joined the illustrious roll
call of players to have lifted the trophy in the
famous white jersey, none more so than the
phenomenal Cristiano Ronaldo, whose record
of 17 goals in a season was suitably rewarded
with the trophy at the end. A special mention
is also due to Carlo Ancelotti, who became the
second coach after Bob Paisley to lead a team
to the title three times.
Madrids victory brought back memories of the
early years of this great competition and it was
with tremendous sadness that we learned of
the passing of two of its most dazzling pioneers
Alfredo Di Stfano and Eusbio true greats
and players who embodied the spirit and
magic of the game.
While we congratulate the winners, beaten
finalists Club Atltico de Madrid also deserve high
praise. For the first time, club footballs greatest
prize was contested by rivals from the same city,
and while the pain of defeat may linger for Diego
Simeones side, Atltico must hold their heads

high and be proud of a campaign in which they
won many admirers. They proved again that
with skill, organisation, desire and a tremendous
team ethic, the underdog can go far in the
UEFA Champions League.
This is the ultimate

stage that the worlds
best players dream of
playing on
Off the pitch, important strides were taken
during the 2013/14 season. UEFAs No to Racism
campaign reinforced the principle that
discrimination will not be tolerated in European
football, though sadly sanctions were imposed in
some instances where the message has still not
got through. We will continue to do everything
within our powers to rid the sport of this scourge.
In this season review we analyse the key tactical

trends and talking points in the technical report,
and also go behind the scenes in the event
report to shed light on the broadcasting,
commercial and organisational aspects that
underpin the continued success of the UEFA
Champions League.
An estimated 165 million people in over 200
countries watched the Lisbon final; this is
the ultimate stage that the worlds best players
dream of playing on, and there is no question
that the excellence and competitiveness of
the football drives the competitions popularity
ever year. The 2013/14 campaign highlighted
that once again.
Michel Platini
UEFA President
Financial fair play also came into effect as we

strive to establish sound economic foundations
for the European club game. It is our belief at
UEFA that clubs should operate within their
means, and financial fair play will help bring
long-term stability to our sport.
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2013/14
UEFA PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
RESPECT
We have to show again
and again that racism
has no place in football
or anywhere else
Fernando Torres
No to Racism
European football united
in 2013/14 to reinforce the
message that racism will not
be tolerated in the game
The Respect campaign was launched at

UEFA EURO 2008 by the UEFA President,
Michel Platini. Its mission: to strengthen and
promote sportsmanship and integrity within
the European game. Respect encompasses
UEFAs social responsibility strategy, which
includes the promotion of diversity, peace
and reconciliation, health, respect for the
environment, and the campaign against
discrimination, racism and violence. It
encourages respect across the game respect
for opposing players, coaches and officials,
referees, opposing supporters and emphasises
that football is open to all.
The battle to eliminate racism from the game
was at the forefront of the Respect campaign
in 2013/14, after a resolution was adopted by
UEFAs member associations at the UEFA
Congress in May 2013. The resolution, entitled
European Football United Against Racism,
comprised an 11-point plan designed to tackle
racism. Stars of European football past and
present, as well as coaches and referees, threw
their weight behind the campaign, rallying
around the slogan No to Racism.
NO TO RACISM
No to racism.indd 1
RESPECT
8/16/2013 4:43:01 PM
The global popularity of the UEFA Champions

League ensured that this message was heard
far and wide during the 2013/14 season, with
contributions from top players guaranteeing
that the message commanded attention.
We as footballers and people in football have
to show again and again that racism has no place
in football or anywhere else, Chelsea FC striker
Fernando Torres said.
The No to Racism initiative made its presence
felt in a number of ways. Respect: No to
Racism flags were displayed prominently on the
pitch before kick-off at every match, and from
the start of the knockout stage the message was
shown on LED boards at stadiums. Big names
such as Lionel Messi, Kevin-Prince Boateng,
Cristiano Ronaldo and Arjen Robben endorsed
the campaign by participating in a No to Racism
television spot, which was transmitted by clubs

and broadcasters including CNNs World Sport,
which reaches 200 territories and a quarter of
a billion homes.
Players also featured in a No to Racism advert,
widely used in print publications, while the digital
campaign undertaken via UEFAs social media
platforms on Twitter and Facebook, as well as
on UEFA.com, was a key factor in spreading the
message and increasing public awareness about
discrimination in football. A dedicated No to
Racism section on UEFA.org also kept people
up to date.
The focal point was the FARE Action Weeks from
15 to 29 October 2013, once again organised
by UEFAs long-standing social responsibility
partner, the FARE network. FARE have organised
the Action Weeks every year since 2001, bringing
together fans, minority groups, activists and
grassroots groups with players, clubs, leagues
and football associations in a united front
against all forms of discrimination.
The No to Racism message took centre stage on
matchday three of the UEFA Champions League,
providing a high-profile platform for the
campaign against racism, discrimination and
intolerance in football. Team captains wore No
to Racism armbands, anti-racism messages were
played over clubs public address systems, and a
No to Racism pennant was passed between
players in the pre-match lineups. On 22 and 23
October, to coincide with the UEFA Champions
League matches, the TV spot was shown in 31
European countries by over 100 broadcasters.
UEFAs own reinforced disciplinary approach and
zero tolerance stance, meanwhile, has resulted
in several partial stadium closures, imposed as a
penalty for racist behaviour. Clubs, supporters
and everyone else involved in football are now
fully aware that UEFA will not let up in its drive
to rid the game of racism.
Technic al
report
INTRODUCTION
Group A
Bayer 04
Leverkusen
(LEV)
Group B
Manchester
United FC
(MU)
Real Sociedad
de Ftbol
(RS)
FC Shakhtar
Donetsk
(SHK)
Group C
RSC Anderlecht
(AND)
Reading the game

The review of the 22nd season of UEFA
Champions League football combines the
annual technical report, which has been
published for the last 15 seasons, with the
commercial, marketing, financial and
broadcasting aspects the essential
ingredients in the success of European
footballs premier club competition. The
technical report is also being produced as a
limited-edition stand-alone publication for
a small target group of front-line coaches.
As usual, the technical report sets out to
provide a permanent record of the 125
matches played during the 2013/14 UEFA
Champions League season and to present
factual and statistical information in a
reader-friendly format. Data on specific
matches and the 32 teams who competed
in the competition are widely available
notably on UEFAs own website. The focus in
this report is therefore to deliver an overview
based on the presentation and interpretation
of factual evidence, blended with the input
from the team of UEFA technical observers that
attended the matches played during the

knockout stage of the competition. These
culminated with the final in Lisbon, contested
for the second successive season by two teams
from the same national association.
This mix of facts and observations seeks to
provoke as well as to inform. The objective is to
provide inspiration for analysis, reflections and
debate which, it is hoped, will give technicians
food for thought. By highlighting tendencies

and trends at the peak of professional club
football, the report also offers coaches who
are active in the development levels of the
game information that may be helpful in
terms of working on the qualities which will
be needed by the players and coaches who
will play leading roles in shaping the UEFA
Champions League of the future.
SL Benfica
(BEN)
Olympiacos FC
(OLY)
Paris
Saint-Germain
(PSG)
FC Kbenhavn
(KOB)
PFC CSKA
Moskva
(CSKA)
Manchester
City FC
(MC)
Real Madrid CF
(RM)
FC Bayern
Mnchen
(BAY)
FC Viktoria
Plze
(PLZ)
Group F
Chelsea FC
(CHL)
FC Schalke 04
(SCH)
FC Steaua
Bucureti
(STE)
Group G
Club Atltico
de Madrid
(ATL)
Juventus
(JUV)
Group D
Group E
FC Basel 1893
(BSL)
Galatasaray A
(GAL)
Arsenal FC
(ARS)
Borussia
Dortmund
(DOR)
SSC Napoli
(NAP)
Olympique
de Marseille
(MAR)
Group H
FK Austria Wien
(AW)
FC Porto
(POR)
FC Zenit
(ZEN)
AFC Ajax
(AJX)
FC Barcelona
(BAR)
Celtic FC
(CEL)
AC Milan
(ACM)
The UEFA technical team lineup at the final (from left to right): Graham Turner, Ioan Lupescu, Thomas Schaaf, Sir Alex Ferguson,
Roy Hodgson, Jorge Jesus, Mircea Lucescu and Frank Ludolph
The above abbreviations are used in place of club names on pages 5891
8
INTRODUCTION
COMPETITION OVERVIEW
The lure of
Lisbon
Madrids great rivals laid down a marker in the group stage,
dropping just two points each on their way to ensuring the
competitions first single-city final
One of the multifarious challenges facing
members of the coaching profession is that
expectations can blur the publics perception
of success and failure. In the UEFA Champions
League, success can be a place on the starting
grid, survival into the new calendar year, or
raising a national flag for the first time in the
quarter-finals. For a select few clubs,
expectations are pinned to images of the
captain triumphantly lifting Old Big Ears and
some of the pre-season favourites ended the
10
campaign with a bitter taste of disappointment

despite a more than creditable season.
FC Bayern Mnchen, for instance, had been
signalled as candidates to become the first club
to make a successful defence of the title, only
to suffer a comprehensive semi-final defeat
comparable to the one the Bavarian side had
inflicted on FC Barcelona a season earlier. It was
one of the many dramatic twists and turns
which form the quintessence of the worlds
prime club competition.
11
Zlatan Ibrahimovi scores one of his four goals in Pariss 5-0 win at Anderlecht
The drama started to unfold during the

autumn. The results pages might have
suggested a degree of normality. Half of the 96
group games, for instance, had ended in victory
for the home team. On the other hand, there
was an eye-catching fact that, in 25 of those
fixtures, the visiting team had failed to score.
But theories about teams travelling badly
could be swiftly dismantled by another salient
feature of the group stage. No fewer than 31
fixtures were won by the away team. Of the
three possible results, draws slumped to a low
of 18, with Groups D and F failing to produce a
stalemate. The statistics aligned with the
previous season (in which 51 of the 96 group
games had not been won by the home side) to
suggest a more adventurous approach by
travelling teams. The competition offered
spectators only six 0-0 draws (a meagre 4.8%
of the total) with the knockout rounds
contributing only one the goalless first leg of
the semi-final between Club Atltico de Madrid
and Chelsea FC.
Further question marks were attached to the
time-honoured theory that ten points are
enough to earn a place in the knockout stage
of the competition. SL Benfica, who went on
to reach the UEFA Europa League final for the
second successive season, reached double
figures, only for the head-to-head ruling to
consign them to third place behind
Olympiacos FC the Greek club exceeding
expectations by reaching the knockout rounds.

SSC Napoli suffered an even crueller reverse,
ending Group F in third place despite
accumulating 12 points by winning four of their
six matches. Stark contrasts were provided by
Galatasaray A and FC Zenit, both of whom
secured second place with less impressive
records. The Turkish club won their final home
fixture in conditions which had forced a 24-hour
postponement to qualify with seven points and
a deficit of six in the goal difference column.
The 1-0 victory in Istanbul signified an early exit
for Juventus after the Italian champions had
lost ground by conceding three draws in their
previous five games.
On the same day, Zenit clinched second place
in Group G despite a resounding 4-1 defeat in
Vienna against FK Austria Wien. It earned kudos
for the Austrian debutants, who recorded their
first win in the competition. It also allowed the
Russian team, thanks to FC Portos defeat
against Atltico in Madrid, to progress with
cabin-size baggage of six points and a solitary
win. The two Portuguese clubs joined Juventus,
FC Steaua Bucureti, Olympique de Marseille,
AFC Ajax and Celtic FC on a seven-strong list of
former champions of Europe who fell at the
group stage hurdle.
AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli
Olympiacos advanced for the first time since 2009/10
Wesley Sneijder strikes to send Galatasaray through
Philipp Lahm revelled in a new central role for Bayern
12
13
Aaron Ramsey was in sparkling

form for Arsenal in a tight Group F
Benfica bowed out despite amassing ten points
Ryan Giggs retired with a record 151 UEFA Champions League

appearances (including qualifying). Ral Gonzlez holds the
record for most games from group stage to final with 142
Further apparent contradictions could be found

in the eight group tables, where differences
between first and last were generally
substantial but where few issues had been
definitively resolved before the final matchday.
The eight fourth-placed teams registered
deficits of between nine and 13 points in
relation to the group winners substantial
margins in an 18-point campaign. At the same
time, differences between first and second
ranged from zero (in Groups D and F) to ten
points in Group G, where Atltico, significantly,
equalled their city rivals by conceding only two
points in their six games.
Elsewhere, isolated performances rather than
sustained excellence caught the eye. In Group E,
for example, FC Basel 1893 raised eyebrows by
defeating Chelsea at home and at Stamford
Bridge but failed to beat anybody else.
Similarly, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, a major force in
previous seasons, could only register a brace of
wins against Real Sociedad de Ftbol, with the
Basque club a shade unlucky to reap only a
single point on their return to the competition
after a ten-year absence. Galatasaray earned
four of their seven points against Juventus.
Zenit took four of their six points from the 2004
champions, Porto, and in Group H, AC Milan

took second place even though the only
opponent they defeated was Celtic.
In terms of grand finales, Group F had no peer.
With Marseille losing their six matches, the
top two spots were contested by heavyweights
Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal FC and Napoli
and all three managed to knock down their
opponents once. A dramatic late winner at the
Stade Vlodrome ultimately handed top spot
to the 2013 silver-medallists, while Rafael
Bentezs side fell just short of glory in a 2-0
home win against Arsenal. That result meant
that Milan would be the only Italian
representative in the next phase.
When the dust had settled, it became clear
that the knockout stage would get under way
with four clubs from England and Germany,
three from Spain, and one apiece from France,
Greece, Italy, Russia and Turkey. Few would
have predicted that, once the ball started
rolling in February, many of the ties would be all
but resolved after the first 90 minutes. Or that
all eight group winners would progress to the
quarter-finals at the expense of the runners-up.
Neymar was a
striking addition to
Barcelonas attack
14
15
and a quick reaction by Arda Turan when his

scoring attempt rebounded off the crossbar
allowed Atltico to seal a return to the final
of Europes premier competition for the first
time in 40 years.
2013 finalists Dortmund saw off Zenit in the last 16
Knockout blows
The opening round of 16 fixtures yielded six
away victories, five of which were won by two
goals or more with the advantages
compounded by the away goals rule. Real
Madrid CF, 6-1 victors against FC Schalke 04 in
Gelsenkirchen; Paris Saint-Germain, 4-0 winners
in Leverkusen; and Dortmund, favoured by a 4-2
scoreline in St Petersburg, became odds-on
favourites to go through and did, even though
Zenit claimed a consolation victory in
Dortmund. Only two matches punctuated the
away win sequence. Galatasaray, coming from
behind to draw 1-1 with Chelsea in Istanbul,
were outgunned at Stamford Bridge, losing the
return 2-0. And Olympiacos, 2-0 winners
against Manchester United FC in the home leg,
failed to truncate their negative record of 11
losses in as many visits to England when they
were beaten 3-0 at Old Trafford.
team produced nail-biting. Limiting the

damage to that 2-0 scoreline saw the Spanish
team through by the skin of their teeth. Paris
seemed to have carved out a winning margin
when an added-time goal earned Laurent
Blancs team a 3-1 win over Chelsea in the
French capital. Despite conceding once in the
first half, the French side looked reasonably
comfortable until a diagonal ball into the box
allowed Demba Ba to scoop in a second in the
87th minute and secure an away-goal victory
for the Londoners.
Their reward was a trip to Madrid, where a
respectful display against Atltico led to the
only goalless draw of the knockout stage. Again,
Chelsea went 1-0 ahead during the first half of
the return. But Diego Simeones team produced
enough mental and physical strength to turn
the game round, with Adrin Lpez equalising
just before the break. A Diego Costa penalty
The other semi-final also produced a tale of

the unexpected at least in the second leg.
Real Madrid earned a 1-0 home victory in the
first, but, bearing in mind the clubs meagre
dividends from previous visits to Germany, the
result did not generate undue optimism. The
surprise in Munich was that centre-back Sergio
Ramos was allowed to head home from two
set plays within the opening 20 minutes, and
that Bayern were subsequently unable to find
a reply. An impudent direct free-kick by Ronaldo
put 0-4 on the scoreboard in the final minute,
perpetuated the tradition that no team has
successfully defended the UEFA Champions
League title, and made history by ensuring
that, for the first time, the European title
would be decided at a final between two
clubs from the same city.
A minutes silence was held before both semi-finals to mark

the passing of Tito Vilanova and Vujadin Bokov
David Moyes team then faced the defending

champions and, despite working to
extenuation, lost 3-1 in Munich after a
1-1 draw in Manchester. Their local rivals
Manchester City FC had suffered the misfortune
to be drawn against Barcelona, and their
excellent campaign was ended with defeats
in Manchester and at Camp Nou. Gerardo
Martinos side, however, were then required to
take part in the only one-country tie to emerge
from the quarter-final draw. A stunning
long-range shot by Diego earned Atltico a
1-1 draw in the Catalan capital, with Bara
then unable to bounce back after conceding
an early goal in the return.
Diego Costa (left) celebrates

scoring Atleticos second at
Chelsea with team-mate Koke
16
Real Madrid also prevailed by the narrowest

of margins in a rerun of the previous seasons
semi-final against Dortmund. A convincing
display earned Carlo Ancelottis side a
seemingly comfortable 3-0 advantage but,
in Germany, two early goals for Jrgen Klopps
Andr Schrrle takes on Alex at Stamford Bridge
17
THE FINAL
A minute
difference
Sergio Ramoss equalising goal seconds from the end
of normal time turned the outcome and perceptions
of an intriguing final on their heads
The equaliser was the winning goal. The
comment by Sir Alex Ferguson focused a
spotlight on one critical moment. Three
minutes into added time and with only one
remaining, Luka Modri delivered a corner from
the right. The one head that the Club Atltico
de Madrid players wanted the ball to avoid was
that of Sergio Ramos, the man who had killed
off the defending champions by heading home
twice from set plays during the second leg of
the semi-final in Munich. But there he was,
given enough elbow room in the centre of the
box to rise above the ball and, calculating the
angles as shrewdly as a billiards player, swivel his
neck to send his header past the stretched-tothe-limit right arm of Thibaut Courtois and into
the net at the far post. In the short term, it
signified 1-1 and extra time. In the greater
scheme of things, it heralded, as Sir Alex
pointed out, ultimate victory for Real Madrid CF.
To start a review of the 2014 UEFA Champions

League final in the 93rd minute could
legitimately be classed as an aberration. But
the equaliser not only changed the game. It
changed perceptions of the game. Had the
Ramos header struck the post, the post-match
plaudits would undoubtedly have been directed
at the compact organisation, defensive acumen
and incommensurable team spirit of Diego
Simeones side. Just over half an hour later,
the praise was being redirected towards the
self-belief, the tactical sophistication and the
sheer punching power of Carlo Ancelottis
Madrid. As Roy Hodgson remarked on the
following morning: We can make a lot of
positive points about Real Madrid, but we
shouldnt be too harsh on Atltico.
Nevertheless, a considered review of the final
is inevitably coloured by the hindsight factor.
Sergio Ramos celebrates his dramatic late equaliser
18
THE FINAL
19
For Sir Alex, Atlticos strength was to hunt the

ball down, to stay organised and to be patient.
They were ready to wait and wait and wait and
they scored from their first real chance. The
game was into its 36th minute when it came.
Gabi trotted over to take a corner on the right,
with his delivery cleared only as far as right-back
Juanfran, who redirected into a box where there
was two-way traffic among a platoon of players
moving in or out. With Iker Casillas among those
moving out, the header by Diego Godn looped
over him and, as the goalkeeper put a despairing
hand to it, crossed the line and found a tortuous
route into the side of the net. A set play had
given Atltico the advantage and the solidity
of Simeones unit challenged Ancelotti and his
players to find solutions.
Diego Godn opened the scoring for Atltico
The hindsight factor reaches back to 75

minutes before kick-off, when the 60,976
spectators were still filling the magnificent
Estdio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica with colour,
decibels, banners and Madrileo accents. At
that moment, the team sheets were being
handed to Dutch referee Bjrn Kuipers.
Atlticos included No19, Diego Costa, injured
a week previously, but apparently recovered in
time to take part in training on the eve of the
final. For a coach, the situation presented a
dilemma. Should he start on the pitch or should
he be reserved as the stiletto up the sleeve on
the bench? Simeone, backed by evidence from
the player and the medics, opted for the former.
But only nine minutes had ticked past when he
needed to be replaced by Adrin Lpez. At that
stage, nobody knew there would be extra time.
It is only the hindsight factor which classes
Costa as a costly gamble.
Atltico were ready to

wait and wait and wait
and they scored from
their first real chance
And so to the pitch, where the pageantry of the

opening ceremony and the rendition of the
UEFA Champions League anthem by Portugals
celebrated fado singer Mariza gave the crowd
goosebumps as the tension rose. This
translated seamlessly into a tense start to
a contest between, as former Madrid star
Fernando Hierro put it, two different ways
of seeing football, with Atltico a compact,
tactically mature side with a very good
defensive set-up. Initially, it was Real who
probed deeper, with Gareth Bale and Cristiano
Ronaldo working the right and left flanks
respectively, while Karim Benzema attempted
to capitalise on neat combinations through the
middle. But effective combinations were rare in
an opening phase when, as Mircea Lucescu
commented, neither team could put more
than three or four passes together.
The first half ended with Khedira earning

himself a yellow card during the 94 seconds
of added time. It was the third of a dozen in
a match where the tensions and frustrations
of a local derby transferred to club footballs
ultimate stage lowered boiling points and
distorted the timing of tackles. But the opening
act had served to highlight the contrast in
playing styles and in formations. Atlticos
4-4-2 relied heavily on the two full-backs
Juanfran on the right, Filipe Lus on the left
exploiting the wide areas. Reals 4-3-3 had a
more attacking complexion, with ngel Di Mara
bursting into the spaces created by Ronaldos
off-the-ball running on the left wing. Although
Ancelottis team dominated possession
60-40, they struggled to pierce Atlticos
defensive block. When they did so, Gareth
Bale missed the target with the only two
clear chances. Reals attacking guns were
being effectively spiked.
The second half initially offered more of the
same: orderly defending by Atltico amid
deafening support from their fans. Hindsight,
however, reveals that a turning point came in
Atltico coach Diego Simeone
Finally detecting
a weakness in Atlticos
defences, Ancelottis team
exploited it mercilessly
ngel Di Mara on
the run for Madrid
the 59th minute, when Ancelotti ordered a

double substitution. This wasnt just about
fresh legs, commented Hierro. Ancelotti
added joy to the teams play. Swapping Khedira
for Isco gained a lot for the team, as he tried
to combine with everybody. And sending on
Marcelo for Coentro at left-back was a key
move. He was ready to push forward, to try the
1v1. In a game when the front men couldnt
find spaces to run into, individual skill was
required and the two changes provided it.
Hodgson added: From that moment, Real
Madrid pushed more and more, while Atltico
couldnt pose any threat in attack. If you let
Sir Alex Ferguson

On the other team sheet, Carlo Ancelotti,
needing to meditate on the ideal replacement
for the suspended Xabi Alonso, went for his
No6. Sami Khedira, returning from long-term
injury, emphasised his physical fitness by
producing a sprint which, at 32.69km/h, was
the fastest of the game. But match sharpness
comes with matches and he had played very
few. Hindsight singles out his substitution in the
59th minute as one of the watershed moments
of the final.
20
Luka Modri goes past Atltico captain Gabi
THE FINAL
Real have the ball in or around your area for

30 minutes, you can expect bad news. For
all their pressure, however, there was little to
trouble Courtois. Bale struck two shots; Ronaldo
launched an acrobatic effort; Isco tried his luck
from outside the box. All went wide.
As Atltico stubbornly held on, Simeone sent
on Jos Sosa to replace Ral Garca, who had
been brought into play much less frequently
than his midfield colleagues Tiago, Gabi and
Koke. Then, with seven minutes remaining,
left-back Filipe Lus limped off injured, obliging
Simeone to make his third change at a stage
when, as Hierro commented: Had I been the
coach, I would have sent on an extra midfielder
and closed the game down.
While the referee was consulting his watch prior
to closing the game down after four minutes of
added time, the winning equaliser entered the
seemingly impenetrable Atltico net. The
1-1 released the pressure and gave Real added
impetus, said Thomas Schaaf. Atltico
couldnt find the resources to play vertically or
build attacks. As the referee signalled the start
of extra time, a new game had also started. And
within minutes, the Atltico fans began to see
the writing on the wall. Juanfran landed
awkwardly and hobbled as best he could

through the extra half-hour, aware that the
three changes had been made.
Finally detecting a weakness in Atlticos
defences, Ancelottis team exploited it
mercilessly, with Marcelo and Di Mara
relentlessly assaulting the damaged area. This
is where the intelligence of Modri paid off,
Lucescu observed. He helped Real to dominate
totally in midfield. He constantly switched the
direction of play to pose questions. And
Marcelo, with his interceptions and vertical
runs, caused serious problems. Significantly,
while Modri was the chief supplier to Bale and
Ronaldo on the wings, Sergio Ramos who
made more passes than any other player in
the final was the main purveyor of passes
to Di Mara and Marcelo as they broke forward
from the left side of midfield.
Atlticos instinct for survival had seen them
through the first half of extra time, but with
so many key players running and Juanfran
hobbling on empty, the umpteenth incursion
by Reals left-flank players provided the
breakthrough. The shot which provided the
culmination to Di Maras run was blocked by
Courtois, only for the ball to cannon hard enough
21
THE WINNING COACH
Carlo
Ancelotti
Under the Italian coach Real Madrid have

developed a balance and tactical diversity
that reaped its greatest reward in the final
Gareth Bale celebrates scoring

what proved to be the winning goal
from his body to bounce high in the air from the

ground and allow Bale to nod in at the back post.
Within minutes, Marcelo made an almost
identical run through the same unprotected
territory to score with a low shot. And Ronaldo
rubbed salt into wounds by converting a
last-minute penalty then exuberantly
celebrating before the camera which was
gathering images of him for a feature film.
It brought down the curtain on a game in which,
as Lucescu observed, the more agile, creative,
technical players ultimately beat the highly
disciplined defensive organisation of their
opponents. There was statistical evidence to
support his view. Ancelottis team, apart from
its 60% share of the ball, had doubled Atlticos
tally of goal attempts, and had attempted

862 passes to Atlticos 548 with a 76 to 59
advantage in the percentage of accuracy.
Atlticos endeavour was reflected by
midfielders Koke, Tiago and Gabi, each of
whom covered almost 16km in running to
extenuation. They and their team-mates could
legitimately feel maltreated by the 4-1
scoreline. As the white shirts of Real headed
into the main stand to receive medals from
the UEFA President, Michel Platini, and lift the
trophy for the tenth time, the hindsight factors
began to come into focus. At the moment
when red and white ribbons were being
readied for attachment to the cup, Atltico
had been beaten by a winning equaliser.
Marcelo adds
the third
Match statistics
Saturday 24 May 2014, Estdio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Real Madrid CF 4-1 Club Atltico de Madrid

(after extra time)
Goals
0-1 Godn 36, 1-1 Ramos 90+3, 2-1 Bale 110,
3-1 Marcelo 118, 4-1 Ronaldo 120 (P)
Iker Casillas lifts the trophy as

Madrid celebrate La Dcima
Lineups
Madrid: Casillas (C); Carvajal, Ramos, Varane, Coentro
(Marcelo 59); Modri, Khedira (Isco 59), Di Mara; Bale,
Benzema (Morata 79), Ronaldo
Atltico: Courtois; Juanfran, Miranda, Godn, Filipe Lus
(Alderweireld 83); Ral Garca (Sosa 66), Gabi (C), Tiago,
Koke; Diego Costa (Adrin Lpez 9), Villa
Cards
Yellow: Ramos 27, Khedira 45+1, Marcelo 118,
Ronaldo 120+1, Varane 120+3 (Madrid);
Ral Garca 27, Miranda 53, Villa 72, Juanfran 74, Koke 86,
Gabi 100, Godn 120 (Atltico)
Referee
Bjrn Kuipers (Netherlands)
Attendance
Carlo Ancelotti became champion of Europe

for the fifth time, having done so twice as a
player and twice as coach of AC Milan before
completing his hat-trick with Real Madrid CF.
He was within a minute of losing a UEFA
Champions League final for the second time
as a coach and giving Diego Simeone his first
sweet taste of success in Europes prime club
competition. In Lisbon, the contrast in coaching
styles was as marked as the contrast between
the teams playing styles. Simeone, hyperactive
from start to finish at the Estdio do Sport
Lisboa e Benfica, had created a team capable of
wresting the Liga title from Spains big two
and of reaching the UEFA Champions League
final unbeaten. His concepts are based on
unremitting efforts, spirit and commitment
to the cause. Simeones side was a reflection
of his own attitude as a player and his credo as
a coach. Effort and spirit are not negotiable,
he always maintains. And I insist on being clear,
sincere and honest. Being a coach is different
from being a player. But the essence of human
values remains the same.
Ancelotti, by the narrowest of margins in spite
of the heavy scoreline, celebrated the climax
of his first year with the clubs tenth European
crown. Real Madrid has become a different
team with Ancelotti a team thats strong in
defence and doesnt concede that many goals,
a team that has more patience with the ball,
and a team that attacks with speed and power,
said Fernando Hierro. Before, the emphasis
was on direct attacking. This team has a
balanced mix. This was illustrated by a

campaign in which Ancelotti shrewdly managed
the riches of his squad to achieve a tactical
diversity which allowed Real to adopt different
approaches to dealing with the defending
champions, FC Bayern Mnchen, in the
semi-final and then Club Atltico de Madrid
in the final.
I am a lucky man.
Happiness is giving
happiness to the people
who follow us, day in day
out, throughout the year
Carletto also has a balanced approach to
the job. In the technical area he seems
imperturbable, almost inscrutable. Those who
study his behaviour on the touch line would
maybe find it difficult to equate that image
with the ease and jocularity of his relationships
within the dressing room. When the
93rd-minute equaliser hit the Atltico net, his
reaction was a minimal gesture with clenched
fists. When Bale nodded in the second goal,
Ancelottis body language transmitted more
passion but it was a contained passion. His joy
at lifting the trophy was allied with a measured
appraisal of the victory. I am a lucky man, he
admitted, before stressing that happiness is
giving happiness to the people who follow us,
day in day out, throughout the year.
The coaches who acted as UEFAs observers

at the Lisbon final unanimously lauded his
shrewd use of the substitutions and his bravery
in deploying six creative, attacking players in
front of his back four as he chased the adverse
result. Eyebrows were raised when he sent on
Isco, a middle-to-front player replete with skill
and unpredictability, to replace the industrious
Sami Khedira and accompany Luka Modri in
the central midfield. Marcelos attacking virtues
made him another successful substitution.
Marcelo changed the game, Sir Alex Ferguson
remarked. Ancelotti was able to bring on
substitutes who added to the team, whereas
Simeone found himself having to make
changes to survive.
Mircea Lucescu added: Ancelotti reorganised
the team and made an impact and he found
ways of beating different types of opposition
like breaking up Bayerns game by sometimes
going over the top. Hes good at finding the
right answers. After Ancelottis team had
clawed its way back from the brink to take
the title, Roy Hodgson reflected on the
qualities which had allowed him to ultimately
prevail: Throughout the game, he transmitted
calmness, confidence, belief in the work
that had been done and faith in the ability
of his players.
60,976
22
THE WINNING COACH
23
TECHNICAL TOPICS
Unlocking
the door
From launching attacks from deep or hitting teams
on the break to the importance (or not) of possession,
opinions differed on the most effective route to goal
If we ended the season asking ourselves why
Real Madrid were the champions, wed have
to think about the balance within their squad;
their ability to field a team equipped to deal
with any rival. They could always field two of
the best central midfielders you could hope to
see, because of their skill on the ball and their
defensive strength. They were always ready to
get back to their own box or, as we saw against
Bayern, to double up against Ribry and
Robben. More importantly, against any
opponent, they could find ways to unlock the
door. These words, spoken by Roy Hodgson on
the morning after the Lisbon final, raise many
of the points to emerge from a fascinating
UEFA Champions League season.
to Bayerns wingers (Franck Ribry and Arjen

Robben) or full-backs (Lahm and David Alaba).
Frank Lampard keeps one

step ahead of Blaise Matuidi
Atlticos winger-less formation relied heavily

on box-to-box activity by the two full-backs,
notably Juanfran, whose two determined runs
deep into the Chelsea box provided two crucial
goals at Stamford Bridge in the semi-final.
Like Ramos, he had shown his ability to
prioritise defensive duties when responsible
for subduing Neymar and Co. during the
quarter-final against Barcelona. During the
return leg, Juanfran attempted 30 passes: the
Bara full-backs Daniel Alves and Jordi Alba
attempted 104 apiece.
The engine room
Attacking from the back
The final provided a clear example of how Carlo

Ancelotti was able to change the texture of his
team by blending different personalities into
the two central midfield positions, tilting the
balance in the direction of a more creative
approach when chasing the result. Although
team structures were fluid, no fewer than 23
of the 32 coaches opted to operate with twin
screening midfielders at some stage of the
competition. Like Ancelotti, Pep Guardiola
was able to stamp different hallmarks on to
his formation by permuting Toni Kroos,
Thiago Alcntara, Bastian Schweinsteiger,
Javi Martnez and Philipp Lahm in the pivotal
roles. The other two semi-finalists tended to
prioritise a more pragmatic approach, with
Jos Mourinho fielding David Luiz, Ramires,
Frank Lampard or Jon Obi Mikel in the Chelsea
FC holding roles, while Diego Simeones Club
Atltico de Madrid relied on the industry of
Tiago, Gabi or Mario Surez to form the central
platform on which he built his teams defensive
and attacking strategies.
The final demonstrated that the central area of

the defensive third has become the prime area
for laying the foundations of attacking play. For
Real Madrid CF, the suspension of Xabi Alonso
left Carlo Ancelotti with, as Roy Hodgson put it,
a big hole to fill. He filled it in two different
ways, with Luka Modri the lynchpin,
distributing play to every team-mate except
Iker Casillas. Alongside him, Sami Khediras
successful passes included only one to Karim
Benzema and none to Cristiano Ronaldo or
Gareth Bale. Isco, his second-half replacement,
linked more successfully with the two wide
forwards. The salient feature, however, was
that centre-back Sergio Ramos stepped into
the Alonso role, completing more passes than
any other player and effectively feeding ngel
Di Mara and Marcelo on the left flank. This
provided a contrast with his role during the
away leg of the semi-final against FC Bayern
Mnchen when, faced with Mario Manduki
and Thomas Mller, he prioritised defensive
duties. The former was able to receive only
eight passes during the 90 minutes.
Among the minority of teams who operated

with a single screening midfielder, Laurent
Blanc generally deployed Thiago Motta in
the anchor role of the Paris Saint-Germain
midfield, with Marco Verratti working, pressing
and harrying in the area ahead of him. At
FC Barcelona, Sergio Busquets performed
the vital shielding role in front of the central
defenders, tackling and intercepting to supply
the ball to the teams creative talents,
generally Xavi Hernndez and Andrs Iniesta.
In the Juventus formation, Andrea Pirlo
played the role of deep-lying playmaker
in front of the centre-backs and behind a
well-populated midfield.
Modris most frequent pass during the Lisbon

final was to Daniel Carvajal a fact which
highlighted the continued trend for moves to
be built on centre-backs spreading wide and
full-backs advancing on the flanks, with either
one or two screening midfielders dropping deep
to provide extra cover through the central area.
The trend is, in consequence, for the
playmakers to operate from deep positions and
to open play to the flanks where full-backs and
wingers combined in attempts to find routes
round the defensive block. During the second
leg of the semi-final against Real Madrid, Toni
Kroos played 69 of his 130 successful passes
As Arsne Wenger commented: A team

that was playing with two wingers ten years
ago now attacks you with two wingers and two
full-backs. Wingers need to be top athletes,
able to attack and defend and to switch from
one to the other very quickly. With the focus in
the modern game on possession and passing,
the best also have a particular quality that we
tend to forget about: they can dribble. They
can run and keep the ball.
Flexible structures
The trend towards a 4-2-3-1 structure
continued in the 2013/14 season, with 19 of
the 32 contestants operating in this formation
at some stage, six setting themselves up in
4-3-3, another six in 4-4-2, and Juventus
playing their trademark 3-5-2 except in the
two group matches against Real Madrid, when
Antonio Conte opted to play four at the back.
However, the season offered infinite
opportunities to play with numbers. AC Milan,
with a change of coach during the campaign,
permuted 4-4-2 with 4-3-3; David Moyes
Manchester United FC mixed 4-4-2 with
4-2-3-1; Carlo Ancelotti switched from 4-3-3
to 4-4-2 against Bayern in the semi-final; AFC
Ajaxs starting lineup at home to Barcelona was
an example of the teams whose structure was,
at certain moments, more akin to a 4-1-4-1
than the traditional 4-3-3; Atltico occasionally
switched to 4-5-1; FC Schalke 04s 4-4-2 was so
distant from two flat lines of four that UEFAs
observer was tempted to label it a 4-2-2-2
formation; and, in general, quick transitions
to and from attacking and defending structures
blurred definitions. Yet the top teams
suggested that, in order to be able to unlock
doors in the UEFA Champions League, you need
to be equipped to play in more than one system.
David Villa and Raphal Varane lock horns
24
TECHNICAL TOPICS
25
On the ball
After nine seasons at the top of the ball
possession chart, Barcelona were relegated to
second place by Bayern, Pep Guardiola having
transferred a playing philosophy from Catalonia
to Bavaria. Possessing the ball can be equated
to possessing the initiative. But the 2013/14
season demonstrated that, to quote Arsne
Wenger, football doesnt necessarily reward
teams that take the initiative. Defeats for the
main standard-bearers of possession football
kept alive a debate which has been ebbing
and flowing since the contrasting winning
styles of Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, and an
FC Internazionale Milano side which became
the filling in a sandwich by winning the title
under Jos Mourinho feeling comfortable
without the ball and having it for only 32% of
the 2010 final against Louis van Gaals Bayern.
The 2014 final was between two teams and
two coaches who gave little relevance to
possession figures. Madrids average for the
victorious campaign was hoisted upwards by
a 60% share in the Lisbon final, after defeating
Bayern at home and away in the semi-final with
a 36% share of the ball. Atltico, the silver
medallists, dominated possession in only three
of their 13 matches one of them a marginal
51% quota away against FK Austria Wien.
Like Madrid against Bayern, they defeated
Barcelona in the quarter-final with 34%
of the ball at Camp Nou and 36% at home.
Gareth Southgate, one of the team of UEFA
technical observers during the season,
commented: There seems to be a small
current trend where teams that dominate
possession are being beaten by well-organised
defensive blocks and quick counterattacks.
Antonio Conte adopts a similar line: The
football mentality is slowly changing in Italy,
working on possession play and attacking.

Yet we find ourselves playing smaller clubs
that do not allow us to play like this.
The season certainly offered multifarious
examples to support the thesis that minimal
possession can be translated into maximum
results. Austria Wien had a 36% share at home
to FC Zenit and won 4-1. Ajax, renowned as a
possession team, registered their season low
of 41% and registered their best result in
the 2-1 home win against Bara. FC Basel
1893s 2-1 away win over Chelsea was achieved
with 44% of possession. When Celtic FC,
normally a low-possession team, were given
53% of the ball by visitors AC Milan, they were
beaten 3-0. Chelsea, in their semi-final against
Atltico, had 38% during the 0-0 draw in
Madrid and, when they had 52% in the return
at Stamford Bridge, were beaten 3-1.
Diego Simeone has clear ideas about the
importance of ball possession. Im not
interested. Not at all, he insists. What Im
interested in is winning games. Possession
is something that has been sold to us as
attractive. Possession play is one way of
winning, but its not the only way. Our aim
is to achieve a balance between both facets
of the game and we have players who can
mix possession, defensive balance and
counterattacking. I much prefer powerful,
purposeful attacking.
A comment made over a decade ago by Rinus
Michels could be injected into debates on the
value of possession in a winning formula.
Those who focused on the best result rather
than the best football, he stated in UEFAs
technical report on the 2002/03 season,
were less vulnerable than the others. They
were strong defensively, took no big risks and
reacted rather than taking the initiative.
Pep Guardiola implemented his

possession-based philosophy at Bayern
Average possession per game

65%
63%
59%
Bayern
Barcelona
Porto
58%
55%
54%
Paris
Zenit
Ajax
52%
52%
51%
Juventus
Galatasaray
Chelsea
51%
51%
51%
Madrid
Shakhtar
Basel
50%
50%
49%
Napoli
Real Sociedad
Dortmund
48%
48%
48%
Arsenal
Benfica
Manchester City
48%
48%
47%
Manchester United
Schalke
Olympiacos
47%
46%
45%
Marseille
Leverkusen
Anderlecht
45%
45%
45%
Atltico
Milan
Steaua
44%
44%
42%
Kbenhavn
Plze
CSKA Moskva
41%
40%
Celtic
Austria Wien
What Im interested
in is winning games.
Possession play is one
way of winning, but
its not the only way.
I much prefer powerful,
purposeful attacking
Diego Simeone
The clubs in bold qualified for the knockout stage
26
TECHNICAL TOPICS
27
When the goals were scored
Galatasaray striker Didier Drogba takes on

Juves Giorgio Chiellini in a match in which
the lead changed hands twice late on
54 49
43
(14%)
(15%)
(12%)
67
(19%)
(1%)
First half
1-15
Minutes
16-30
63 62
(17%)
(17%)
31-45
17
(5%)
61-75
76-90
90+
45+
46-60
(0%)
(1%)
Extra
time 1
Extra
time 2
Decimal points account for the extra 1%
When the first goals were scored

Kevin Grosskreutzs late winner at Marseille on matchday
six sent Dortmund into the last 16 at Napolis expense
Better late than never

One of the talking points to emerge from the
2012/13 season was the fact that 24% of the
goals were scored after the 75th minute. When
this statistic was presented to the participants
at the UEFA Elite Club Coaches Forum at the
beginning of the season, Carlo Ancelotti
commented: Its difficult to prepare the last
15 minutes from a tactical point of view. They
are the least foreseeable minutes because of
tiredness, loss of concentration and so on.
Sometimes changing a player or a tactic can
help, but it is the most difficult period of the
game to control.
The reaction from Paulo Fonseca, head coach
of FC Porto at the time, was: These figures
represent a challenge for coaches. In the last 15
minutes you tend to run more risks defensively.
But the emotional balance of a team can be
improved. You need to keep your players
focused and coaching can achieve that.
The balance to emerge from the 2013/14
season reveals that the coaches may indeed
have found antidotes to fatigue and losses of
concentration. The last 15 minutes were no
longer the most productive of the 90 and the
number of goals scored during added time at
the end fell by 23%. For the first time since
UEFA started compiling technical reports on
the UEFA Champions League in the 1998/99
season, the first 15 minutes after the half-time
interval proved to be the most fertile period
for goalscoring.
28
TECHNICAL TOPICS
One facet, however, remained unaltered. The

second half was by far more productive than
the opening 45 minutes. No fewer than 59%
of the goals were scored after the break and,
in line with previous seasons, 40% hit the net
after the 60th minute. This figure has stabilised
in recent seasons and arguably reflects
enhanced fitness levels. UEFAs first technical
report in 1998/99 highlighted that 53% of the
goals had been scored after the hour mark.
38 29 19
1-15 16-30 31-45

Minutes
45+
15 10
46-60 61-75 76-90
The equaliser by Sergio Ramos in Lisbon

brought the total of decisive goals to 33,
representing 42% of the 79 goals scored
between the 76th minute and the end of
added time. The other 46 goals signified no
change to the status quo at the time, although
it can be argued that the need to chase an
adverse result sometimes made teams
vulnerable to further goals by the opposition.
However, while debating the high number of

late goals in the 2012/13 season, the coaches
had wondered how many of the goals scored
after the 75th minute had been decisive. For
the purposes of analysis, decisive was defined
as a goal which altered the home win/draw/
away win outcome of the match. Using these
criteria, the Group B game between Juventus
and Galatasaray therefore produced three
decisive goals, with the result shifting to 1-1,
2-1 and 2-2 in the closing minutes. In other
games, the late goals had little impact. Staying
in Group B, for example, three goals in the last
ten minutes of Galatasaray v Madrid simply
extended the scoreline from 0-4 to 1-6.
In the knockout rounds leading to Lisbon, decisive
late goals were few and far between. Atlticos
winner in Milan was one of the rare examples,
along with very late goals for Manchester City FC
and Barcelona at the Camp Nou which shunted
the score from 1-0 to 2-1. However, their
decisiveness can be relativised by the 2-0 win
for Bara in Manchester in the first leg.
Arsne Wengers Arsenal reached the group stage for a 16th

successive season in 2013/14
29
Its not just about

launching a long ball
forward counters tend
to be more elaborately
planned and can create
more goals
Carlo Ancelotti
Marco Reus was a danger on the break for Dortmund
Counters count
UEFAs technical observers frequently
highlighted teams reluctance to expose
themselves to counterattacks until the
necessities of chasing a result obliged them to
do so. During the 2013/14 season, the number
of goals directly attributable to counters
dropped to 61 in comparison with 79 in the
previous season. Even so, counterattacks
accounted for almost a quarter of the goals
scored in open play (23% to be precise). The
champions provided a prime example of the
potential value of the quick break. No fewer
than 13 of Real Madrids goals almost a third
came from counters, the most frequent
modus operandi being a ball win in midfield
(often just inside opposition territory) and a
quick launch of the Formula 1 forwards,
Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale. Seven
counterattack goals came from a simple ball
win + one pass + solo run combination.
Jrgen Klopp makes no secret of the
importance he places on counterattacking skills
and Borussia Dortmund scored seven times
via this method during the season, including
one lightning reply to a dangerous free-kick in
favour of Olympique de Marseille. In their away
game at RSC Anderlecht, Olympiacos FC also
scored one of their five counterattack goals
after a set play for their opponents. Barcelona
30
laid foundations for five counters with their

intense pressure game, which led to ball wins
high up the pitch. Chelsea also scored five times
(one of them following a dangerous free-kick
for FC Steaua Bucureti), mostly with three or
more players flooding forward as soon as the
ball was won.
Counterattacks accounted
for almost a quarter of the
goals scored in open play
Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo celebrate one of 23 goals

the pair scored
Counterattacking is now much better

organised and well thought out, Carlo
Ancelotti comments. Its not just about
launching a long ball forward counters tend
to be more elaborately planned and can create
more goals. The 2014 champions underlined
that counterattacking is an important method
of unlocking doors.
Eden Hazards speed opened

up defences for Chelsea
Dortmund coach Jrgen Klopp
TECHNICAL TOPICS
31
STATISTICS
Passing
Atltico) just shy of that mark with 69%.
FK Austria Wien had the lowest average of
65% whereas, in the preceding campaign,
five teams fell below that figure.
Individually, Barcelona schemer Xavi Hernndez
once again proved his status as pass master by
making 1,117 passes during his 811 minutes
on the pitch. Bayerns Toni Kroos was the only
player to exceed this figure, but his total of
1,212 was reached during 175 minutes more
than Xavi, whose passing accuracy was
measured at 92%, with the German
international only marginally behind at 89%.
Baras holding midfielder Sergio Busquets
underlined the importance of not giving the
ball away by registering a 93% success rate in
his 833 passes in 793 minutes of play. For the
champions, Luka Modri was passer-in-chief
with 838 (85%); Gabi led Atlticos passers
with 813 (75%); Pariss screening midfielder
Thiago Motta made 931 passes (90%); and
Bayerns rich passing weave allowed Philipp
Lahm (995/88%) and David Alaba (887/81%)
to appear among the leaders, albeit with
significantly more minutes on the clock, the latter
playing all 12 of Bayerns games in their entirety.
Barcelona
Toni Kroos (above left) topped the passing chart ahead of Xavi Hernndez in second, though the Barcelona player (top left facing page) played 175 fewer minutes
One of the most notable evolutions in the UEFA

Champions League is a general trend towards a
passing game. In the 2009/10 season, 24 of the
32 participants averaged fewer than 500 passes
per game and five of them had averages below
400. The figures for 2013/14 reveal that only
six of the 32 starters posted averages below
500 and none of the teams made fewer than
400 passes per game. This represented an
advance in comparison with the 2012/13
campaign, when 13 sides were below the 500
mark and one (CFR 1907 Cluj with 367) clearly
under 400. In 2012/13, just two clubs clocked
up averages of over 600 (FC Barcelona and
AFC Ajax), whereas in 2013/14 nine teams
exceeded that figure. Barcelona once again
topped this particular table with a higher
average than in the previous season (819
to 783). Defending champions FC Bayern
32
Mnchen had taken the title with an average

of 584 passes a match and, under Josep
Guardiola, this number increased by over 200
passes per game. Carlo Ancelottis Real Madrid CF
added almost a hundred passes to their average
under Jos Mourinho, while FC Zenit also added
128 to their average for 2012/13. It is indicative
that Ajax, despite adding three to their
2012/13 average of 607, dropped from second
place in the table to eighth, as other clubs
hardened their emphasis on a passing game.
Seven of the top ten made it through
to the knockout stage.
The exception to the trend was Diego
Simeones Club Atltico de Madrid, who
occupied 24th position of the 32 starters in
2013/14. They were one of the three teams
in the bottom ten who progressed beyond the
group stage. Olympiacos were the only side to
reach the last 16 with an average below

500 passes a match. Eventual champions
Madrid made over 700 passes in four of their
games en route to the title and would have
posted a significantly higher average had they
not been restricted to 410 and 414 passes
in their two semi-final meetings with Bayern.
Their peak of 862 in the final is misleading in
that it was achieved over 120 minutes instead
of 90. The season high of 984 passes was
recorded by Bayern in the away leg of their
round of 16 tie against Arsenal FC, while
Bara attained 900 three times and Paris
Saint-Germain registered 930 passes during
their 3-0 home win against Benfica.
There was a significant advance in precision.
In 2012/13, 12 teams were below 70% in
terms of accuracy and this figure was halved
in 2013/14, with four sides (among them
84%
Bayern
819
83%
Paris
83%
Zenit
75%
Madrid
79%
798
742
Manchester City
Only Barcelona, Bayern and Paris averaged more passes per

match than Zenit (bottom left); Thiago Motta (above) kept
the ball moving for Paris
76%
Shakhtar
546
74%
Real Sociedad
537
71%
533
644
Steaua
69%
636
Kbenhavn 74%
531
532
Porto 75%
619
Benfica 74%
529
Arsenal
77%
611
Leverkusen 73%
525
Ajax 78%
610
Atltico
Schalke
607
CSKA Moskva
78%
Juventus 77%
Basel
591
69%
512
Milan 74%
508
73%
577
Marseille 72%
Napoli 74%
571
Austria Wien
Chelsea
75%
567
Anderlecht 69%
464
Galatasaray
74%
565
Olympiacos
70%
457
456
Dortmund 71%
562
Plze 69%
Manchester United
556
Celtic
STATISTICS
73%
68%
Number of passes attempted

Accuracy %
515
74%
65%
The graphic gives the average

number of passes attempted
during a game (passes) and
the percentage of passes
received by a team-mate
(accuracy).
498
470
418
33
GOALSCORING ANALYSIS
The final score
Open play
Average goals per game were only just off the 2012/13 record and
Cristiano Ronaldo hit a new individual high as scoring flourished again
The goalscoring record of 368 established in
the 2012/13 season was not surpassed, but the
final tally in 2013/14 fell only marginally short
of the benchmark and registered the
second-highest average of goals per fixture
during the 22 seasons of the UEFA Champions
League. Real Madrid CF scored 41 times en
route to the title, with Cristiano Ronaldo setting
an individual benchmark of 17 goals with his
last-minute penalty in Lisbon, bettering the
previous record of 14 strikes in a single
campaign. He led a pack of 177 different
players who scored during the season.
By the time the two Madrid clubs headed
for the Portuguese capital, they had jointly
accounted for 17% of the seasons goals.
Carlo Ancelottis team had, in addition, been
standard-bearers for an attacking approach

to away fixtures, scoring 20 times on the road,
compared with 17 at the Estadio Santiago
Bernabu. The four semi-finalists contributed
over 100 goals to the overall tally of 362.
Excluding the goals scored on neutral territory
in the final, 201 goals (56% of the total) were
scored by the home team and 156 by the
visitors parameters pretty much aligned with
the 202/163 split in the 2012/13 season.
In terms of individual goalscoring patterns, the
season offered further evidence to fuel debate
about the role of the target striker. Among the
leading scorers, Zlatan Ibrahimovi, Diego
Costa, Robert Lewandowski and lvaro Negredo
could be put into that category, whereas
Madrids scoring pattern provokes reflections:
Daniel Alves scored Barcelonas

second at Manchester City
Goal type
Category Action
Set
play
Guidelines
Goals
Group
stage
Knockout
stage
Total
27
10
37
Free-kick (indirect) Following a free-kick
15
18
Penalty
Spot kick (or follow-up)
23
30
Throw-in
Following a throw-in
Corner
Direct from or following a corner
Free-kick (direct)
Direct from a free-kick
Total set play goals
Open
play
94
Combination
Wall pass or three-man (or more)

combination play
41
15
56
Cross
Cross from the wing
51
11
62
Cut-back
Pass back from the byline
16
21
Diagonal
Diagonal pass into the penalty box
12
19
Run with the ball
Dribble and close-range shot or

dribble and pass
18
26
Long-range shot
Direct shot or shot and rebound
24
11
35
Forward pass
Through pass or pass over the

defence
28
33
Defensive error
Bad back-pass or mistake by the

goalkeeper
Own goals
Goal by the opponent
Total open play goals

Total goals
34
268
277
85
Acrobatics from Diego Costa (above); Robert Lewandowski

celebrates a late winner at Arsenal
Karim Benzema contributed five goals from

the central attacking position, while Ronaldo
started his record-breaking campaign in a
wider role. Other players at the head of the
scoring chart such as Sergio Agero, Lionel
Messi, Arturo Vidal, Thomas Mller, Gareth Bale
and Marco Reus operated in wider or supportstriker roles. Apart from the players already
mentioned, no individual scored more than
five times.
Inevitably, certain goals require a degree of
personal interpretation in terms of pinpointing
their source, but the goal type chart (left)
outlines the technical and tactical actions
which led to the 362 goals.
362
The salient feature of the season was that the

number of goals scored in open play dipped by
10% to fall just below the 70% mark which
ineluctably indicates a resurgence of dead-ball
situations as sources of goals. One of the
trademarks of the 2012/13 season had been
the emergence of the cut-back from areas near
the goal line as a significant purveyor of goals,
a fact discussed by the UEFA Champions
League coaches when they met at the UEFA
Elite Club Coaches Forum prior to the 2013/14
campaign. The tendency towards the cut-back
was comprehensively reversed, and though it
still produces far greater dividends than it did
during the first decade of this century, in
relation to 2012/13 it registered a downturn
of 44% to provide only 6% of the global tally.
The debating point is whether this can be
attributed to a greater focus on providing
positional defensive cover when opponents
sought to exploit the areas adjacent to the
midway mark between goalpost and corner flag.
Another eye-catching element in the
goalscoring breakdown of the season is the
marked decline in the number of goals
attributable to the traditional through ball the
forward pass delivered either through or over
the defence. Analysis of the 2012/13 campaign
pointed out that, as recently as the 2008/09
season, this category had produced 32% of
open-play goals, yet had plummeted to 18%.
2013/14 registered another massive downward
movement (a further drop of 44%), meaning
that the supply of goals via this route has been

practically halved in a time span of just two
seasons and has reached, by far, the lowest
figure since the current 125-match format was
introduced a decade ago. The source of 82
goals in the 2010/11 campaign, it dived to 33
in 2013/14 and accounted for several decimal
points below 10% of the goals scored.
Reflections based on this statistic will evidently
be launched from the starting point of compact
central defensive blocks based on positionally
conservative centre-backs shielded by, in many
cases, two screening midfielders. Another
element to be injected into the equation,
however, could be related to the advances and
adjustments made to goalkeeping techniques
in recent years. The keepers are now extremely
sensitised to the need to sweep behind their
defences and perform sprint-speed sorties to
pre-empt the success of the traditional through
pass into those less protected areas. Instead of
the defence-splitting pass through the central
area, more goals were derived from neat
combination moves, many of them exploiting
the channels between central defenders and
full-backs. The number of goals attributable
to combination play has almost doubled since
2011/12 and, in 2013/14, reached its highest
level in the last decade.
FC Barcelona again provided some outstanding
examples, notably the intricate combination
move that brought their fourth goal at home
to Celtic FC or a similar spell of sustained

possession culminating in the passing
interchange which allowed Daniel Alves to cut
in from the right and seal the 2-0 away victory
against Manchester City FC. Chelsea FC scored
goals during the group games against FC Basel
1893 and FC Steaua Bucureti thanks to
combinations in wide areas (notably on the
left flank), but were unable to exploit this route
during the knockout rounds. At the other end
of the combination-move spectrum, Jrgen
Klopps Borussia Dortmund reaped dividends
by flooding forward in numbers as soon as the
ball was won, offering enough passing options
for goalscoring combinations on the
counterattack. During the knockout rounds,
combination moves were the most fertile
sources of goals, whereas crosses from the
wide areas had been the prime mover of
scoreboards during the group stage.
Goals season by season

Season
Goals Games Average
1992/93
56
25
2.24
1993/94
71
27
2.63
1994/95
140
61
2.30
1995/96
159
61
2.61
1996/97
161
61
2.64
1997/98
239
85
2.81
1998/99
238
85
2.80
1999/00
442
157
2.82
2000/01
449
157
2.86
2001/02
393
157
2.50
2002/03
431
157
2.75
2003/04
309
125
2.47
2004/05
331
125
2.65
2005/06
285
125
2.28
2006/07
309
125
2.47
2007/08
330
125
2.64
2008/09
329
125
2.63
2009/10
320
125
2.56
2010/11
355
125
2.84
2011/12
345
125
2.76
2012/13
368
125
2.94
2013/14
362
125
2.90
6,422
2,408
2.67
Total
35
Set plays
The 2013/14 season revealed that there is still
life in the dead ball. The steady downward trend
registered in recent seasons was halted and the
three dead-ball situations which led to goals in
the Lisbon final brought the total for the
campaign to 94. In the 2005/06 season, the
number of set play goals peaked at fractionally
below one-third before falling away to marginally
over 20% in 2012/13. However, in 2013/14, the
figure climbed back to 26% the level registered
in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 seasons.
However, there is a codicil to add. The recovery
of the dead ball was due, in great part, to a 50%
increase in the number of successfully taken
penalties: from 20 to 30. This represents the
highest figure recorded since the UEFA
Champions League adopted its current format
in 2003. The total had only once reached 20
(21 to be exact, in 2004/05) until 24 were
scored in 2010/11, to spark off correlations
with the introduction of the additional
assistant referees. During 2013/14, another
striking figure is that 17 penalties were not
converted. This can legitimately be associated
with greater in-depth analysis of opponents,
with goalkeeper coaches encouraging their
pupils to study penalty takers preferences.
Adding successes and failures, 47 spot kicks
were awarded at an average of one every 2.6
matches. However, 14 of the 32 contestants
were not awarded a penalty.
Arjen Robbens cross from the right resulted in Bastian Schweinsteigers equaliser at Old Trafford
Crosses from the wings have remained

numerically consistent on the season-byseason scoring chart and account for just over
one in every six goals scored in the UEFA
Champions League. Juventus scored all of their
open-play goals following crosses. FC Bayern
Mnchen, one of the most prolific suppliers
of crosses in the competition, owed both
their equalisers in the quarter-final against
Manchester United FC to balls in from the wings.
Related to the theme of crossing (many of the
productive crosses were, in fact, delivered low)
was the number of headed goals (including
those scored from indirect free-kicks). The total
of 54 was higher than in the previous season
(46) but, once again, fell well short of the
striking figure of 29% which had provoked
media coverage during UEFA EURO 2012. Over
the larger sample of the 125 games played in
a UEFA Champions League season, the figure
was 12.5% in 2012/13 and 15% in 2013/14.
36
Another noticeable variation was a 29%

decrease in the productivity of long-range
shooting. Long-distance strikes yielded 54
goals in the 2009/10 campaign (15% of the
overall total). After a resurgence in 2012/13,
the figure has dropped into line with the
long-term average and still accounts for around
13% of open-play goals. During the knockout
rounds, long-range shooting shared second
place with crosses as the most prolific and,
frequently, the most spectacular source of
goals, with strikes by Zlatan Ibrahimovi in
Leverkusen and Patrice Evra in Munich among
the best goals of the season.
Crosses from the wings

have remained numerically
consistent season on
season and account for
just over one in every six
goals scored in the UEFA
Champions League
Most goals in a UEFA

Champions League season
17
Cristiano Ronaldo, Madrid (2013/14)
14
Lionel Messi, Barcelona (2011/12)
12
Cristiano Ronaldo, Madrid (2012/13)

Lionel Messi, Barcelona (2010/11)
Ruud van Nistelrooy,
Manchester United (2002/03)
During 2013/14, 17
penalties were not
converted. This can
legitimately be associated
with greater in-depth
analysis of opponents
Success rates in the UEFA Champions League
raise questions about the wisdom of investing
in training ground rehearsals of certain types
of set play. In 2013/14, only seven goals were
struck into the net from direct free-kicks
representing fractionally below 2% of the total.
In other words, only one in 50 of the seasons
goals was supplied by free-kick specialists.
Andrea Pirlos expertise was successfully stifled
Olympiacos goalkeeper Roberto saves Zlatan Ibrahimovis penalty
by opponents of Juventus, and no other

specialist scored more than once, including
Lionel Messi, Robin van Persie, Gareth Bale and
Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldos success against
Bayern in Munich was among the seasons best
set-play goals, along with spectacular strikes
by Jens Hegeler and Lorenzo Insigne.
Top scorers 2013/14
17
Cristiano Ronaldo (Madrid)
10
On the other hand, the number of goals

resulting from indirect free-kicks increased
from 11 to 18 and their potential value was
underlined by Club Atltico de Madrids winning
goal in Porto, scored from a well-rehearsed
move which allowed Arda Turan a free shot at
goal from an unprotected area of the Porto
box. Indirect free-kicks, for many years, yielded
over 20 goals per season, but the resurgence
in 2013/14 did little to change the significant
statistic that free-kicks (direct and indirect)
accounted for 26% of the set-play goals but
only 7% of the goals scored in the competition.
Zlatan Ibrahimovi (Paris)
The two goals derived from corners one per

team during the Lisbon final brought the total
for the season to 37 a 14% increase on the
previous campaign. The efficiency of corner
kicks as an attacking weapon is discussed
elsewhere in this report.
Karim Benzema (Madrid)

Thomas Mller (Bayern)
lvaro Negredo (Manchester City)
Marco Reus (Dortmund)
Arturo Vidal (Juventus)
Diego Costa (Atltico)

Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Sergio Agero (Manchester City)

Gareth Bale (Madrid)
Robert Lewandowski (Dortmund)
37
The best goals

Open play
The challenge was to choose ten goals from
the 268 scored in open play during the 125
matches of the 2013/14 UEFA Champions
League season. No fewer than seven of these
could be assigned to the long-range shooting
category. Diegos right-footed strike at Camp
Nou provided a crucial away goal for Club
Atltico de Madrid in the quarter-final against
FC Barcelona, while the breathtaking shots
from Patrice Evra in Munich, Yaya Tour in Plzen,
Zlatan Ibrahimovi in Brussels and Hulk in
Dortmund were also scored for visiting teams.
Ibras stunning strike even earned applause
from the home supporters.
Of the two scored on home territory, Douglas

Costa produced a wonderful shot high into the
Real Sociedad de Ftbol net from a position
wide on the left of the penalty area, while
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar belatedly gave the FC
Schalke 04 fans something to cheer about by
meeting a lofted cross from the left with a
simply magnificent long-range volley into the
roof of the Real Madrid CF net. The fact that his
side was 6-0 down at home at the time took
nothing from the brilliance of the Dutch
strikers finish.
Ibras stunning
strike even earned
applause from the
home supporters
Of the three goals that were not struck from

outside the box, Diego Costas opener during
the home match against AC Milan was selected
on account of its technical excellence. The
Atltico striker met a lofted cross from the right
with a left-footed volley executed in a difficult
posture. Neymars goal against Celtic FC at
the Camp Nou was a technically gifted finish
but was also selected because of the brilliance
of the combination move which set him free
in the centre of the Scottish clubs box.
Zlatan Ibrahimovi
Scorer
Match
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Schalke v Madrid
1-6
90+
Patrice Evra
Bayern v Manchester United
0-1
57
Zlatan Ibrahimovi
Anderlecht v Paris
0-3
36
Vladimr Weiss
Olympiacos v Paris
1-1
25
Diego Costa
Atltico v Milan
1-0
Yaya Tour
Plze v Manchester City
0-2
53
Neymar
Barcelona v Celtic
4-0
48
Douglas Costa
Shakhtar v Real Sociedad
3-0
68
Hulk
Dortmund v Zenit
0-1
16
10
Diego
Barcelona v Atltico
0-1
56
Anderlecht v Paris
Score Time
Patrice Evra
Bayern v Manchester United
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
Schalke v Madrid
Hulk lets fly for Zenit
38
THE BEST GOALS
39
Set plays
Five goals were selected from the 94 which
resulted from dead-ball situations during the
2013/14 season. Two of the five were corner
kicks, both headed into the net. The header
which gave Manchester United FC a momentary
advantage over FC Bayern Mnchen at Old
Trafford was of exceptional technical quality
Nemanja Vidis glance which beat Manuel
Neuer being directed into the net from a
difficult posture almost facing away from the
goal. The other corner, it could be argued,
won the title for Real Madrid CF. The delivery
from the right by Luka Modri was superbly
directed by Sergio Ramos into the corner of
the Club Atltico de Madrid net to force the
final into extra time.
Lorenzo Insigne
Napoli v Dortmund
Cristiano Ronaldo
Bayern v Madrid
The other three were free-kicks struck directly

into the net in various manners. Jens Hegelers
last-minute strike into the top corner of the
Real Sociedad de Ftbol net earned his team
the three points. Cristiano Ronaldo rounded
off his sides victory in Munich by placing his
free-kick firmly under the leaping members
of the defensive wall. And Lorenzo Insigne
doubled SSC Napolis advantage against
Borussia Dortmund with a fierce and superbly
executed right-footed shot from outside the
area which cannoned high into the net off
the near post.
Sergio Ramos
Jens Hegeler
Scorer
Match
Score
Time
Nemanja Vidi
Manchester United v Bayern
1-0
58
Lorenzo Insigne
Napoli v Dortmund
2-0
67
Sergio Ramos
Madrid v Atltico
1-1
90+
Cristiano Ronaldo
Bayern v Madrid
0-4
90
Jens Hegeler
Leverkusen v Real Sociedad
2-1
90+
Madrid v Atltico
Leverkusen v Real Sociedad
Nemanja Vidi twists as he leaps to power a header into the Bayern goal
40
THE BEST GOALS
41
STATISTICS
Benfica came from behind to

earn seven of their ten points
The importance
of scoring first
Real Madrid CFs from-the-brink comeback in
the Lisbon final was one of the rare exceptions
in a season when the team scoring the first goal
became, for yet another year, the odds-on
favourite to emerge as the victor. No fewer than
74% of the games which produced goals were
won by the team scoring first. This statistic sets
a UEFA Champions League record, beating the
72% success rate for sides scoring first in the
2004/05 and 2010/11 seasons. In the 2008/09
campaign only 56.8% of matches were won by
the team that broke the deadlock but, since
then, the percentage has steadily increased.
The total of 23 draws in 2013/14 represents a
downturn in relation to 27 in 2012/13 and 31
in 2011/12. It is a return to the figure recorded
in 2010/11. Groups D and F did not produce a
draw, while just five of the 29 knockout fixtures
ended in stalemate. The season produced six
goalless draws the only one in the knockout
rounds being the semi-final first leg between
Club Atltico de Madrid and Chelsea FC.

It means that, on 17 occasions, the team
conceding an opening goal fought back to
draw, but just 14 of the 119 games which
contained goals finished in victory for the
side going 1-0 down.
Three teams (SL Benfica, Manchester City FC
and Atltico Madrid) came back more than
once, though the latter suffered the reverse
process in the Lisbon final. The debating point
is why the success rate is so low when it comes
to fighting back. In the return leg of their
quarter-final, for example, FC Barcelona went
1-0 down to Atltico after only five minutes
and failed to find a reply in the remaining 85.
On just seven occasions 1-0 went up on the
scoreboard in the last quarter-hour, when there
was little time to mount a comeback. In almost
one-third of the games which featured goals,
the first hit the net in the opening 15 minutes
and, in 56% of the total, the deadlock was
Result of the team scoring first
88
WINS
17
DRAWS
74% of games that produced a goal

were won by the team scoring first
a UEFA Champions League record
broken during the opening half-hour. The

question is therefore why, with so much time
to react, so few sides manage to.
In search of explanations, Sir Alex Ferguson
points to the steady trend towards possession
play and an increasingly accurate passing game.
Teams now have the ability to keep the ball for
long periods, which makes it more difficult for
teams who are chasing goals, he said. Manuel
Pellegrini regards the statistic as something
very logical. When you start a game, youre
playing against your opponent. When you are
losing a game, you are playing against the
opposition, the clock and the scoreboard.
Arsne Wenger adds: If you are losing, you
are obliged to take the initiative and therefore
have an even greater chance of losing. Is it
logical that the first goal should have such
great importance?
Comeback kings
14
DEFEATS
Anderlecht
Benfica
2-3
Benfica
Paris
2-1
CSKA
Plze
3-2
CSKA
Manchester City
1-2
Plze
CSKA
2-1
Chelsea
Basel
1-2
Napoli
Marseille
3-2
Porto
Atltico Madrid
1-2
Austria Wien
Zenit
4-1
Bayern
Manchester City
2-3
Paris
Leverkusen
2-1
Bayern
Manchester United
3-1
Chelsea
Atltico Madrid
1-3
Real Madrid
Atltico Madrid
4-1
Teams in bold recovered from going a goal

down to win
42
STATISTICS
43
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
Attempts on goal
Crossing
Crosses per game
The average UEFA Champions League match

during the 2013/14 season offered spectators
25.02 goal attempts and, on average, they saw
one goal per 8.64 attempts to score.
However, the averages conceal radical
differences in the efficiency of finishing.
FC Portos success rate was one goal for every
27 attempts; Real Madrid CF converted one in
five of their chances. Silver-medallists Club
Atltico de Madrids conversion rate was 1 in
6.69; FC Barcelonas was 1 in 6.86; Chelsea FCs
was 1 in 7.58; and FC Bayern Mnchens was
above the average at 1 in 9.54 but they did
Club
Juventus
Bayern
Porto
Madrid
Barcelona
Dortmund
Atltico
Leverkusen
Manchester City
Real Sociedad
Ajax
Schalke
Zenit
Paris
Napoli
Shakhtar
Chelsea
Olympiacos
Benfica
CSKA Moskva
Plze
Basel
Manchester United
Anderlecht
Marseille
Celtic
Steaua
Galatasaray
Austria Wien
Milan
Kbenhavn
Arsenal
44
Attempts
118
229
108
206
144
141
174
107
106
80
77
101
100
124
74
74
144
95
68
68
67
62
103
61
61
60
59
78
58
73
48
59
generate more attempts than any other team,

and 64% of their finishing was accurately
placed between the posts. Bara were
marginally better, with two out of three
attempts obliging the goalkeeper to react.
Overall, 59.1% of the seasons goal attempts
were on target. Among the 32 contestants,
Porto were alone in delivering more off-target
than accurate finishes (57 to 51). In terms
of the average number of goal attempts
generated per match, four of the clubs in the
bottom ten nonetheless reached the knockout
stage of the competition, and Arsenal FC
Average
19.7
19.1
18
15.8
14.4
14.1
13.4
13.4
13.3
13.3
12.8
12.6
12.5
12.4
12.3
12.3
12
11.9
11.3
11.3
11.2
10.3
10.3
10.2
10.2
10
9.8
9.8
9.7
9.1
8
7.4
Goals
9
24
4
41
21
18
26
10
19
1
5
8
9
25
10
7
19
12
8
8
6
5
17
4
5
3
2
9
5
9
4
9
occupy bottom place in the table for the

second successive season. On the other hand,
three of the top ten failed to pass the cut in
spite of healthy quantities of goal attempts,
with Real Sociedad de Ftbol scoring only once
from their 80 strikes at goal.
Bayern
Outside
Inside box
Outside
33
89
31
81
64
50
62
26
43
16
24
31
24
57
23
17
45
30
27
22
22
17
38
17
13
18
15
25
17
21
17
28
33
59
20
44
30
37
41
36
16
27
25
23
33
28
21
27
42
24
15
23
15
16
25
18
19
16
19
16
14
19
10
13
30
41
30
46
21
28
33
22
26
13
13
26
13
26
14
12
25
16
14
10
13
12
26
13
13
9
9
15
7
13
11
8
22
40
27
35
29
26
38
23
21
24
15
21
30
13
16
18
32
25
12
13
17
17
14
13
16
17
16
22
20
20
10
10
28.83
25.67
Anderlecht
Attempts off target
Inside box
31.67
Porto
Real Madrid converted

one in five of their chances.
Silver-medallists Atltico
Madrids conversion rate
was 1 in 6.69
Attempts on target
Success rate %
Portos Fernando looks to cross
For the second successive season, a Portuguese

club topped the chart in terms of the average
number of crosses per game. In both cases, the
club was eliminated at the group stage. The
most salient feature, however, is that whereas
SL Benfica topped the 2012/13 table with
20.83 crosses per match, no fewer than seven
teams exceeded that figure during the 2013/14
season. Success rates, calculated on the basis
of the cross reaching a team-mate, were
headed by Manchester City FCs 39%, which
gave them a narrow advantage over the two
Portuguese contestants, but there was a
general upward trend in success. In 2012/13,
ten of the 32 participants registered averages
below 20%, with CFR 1907 Cluj finding
team-mates with only two of every 25 crosses.
As the table reveals, only two clubs SSC Napoli
and FC Basel 1893 fell below the one-in-five
ratio during the 2013/14 season.
In some cases, the figures could arguably
suggest adjustments to playing styles.
Jos Mourinhos Chelsea FC delivered
substantially fewer crosses per game (13.08)
in comparison with the previous season (18.67)
while FC Barcelona, under Gerardo Martino,
practically doubled their delivery of crosses
(from 11 per match to 21). FC Bayern Mnchen,
with Pep Guardiola taking the baton from Jupp
Heynckes, also registered a substantial increase
(from 16.77 to 28.83).
STATISTICS
Ajax
22.67
22%
Real Sociedad
22.67
26%
Barcelona
21
23%
Celtic
21
24%
Leverkusen
20.75
25%
Juventus
20.5
29%
Atltico
19.92
27%
Schalke
19.63
24%
Shakhtar
19.5
28%
Benfica
19.33
38%
Viktoria Plze
19
33%
Zenit
18.25
21%
Olympiacos
17.88
28%
Manchester United
17.8
25%
Milan
17.13
31%
Madrid
17.08
31%
Manchester City
17
39%
Marseille
17
29%
16.1
Dortmund
14.33
19%
Arsenal
14.25
26%
CSKA Moskva
14
26%
Steaua
14
29%
Galatasaray
13.88
27%
Austria Wien
13.17
27%
Chelsea
13.08
25%
Napoli
12.5
10.83
23%
22%
Basel
Kbenhavn
29%
27%
15.7
Paris
37%
17%
20%
45
ANALYSIS
Talking points
Pedro Rodrguez or the Bayern wingers as
strikers? Is it realistic to class any of the Bara
front men as strikers? A scrutiny of squad lists
reveals a high number of middle-to-front
players who could just as easily be labelled
midfielders as forwards and very few attackers
who operate as genuine target men.
Stefan Kiessling at
Leverkusen (right) was a
rare example of a striker
plying his trade in his
country of birth
The trend for foreign strikers, long-range shooting and

an increase in goals from corners are up for debate
The language of goals
There is strong evidence to suggest that world
and European titles in national team football
exercise an influence on the worlds prime club
competition. On the back of a unique hat-trick
for La Roja, Spanish players were the most
numerous contingent, with 86 in the 2013/14
UEFA Champions League. They ended a period
of domination by the French, triggered by their
titles in 1998 and 2000, who this season
supplied only 45. Brazilians, who peaked at 96
in the 2007/08 season, accounted for 54, with
Argentina supplying exactly half that number.
The question is not so much about numbers,
however, as the roles they play. If you look at
the top strikers, most of them are South
American. In Europe were not producing many
real strikers. The words were spoken by Arsne
Wenger at the UEFA Elite Club Coaches Forum
at the beginning of the season. He could be
contradicted by Club Atltico de Madrid who,
in the final, fielded Adrin Lpez, David Villa
and, briefly, Brazilian-born Diego Costa who
now travels with a Spanish passport. But it
could be pointed out that Adrin (554 minutes)
and Villa (454) played less than half of Atlticos
campaign. At the other end of the pitch in
Lisbon, lvaro Morata made a brief appearance
for Real Madrid CF to bring his total for the
season to 173 minutes. Team sheets speak
volumes. Attacking duties at the top eight
clubs relied heavily on imported talent.
46
Digging deeper into the last 16 reveals more

of the same: Edin Deko, Sergio Agero, lvaro
Negredo and Jess Navas at Manchester City
FC; Hulk, Jos Rondn and Danny at FC Zenit;
dm Szalai and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar at FC
Schalke 04; Michael Olaitan and Nelson Valdez
at Olympiacos FC; Olivier Giroud at Arsenal FC,
where Theo Walcott played only 93 minutes
There are also shades of meaning. Although
they are undoubtedly attacking players, is
it legitimate to describe Wayne Rooney,
The undisputable fact is that, in the attacking

departments of the top clubs, native players
generally had marginal roles and minimal
presence. Among the German clubs,
Bayer 04 Leverkusen were alone in fielding a
home-grown striker (Stefan Kiessling) whereas,
at other clubs, German players tended to be
fielded in supporting middle-to-front roles.
Among the English clubs, Danny Welbeck is
the only genuine candidate for a striker label.
This tendency has come to the fore at a time
when the trend towards a 4-2-3-1 team
structure is becoming a regular feature at
UEFAs age-limit tournaments, meaning that
the lone striker has become a common sight.
The debating point raised in last seasons report
therefore has continued relevance in terms of
the UEFA Champions League star performers
of the future. Is European football developing
a sufficient number of strikers to guarantee a
supply of predators? Or is the modern-day
coach being pushed towards a striker-less
formation simply because there is a shortage
of strikers?
Striker nationalities at quarter-final clubs

Real Madrid
Karim Benzema (FRA), Cristiano Ronaldo (POR), Gareth Bale (WAL), lvaro Morata (ESP)
Atltico Madrid
Diego Costa (ESP), David Villa (ESP), Adrin Lpez (ESP)
Bayern
Mario Mandzuki (CRO), Arjen Robben (NED), Franck Ribry (FRA), Xherdan Shaqiri (SUI)
Chelsea
Fernando Torres (ESP), Samuel Etoo (CMR), Demba Ba (SEN)
Dortmund
Robert Lewandowksi (POL), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (GAB)
Paris
Zlatan Ibrahimovi (SWE), Ezequiel Lavezzi (ARG), Edinson Cavani (URU)
Manchester United
Robin van Persie (NED), Javier Hernndez (MEX), Danny Welbeck (ENG), Wayne Rooney (ENG)
Barcelona
Players from South America, such as Manchester Citys Sergio

Agero, are increasingly preferred to home-grown talent up front
Lionel Messi (ARG), Neymar (BRA), Alexis Snchez (CHI), Pedro Rodrguez (ESP)
TALKING POINTS
47
Jos Mourinho was back

at Stamford Bridge after
a six-year absence
In the Champions League,

opponents watch you so
closely that you can only use
the move once. So you tend
to reserve it for a big occasion
Jos Mourinho
Is shooting a crime?
Strikes from outside the box provided some
of the most spectacular goals of the season,
but the goalscoring pattern to emerge from
2013/14 reveals a sharp decline in the number
scored from long-range shots a 29%
downturn. The debating point is whether this
can be interpreted as a tribute to greater
alertness by goalkeepers, as the sheer number
of goal attempts from outside the penalty area
has shown no sign of decreasing. Of the
campaigns 3,127 attempts at goal, 1,476
(47%) were delivered from long range.
No fewer than 15 clubs tried their luck more
frequently from outside the area than they did
within it (AFC Ajax, RSC Anderlecht, FK Austria
Wien, FC Basel 1893, Celtic FC, Chelsea FC,
Bayer 04 Leverkusen, PFC CSKA Moskva,
AC Milan, Olympiacos, Olympique de Marseille,
Real Sociedad de Ftbol, FC Shakhtar Donetsk,
FC Steaua Bucureti and Zenit), the most
striking example being Zenit who, with Hulk
prominent, had 63 long-range shots compared
with 37 inside the box. SSC Napoli distributed
their attempts on a 50-50 basis or rather,
37-37. Of the two finalists, 38% of Madrids
finishing was from long range compared with
45% of Atlticos. Paris were alone in having
two in-the-box attempts for every effort
from outside.
The next question is whether a success rate of
one goal per 42 long-range attempts represents
encouragement for players and coaches to
advocate the ploy. The ratio is not inspiring in
48
a competition which, overall, yields one goal

per 8.6 attempts. The penchant for long-range
shooting, it could be argued, may be linked to
deep defensive blocks which act as a deterrent
to playing into the box. It could also be alleged
that deflections and ricochets from
long-distance strikes are one of the few
elements which can generate chaos in todays
well-organised defences. Another talking point
could be related to a feature of futsal, where
coaches often assert that finishing a move
with a shot might not only result in a goal, but
is also a way of pre-empting the chance of a
counterattack by the opposition. Is this thesis
also valid in the outdoor game?
Turning a corner?
Luka Modri takes a corner on the right, Sergio
Ramos heads into the net. This was the script
for two key episodes in Real Madrids route to
the title: the crucial opening goal against
Bayern in Munich, and the even more crucial
winning equaliser during the final, where his
header annulled the advantage which Atltico
had acquired as a result of a corner kick. The
two successes from corners in Lisbon brought
the seasons total to 37 16% more than in
the previous season and a 37% increase on
the total in 2011/12, when the success rate
was 1 in 46. The ratio in 2013/14 was one
goal per 34 corners.
a reputation for exploiting set plays, converted

four apiece, whereas Madrid had only once
scored as the result of a corner before the
Ramos double in the critical moments at the
climax of the campaign. Paradoxically, the
two teams who won the most corners Pep
Guardiolas Bayern and Gerardo Martinos FC
Barcelona made minimal use of them. Bayern
scrambled in one of their 98 corners, at home
to Manchester City; Bara, who tend to put the
ball down and use a corner purely to renew the
attack with a short pass, could, stretching a
point, claim that the sustained passing move
that led to the opening goal against Celtic at
home could be traced back to a corner on the
left one of their 70 during the season.
The talking point is whether a growing success
rate gives coaches incentives to invest more
training ground time in the rehearsal of corners,
even though the level of spying often means
that, as Jos Mourinho maintains, in the
Champions League, opponents watch you so
closely that you can only use the move once.
So you tend to reserve it for a big occasion.
The most efficient converters of corners into

goals were Paris, with six successes from 38
deliveries. Atltico and Chelsea, teams with
STATISTICS
Distance covered
For the second successive season, Jrgen
Klopps Borussia Dortmund covered more
ground than any other UEFA Champions
League participant, peaking at a team total
of 126,344m in the 3-0 victory over Olympique
de Marseille in the German clubs first home
fixture of the season. This was also the match
in which Dortmund hit their highest number of
long passes and, by far, the lowest number of
short passes. During the quarter-final against
Real Madrid CF, for example, the team played
three times as many short passes.
The four German clubs featured among the
top dozen in terms of distance covered, with
FC Bayern Mnchen slipstreaming Dortmund
for much of the season, only to bring their
average down by covering just 112,660m
during the home leg of their semi-final against
Madrid the Bavarian clubs lowest tally of the
campaign. It is noticeable that the other six
quarter-finalists are in the bottom half of the
table. Another salient feature is that no fewer
than 13 of the 17 teams which covered the
greatest distances per match were eliminated
during the group stage, and that the difference
between first and last in the table is significant:
the average distance covered by Dortmund
Player
Club
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Thomas Mller
Koke
Kevin Grosskreutz
Xabi Alonso
Franck Ribry
Xavi Hernndez
Andrea Pirlo
Ramires
Marco Reus
Paul Pogba
David Alaba
Ral Garca
Arjen Robben
Toni Kroos
Robert Lewandowski
Luka Modri
Cristiano Ronaldo
Diego Costa
Zlatan Ibrahimovi
Lionel Messi
Dortmund
Bayern
Atltico
Dortmund
Madrid
Bayern
Barcelona
Juventus
Chelsea
Dortmund
Juventus
Bayern
Madrid
Bayern
Bayern
Dortmund
Madrid
Madrid
Atltico
Paris
Barcelona
STATISTICS
players over the season was 16% greater

than the figure for AC Milan.
Individual statistics are not easily calibrated,
as the data generally available refer to
cumulative distances over the entire season
which evidently favours players from the two
teams that contested the final. More reliable
comparisons can only be made on the basis of
metres covered per minute played. The table
is based on sampling rather than an exhaustive
analysis of the 600-plus players who competed
in the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League. The
key players from Bayern and Dortmund form
the nucleus of the top runners in the
competition, with the two Bayern wingers
invading a list otherwise dominated by
middle-to-front players or, in the case of Xabi
Alonso, Xavi Hernndez and Andrea Pirlo,
organisers operating in the pivotal area in front
of the back four. For the sake of comparison,
the foot of the table highlights the figures
registered by forwards who made a significant
impact on the competition. The diversity of
attacking styles is illustrated by Thomas Mller
and Robert Lewandowski covering, respectively,
52% and 36% more ground than Lionel Messi.
Distance in metres per match

Dortmund 121,918
Basel
121,062
Ajax 119,333
Kbenhavn 118,191
Austria Wien
118,418
Plze 118,045
Bayern
117,600
Steaua
117,581
Schalke
116,864
Juventus 116,682
Benfica 115,634
Leverkusen 115,548
Napoli 114,777
Real Sociedad
114,743
CSKA Moskva
114,395
Shakhtar
113,875
Porto 113,061
Zenit
112,464
Manchester United
112,323
Atltico
112,088
Arsenal
111,915
Anderlecht 111,547
Chelsea
111,411
Manchester City
111,335
Galatasaray
110,804
Real Madrid
110,992
Average*
Barcelona 109,273
136.51
136.25
136.05
133.26
133.19
130.77
130.34
129.05
128.71
128.53
127.93
127.42
126.99
126.3
125.43
121.54
120.97
111.47
109.37
95.88
89.17
Marseille 108,551
Olympiacos
Celtic
Paris
108,937
108,444
106,053
Milan 105,021
The table excludes matches when teams

played 30 minutes or more with ten players a
factor which evidently distorted the team total.
*Metres covered per minute played
49
STATISTICS
Approaching the goal
Arturo Vidal scored five times for an offensive-minded Juventus
Deliveries or solo runs into the opponents box

30.1
22
21.8
19.5
18
16.2
16.2
Bayern
50 | 18
Juventus
39 | 8
Porto
32 | 16
Barcelona
27 | 14
Benfica
24 | 13
Dortmund
31 | 7
Shakhtar
25 | 9
15.9
14.8
14.8
14.6
13.7
13.4
13.2
Real Madrid
30 | 5
Manchester City
23 | 6
Plze
38 | 0
Chelsea
28 | 4
Manchester United
26 | 6
Paris
22 | 9
Atltico
20 | 5
13
13
12.6
12.3
12.3
11.5
11.5
Leverkusen
23 | 7
Schalke
23 | 6
Zenit
19 | 5
Ajax
21 | 6
Napoli
15 | 7
Galatasaray
19 | 6
Real Sociedad
15 | 8
11.3
11.2
11.2
10.3
9.9
9.7
9.5
Celtic
18 | 6
Anderlecht
17 | 4
CSKA Moskva
19 | 3
Marseille
19 | 1
Olympiacos
14 | 2
Basel
14 | 3
Arsenal
18 | 5
9.1
8.5
8.5
6.8
Milan
13 | 5
Austria Wien
13 | 1
Steaua
14 | 5
Kbenhavn
11 | 5
How efficiently does a team translate approach

work into scoring chances? Statistically, the
number of deliveries or solo runs into the
oppositions penalty area could be presented
as evidence and here, FC Bayern Mnchen
more than doubled the average for the 2013/14
season of 14.1 incursions into the box per
game. However, the average over the campaign
provides only minimal orientation bearing in
mind that most of the participants showed
disconcerting inconsistencies during the course
of the season none more so than FC Viktoria
Plze, who played their way into the penalty
area 38 times during the 2-1 home win against
PFC CSKA Moskva but failed to progress that far
into enemy territory at all when taking on Bayern
in Munich. Pep Guardiolas side registered the
highest maximum (50 in that match against
Plze) and the highest minimum (18 at home
to Manchester City FC). The other beaten
semi-finalist, Chelsea FC, twice failed to record
double figures during the group stage and
reached the Club Atltico de Madrid area only
four times during the fixture in Madrid. Atltico
registered their minimum at Camp Nou during
the first leg of the quarter-final, while city rivals
Real entered the Borussia Dortmund box only
five times in their away leg and penetrated the
Bayern penalty area only 15 times during the two
legs of the semi-final. Olympique de Marseille
recorded a single entry in Dortmund, while
FK Austria Wien could claim maximum efficiency
by drawing 1-1 in Porto, where they also entered
the penalty area only once.
Maximun
Minimum
Average
Arjen Robben on the attack for Bayern
50
STATISTICS
51
STATISTICS
Discipline
Free-kicks
During the 2013/14 season, the average UEFA
Champions League fixture was punctuated by
a few decimal points below 28 free-kicks
(27.58 to be precise). The overall total
increased slightly season on season from 3,413
infractions to 3,448 in other words, by just
1%. The technical report on the 2010/11
season remarked that, for the first time, none
of the 32 teams had exceeded 20 fouls per
game and that the average number of fouls had
dropped below 30. This trend was continued,
with all 32 teams comfortably below the 20
mark. It was noticeable that 10 of the 16 teams
in the top half of the fouls committed table
were eliminated during the group stage. Once
again, the trend towards defending from the
front meant that forwards, middle-to-front
players and screening midfielders were often
the most penalised, including, to cite random
examples among the leaders, Eden Hazard,
Mario Balotelli, Neymar, Ezequiel Lavezzi,
Robert Lewandowski, Olivier Giroud, Giorgios
Samaras and Franck Ribry, alongside
midfielders such as Axel Witsel, Marco Verratti,
Fernandinho, Gabi, Ramires and Ral Garca.
Club / fouls per game

Benfica
17.67
Porto
17.67
Anderlecht
16.67
Atltico
16.46
Austria Wien
16.33
Manchester City
16
Kbenhavn
15.67
Celtic
15.5
Dortmund
Bjrn Kuipers
refereed the final
dismissals registered a significant upturn of

35% the highest total since the 2009/10
season. Direct red cards accounted for more
early showers than yellow-red dismissals, with
goalkeepers responsible for three of the 15
direct sendings-off.
15.3
Chelsea
15.25
Basel
15.17
Plze
15.17
Galatasaray
15
Steaua
15
Olympiacos
14.88
Shakhtar
14.83
Ajax
14.5
Yellow and red cards
Offside is flagging
Even though the number of infractions was

marginally higher, cautions by referees
registered a downturn of just over 4%, despite
a Lisbon final which yielded a dozen yellow
cards. The seasons total fell from 548 in
2012/13 to 525 at an average of 4.2 per match.
One in every 6.57 fouls was considered a
bookable offence. In terms of individual clubs,
four had exceeded an average of three cautions
per game during the 2012/13 season. During
2013/14 the only club to reach this mark was
RSC Anderlecht, who accounted for four of the
seasons 27 dismissals.
Games in the 2008/09 season were halted 724

times when an assistant referee raised his flag.
Since then, the total has been steadily
diminishing, and the 2013/14 campaign
produced another downturn and a steep one
of 18% in the number of offside decisions.
The total of 667 in 2012/13 fell to 547, with
the average per game tumbling from 5.34 to
4.38. It means there was one offside awarded
for every 20 minutes of play. The relevance of
offside in the global picture of the game seems
to be waning.
Zenit
13.63
Milan
13.5
Five matches registered a zero in the offside

column. There were five or fewer offside
decisions in 70% of the 2013/14 fixture list,
with only the FC Viktoria Plze v Manchester
City FC and RSC Anderlecht v Olympiacos FC
encounters breaking into double figures,
the flag being raised on 13 and 11 occasions
respectively. The six matches involving
FK Austria Wien yielded a harvest of only
11 offside decisions.
Twelve clubs recorded averages lower than two

yellow cards per game, compared with 10 in
the previous season. There was an even split
between group stage fallers and teams who
reached the knockout rounds. One player, Real
Madrid CFs screening midfielder Xabi Alonso,
was ruled out of the final as a result of receiving
his third caution of the season during the return
leg of the semi-final in Munich. The number of
52
Napoli
13.83
Leverkusen
13.25
Manchester United
13.2
Real Sociedad
12.67
Juventus
12.17
Arsenal
11.88
Schalke
11.75
Marseille
11.67
Paris
11.6
Barcelona
11.4
Bayern
Madrid
CSKA
11.17
9.69
8.33
In individual terms, Italian players who used to

occupy pole position season after season in the
offside lists, have now left the stage. And gone
are the days when, for example, the technical
report could remark that Arsenal FC striker
Emmanuel Adebayor had been flagged 26 times
in a single season. In 2013/14, the assistant
referees best friend was another Arsenal striker,
Olivier Giroud, yet he was flagged only 14 times
during his 630 minutes on the field of play.
Olympiacos forward Kostas Mitroglou was
caught offside 11 times in 450 minutes the
same number, but not the same frequency,
as Cristiano Ronaldo, whose 11 offsides were
spread over 993 minutes. Anderlecht striker
Aleksandar Mitrovi was flagged nine times
during his sides six group games.
The debating points raised by the sharp
downturn in offside decisions focus on whether
this is due to players increased awareness and
discipline in positional terms, coupled with
questions about whether the flagging offside
Eighteen of the 32 teams caught their

opponents offside more frequently than they
were flagged themselves, with Olympique de
Marseille and FC Kbenhavn providing the
most striking examples, while Club Atltico de
Madrids transitions into deep defending were
reflected by their opponents straying into
offside positions only once every two games.
Although FC Porto created openings for 109
goal attempts during their six group games,
the Portuguese clubs players were flagged
offside on only three occasions.
The graphic (right) gives average figures, club by
club, for being caught offside and for catching
opponents offside.
Offsides
Plze
Napoli
1994/95
1995/96
1996/97
1997/98
1998/99
1999/00
2000/01
2001/02
2002/03
2003/04
2004/05
2005/06
2006/07
2007/08
2008/09
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
STATISTICS
3
2.38
2.88
Arsenal
Barcelona
2.1
2.67
3.17
2.67
Anderlecht
Steaua
Madrid
2.58
3
2.5
Milan
Yellow/
red cards
Red
cards
Matches
played
Average
yellow cards
192
198
203
283
302
524
567
508
530
415
434
463
477
445
489
472
453
549
548
525
4
10
3
11
7
14
13
10
8
20
14
19
9
7
11
14
13
15
10
12
6
8
3
6
8
16
13
11
11
9
25
9
17
9
8
13
11
7
10
15
61
61
61
85
85
157
157
157
157
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
125
3.15
3.24
3.33
3.33
3.55
3.34
3.61
3.24
3.38
3.32
3.47
3.7
3.82
3.56
3.91
3.78
3.62
4.39
4.38
4.2
8,577
224
215
2,356
3.64
(per match)
Atltico
2.5
2
1.4
2.3
2.3
2.25
2.38
2.23
Galatasaray
Yellow
cards
2.62
Bayern
Juventus
3.75
2.88
3.13
2.7
2.7
Dortmund
Cards: season by season

Season
1.33
Manchester
City
Paris
0.54
CSKA Moskva
2.17
Shakhtar
2.17
Celtic
Basel
1.67
Kbenhavn
1.5
Ajax
0.5
Benfica
1.33
Marseille
1.33
Zenit
1.25
1.25
1.17
Real Sociedad
Porto
3.83
4
1.42
2.08
1.33
Chelsea
Leverkusen
3.5
2.13
2.75
2
2.83
1.67
Schalke
Austria Wien
4.33
2.67
3.17
Olympiacos
Manchester
United
Totals
statistics can be related to deeper defending.

An interlocking factor is the practice by
assistant referees of not raising the flag if
the player is deemed to conform with todays
not interfering with play criteria.
1
0.5
3.67
4.17
3.33
1.63
1.67
Offside (average per match)

Offside by opponents (average per match)
53
TECHNICAL TEAM SELECTION
All-star
squad
Selecting a squad of 18 players who had made an impact on the
2013/14 UEFA Champions League was among the challenges facing
a team of coaches led by Sir Alex Ferguson when they met in Lisbon
on the morning after the final. In recent seasons, there had been
up to 23 players in the squad. But this season, the decision was to
imitate the UEFA Champions League coaches and to impose a limit
of 18 names on the team sheet.
The selection features 11 players from the two finalists, with Club
Atltico de Madrid, in the final for the first time, supplying one player
in each line. A notable departure from recent traditions is that Lionel
Messi was not selected. Seven players from the previous seasons
squad were named once again: Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm,
Sergio Ramos, Andrs Iniesta (the only FC Barcelona player on the
list for the 2013/14 season), Arjen Robben, Zlatan Ibrahimovi and
Cristiano Ronaldo. The defensive line comprises three central
defenders and two full-backs, although Lahm permuted his place
in the back four with a holding role in midfield. Four of the six
midfielders operated in central roles, with ngel Di Mara and Iniesta
playing wide on the left. The five attackers include two central
strikers and three who started in wide positions.
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Attackers
Daniel Carvajal
Diego Godn
ngel Di Mara
Gabi
Diego Costa
Zlatan
Ibrahimovi
Philipp Lahm
Pepe
Andrs Iniesta
Toni Kroos
Marco Reus
Arjen Robben
0
Thibaut
Courtois
54
Manuel Neuer
Sergio Ramos
Goals conceded
by Madrid in the
semi-final against
Bayern, who had
previously scored
in 15 successive
UEFA Champions
League games
47
Luka Modri
TECHNICAL TEAM SELECTION
Xabi Alonso
Cristiano
Ronaldo
Attempts on
target by Cristiano
Ronaldo, 17 more
than second-placed
Arjen Robben
55
SEASON OVERVIEW
Results
PLAY-OFFS LEAGUE PATH (Aggregate scores played over two legs; the first-named club was at home in the first leg)
PLAY-OFFS CHAMPIONS PATH (Aggregate scores played over two legs; the first-named club was at home in the first leg)
Paos de Ferreira
Viktoria Plze
Lyon
PSV
Shakhter
Dinamo Zagreb
Schalke
Ludogorets
Steaua (away goals)
Fenerbahe
Zenit
Maribor
Real Sociedad
Milan
Celtic
Austria Wien
PAOK
Basel
Legia Warszawa
Arsenal
GROUP STAGE
GROUP STAGE
GROUP A
Manchester United FC
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Real Sociedad de Ftbol
P
6
6
6
6
Date
17/09
17/09
02/10
02/10
23/10
23/10
Date
05/11
05/11
27/11
27/11
10/12
10/12
Home
Score
Away
Man. United
4-2
Leverkusen
Real Sociedad 0-2
Shakhtar
Leverkusen
2-1 Real Sociedad
Shakhtar
1-1
Man. United
Man. United
1-0 Real Sociedad
Leverkusen
4-0
Shakhtar
GROUP E
Chelsea FC
FC Schalke 04
FC Basel 1893
FC Steaua Bucureti
Date
18/09
18/09
01/10
01/10
22/10
22/10
Home
Chelsea
Schalke
Basel
Steaua
Schalke
Steaua
Score
1-2
3-0
0-1
0-4
0-3
1-1
P
6
6
6
6
Away
Basel
Steaua
Schalke
Chelsea
Chelsea
Basel
Date
06/11
06/11
26/11
26/11
11/12
11/12
ROUND OF 16
W
4
3
2
0
D
2
1
2
1
L F A Pts
0 12 3 14
2 9 10 10
2 7 6
8
5 1 10
1
Home
Score
Away
Real Sociedad 0-0
Man. United
Shakhtar
0-0
Leverkusen
Leverkusen
0-5
Man. United
Shakhtar
4-0 Real Sociedad
Man. United
1-0
Shakhtar
Real Sociedad 0-1
Leverkusen
W
4
3
2
0
D
0
1
2
3
Home
Chelsea
Basel
Basel
Steaua
Chelsea
Schalke
L F A Pts
2 12 3 12
2 6 6 10
2 5 6
8
3 2 10
3
Score
3-0
1-1
1-0
0-0
1-0
2-0
Away
Schalke
Steaua
Chelsea
Schalke
Steaua
Basel
18 February19 March
Manchester City FC
1-4
FC Barcelona
First leg 0-2
(agg)
Second-leg 1-2
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
1-6
Paris Saint-Germain
First leg 0-4
(agg)
Second leg 1-2
Arsenal FC
1-3
FC Bayern Mnchen
First leg 0-2
(agg)
Second leg 1-1
AC Milan
1-5
Club Atltico de Madrid
First leg 0-1
(agg)
Second leg 1-4
FC Zenit
4-5
Borussia Dortmund
First leg 2-4
(agg)
Second leg 2-1
Olympiacos FC
2-3
First leg 2-0
(agg)
Second leg 0-3
GROUP B
Real Madrid CF
Galatasaray A
Juventus
FC Kbenhavn
Date
17/09
17/09
02/10
02/10
23/10
23/10
Home
Kbenhavn
Galatasaray
Juventus
Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Galatasaray
Score
1-1
1-6
2-2
4-0
2-1
3-1
Away
Juventus
Real Madrid
Galatasaray
Kbenhavn
Juventus
Kbenhavn
GROUP F
Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal FC
SSC Napoli
Olympique de Marseille
Date
18/09
18/09
01/10
01/10
22/10
22/10
Home
Marseille
Napoli
Arsenal
Dortmund
Arsenal
Marseille
Score
1-2
2-1
2-0
3-0
1-2
1-2
Away
Arsenal
Dortmund
Napoli
Marseille
Dortmund
Napoli
P
6
6
6
6
W
5
2
1
1
Date
05/11
05/11
27/11
27/11
10/12
10/12
Home
Juventus
Kbenhavn
Real Madrid
Juventus
Kbenhavn
Galatasaray
P
6
6
6
6
W
4
4
4
0
Date
06/11
06/11
26/11
26/11
11/12
11/12
Home
Dortmund
Napoli
Arsenal
Dortmund
Marseille
Napoli
QUARTER-FINALS
D
1
1
3
1
L F A Pts
0 20 5 16
3 8 14
7
2 9 9
6
4 4 13
4
D
0
0
0
0
Score
2-2
1-0
4-1
3-1
0-2
1-0
Away
Real Madrid
Galatasaray
Galatasaray
Kbenhavn
Real Madrid
Juventus
L F A Pts
2 11 6 12
2 8 5 12
2 10 9 12
6 5 14
0
Score
0-1
3-2
2-0
3-1
1-2
2-0
Away
Arsenal
Marseille
Marseille
Napoli
Dortmund
Arsenal
0109 April
2-4
FC Bayern Mnchen
First leg 1-1
(agg)
Second leg 1-3
FC Barcelona
1-2
First leg 1-1
(agg)
Second leg 0-1
Real Madrid
2-3
Borussia Dortmund
First leg 3-0
(agg)
Second leg 0-2
Real Madrid CF
First leg 1-6
(agg)
Second leg 1-3
Paris Saint-Germain
3-3
Chelsea FC (away goals)
First leg 3-1
(agg)
Second leg 0-2
Chelsea FC
First leg 1-1
(agg)
Second leg 0-2
56
Home
Benfica
Olympiacos
Paris
Anderlecht
Benfica
Anderlecht
Score
2-0
1-4
3-0
0-3
1-1
0-5
Away
Anderlecht
Paris
Benfica
Olympiacos
Olympiacos
Paris
Date
05/11
05/11
27/11
27/11
10/12
10/12
GROUP G
FC Zenit
FC Porto
FK Austria Wien
P
6
6
6
6
Date
18/09
18/09
01/10
01/10
22/10
22/10
Date
06/11
06/11
26/11
26/11
11/12
11/12
Home
Score
Away
Austria Wien
0-1
Porto
Atltico Madrid 3-1
Zenit
Porto
1-2 Atltico Madrid
Zenit
0-0
Austria Wien
Porto
0-1
Zenit
Austria Wien
0-3 Atltico Madrid
SEMI-FINALS
W
4
3
3
0
D
1
1
1
1
L F A Pts
1 16 5 13
2 10 8 10
2 8 8 10
5 4 17
1
Home
Paris
Olympiacos
Anderlecht
Paris
Benfica
Olympiacos
W
5
1
1
1
D
1
3
2
2
Score
1-1
1-0
2-3
2-1
2-1
3-1
Away
Anderlecht
Benfica
Benfica
Olympiacos
Paris
Anderlecht
L F A Pts
0 15 3 16
2 5 9
6
3 4 7
5
3 5 10
5
Home
Zenit
Atltico Madrid
Porto
Zenit
Austria Wien
Atltico Madrid
Score
Away
1-1
Porto
4-0
Austria Wien
1-1
Austria Wien
1-1 Atltico Madrid
4-1
Zenit
2-0
Porto
2230 April
3-1
Chelsea FC
First leg 0-0
(agg)
Second leg 3-1
GROUP D
FC Bayern Mnchen
Manchester City FC
FC Viktoria Plze
PFC CSKA Moskva
Date
17/09
17/09
02/10
02/10
23/10
23/10
Home
Bayern
Viktoria Plze
Man. City
CSKA Moskva
CSKA Moskva
Bayern
Score
3-0
0-3
1-3
3-2
1-2
5-0
Away
CSKA Moskva
Man. City
Bayern
Viktoria Plze
Man. City
Viktoria Plze
GROUP H
FC Barcelona
AC Milan
AFC Ajax
Celtic FC
Date
18/09
18/09
01/10
01/10
22/10
22/10
Home
AC Milan
Barcelona
Celtic
Ajax
Celtic
AC Milan
Score
2-0
4-0
0-1
1-1
2-1
1-1
Away
Celtic
Ajax
Barcelona
AC Milan
Ajax
Barcelona
P
6
6
6
6
W
5
5
1
1
Date
05/11
05/11
27/11
27/11
10/12
10/12
Home
Score
Away
Man. City
5-2 CSKA Moskva
Viktoria Plze 0-1
Bayern
Man. City
4-2 Viktoria Plze
CSKA Moskva 1-3
Bayern
Bayern
2-3
Man. City
Viktoria Plze 2-1 CSKA Moskva
P
6
6
6
6
W
4
2
2
1
Date
06/11
06/11
26/11
26/11
11/12
11/12
Home
Ajax
Barcelona
Celtic
Ajax
AC Milan
Barcelona
FINAL
D
0
0
0
0
D
1
3
2
0
L F A Pts
1 17 5 15
1 18 10 15
5 6 17
3
5 8 17
3
L F A Pts
1 16 5 13
1 8 5
9
2 5 8
8
5 3 14
3
Score
1-0
3-1
0-3
2-1
0-0
6-1
Away
Celtic
AC Milan
AC Milan
Barcelona
Ajax
Celtic
24 May
4-1
After extra time
2-9
1-3
Date
17/09
17/09
02/10
02/10
23/10
23/10
P
6
6
6
6
Real Madrid CF
FC Schalke 04
Galatasaray A
GROUP C
Paris Saint-Germain
Olympiacos FC
SL Benfica
RSC Anderlecht
Real Madrid CF
5-0
FC Bayern Mnchen
First leg 1-0
(agg)
Second leg 4-0
RESULTS
57
TEAM PROFILES
ARSENAL FC
England
STATISTICS
24
PLAYERS USED
GOALS SCORED
GOAL ATTEMPTS 61 (43 on target) = 7.6 (5.4) per game

TIME SCORED
0
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
1
46-60
61-75
76-90
0
90+
SUBSTITUTIONS 21/24 (Including one double substitution)

0
1-15 16-30
Minutes
The last 16
At the UEFA Elite Club Coaches Forum in Nyon
prior to the start of the 2013/14 season, Arsne
Wenger commented: Winning your group is
important, as you get to play the second leg at
home. Whether or not that is a real advantage
is unknown. But you feel you have done the
job well if you finish at the top of the group.
Sir Alex Ferguson added: Some years ago, a
change in counterattacking methods in terms
of the use of quick combinations and collective
counters has given teams a better chance of
scoring away from home.
Further discussion of their views was promoted
by events when the top 16 teams kicked off the
58
knockout stage of the competition in February.

The first legs produced six away wins which all
but settled the ties, with the group runners-up
the home teams scoring six goals and
conceding 20. Only two English clubs required
the home advantage factor in order to progress,
with Chelsea FC winning at Stamford Bridge
after drawing in Istanbul, while Manchester
United FC rebounded from a 2-0 defeat in
Athens to edge past Olympiacos FC by scoring
three unanswered goals at Old Trafford.
gravity. Indeed, there were no away victories

in the quarter-finals. On the other hand, the
outcomes of the semi-finals were decided by
the second-leg wins for the two Madrid clubs
in Munich and in London.In terms of playing
styles, the most illustrious standard-bearers
for possession-based football FC Bayern
Mnchen and FC Barcelona were both
eliminated by opponents who attached
lesser importance to their share of the ball.
Goalkeepers
1
Wojciech Szczsny
13 Emiliano Viviano
21 ukasz Fabiaski
Defenders
3
Bacary Sagna
4
Per Mertesacker
5
Thomas Vermaelen
6
Laurent Koscielny
17 Nacho Monreal
25 Carl Jenkinson
28 Kieran Gibbs
Midfielders
7
Tom Rosick
8
Mikel Arteta
10 Jack Wilshere
11 Mesut zil
15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
16 Aaron Ramsey
19 Santi Cazorla
20 Mathieu Flamini
31 Ryo Miyaichi
45 Isaac Hayden
Forwards
9
Lukas Podolski
12 Olivier Giroud
14 Theo Walcott
22 Yaya Sanogo
23 Nicklas Bendtner
37 Chuba Akpom
44 Serge Gnabry
2
1
1
2
1
MAR
W 1-2
NAP
W 2-0
DOR
L 1-2
DOR
W 0-1
MAR
NAP
BAY
L 0-2
D 1-1
90
90
90
90
90
90
37so
51
S
0
90
90
90
0
90
12
0
90
90
90
0
90
2
0
90
90
90
0
90
0
0
90
90
90
1
90
15
0
90
90
90
0
90
90
I
90
90
I
90
63
90
27
90
I
88
89
90
58
90
I
86
32
I
90
90
I
90
I
90
75
I
W 2-0
I
75
8
75
82
I
90
15
90
L 2-0
90
0
90
16
90
90
74
76so
0
90
I
22
68
90
90
1
0
90
I
90
78
I
90
I
I
90
I
I
90
I
I
90
15
I
90
0
90
90
90
59
0
31
16
S
90
90
74
I
39
90
BAY
90
90
90
90
I
0
I
45
77
I
45
84
I
90
6
90
90
I
13
61-75
76-90
2
90+
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 51%*
PASSES ATTEMPTED 655*
Max. 61% v Marseille (h)

Min. 36% v Bayern (a)*
Max. 887 v Marseille (h)

Min. 433 v Bayern (a)*
TEAM DISTANCE COVERED

111,915 metres*
Max. 114,521 v Bayern (a)
Min. 106,282 v Dortmund (h)
PASSING ACCURACY 77%
Max. 86% v Marseille (h)

Min. 62% v Bayern (h)
PASSES PER GAME*

Long
81 (12% of total)
Medium
404 (62%)
Short
170 (26%)
*Excluding matchday seven v Bayern (h) when playing 53 minutes with ten men
TEAM SHAPE
12
10
28
15
11
19
0
0
0
I
90
20
Numbers in the squad list refer to minutes played; G = Goals; A = Assists; = taken off; = brought on; 0 = unused sub; S = suspended; I = injured/ill; so = sent off
Matches: blue = home; grey = away
KEY FEATURES
4-2-3-1 with rapid transitions
to 4-5-1 defending
Strong, experienced defenders:
Mertesacker, Vermaelen,
Koscielny
Build-ups based on neat, assured
combination play
Once the pure draws came into play as from

the quarter-final stage, ties gained in intensity
and home advantage carried greater specific
31-45 Half-time 46-60
TEAM PROFILES
COACH
Varied attacking options with
good use of width
Effective intense pressing
from midfield
Hard-working midfielders: Arteta,
Oxlade-Chamberlain
Compact defending; rapid
defence-to-attack transitions
High levels of technique; Rosick

excellent dribbling, passing
Excellent team spirit and
work ethic
Dangerous set plays delivered
by zil, Cazorla, Rosick
Arsne Wenger
Born: 22/10/1949,
Strasbourg (FRA)
Nationality: French
Matches in
UEFA Champions League: 154
Head coach from:
28/09/1996
59
CLUB ATLTICO DE MADRID
FC BARCELONA
Spain
Spain
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
24
PLAYERS USED
26
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
1-15 16-30
Minutes
46-60 61-75 76-90

90+
(Extra time: 91-105 = 0; 106-120 = 0)
1-15 16-30
Minutes
2
Diego Godn
3
Filipe Lus
12 Toby Alderweireld
17 Javi Manquillo
18 Jos Mara Gimnez
20 Juanfran
22 Emiliano Insa
23 Miranda
27 Lucas
Midfielders
4
Mario Surez
5
Tiago
6
Koke
8
Ral Garca
10 Arda Turan
11 Cristian Rodrguez
14 Gabi
15 Josuha Guilavogui
16 liver Torres
24 Jos Sosa
26 Diego
Forwards
7
9
19
21
42
Adrin Lpez
David Villa
Diego Costa
Lo Baptisto
Momar Ndoye
0
90
2
1 1
2
2
90
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
I
90
0
90
90 45
0 90
90 90
0 45
90 90
0
90
90
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
90
I
0
0
90
0
0
90
90
90
0
90
90
0
S
90
90
0
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
0
90 120
90
I
0
I
90
90
0
I
90
90
0
I
90
90
0
I
90
90
0
90 120
90 83
0 37
90
90
90
90
0
90
90
0
90
90
0
90
90
90 120
90
90 120
31-45 Half-time 46-60
17
61-75
76-90
1 2
4 3
4 1
4
1
1
0
90 90
89 16 90
4 79 81
86 90 90
1 45 30
90 90 90
0
0
0
11
2 2 79
I
90 45
8 1 S
S
1
11 74
9
0
60
I
I
I
I
90
I
I
I
56
66 90 90 90
90 90 90 80
I
I 28 74
24 80
I 16
90 90 90 90
I
34 90
45 10 62
0
0
45
0
90
90 82
45
45
0
8
0
10
0
90
0
0 79 90
90 90 0 90
82 90 90 90 90
72
S 90 86 24
78 77
I 30 84
12 13 11
0
6
90 90 90 90 S
0
120
120
66
I
0
120
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 45%
PASSES ATTEMPTED 515
Max. 64% v FK Austria (h)

Min. 34% v Barcelona (a), Zenit (a)
Max. 733 v FK Austria (h)

Min. 370 v Porto (h)

112,088 metres

Max. 78% v FK Austria (h)
Min. 57% v Barcelona (h)
Max. 119,576 v FK Austria (a)

Min. 104,304 v Milan (a)
Long
71 (14% of total)
Medium
269 (52%)
Short
175 (34%)
19
10
8
14
19
60
0 71
90 30
0
28
62
79
I
11
60
14
0
54
0
20
23
66 111
4
0 120
90 76 9
13
Matches: blue = home; grey = away; light blue = final
4-4-2 with twin screening

midfielders
High-energy football based on
fast, vertical combination moves
Exceptional commitment,
spirit, work ethic; high levels
of technique
60
Diego Costa a disturbing,

threatening presence at
apex of attack
Compact, industrious midfield
play; Mario, Gabi, Tiago, Koke,
Arda Turan
Aggressive, ambitious upfield runs
by full-backs, especially Juanfran
on right
Very quick transitions in both

directions; occasional intense
high pressure
Compact defensive block
dominating in final 25m
Courtois the insurance policy with
outstanding goalkeeping qualities
Dangerous set plays with
centre-backs providing aerial power
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1
90+
1
Vctor Valds
13 Jos Manuel Pinto
25 Oier Olazbal
Defenders
2
Martn Montoya
3
Gerard Piqu
5
Carles Puyol
14 Javier Mascherano
15 Marc Bartra
18 Jordi Alba
21 Adriano
22 Daniel Alves
27 Patric Gabarron
Midfielders
7
9
10
11
20
28
29
Pedro Rodrguez
Alexis Snchez
Lionel Messi
Neymar
Cristian Tello
Adama Traor
Jean Marie Dongou
AJX
W 4-0
CEL
W 0-1
ACM
D 1-1
W 3-1
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
0
80
I
90
10
I
90
90
0
90
I
I
90
I
90
90
0
90
I
90
0
I
90
90
0
90
I
90
0
I
90
90
78
90
89
0
90
1
0
16
90
90
I
90
0
12
88
78
I
90
2
74
16
I
90
12
9
74
90
81
0
5
90
90
85
1
1
2
3
3
71
19
90
90
0
1
8
4
1
2
3
ACM
18
90
90
72
AJX
L 2-1
CEL
W 6-1
90
0
90
0
90
90
68
90
0
90
90
0
90
MC
MC
ATL
ATL
W 0-2
W 2-1
D 1-1
L 1-0
90
0
90
0
I
90
0
I
90
0
90
90
12
0
90
I
90
0
90
0
90
90
0
90
0
90
90
78
90
0
90
0
I
I
90
90
90
0
90
82
74
90
I
0
90
16
S
90
0
I
73
17
90
86
90
90
I
90
0
4
86
90
90
I
90
0
4
68
90
90
I
90
0
0
61
90
72
I
90
0
0
90
S
I
90
90
63
I
81
27
0
74
90
16
0
10
90
80
0
22
90
90
18
29
90
90
I
I
22
8
0
31-45 Half-time 46-60
12
12
61-75
76-90
0
90+
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 63%

109,273 metres
Max. 72% v Celtic (a)

Min. 55% v Man City (h)
Max. 959 v Man City (a)

Min. 689 v Ajax (h)
Max. 88% v Celtic (a)

Min. 78% v Atltico (a)
Max. 114,202 v Ajax (a)

Min. 101,659 v Milan (a)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
66 (8% of total)
Medium
502 (61%)
Short
251 (31%)
TEAM SHAPE
10
11
6
4
16
18
14
22
3
*After extra time
KEY FEATURES
Goalkeepers
4
Cesc Fbregas
6
Xavi Hernndez
8
Andrs Iniesta
12 Jonathan Dos Santos
16 Sergio Busquets
17 Alex Song
24 Sergi Roberto
Forwards
TEAM SHAPE
18
8
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
(Extra time: 91-105 = 0; 106-120 = 0)
PASSES PER GAME
90
90+
Data from final corrected pro rata to 90-minute values to facilitate comparisons
90
SUBSTITUTIONS 25/30
W 3-1 W 1-2 W 0-3 W 4-0 D 1-1 W 2-0 W 0-1 W 4-1 D 1-1 W 1-0 D 0-0 W 1-3 L 1-4*
1
Daniel Aranzubia
13 Thibaut Courtois
45 David Gil
Defenders
SUBSTITUTIONS 35/39
Goalkeepers
21
GOALS SCORED
GOAL ATTEMPTS 176 (104 on target) = 13.5 (8) per game
G A ZEN POR AW AW ZEN POR ACM ACM BAR BAR CHL CHL RM
24
PLAYERS USED
COACH
KEY FEATURES
Diego Simeone
4-3-3 with single screening

midfielder (usually Busquets)
Striker-less formation; Messi a
deep-lying focal point in attack
Excellent short-passing game;
high-tempo ball circulation
Players (Iniesta, Neymar, Messi )
running at defenders with highspeed dribbling skills
Born:28/04/1970,
Buenos Aires (ARG)
Nationality: Argentinian
Matches in
Head coach from:
23/12/2011
TEAM PROFILES
COACH
Good use of width with both full- Influential experienced spine:
backs attacking constantly
Piqu, Busquets, Xavi, Messi
Patient build-up by skilful players Excellent passing, wall-passing
who want the ball; Xavi the leader
into box from wide areas
Set plays not launched;
emphasis on short corners,
quick free-kicks
Intense immediate pressure as
soon as ball lost in final third
Gerardo Martino
Born: 20/11/1962,
Rosario (ARG)
Nationality: Argentine
Matches in
Head coach from:
22/07/2013
61
FC BAYERN MNCHEN
CHELSEA FC
Germany
England
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
22
PLAYERS USED
24
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
2
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
W 3-0 W 1-3 W 5-0 W 0-1 W 1-3
Goalkeepers
1
Manuel Neuer
22 Tom Starke
29 Leopold Zingerle
32 Lukas Raeder
Defenders
4
Dante
5
Daniel Van Buyten
13 Rafinha
15 Jan Kirchhoff
17 Jrme Boateng
21 Philipp Lahm1
26 Diego Contento
27 David Alaba
Midfielders
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
W 0-2 D 1-1
90
0
90
0
MU
MU
D 1-1 W 3-1
90
0
90
I
0
2
1
3
2 1
90 90
I
0
0
90
90 90 90
0
0 14
90 86so S
90 90 63
0
0
90
90 90 90
90
0
90
10
90
28
I
67
0
90
I
90
31
I
27
87
3
59
59
I
90
I
4 4 79
11
3 1
I
1 1 71
90
90
90
9
14
20
3 3 75
15
71
19
31
3 2
5 1 90
3
19
I
82
I
78
12
8
0
90
90
0
0
90
90
90
6
Thiago Alcntara
7
Franck Ribry
8
Javi Martnez
10 Arjen Robben
11 Xherdan Shaqiri
19 Mario Gtze
23 Mitchell Weiser
25 Thomas Mller
31 Bastian Schweinsteiger
34 Pierre Hjbjerg
37 Julian Green
39 Toni Kroos
Forwards
Mario Manduki
Claudio Pizarro
Patrick Weihrauch
90
0
L 2-3
ARS ARS
90
76
23
90
0
RM
L 1-0
90
I
0
0
90+
90
I
0
90
0
45
90
0
0
S
0
90
90
0
25
66
90
0
0
90
90
0
90
45
90
0
90
0
90
I
90
90
90
I
90
90
90
I
90
90
90
I
90
90
90
I
90
62
I
80
90
I
88
0
90
I
0
2
90
90
90
35
I
22
55
79
I
90
90
I
90
90
85
90
90
I
59
I
90
90
90
0
16
I
90
S
90
I
65
0
5
63 84
90 90so S
0
0
I
72
24
90
I
18
0
16
74
I
72
45
90
I
18
90
90
31
74
90
90
90
I
I
68
0
64
11
90
0
27
0
90
6
0
90
0
45
18
90
I
26
0
15
10
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
72
90
0
POSSESSION 65%

117,600 metres
Max. 984 v Arsenal (a)

Min. 596 v Man City (a)
Max. 88% v Plzen (h)

Min. 75% v Man Utd (h)
Max. 122,474 v Plzen (a)

Min. 112,660 v Real Madrid (h)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
89 (11% of total)
Medium
499 (63%)
Short
210 (26%)
TEAM SHAPE
9
25
10
39
31
27
21
17
Midfield screen in six games (four away)
62
Comfortable in possession even

Strong support for striker
when under intensive pressure
Manduki from Mller, Kroos,
Thiago, Gtze, etc
Ribry (left), Robben (right)
constant threats on wings
Ball regained quickly via upfield
and midfield pressing
Exuberant support from full-backs
Lahm/Rafinha and Alaba
Rapid attack-to-defence
transitions with wingers working
Schweinsteiger, Martnez read
game excellently as midfield pivots hard to cover
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
0
90+
L 1-2
Goalkeepers
1
Petr ech
23 Mark Schwarzer
40 Hilrio
Defenders
2
Branislav Ivanovi
3
Ashley Cole
4
David Luiz
24 Gary Cahill
26 John Terry
27 Nathan Ak
28 Csar Azpilicueta
33 Tom Kalas
34 Ryan Bertrand
Midfielders
90
0
1
1
90
0
90
0
90
0
L 1-0
90
90
90
0
90
90
I
6
90
90
90
0
0
90
90
90
0
I
90
90
11
90
90
90
W 1-0 D 1-1 W 2-0
90
0
90
90
90
90
0
0
90
90
90
90
0
90
7
Ramires
8
Frank Lampard
11 Oscar
12 John Obi Mikel
15 Kevin De Bruyne
16 Marco van Ginkel
17 Eden Hazard
22 Willian
Forwards
2 1
1 2 75
1 4 90
15
0
75
2
90
2 67
9
10
14
19
29
Fernando Torres
Juan Mata
Andr Schrrle
Demba Ba
Samuel Eto'o
W 0-4 W 0-3 W 3-0
90
90
79
0
I
I
I
9
90
90
84
18
I
I
88
0
90
9
81
90
12
I
90
90
90
55
90
4
I
35
86
16
90
67
74
10
I
90
80
90
0
90
0
90
0
I
90
90
90
I
0
90
90
90
0
90
90
1
23
90
90
L 3-1
90
0
W 2-0 D 0-0
90
0
18
72
ATL
1
3
15
3 2 90
11
81
90
0
79
90
0
72
2
I
0
78
13
77
48
0
0
42
0
0
23
90
90+

111,411 metres
Max. 117,884 v Basel (h)

Min. 106,826 v PSG (a)
90
0
90
90
82
0
90
18
72
0
S
66
81
0
90
90
0
90
90
S
0
S
0
90
77
90
0
Max. 800 v Steaua (h)

Min. 372 v Atltico (a)
Max. 82% v Steaua (a and h),

Schalke (h)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
90 (16% of total)
Medium
337 (59%)
Short
141 (25%)
TEAM SHAPE
9
17
22
8
4
2
28
23
90
54
90
90
90
90
1
90
13
76-90
POSSESSION 51%
Max. 64% v Steaua (h)

S
90
90
90
73
0
90
0
18
90
12
61-75
AVERAGES
I
90
0
90
0
90
90
90
90
90
L 1-3
90
I
90
90
90
0
90
0
90
90
31-45 Half-time 46-60
68
31
90
67
67
0
22
8
0
86
59
0
I
72
24
90
17
1
13
23
36
26
24
1
Variations on 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1

with single or twin screening
midfielders
Possession-based game;
slick combination moves built
from back
Neuer the outstanding sweeper/
goalkeeper; good distribution
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
G A BSL STE SCH SCH BSL STE GAL GAL PSG PSG ATL
KEY FEATURES
90+
AVERAGES
Max. 73% v Arsenal (a)
Min. 58% v Man City (h)
L 0-4
90
0
0
90
90
RM
31-45 Half-time 46-60
SUBSTITUTIONS 32/36 (Including two double substitutions)
PLZ CSKA MC
(one own goal)
GOAL ATTEMPTS 144 (87 on target) = 12 (7.3) per game
1-15 16-30
Minutes
PLZ
19
GOALS SCORED
G A CSKA MC
22
PLAYERS USED
COACH
KEY FEATURES
Josep Guardiola
4-2-3-1 with compact 4-5-1

Dangerous counterattacking,
defending
bursting forward from midfield
Disciplined team play based on
Width well exploited; wingers
strong work ethic, collective spirit
cutting in, full-backs forward,
notably Ivanovi
Outstanding dribbling skills from
three attacking midfielders
Lampard the influential leader
Good use of long diagonal passing in midfield; shrewd passes,
attacking presence
to switch focal point of attack
Born: 18/01/1971
Santpedor (ESP)
Nationality: Spanish
Matches in
Head coach from:
24/06/2013
TEAM PROFILES
COACH
Immediate pressure on ball
carrier after loss of possession
Dangerous set plays, exploiting
aerial power of defenders
Composure on the ball,
experience, mental strength,
winning mentality
Jos Mourinho
Born: 26/01/1963,
Setubal (POR)
Nationality: Portuguese
Matches in
Head coach from:
03/06/2013
63
BORUSSIA DORTMUND
GALATASARAY A
Germany
Turkey
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
23
PLAYERS USED
18
GOALS SCORED
(one own goal)
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
1
Roman Weidenfeller
20 Mitchell Langerak
33 Zlatan Alomerovi
Defenders
9
10
17
23
34
L 2-1
45so
45
2
Manuel Friedrich
4
Neven Suboti
15 Mats Hummels
24 Marian Sarr
25 Sokratis Papastathopoulos
26 ukasz Piszczek
29 Marcel Schmelzer
30 Koray Gnter
37 Erik Durm
Midfielders
5
Sebastian Kehl
6
Sven Bender1
7
Jonas Hofmann
11 Marco Reus
14 Milo Joji
16 Jakub Baszczykowski
18 Nuri ahin
19 Kevin Grosskreutz2
21 Oliver Kirch
Forwards
NAP
90
45
90
0
L 0-1
NAP
W 3-1
90
0
90
0
90
90
90
90
90
I
I
I
2
I
I
3
I
90
90
I
90
MAR
W 1-2
90
0
I
I
90
90
12
90
I
90
14
90
I
90
8
82
I
90
24
87
0
75
15
86
90
90
0
81
78
I
24
78
45
90
90
0
19
90
90
0
66
90
90
0
74
90
90
0
69
90
90
0
66
90
90
0
Robert Lewandowski
6
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
2
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 1
Julian Schieber
Marvin Ducksch
S
90
0
W 1-2
ARS
I
90
0
0
W 3-0
ARS
90
9
I
0
90
1
1
MAR
3
1
90
76
45
0
90
88
71
0
0
90
66
24
0
90
90
16
4
89
90
21
1
0
90
90
90
0
12
ZEN
W 2-4
90
0
90
I
I
0
90
90
90
ZEN
L 1-2
90
0
RM
L 3-0
90
0
RM
90+
90
0
0
I
90
0
I
90
90
I
90
90
90
77
90
67
I
0
81
I
13
90
90
90
I
5
85
0
I
90
90
90
I
1
I
21
I
90
90
0
74
I
26
90
16
I
90
90
0
S
I
0
90
90
I
0
90
90
90
69
90
0
S
64
90
23
0
12
12
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes

121,918 metres*
Max. 760 v Marseille (a)

Min. 381 v Marseille (h)
Max. 82% v Marseille (a)

Min. 61% v Zenit (a)
Max. 126,344 v Marseille (h)

Min. 117,887 v Arsenal (a)*
PASSES PER GAME

Long
73 (13% of total)
Medium
327 (58%)
Short
162 (29%)
*Excluding matchday one v Napoli (a) when playing 45 mins with 10 men
TEAM SHAPE
9
11
19
10
5
18
26
37
25
15
Defender on matchdays one and five; 2Defender during group stage
64
Good links between lines; high

defence with keeper covering
behind
Rapid defence-to-attack
transitions; dangerous counters
in numbers
Good use of width with wingers
cutting in to attack goal
Intense pressure on ball carrier in

midfield and attacking third
Dangerous free-kicks by Reus,
Mkhitaryan; aerial strength in box
High levels of individual technique,
1v1 skills, athletic qualities
strong team spirit, work ethic,
mental resilience
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
0
90+
Goalkeepers
25 Fernando Muslera
67 Eray can
86 Ufuk Ceylan
Defenders
2
Guillermo Burdisso
5
Gkhan Zan
13 Dany Nounkeu
15 Alex Telles
21 Aurlien Chedjou
22 Hakan Balta
26 Semih Kaya
27 Emmanuel Ebou
55 Sabri Sarolu
77 Albert Riera
Midfielders
3
Felipe Melo
6
Ceyhun Glselam
7
Aydn Ylmaz
8
Seluk nan
10 Wesley Sneijder
14 Izet Hajrovic
20 Bruma
35 Yekta Kurtulu
50 Engin Baytar
52 Emre olak
53 Nordin Amrabat
Forwards
11 Didier Drogba
17 Burak Ylmaz
19 Umut Bulut
1
1
2
RM
JUV
KOB
KOB
L 1-0
L 4-1
I
90
0
I
90
0
L 1-6
D 2-2
W 3-1
90
0
90
I
0
90
I
0
RM
JUV
W 1-0
D 1-1
CHL
90
90
90
0
I
90
90
45
45
90
0
90
90
23
90
77
0
PASSES PER GAME
90
0
I
90
90
31
90
0
I
90
90
13
TEAM SHAPE
I
90
I
0
90
90
90
0
90
0
0
90
0
90
90
90
25
90
0
60
90
I
90
90
0
0
90
I
76
90
0
90
90
I
0
90
0
23
90
I
90
81
90
90
76
14
90
90
90
74
90
80
90
28
62
90
88
2
I
90
27
90
1
I
90
90
28
90
90
63
62
0
0
45
30
0
10
45
78
12
90
0
16
86
90
4
90
0
8
67
90
82
14
90
0
90
90
10
61-75
76-90
1
90+
AVERAGES
CHL
65
90
31-45 Half-time 46-60
L 2-0
59
67
90
90
9
80
90
10
90
54
36
POSSESSION 52%

110,804 metres
Max. 56% v Kbenhavn (h)

and (a), Chelsea (h)
Min. 43% v Juventus (a)
Max. 691 v Kbenhavn (a)

Min. 456 v Juventus (a)
Max. 79% v Real Madrid (a)

Min. 65% v Juventus (h)
Max. 116,761 v Kbenhavn (a)

Min. 104,577 v Juventus (h)
Long
86 (15% of total)
Medium
338 (60%)
Short
141 (25%)
11
17
35
10
27
15
21
26
25
2
3
4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 with

Lewandowski leading the attack
Good mix of elaborate build-up
with direct supply to front
Power-play based on speed,
aggressive running, off-the-ball
movement
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
POSSESSION 49%
90
90
9
0
0
KEY FEATURES
90+
AVERAGES
Max. 62% v Marseille (a)
Min. 42% v Real Madrid (a)
SUBSTITUTIONS 23/24
W 2-0
90
70
20
0
31-45 Half-time 46-60
SUBSTITUTIONS 28/30 (Including three double substitutions)
GOALS SCORED
23
PLAYERS USED
COACH
KEY FEATURES
Jrgen Klopp
4-4-2 with occasional use of

4-2-3-1; 3-5-2 when chasing result
Drogba, Burak strong strike
force; Sneijder cutting in from
left to support
Melo the midfield pivot; centreback when defending with three
Seluk the catalyst in midfield;
movement, creative passing
Born: 16/06/1967,
Stuttgart (GER)
Nationality: German
Matches in
Head coach from:
01/07/2008
TEAM PROFILES
COACH
Adventurous full-backs, especially Dangerous set plays based
Ebou on right
on aerial power
Frequent use of direct supply
Excellent team spirit, resilience
from keeper to strikers
in adverse situations
Good diagonal passing but
emphasis on playing through
middle
Intense pressure on ball carrier
as from midfield
Roberto Mancini
Born: 27/11/1964,
Jesi (ITA)
Nationality: Italian
Matches in
Head coach from:
30/09/2013
Fatih Terim (04/09/1953, Adana, TUR)
was in charge on matchday one
65
BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN
MANCHESTER CITY FC
Germany
England
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
22
PLAYERS USED
10
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
0
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
1
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
1
Bernd Leno
22 David Yelldell
25 Andrs Palop
36 Niklas Lomb
Defenders
2
Kostas Stafylidis
4
Philipp Wollscheid
5
Emir Spahi
14 Roberto Hilbert
17 Sebastian Boenisch
20 Andrs Guardado
21 mer Toprak
26 Giulio Donati
Midfielders
3
Stefan Reinartz
6
Simon Rolfes
8
Lars Bender
10 Emre Can1
13 Jens Hegeler
15 Levin ztunali
18 Sidney Sam
19 Julian Brandt
27 Gonzalo Castro
31 Dominik Kohr
35 Maximilian Wagener
Forwards
7
Son Heung-Min
9
Eren Derdiyok
11 Stefan Kiessling
23 Robbie Kruse
3
1
MU
L 4-2
W 2-1
SHK
W 4-0
90
90
90
SHK
D 0-0
90
0
I
0
90
0
90
90
0
90
68
34
56
0
90
0
90
0
90
90
90
90
0
90
90
90
90
90
90
26
90
I
0
78
I
RS
64
12
78
12
MU
L 0-5
90
I
0
I
0
0
0
90
I
90
90
I
90
I
90
19
I
90
90
21
13
70
90
81
90
20
85
90
90
68
0
90
22
90
0
71
14
76
0
69
77
0
90
1
W 0-1
90
90
90
90
22
5
RS
90
9
70
20
90
0
0
0
90
I
90
90
I
90
90
90
45
0
I
90
1
90
4
86
45
PSG
L 0-4
90
0
PSG
90+
45
45
90
S
0
0
62
45
90
90
90
S
0
0
90
90
90
78
90
I
68so
I
1-15 16-30
Minutes
90
10
61-75
76-90

115,548 metres*
Max. 52% v Shakhtar (h),

R. Sociedad (a), Man Utd (h)
Min. 39% v PSG (a)
Max. 594 v Shakhtar (h)

Min. 414 v Man Utd (a)
Max. 80% v Shakhtar (h)

Min. 61% v Shakhtar (a)
Max. 122,060 v R. Sociedad (a)

Min. 105,764 v PSG (a)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
64 (12% of total)
Medium
334 (64%)
Short
127 (24%)
*Excluding matchday seven v PSG (h) when playing 31 mins with ten men
TEAM SHAPE
7
20
11
18
8
27
6
26
21
66
Emphasis on building from centrebacks with full-backs moving high

Dangerous inswinging corners by
Sam (from right), Castro (left)
Aerial power supplied by Spahi,
Rolfes, Bender, Kiessling, Toprak
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1
90+
Goalkeepers
1
Joe Hart
30 Costel Pantilimon
Defenders
2
Micah Richards
4
Vincent Kompany
5
Pablo Zabaleta
6
Joleon Lescott
13 Aleksandar Kolarov
22 Gal Clichy
26 Martn Demichelis
33 Matija Nastasi
38 Dedryck Boyata
Midfielders
7
James Milner
8
Samir Nasri
14 Javi Garca
15 Jess Navas
17 Jack Rodwell
21 David Silva
25 Fernandinho
42 Yaya Tour
52 Emyr Huws
Forwards
9
10
16
35
lvaro Negredo
Edin Deko
Sergio Agero
Stevan Joveti
3
4
3
5
2
6
BAY
CSKA
CSKA
W 5-2
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
90
0
0
0
I
90
0
90
1
I
90
W 0-3
90
90
0
90
I
I
90
1
1
PLZ
1
1
2
23
90
10
67
0
I
90
80
7
83
90
0
L 1-3
90
I
90
W 1-2
W 4-2
BAY
W 2-3
BAR
BAR
0
90
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
0
I
90
0
24
90
90
90
90
I
0
90
90
I
90
16
0
74
90
90
I
90
0
90
90
32
58
90
53so
20
70
0
90
11
90
90
13
20
90
90
79
90
90
66
45
90
33
57
70
72
18
89
0
45
77
90
0
90
I
PLZ
90
75
90
45
I
I
64
26
0
15
90
45
I
90
90
90
2
73
90
S
17
88
0
I
L 0-2
11
61-75
76-90
0
90+
AVERAGES
L 2-1
90
78so
90
90
0
S
I
0
32
0
58
90
75
0
15
90
90
90
72
90
90
74
16
I
0
31-45 Half-time 46-60
POSSESSION 48%

111,335 metres*
Max. 57% v CSKA (h)

Max. 743 v CSKA (h)

Min. 355 v Bayern (h)
Max. 84% v CSKA (h)

Max. 115,381 v Plzen (a)

Min. 107,820 v Plzen (h)*
PASSES PER GAME

Long
74 (14% of total)
Medium
315 (58%)
Short
156 (28%)
*Excluding matchday seven v Barcelona (h) when playing 37 mins with ten men
TEAM SHAPE
16
21
8
15
25
42
13
18
45
45
I
26
Defender on matchdays five and six
Classic 4-3-3 with swift transitions Direct attacking: sustained ball

to 4-5-1 defending
possession not a priority
High pressing in numbers to
Sam the key performer;
disturb opponents build-up
technique, pace, dribbling,
hard-working defending
Compact, narrow back four ready
to hold high line (40m)
All players back to defend set
plays; limited opportunities
Quick counterattacks mostly led
to counter
by Sam, Castro
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
POSSESSION 46%
23
90
0
KEY FEATURES
90+
AVERAGES
67
23
67
12
45
L 2-1
28
59so
90
0
90
90
31-45 Half-time 46-60
SUBSTITUTIONS 24/24 (Including five double substitutions)
19
GOALS SCORED
21
PLAYERS USED
COACH
KEY FEATURES
Sami Hyypi
4-4-1-1 formation, more clearly

Mixed attacking: short passing
4-5-1 away from home
from back; direct supply to front
Rapid transition from attack to
Effective full-backs pushing
deep, compact defensive block
forward and delivering crosses
Disciplined hard-working defending; Powerful, athletic team;
intense pressing from halfway line
Kompany, Tour, Deko the
strong spine
Effective double-cover defending
pre-empting penetration in wide
areas
Born: 07/10/1973,
Porvoo (FIN)
Nationality: Finnish
Matches in
Joint head coach from:
13/05/2012
Solo from: 24/06/2013
TEAM PROFILES
COACH
Dangerous inswinging or
outswinging set plays aimed
at big men in box
Silva the creative midfield
playmaker behind Agero or Deko
Quick, powerful counters; good
game-opening diagonal passes
Manuel Pellegrini
Born: 16/09/1953,
Santiago (CHI)
Nationality: Chilean
Matches in
Head coach from:
14/06/2013
67
MANCHESTER UNITED FC
AC MILAN
England
Italy
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
24
PLAYERS USED
17
GOALS SCORED
(two own goals)
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
Goalkeepers
1
David de Gea
13 Anders Lindegaard
Defenders
2
Rafael
3
Patrice Evra
4
Phil Jones
5
Rio Ferdinand
6
Jonny Evans
12 Chris Smalling
15 Nemanja Vidi
22 Fabio
28 Alexander Bttner
Midfielders
8
Anderson
11 Ryan Giggs
16 Michael Carrick
17 Nani
18 Ashley Young
23 Tom Cleverley
24 Darren Fletcher
25 Antonio Valencia
26 Shinji Kagawa
31 Marouane Fellaini
44 Adnan Januzaj
Forwards
10
14
19
20
Wayne Rooney
Javier Hernndez
Danny Welbeck
Robin van Persie
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
W 4-2
SHK
D 1-1
RS
W 1-0
RS
D 0-0
LEV
W 0-5
SHK
W 1-0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
I
90
I
90
0
90
90
0
90
90
1
I
59
90
90
I
90
31
I
I
90
1
90
I
90
90
I
70
90
90
90
90
I
90
90
90
90
20
88
0
90
S
19
10
I
90
71
80
1
4
84
6
90
90
90
I
24
90
0
0
90
I
90
0
66
0
90
90
I
90
90
0
10
0
90
I
0
27
I
90
90
0
0
I
90
90
90so
90
80
63
63
I
27
10
90
I
90
11
0
I
79
90
S
80
0
0
I
0
63
I
0
63
27
I
2
90
90
90
0
27
OLY
L 2-0
90
0
OLY
W 3-0
BAY
D 1-1
BAY
90+
1-15 16-30
Minutes
90
0
90
0
90
90
90
90
90
90
I
S
90
90
I
I
90
I
90
90
0
I
90
90
74
90
0
16-30
31-45 Half-time 46-60
10
61-75
76-90
POSSESSION 48%

112,323 metres
Max. 709 v Olympiacos (a)

Max. 80% v Leverkusen (h)

Min. 61% v Bayern (h and a)
Max. 114,310 v Shakhtar (h)

Min. 110,395 v Bayern (a)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
90
90
90
60
60
30
0
90
0
30
90
0
90
13
45
90
0
16
86 (15% of total)
Medium
318 (57%)
Short
152 (27%)
8
77
0
1
0
0
90
45
90
0
74
90
90
I
9
90
0
82
90
90
5
85
I
90
16
81
I
TEAM SHAPE
20
19
25
10
11
16
4
3
15
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Decimal points account for the missing 1%
0
90
90+
AVERAGES
Max. 56% v Leverkusen (h)
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1
90+
SUBSTITUTIONS 22/24
L 3-1
90
0
90
0
1-15
LEV
(two own goals)
1-15 16-30
Minutes
GOALS SCORED
25
PLAYERS USED
Goalkeepers
1
Marco Amelia
32 Christian Abbiati
35 Ferdinando Coppola
Defenders
2
Mattia De Sciglio
5
Philippe Mexs
13 Adil Rami
17 Cristin Zapata
20 Ignazio Abate
21 Kvin Constant
25 Daniele Bonera
28 Urby Emanuelson
81 Cristian Zaccardo
Midfielders
4
Sulley Muntari
14 Valter Birsa
15 Michael Essien
16 Andrea Poli
18 Riccardo Montolivo
23 Antonio Nocerino
27 Adel Taarabt
34 Nigel de Jong
Forwards
7
Robinho
9
Alessandro Matri
11 Giampaolo Pazzini
22 Kak
45 Mario Balotelli
92 Stephan El Shaarawy
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
2
1
CEL
AJX
BAR
BAR
CEL
AJX
ATL
ATL
L 3-1
W 0-3
D 0-0
L 0-1
L 4-1
W 2-0
D 1-1
D 1-1
0
90
0
90
90
I
0
I
90
0
I
90
0
I
90
0
0
90
0
90
I
90
I
90
I
90
I
90
90
9
90
76
I
27
90
90
90
90
I
6
0
90
90
90
I
19
90
90
0
0
90
0
90
48
18
90
90
I
90
I
90
90
0
0
26
0
90
I
64
5
90
90
0
0
0
90
I
90
90
63
90
0
90
80
90
16
72
90
I
3
90
84
90
0
10
90
0
74
90
90
90
42
66
22so
0
90
90
90
90
90
90
14
87
I
I
90
I
80
10
I
I
90
I
64
0
I
71
26
I
45
6
I
84
45
I
10
0
I
80
90
I
I
0
I
81
90
24
I
90
85
S
90
90
0
12
68
90
S
90
90
45
78
45
12
90
78
I
22
90
90
I
31-45 Half-time 46-60
11
61-75
76-90
0
90+
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 45%
Max. 56% v Atltico (a)

Max. 654 v Atltico (a)

Min. 368 v Ajax (h)

105,021 metres

Min. 62% v Ajax (h)
Max. 110,352 v Celtic (a)

Min. 102,074 v Atltico (h)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
90 (18% of total)
Medium
296 (58%)
Short
122 (24%)
TEAM SHAPE
45
22
27
16
15
34
28
25
13
20
32
an Benedii, Bryan Cristante, Luca Iotti, Andrea Petagna and Matas Silvestre were all unused substitutes
KEY FEATURES
COACH
KEY FEATURES
4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 with Carrick the Compact, disciplined deep

Rapid defence-to-attack
anchor in midfield
defending with eight or nine
transitions; quick supply to
behind the ball
Rooney, Welbeck
Positive possession game, looking
for early ball over defence
Good supply of crosses from
Strong at set plays, notably
wide players and full-backs
corners; Rooney the main
Attacks also patiently built from
supplier to tall targets
back; frequent diagonal passes to Rooney the attacking catalyst as
open game
target or shadowing Van Persie
Enormous work rate, energy,
Very strong when defending in final resolve in midfield and attack
third, especially on edge of box
David Moyes
Variations on 4-4-2 with occasional

switches to 4-3-3
Compact defending with conservative
central defenders
Two disciplined controlling midfielders:
usually Essien, De Jong
Overloads on right to open space for
overlapping left-back Emanuelson
Kak the free spirit behind creative,
unpredictable Balotelli
68
Born: 25/04/1963,
Bearsden (SCO)
Nationality: Scottish
Matches in
Head coach from:
01/07/2013
TEAM PROFILES
COACHES
After ball loss, Kak hard-working in
defending spaces on left
Mix of direct and elaborate attacking;
more possession under Seedorf
Occasional high pressure, especially
on right (Taarabt the leader)
Otherwise swift transitions to deep
4-5-1 defensive block
Varied attacking options (Robinho,
Pazzini); 4-2-4 when chasing result
Massimiliano Allegri
Clarence Seedorf
Born: 11/08/1967,
Livorno (ITA)
Born: 01/04/1976,
Paramaribo (SUR)
Nationality: Dutch
Matches in UEFA
Champions League: 32
Matches in UEFA
Champions League: 2
Head coach from:

25/06/2010 to 13/01/2014
Head coach from:

16/01/2014
69
OLYMPIACOS FC
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Greece
France
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
23
PLAYERS USED
12
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
16 Roberto
42 Balzs Megyeri
Defenders
20 Jos Holebas
21 Avraam Papadopoulos
22 Carl Medjani
23 Dimitris Siovas
24 Kostas Manolas
25 Ivn Marcano
30 Leandro Salino
88 Gatan Bong
Midfielders
2
Giannis Maniatis
5
Paulo Machado
8
Delvin N'Dinga
14 Andreas Samaris
17 Hernn Perz
19 David Fuster
26 Joel Campbell
35 Alejandro Domnguez
60 Sambou Yatabar
79 Vladimr Weiss
Forwards
9
11
18
28
99
Javier Saviola
Kostas Mitroglou
Nelson Valdez
Nikos Vergos
Michael Olaitan
L 1-4
1
3
3
1
1
2
3
1
1
1
D 1-1
BEN
W 1-0
PSG
L 2-1
AND
W 3-1
MU
W 2-0
MU
90+
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
13
0
0
90
90
90
90
0
0
90
90
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
90
90
90
I
90
90
90
0
I
90
90
74
0
I
90
2
90
90
90
I
90
16
57
45
90
0
90
90
0
90
90
I
90
90
90
I
34
90
90
I
34
90
90
0
0
90
S
53
1
90
74
30
60
6
84
33
11
0
90
69
0
88
21
56
74
0
45
56
90
77
33
45
89
90
29
0
37
16
90
66
90
0
90
45
90
13
90
61
I
57
90
90
14
90
0
86
23
67
76
90
16
90
0
57
82
90
90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
61-75
76-90
33
8
I
4-2-3-1 transforming into 4-3-3

attacking formation
Compact, deep defensive block;
pressing mainly in last third
Occasional high pressure; but
emphasis on fast attack-todefence transitions
Patient well-constructed back-tofront passing movements
70
Looked for chances to

make quick, well-executed
counterattacks
Effective use of wide areas;
accurate crosses and cut-backs
Willing to shoot from long range
Domnguez the playmaker;
good technique under pressure;
accurate, incisive passes
Manolas the leader in back

four; good positioning, decisive
interventions
NDinga the hardworking midfield
screen; Maniatis the more
attacking partner
31-45
POSSESSION 47%

108,937 metres
Max. 59% v Anderlecht (h)

Min. 42% v PSG (h)
Max. 580 v Anderlecht (h)

Min. 379 v Benfica (h)
Max. 78% v Anderlecht (h)

Min. 61% v Anderlecht (a),
Benfica (h)
Max. 115,590 v Man Utd (h)

Min. 103,639 v Benfica (a)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
76 (17% of total)
Medium
263 (58%)
Short
118 (26%)
TEAM SHAPE
99
26
35
2
30
24
25
16
1-15 16-30
Minutes
45+
46-60
61-75
3
76-90
1
90+
OLY
BEN
AND
AND
D 1-1
OLY
W 2-1
BEN
L 2-1
W 0-4
0
90
W 1-4
W 3-0
W 0-5
1
Nicolas Douchez
30 Salvatore Sirigu
Defenders
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
2
Thiago Silva
5
Marquinhos
6
Zoumana Camara
13 Alex
17 Maxwell
21 Lucas Digne
23 Gregory van der Wiel
26 Christophe Jallet
37 Kalifa Traor
Midfielders
90
90
0
I
90
0
90
0
I
90
12
78
90
0
90
0
I
90
34
56
90
0
90
28
62
90
11
90
90
0
90
0
90
90
0
90
Goalkeepers
4
Yohan Cabaye
7
Jrmy Mnez
8
Thiago Motta
14 Blaise Matuidi
24 Marco Verratti
25 Adrien Rabiot
27 Javier Pastore
29 Lucas
38 Kingsley Coman
Forwards
9
10
22
35
Edinson Cavani
Zlatan Ibrahimovi
Ezequiel Lavezzi
Hervin Ongenda
1
1
1
4
90
90
0
90
S
0
90
LEV
W 2-1
CHL
W 3-1
CHL
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
90
90
0
90
90
5
0
0
90
90
0
90
5
90
90
0
90
90
90
90
0
0
90
90
90
0
90
LEV
31-45 Half-time 46-60
13
11
61-75
76-90
0
90+
AVERAGES
L 2-0
POSSESSION 58%

106,053 metres*
Max. 65% v Benfica (h),

Anderlecht (a)
Min. 46% v Chelsea (a)
Max. 930 v Benfica (h)

Min. 516 v Chelsea (a)
Max. 89% v Benfica (h)

Max. 110,169 v Anderlecht (a)

Min. 102,358 v Olympiacos (a)*
PASSES PER GAME

Long
72 (10% of total)
Medium
463 (62%)
Short
207 (28%)
*Excluding matchday five v Olympiacos (h) when playing 44 mins with ten men
1
2
1
1
1
1
3
3
1
1
1
90
90
79
11
I
45
0
90
90
70
20
I
20
0
90
64
90
26
I
19
14
90
90
76
0
15
90
0
90
86
46so
40
0
4
90
61
29
S
90
90
90
0
23
0
90
67
90
0
14
90
90
18
0
90
90
27
14
I
90
90
76
0
5
21
35
0
90
90
55
TEAM SHAPE
10
14
90
90
45
90
90
70
90
90
71
0
I
90
75
90
79
50
61
29
0
I
90
76
85
72
63
90
69
85
26
13
90
I
73
24
17
4
10
2 3
22
17
85
30
KEY FEATURES
90+
AVERAGES
20
90
31-45 Half-time 46-60
17
L 3-0
90
0
I
90
1
W 0-3
BEN
90
0
90
90
0
AND
SUBSTITUTIONS 24/24
PSG
(one own goal)
1-15 16-30
Minutes
25
GOALS SCORED
21
PLAYERS USED
COACH
KEY FEATURES
Mchel
4-3-3 with single screening

Full-backs supporting attacks;
midfielder
Lavezzi, Cavani cutting in
from wide
Compact unit with good links,
movement between lines
Ibrahimovi the creative,
Emphasis on building from centre- unpredictable focal point of
attacking play
backs, playing through midfield
Midfield trio (Motta the pivot)
Composed combination play
combining well, shutting down
based on individual technique
spaces
Born: 23/03/1963,
Madrid (ESP)
Matches in
Head coach from:
01/02/2013
TEAM PROFILES
COACH
High defensive line led by
Thiago Silva; keeper covering
space behind
Intense pressure on ball carrier
in high areas and midfield
Aerial strength (Silva, Alex,
Ibrahimovi ) effectively used
at set plays
Laurent Blanc
Born: 19/11/1965,
Als (FRA)
Nationality: French
Matches in
Head coach from:
25/06/2013
71
REAL MADRID CF
FC SCHALKE 04
Spain
Germany
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
22
PLAYERS USED
41
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
1-15 16-30
Minutes
46-60 61-75 76-90

90+
(Extra time: 91-105 = 0; 106-120 = 3)
2
3 2
1
1 2
1
1 1
15
90
90
90
90
90
90
75
I
90
90
I
I
90
90
0
90
90
0
0
90
90
0
0
90
90
0
90
0
90
90
I
I
90 90 90
90 26so S
I
I
I
90 74 90
0 16
0
0 90 90
62 90
6
Sami Khedira
14 Xabi Alonso
16 Casemiro
19 Luka Modri
22 ngel Di Mara
23 Isco
24 Asier Illarramendi
26 Jos Rodrguez
Forwards
90 74 90 90
I
I
I
I 71 32
0
58
1 3 72 67 90 90 S
3 6 90 90 79 15 90
3 2 64 23 18
0 90
18 90 72 19 90
0
7
9
11
20
21
17 5 90 90 90 90
I
5 5 90 81 67 81
0
6 4 26
I 23 75 90
0
9
9 28
1 1 0 16 11
0
Cristiano Ronaldo
Karim Benzema
Gareth Bale
Jes
lvaro Morata
19
11
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
I
77
8
82
23
67
13
90
0
0 90
90 0
90 70
0 90
90 0
90 20
0
90
I
73
90
68
22
17
90
90
90
90 120
0
90
90
90
I
90
I
0
1 17 15
90 73 90
90 90 75
90 90 90
I
0
0
90 90 90
I
I
I
0
I
45
45
I
I
I
I
90 90 90 90
10 17
0
6
90 90 90 90
0
73 90 84
90 72 45 82 10
90 18 45 8
0
0
90 90 90 80
0 73 90
90 90
I 75 90 90 80
90 80 82 90 90 17 90
0 10 8
I
I
I
I
0
90 15
0
0
0
0
120
0
120
59
61
120
0
59
S
G
Max. 60% v Atltico (final)

Min. 36% v Bayern (h and a)
Max. 756 v Dortmund (h)


110,992* metres

Max. 83% v Kbenhavn (h),
Juventus (h), Schalke (a)
Max. 114,396 v Dortmund (a)

Min. 107,893 v Kbenhavn (a)
PASSES PER GAME*

Long
92 (14% of total)
Medium
373 (59%)
Short
171 (27%)
*Excluding matchday five v Galatasaray when playing 64 mins with ten men
Data from final corrected pro rata to 90-minute values to facilitate comparisons
TEAM SHAPE
9
7
22
11
14
19
15
41
*After extra time
4-4-2 or 4-3-3 with twin

screening midfielders
Flowing attacking moves;
high-tempo passing; changes
of pace, direction
Outstanding individual technique
in all departments
Always dangerous in final third;
running at opponents; Benzema
the predator
72
Lethal counterattacks, exploiting

pace of Ronaldo, Bale, Di Mara
Effective use of width with
full-backs ready to support
attacks
Balanced two-man midfield
screen; Alonso the pivot,
Modri playmaker
High defensive line with keeper

sweeping spaces behind
High pressing; frequent ballwinning in opponents half
Dangerous set plays; aerial
power and Ronaldos dead-ball
efficiency
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1
90+
Goalkeepers
1
Ralf Fhrmann
34 Timo Hildebrand
36 Lars Unnerstall
Defenders
2
Tim Hoogland
4
Benedikt Hwedes
5
Felipe Santana
6
Sead Kolasinac
14 Kyriakos Papadopoulos
15 Dennis Aogo
22 Atsuto Uchida
31 Philipp Max
32 Joel Matip
Midfielders
7
Max Meyer
8
Leon Goretzka
9
Kevin-Prince Boateng
10 Julian Draxler
11 Christian Clemens
12 Marco Hger
13 Jermaine Jones
23 Christian Fuchs
24 Kaan Ayhan
33 Roman Neustdter
40 Anthony Annan
Forwards
17 Jefferson Farfn
19 Chinedu Obasi
25 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
28 dm Szalai
STE
W 3-0
0
90
I
90
90
1
1
1
3
2
1
I
90
0
BSL
W 0-1
90
0
5
90
90
12
I
78
90
CHL
CHL
L 3-0
D 0-0
W 2-0
L 1-6
L 3-1
0
90
0
90
90
I
0
90
0
90
0
90
0
0
90
0
19
I
90
90
0
90
0
13
I
90
90
0
90
90
0
I
90
90
0
31
90
90
I
I
90
0
90
90
76
0
90
58
I
90
32
L 0-3
STE
BSL
RM
RM
90
90
90
90
90
I
0
90
0
2
90
90
1
88
S
8
0
90
85
78
12
71
90
90
I
71
0
23
74
I
88
2
90
66
0
I
S
24
0
90
90
31
59
90
I
I
90
0
0
90
I
I
14
I
81
90
9
89
I
82
90
90
0
90
I
0
90
45
I
I
45
90
I
I
I
19
77
62
28
I
90
67
0
90
I
I
I
90
16
I
90
88
0
90
90
2
I
90
90
I
59
31-45 Half-time 46-60
72
18
90
0
11
76-90
0
90+
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 48%

116,864 metres
Max. 56% v Steaua (h)

Min. 43% v Real Madrid (h)
Max. 795 v Chelsea (h)

Min. 460 v Basel (a)
Max. 84% v Chelsea (h)

Min. 70% v Basel (a)
Max. 122,025 v Basel (a)

Min. 110,352 v Steaua (h)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
85 (14% of total)
Medium
364 (60%)
Short
158 (26%)
TEAM SHAPE
25
7
10
90
7
61-75
17
33
6
4
6
32
5
1
I
90
45
45
Matches: blue = home; grey = away; light blue = final
KEY FEATURES
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
AVERAGES
120
120
61
0
120
79
120
I
41
90+
(Extra time: 91-105 = 0; 106-120 = 0)
POSSESSION 52%
W 1-6 W 4-0 W 2-1 D 2-2 W 4-1 W 0-2 W 1-6 W 3-1 W 3-0 L 2-0 W 1-0 W 0-4 W1-4*
1
Iker Casillas
13 Jess Fernndez
25 Diego Lpez
Defenders
2
Raphal Varane
3
Pepe
4
Sergio Ramos
5
Fbio Coentro
12 Marcelo
15 Daniel Carvajal
17 lvaro Arbeloa
18 Nacho
Midfielders
31-45 Half-time 46-60
SUBSTITUTIONS 39/39 (including two double substitutions)
Goalkeepers
GOALS SCORED
G A GAL KOB JUV JUV GAL KOB SCH SCH DOR DOR BAY BAY ATL
25
PLAYERS USED
COACH
KEY FEATURES
Carlo Ancelotti
Variations on 4-4-2 frequently

evolving into 4-2-2-2 structure
Set out to play possession
football with neat combinations
Attacking philosophy; prepared
to take risks, get players in front
of ball
Emphasis on attacking through
wide areas, delivering crosses
Born: 10/06/1959,
Reggiolo (ITA)
Matches in
Head coach from:
01/07/2013
TEAM PROFILES
COACH
Adventurous support from
full-backs; quality crossing
Conservative centre-backs and
holding midfielder the defensive
core
Draxler the attacking catalyst;
Meyer effective as support striker
Huntelaar the dangerous target
player and predator
Good athletic condition, physical

presence; energetic midfield
Dangerous set plays; strong work
ethic, mental resilience
Jens Keller
Born: 24/11/1970,
Stuttgart (GER)
Nationality: German
Matches in
Head coach from:
16/12/2012
73
TEAM PROFILES
FC ZENIT
Group stage fallers
Russia
STATISTICS
21
PLAYERS USED
GOALS SCORED
(one own goal)

TIME SCORED
2
1-15 16-30
Minutes
1
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
0
90+

1
1-15 16-30
Minutes
G A
Goalkeepers
1
16
71
95
Yuri Lodygin
Vyacheslav Malafeev
Egor Baburin
Aleksandr Vasyutin
L 3-1
ATL
D 0-0
AW
W 0-1
POR
POR
D 1-1
D 1-1
ATL
L 4-1
AW
DOR
L 2-4
W 1-2
DOR
90
I
0
90
I
0
90
I
I
0
90
I
0
90
I
0
90
I
0
90
0
I
0
90
I
Defenders
3
4
6
13
14
19
22
24
57
Cristian Ansaldi
Domenico Criscito
Nicolas Lombaerts
Lus Neto
Tom Huboan
Igor Smolnikov
Aleksandr Anyukov
Aleksandar Lukovi
Dzhamaldin Khodzhaniyazov
90
90
45
90
90
I
0
3
90
0
90
90
87
90
10
90
90
0
80
90
90
90
0
90
0
I
90
90
0
90
90
I
83
90
90
0
90
7
0
I
90
90
90
0
6
84
0
I
90
45
45
90
6
90
0
I
90
0
84
90
I
90
0
84
90
75
90
I
6
15
90
90
90
62
I
28
Midfielders
15
17
18
20
28
34
44
Roman Shirokov
Oleg Shatov
Konstantin Zyryanov
Viktor Fayzulin
Axel Witsel
Vladimir Bystrov
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk
I
45
74
0
90
5
0
85
90
90
16
40
50
90
44so
0
0
73
90
25
90
S
0
0
67
90
9
90
81
0
64
90
0
64
90
26
0
90
90
65
25
90
90
17
65
90
63
83
90
7
0
90
28
62
23
90
I
90
26
90
I
90
27
Forwards
7
10
11
23
29
Hulk
Danny
Aleksandr Kerzhakov
Andrey Arshavin
Jos Rondn
4 2
2 1
1 1
31-45 Half-time 46-60
61-75
76-90
0
90+
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 55%

112,464 metres*
Max. 66% v FK Austria (a)

Min. 43% v Porto (h)
Max. 750 v Dortmund (h)

Min. 520 v Porto (h)
The fact that SSC Napoli were eliminated with

12 points while FC Zenit qualified with six
underlines the difficulties when it comes to
searching for common denominators among
the 16 teams who made an exit from the
competition in December. In recent seasons,
the clear trend towards a possession-based
passing game has been interrelated with the
pre-Christmas exits of teams whose statistics
suggested a more direct attacking style based
on a slimmer share of the ball and lower
numbers of passes.
In the 2012/13 season, 14 teams averaged
less than 50% of possession and nine of them
were among the group stage fallers. During
the 2013/14 campaign, the number of teams
averaging a smaller share of the ball than their
opponents rose to 18 a majority of the 32

starters. Nine of them were eliminated after
the group stage, which meant that more than
half of the teams which successfully negotiated
the cut and played in the knockout rounds also
averaged less than 50% of the ball. There is
still a case for arguing that greater possession
lays foundations for greater success in the
competition, but the evidence in 2013/14
became much more tenuous. In Group G,
debutants FK Austria Wien (averaging 40%
of possession) ended level on five points with
FC Porto (59% of the ball).
combination-move teams from those who

adopt a more direct approach. In 2012/13, nine
of the 13 clubs which averaged fewer than 500
passes per match were among the December
casualties. In 2013/14, only RSC Anderlecht,
Austria, Celtic FC, Olympique de Marseille and
FK Viktoria Plze had an average inferior to the
500 mark. In other words, the other eleven
fallers were, in theory, passing teams, and
the reasons underlying a group stage exit could
not readily be traceable to a determined playing
style or philosophy.
In terms of passing, a similarly contradictory

story could be told. In recent seasons, the
figure of 500 passes per match has been used
as a benchmark to distinguish ball-playing,
Max. 79% v FK Austria (a)

Min. 68% v Porto (h)
Max. 117,120 v Porto (h)

Min. 103,263 v Atltico (a)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
77 (12% of total)
Medium
390 (61%)
Short
177 (27%)
*Excluding matchday two v Austria (h) when playing 46 mins with ten men
TEAM SHAPE
11
17
10
20
28
22
14
KEY FEATURES
4-2-3-1 with, usually, Kerzhakov
as pacy target striker
Quick transitions to compact
defensive block
Emphasis on building attacks via
neat combination play
Excellent passing skills and
individual technique
74
COACH
Well-balanced midfield screen:
Skilful Danny a permanent threat
Fayzulin and more offensive Witsel
as shadow striker
Fast counters launched by Witsel; Varied attacking options:
quick supply to Danny, Kerzhakov
Hulk, Danny, Shatov, Kerzhakov/
Rondn
Witsel the creator; technique and
strength in 1v1 situations
Left-footed Hulk, on right,
the free kick and long-range
shooting specialist
Luciano Spalletti
Born: 07/03/1959,
Certaldo (ITA)
Matches in
Head coach from:
11/12/2009 to 10/03/2014
Sergei Semak (27/02/1976, Sychanske,
UKR) was in charge on matchday eight
TEAM PROFILES
75
AFC AJAX
RSC ANDERLECHT
Netherlands
Belgium
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
21
PLAYERS USED
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
BAR
L 4-0
ACM
D 1-1
CEL
L 2-1
CEL
W 1-0
BAR
W 2-1
ACM
90+
90
22
Jasper Cillessen
90
90
90
90
90
Defenders
90
90
80
90
90
90
Niklas Moisander
73
78
90
90
Mike van der Hoorn
17
12
10
Ricardo van Rhijn
4
6
12
Jol Veltman
17
Daley Blind1
24
Stefano Denswil
27
Ruben Ligeon
31-45 Half-time 46-60
1-15 16-30
Minutes
90
90
48so
78
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
39
90
0
Midfielders
5
Christian Poulsen
90
90
67
56
Lerin Duarte
90
59
61-75
76-90
90+
G
Max. 64% v Milan (a)

Max. 709 v Milan (a)

Min. 543 v Celtic (h)

119,333 metres*
Max. 82% v Milan (a)

Max. 122,845 v Celtic (h)

Min. 116,534 v Celtic (a)
PASSES PER GAME*

Long
83 (13% of total)
Goalkeepers
BEN
L 2-0
OLY
L 0-3
PSG
L 0-5
PSG
D 1-1
BEN
OLY
L 2-3
L 3-1
Silvio Proto
90
90
90so
13
Thomas Kaminski
90
90
90
33
Davy Roef
Fabrice N'Sakala
Olivier Deschacht
90
90
90
90
90
88so
90
55
417 (66%)
14
Bram Nuytinck
90
90
73
37
Short
128 (20%)
16
Cheikhou Kouyat
90
90
90
90
90
49so
22
Chancel Mbemba
90
90
90
90
90
39
Anthony Vanden Borre
90
90
72
45
90

*Excluding matchday five v Barcelona (h) when playing 42 minutes with ten men
TEAM SHAPE
1
1
Midfielders
10
20
18
25
Demy de Zeeuw
Luka Milivojevi
90
18
90
53
10
Dennis Praet
11
74
72
79
90
83
17
Massimo Bruno
79
90
90
19
Sacha Kljestan
90
90
90
82so
90
30
Guillaume Gillet1
90
90
90
90
90
Siem de Jong
59
90
90
90
15
Nicolai Boilesen
90
23
90
34
18
Davy Klaassen
83
90
90
20
Lasse Schne
12
31
10
90
51
90
25
Thulani Serero
31
90
72
90
80
31
Youri Tielemans
90
90
34
Lesly de Sa
70
Ronald Vargas
17
90
90
45
90
18
5
17
2
24
22
Viktor Fischer
90
72
18
90
90
Kolbeinn Sigthrsson
90
90
90
90
18
11
Bojan Krki
90
72
16
Lucas Andersen
25
90
19
Tobias Sana
Danny Hoesen
0
1
Matas Surez
12
Andy Najar
Frank de Boer
15
Cyriac
14
18
Born: 15/05/1970,
Hoorn (NED)
18
Frank Acheampong
45
16
45
11
35
18
45
Aleksandar Mitrovi
76
90
72
87
90
90
COACH
Nationality: Dutch
84
45
Midfield v Celtic (h), Barcelona (h)
76
46-60
61-75
76-90
0
90+
31-45 Half-time 46-60
61-75
76-90
1
90+
AVERAGES
Max. 55% v Olympiacos (h)

Min. 35% v PSG (h) and (a)
Max. 533 v Olympiacos (h)

Min. 399 v PSG (a)

111,547 metres*
PASSING ACCURACY 70%*
Max. 72% v PSG (h)

Min. 65% v Olympiacos (a)
PASSES PER GAME*

Long
73 (15% of total)
Medium
282 (59%)
Short
120 (25%)

*Excluding matchday six v Olympiacos (a) when playing 41 mins with ten men,
finishing with eight
TEAM SHAPE
45
18
17
30
19
8
2
22
39
16
Forwards
Forwards
23
45+
Max. 113,465 v Benfica (h)

Min. 106,963 v Olympiacos (h)
Defenders
10
65
POSSESSION 45%
Medium
45
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 54%
Kenneth Vermeer
D 0-0
SUBSTITUTIONS 18/18
GOALS SCORED
21
PLAYERS USED
Matches in
Head coach from:
06/12/2010
Defender v Benfica (a), Olyampiacos (h), Paris (h)
TEAM PROFILES
COACH
John van den Brom
Born: 04/10/1966,
Amersfoort (NED)
Nationality: Dutch
Matches in
Head coach from:
29/05/2012
77
FK AUSTRIA WIEN
FC BASEL 1893
Austria
Switzerland
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
19
PLAYERS USED
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
POR
L 0-1
ZEN
D 0-0
ATL
L 0-3
ATL
L 4-0
POR
D 1-1
ZEN
31-45 Half-time 46-60
90+
6
76-90
Pascal Grnwald
13
Heinz Lindner
90
90
90
90
90
90
26
Ivan Kardum

Max: 626 v Atltico (h)
Min: 381 v Porto (h)

118,418 metres
Max: 72 v Atltico (h)

Min: 55% v Porto (a)
Max: 121,960 v Zenit (h)

Min: 113,246 v Atltico (a)
Defenders
90+
Goalkeepers
CHL
SCH
L 0-1
D 1-1
W 1-2
90
90
18
Germano Vailati
Defenders
90
Medium
353 (60%)
90
90
90
90
90
90
Short
133 (23%)
84
68
90
71
90
90
Medium
273 (58%)
15
15
Christian Ramsebner
90
90
Short
113 (24%)
16
Fabian Schr
22
Marin Leovac
80
90
26
19
Behrang Safari
90
29
Markus Suttner
90
90
90
38
82
90
26
Gastn Sauro
30
Fabian Koch
90
90
90
90
34
Taulant Xhaka
18
Thomas Murg
23
Srdan Spiridonovic
25
James Holland
27
28
90
90
68
20
90
52
64
60
33
17
29
30
62
22
David Degen
Serey Die
87
90
90
72
10
Matas Delgado
26
66
18
14
Valentin Stocker
81
90
90
90
90
72
20
Fabian Frei
90
84
90
78
90
90
90
12
15
84
90
90
90
90
90
Emir Dilaver
90
22
70
90
21
Marcelo Daz
90
90
Daniel Royer
90
57
85
90
90
30
22
Mohamed Salah
88
90
90
84
90
90
33
Mohamed Elneny
16
90
61
90
90
74
90
78
90
64
28
24
12
29
Rubin Okotie
11
Tom Jun
16
Philipp Hosiner
19
Marko Stankovic
24
Roman Kienast
10
67
75
83
84
90
90
37
90
90
90
14
68
76
90
90
Long
100 (17% of total)
*Excluding matchday six v Schalke (a) when playing 59 mins with ten men
TEAM SHAPE
9
13
Forwards
78
PASSES PER GAME*
Midfielders
25
14
Max. 125,066 v Chelsea (a)

Min. 118,832 v Steaua (a)
90
90
90
COACH
Forwards
9
Marco Streller
Nenad Bjelica
30
Giovanni Sio
Born: 20/08/1971,
Osijek (CRO)
22
19
20
13
16
15
COACH
Murat Yakin
Born: 15/09/1974,
Basel (SUI)
Nationality: Swiss
Matches in
Matches in
Head coach from:

17/06/2013
Head coach from:

15/10/2012
TEAM PROFILES
21
14
Nationality: Croatian
Max. 76% v Schalke (h)

Min. 71% v Steaua (h)
90
90

121,062 metres*
90
90
Florian Mader
Max. 632 v Steaua (h)

90
90
24

90
Kay Voser
90
17
AVERAGES
31so
Manuel Ortlechner
28
90+
90
90
14
11
90
Ivan Ivanov
22
8
76-90
90
13
9
61-75
90
18
16
19
Arlind Ajeti
53
31-45 Half-time 46-60
90+
Lukas Rotpuller
90
76-90
23
61-75
Philipp Degen
90
Tom imkovic
46-60
90
45+
POSSESSION 51%
90
Midfielders
L 2-0
90
90
TEAM SHAPE
W 1-0
SCH
90
D 1-1
CHL
90
90
84 (18% of total)
STE
Yann Sommer
Kaja Rogulj
Long
STE
PASSES PER GAME
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Max: 50% v Atltico (h)

Min: 35% v Porto (h)
31-45
W 4-1
1-15 16-30
Minutes
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 40%
6
61-75
GOALS SCORED
19
PLAYERS USED
79
SL BENFICA
CELTIC FC
Portugal
Scotland
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
21
PLAYERS USED
GOALS SCORED
(one own goal)
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
AND
W 2-0
PSG
L 3-0
OLY
D 1-1
OLY
L 1-0
AND
W 2-3
PSG
Artur
90
90
90
13
Paulo Lopes
41
Jan Oblak
90+
Luiso
Maxi Pereira
1-15 16-30
Minutes
8
76-90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
15
90
90
90
90+
G
Max. 55% v Olympiacos (a)

Min. 35% v PSG (a)
Max. 657 v Olympiacos (a)

Min. 425 v PSG (a)

115,634 metres
Max. 78% v PSG (h) and (a),

Olympiacos (a)
Min. 68% v Anderlecht (a)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
68 (13% of total)
ukasz Zauska
Defenders
Midfielders
5
Ljubomir Fejsa
90
29
90
90
Rben Amorim
78
Miralem Sulejmani
24
18
13
10
Filip Djurii
75
45
16
20
Nicols Gaitn
66
82
90
72
77
21
Nemanja Mati
90
90
90
90
90
90
30
Andr Gomes
61
35
Enzo Prez
69
90
90
Ivan Cavaleiro
1
1
11
19
20
50
35
16
14
24

108,444 metres*
Max. 75% v Milan (h)

Min. 65% v Ajax (h)
Max. 111,515 v Ajax (a)

Min. 105,599 v Barcelona (a)
90
90
Virgil van Dijk
90
90
90
90
90
90
Mikael Lustig
90
70
77
90
90
90
Medium
248 (58%)
Darnell Fisher
Short
107 (25%)
Adam Matthews
75
90
82
Nir Biton
11 so
69
Scott Brown
90
59so
90
15
Kris Commons
77
87
81
65
21
16
Joe Ledley
19
13
59
90
18
Tom Rogic
10
21
Charlie Mulgrew
89
90
90
90
90
45
33
Beram Kayal
20
71
77
31
20
90
90
80
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
87
90
46
Dylan McGeouch
45
12
21
49
James Forrest
PASSES PER GAME*

Long
73 (17% of total)
* Excluding matchday two v Barcelona (h) when playing 31 mins with ten men
82
1
1
TEAM SHAPE
10
9
49
15
8
21
3
23
5
0
1
Forwards
Forwards
7
scar Cardozo
87
90
90
71
11
Lima
90
19
90
90
15
Ola John
45
19
Rodrigo
50
Lazar Markovi
89
69
21
1
90
45
74
80
Max. 555 v Milan (h)

Min. 364 v Barcelona (a)
90
Midfielders
TEAM SHAPE
Max. 53% v Milan (h)

Min. 32% v Barcelona (a)*
90
90
0
AVERAGES
90
41
90
90+
90
131 (25%)
Efe Ambrose
330 (62%)
90
8
76-90
Short
90
7
61-75
Medium
90
90
90
90
90
Andr Almeida
31-45 Half-time 46-60
90
90
34
90+
90
90
76-90
90
90
61-75
Emilio Izaguirre
90
46-60
Ezequiel Garay
45+
POSSESSION 43%*
24
24
L 6-1
90
23
L 0-3
90
Jardel
BAR
90
33
L 1-0
ACM
90
I
90
W 2-1
AJX
90
90
I
L 0-1
L 2-0
AJX
90
90
I
BAR
Fraser Forster
90
I
ACM
Guilherme Siqueira
Slvio
Goalkeepers
16
28
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
AVERAGES
Max. 118,862 v Anderlecht (h)

Min. 108,858 v Olympiacos (h)
7
61-75
W 2-1
Defenders
4
POSSESSION 48%
14
31-45 Half-time 46-60
GOALS SCORED
19
PLAYERS USED
Giorgios Samaras
10
Anthony Stokes
90
70
90
73
25
Jorge Jesus
11
Derk Boerrigter
15
17
90
90
Born: 24/07/1954,
Amadora (POR)
17
Amido Bald
20
Teemu Pukki
13
90
45
Matches in
37
Bahrudin Ataji
Head coach from:

16/06/2009
TEAM PROFILES
COACH
COACH
Neil Lennon
Born: 25/06/1971,
Lurgan (NIR)
Nationality: Northern Irish
Matches in
Head coach from: 09/06/2010
(interim from 25/03/2010)
81
PFC CSKA MOSKVA
JUVENTUS
Russia
Italy
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
20
PLAYERS USED
GOALS SCORED
(one own goal)
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
BAY
L 3-0
PLZ
W 3-2
MC
L 1-2
MC
L 5-2
BAY
L 1-3
PLZ
90+
1-15 16-30
Minutes
35
Igor Akinfeev
90
90
90
90
90
90
Defenders
90
90
90
90
Viktor Vasin
Aleksei Berezutski
90
84
90
90
90
14
Kirill Nababkin
90
90
90
90
90
Medium
24
Vasili Berezutski
90
Short
39
Vyacheslav Karavaev
90
42
Georgi Schennikov
90
90
90
90
Midfielders
Keisuke Honda
90
90
90
90
90
90so
90
90
90
79
90
38
Steven Zuber
77
64
50
46
68
16
10
Alan Dzagoev
67so
11
Mark Gonzlez
26
19
Aleksandrs Caua
90
20
Rasmus Elm
73
45
22
21
Zoran Toi
44
90
90
90
23
Georgi Milanov
13
17
90
45
25
Elvir Rahimi
90+
Max. 79% v Plze (h)

Min. 70% v Man City (h), Bayern (h)
Long
Goalkeepers
KOB
KOB
GAL
D 1-1
D 2-2
L 2-1
D 2-2
W 3-1
Gianluigi Buffon
90
90
90
90
90
90
30
Marco Storari
Defenders
3
Giorgio Chiellini
Martn Cceres
Max. 81% v Kbenhavn (h)

Min. 62% v Galatasaray (a)
Max. 124,353 v Kbenhavn (a)

Min. 106,608 v Galatasaray (a)
90
69
297 (58%)
11
Paolo De Ceglie
17
Medium
384 (64%)
143 (28%)
13
Federico Peluso
Short
120 (20%)
15
Andrea Barzagli
19
Leonardo Bonucci
26
Stephan Lichtsteiner
90
90
90
90
90
68
40
90
90
90
86
45
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
21
87
69
73
PASSES PER GAME

Long
96 (16% of total)
*Excluding matchday three v Real Madrid (a) when playing 42 mins with ten men
TEAM SHAPE
10
Claudio Marchisio
20
Simone Padoin
21
Andrea Pirlo
22
Kwadwo Asamoah
90
23
Arturo Vidal
90
52
33
Mauricio Isla
90
74
Forwards
3
14
4
35
COACH
90
90
90
31
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
83
90
45
26
90
90
82
81
90
21
Antonio Conte
Born: 31/07/1969,
Lecce (ITA)
Mirko Vuini
10
Carlos Tvez
90
14
14
Fernando Llorente
22
50
88
90
90
Konstantin Bazelyuk
16
10
Born: 04/05/1971,
Volgograd (RUS)
27
Fabio Quagliarella
76
64
Matches in
Head coach from:

26/10/2009
82
26
23
21
59
14
90
11
Nationality: Russian
22
90

116,682 metres*
Angelo Ogbonna
Paul Pogba
Max. 645 v Galatasaray (h)

Min. 493 v Galatasaray (a)
90
Max. 57% v Galatasaray (h)

Min. 48% v Real Madrid (a)
90
46
90
90+
90
Vitinho
90
Sebastian Giovinco
8
76-90
21
42
4
61-75
AVERAGES
Midfielders
12
90
Leonid Slutski
Seydou Doumbia
90+
90
90
71
31-45 Half-time 46-60
POSSESSION 52%
80
31
76-90
L 1-0
44
61-75
18
RM
40
46-60
48so
TEAM SHAPE
20
RM
89
Ahmed Musa
45+
90
73 (14% of total)
GAL
74
18
90
PASSES PER GAME
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Forwards
88
Max. 575 v Man City (a)

Min. 426 v Bayern (a)
Max. 119,089 v Plze (h)

Min. 108,037 v Man City (a)
90
90
5
76-90

114,395 metres
90
90
5
61-75
Max. 47% v Plze (h)

Min. 35% v Bayern (a)
Sergei Ignashevich
Pontus Wernbloom
AVERAGES
31-45 Half-time 46-60
POSSESSION 42%
Sergei Chepchugov
SUBSTITUTIONS 16/18 (Including five double substitutions)
L 2-1
SUBSTITUTIONS 17/18
GOALS SCORED
21
PLAYERS USED
19
COACH
Matches in
Head coach from:
22/05/2011
TEAM PROFILES
83
FC KBENHAVN
OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE
Denmark
France
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
19
PLAYERS USED
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
JUV
D 1-1
RM
L 4-0
GAL
L 3-1
GAL
W 1-0
JUV
L 3-1
RM
90+
1-15 16-30
Minutes
90
90
90
90
90
90
31
Jakob Jensen
Defenders
2
Lars Jacobsen
90
90
90
90
90
90
Pierre Bengtsson
90
90
90
90
90
90
Kris Stadsgaard
Olof Mellberg
15
Georg Margreitter
17
Ragnar Sigurdsson
25
Christoffer Remmer
0
1
90
90
90
90
90
0
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
13
Midfielders
86
90
90
86
90
90
Thomas Delaney
90
90
90
90
76
90
16
Thomas Kristensen
18
15
29
19
Rrik Gslason
20
90
45
56
90
90
22
Daniel Braaten
24
Youssef Toutouh
30
Christin Bolaos
1
1
1
61-75
76-90
90
66
84
90
11
63
75
81
77
79
27
45
34
61
68
90+
G
Max. 47% v Juventus (a)

Min. 41% v Real Madrid (h)
Max. 588 v Juventus (a)

Min. 484 v Real Madrid (a)

118,191 metres
Max. 77% v Galatasaray (a)

Min. 70% v Galatasaray (h),
Real Madrid (h)
Max. 125,884 v Juventus (h)

Min. 112,370 v Real Madrid (h)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
77 (15% of total)
DOR
L 1-2
L 3-0
L 1-2
L 3-2
L 2-0
30
Steve Mandanda
90
90
90
90
90
90
37
90
90
45
90
90
90
90
90
Lucas Mendes
90
90
90
45
Jrmy Morel
90
90
90
90
35
Kassim Abdallah
Nicolas N'Koulou
21
Souleymane Diawara
23
0
1
90
90
90
Benjamin Mendy
90
90
24
Rod Fanni
90
90
53
90
32
Baptiste Aloe
2
5
21
Benot Cheyrou
10
Andr Ayew
13
Mario Lemina
14
Florian Thauvin
17
Dimitri Payet
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
17
82
90
10
19
90
32
79
73
73
71
33
129 (25%)
*Excluding matchday six v Dortmund (h) when playing 56 mins with ten men
TEAM SHAPE
9
30
90
Igor Vetokele
58
11
11
Csar Santin
12
Fanendo Adi
70
24
45
90
77
23
90
90
18
Nicolai Jrgensen
90
72
90
17
13
67
58
lie Baup
23
90
81
90
57
32
32
81
90
55
Born: 17/03/1955,
Saint-Gaudens (FRA)
Marvin Pourie
13
Danny Amankwaa
14
Forwards
9
Andr-Pierre Gignac
Stle Solbakken
11
Jordan Ayew
Born: 27/02/1968,
Kongsvinger (NOR)
28
Mathieu Valbuena
Nationality: Norwegian
29
Saber Khalifa
Matches in
36
Momar Bangoura
Head coach from:

21/08/2013
24
3
34so
83
20
90
14
15
90
90
28
7
90
308 (60%)
90
COACH
90+
Short
90
90
Medium
10
8
76-90
76 (15% of total)
4
61-75
Max. 76% v Arsenal (h)

Min. 66% v Dortmund (h) and (a)
Long
80
90+
PASSES PER GAME*
Alaixys Romao
76-90
Max. 574 v Napoli (a)

Min. 407 v Dortmund (a)
Max. 110,254 v Dortmund (a)

Min. 106,493 v Arsenal (h)
Giannelli Imbula
61-75
Max. 52% v Dortmund (a),

Napoli (a)
Min. 38% v Dortmund (h)
Midfielders
30

108,551 metres*
Defenders
2
POSSESSION 47%
0
20
0
46-60
AVERAGES
25
45
45+
31-45 Half-time 46-60
Forwards
0
L 1-2
Laurent Abergel
17
ARS
19
NAP
143 (27%)
NAP
310 (58%)
24
DOR
Brice Samba
Short
22
ARS
16
Medium
TEAM SHAPE
Goalkeepers
15
18
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 44%
Johan Wiland
Claudemir
L 0-2
21
31-45 Half-time 46-60
GOALS SCORED
19
PLAYERS USED
COACH
Nationality: French
Matches in
Head coach from:
04/07/2012 to 07/12/2013
Replaced by Jos Anigo (Marseille,
FRA, 15/04/1961) for matchday six
84
TEAM PROFILES
85
SSC NAPOLI
FC VIKTORIA PLZE
Italy
Czech Republic
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
19
PLAYERS USED
10
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
0
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
1
Rafael Cabral
15
Roberto Colombo
25
Pepe Reina
DOR
W 2-1
ARS
L 2-0
MAR
W 1-2
MAR
W 3-2
DOR
L 3-1
ARS
90+
0
0
90
90
90
90
0
90
Bruno Uvini
Miguel Britos
90
90
11
Christian Maggio
90
16
Giandomenico Mesto
18
Camilo Ziga
21
Federico Fernndez
27
Pablo Armero
90
90
90
90
90
14
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
28
Paolo Cannavaro
33
Ral Albiol
90
83
90
90
90
90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
14
Dries Mertens
17
Marek Hamk
20
Blerim Dzemaili
85
Valon Behrami
88
Gkhan Inler
1
2
90
77
90
90
66
Gonzalo Higuan
19
Goran Pandev
24
Lorenzo Insigne
91
Duvn Zapata
2
1
90+
Max. 56% v Dortmund (h)

Min. 43% v Arsenal (a)
Max. 649 v Marseille (h)

Min. 470 v Arsenal (a)

114,777 metres
Max. 80% v Arsenal (a)

Min. 68% v Arsenal (h)
PASSES PER GAME

Long
86 (15% of total)
CSKA
BAY
BAY
L 0-3
L 3-2
L 5-0
L 0-1
MC
L 4-2
CSKA
90
90
90
90
90
13
Petr Bolek
Defenders
0
Roman Hubnk
23
90
90
71
90
David Limbersk
90
75
90
Radim eznk
84
90
19
Medium
90
90
90
90
90
90
Short
145 (25%)
21
Vclav Prochzka1
27
Frantiek Rajtoral
28
Marin iovsk
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
90
76
90
90
90
90
Midfielders
9
7
88
21
33
11
Tom Hoava
10
Pavel Horvth
90
90
63
90
90
90
11
Milan Petrela
90
90
86
90
73
70
19
Jan Kovak
90
70
15
17
32
24
Martin Pospil
25
Zdenk Koukal
20
87
90
82
29
14
27
84
90
58
90
90
90
83
24
90
62
90
Forwards
25
90
90
90
90
Stanislav Tecl
90
90
90
28
12
Michal uri
15
Tom Wgner
23
Marek Bako
84
90
20
Daniel Kol
61
90
90
90
86
90
78
58
90
90
90
12
61
66
76
57
Rafael Bentez
26
73
90
24
33
Born: 16/04/1960,
Madrid (ESP)
61-75
76-90
1
90+
Midfield v Bayern (a)
1
90+
Max. 607 v CSKA (a)

Min. 323 v Bayern (a)
Max. 77% v CSKA (a)

PASSES PER GAME

Long
80 (18% of total)
277 (61%)
99 (22%)
Decimal points account for the extra 1%
TEAM SHAPE
9
26
19
10
11
7
8
28
COACH
Pavel Vrba
Born: 06/12/1963,
Prerov (CZE)
Nationality: Czech
Matches in
Head coach from:

27/05/2013
Head coach from:

08/10/2008
TEAM PROFILES
8
76-90
Matches in
8
61-75
90
21
90
COACH
Max. 122,843 v Bayern (h)

Min. 113,861 v Man City (h)
340 (60%)
19
31-45 Half-time 46-60

118,045 metres
67
90
14
46-60
Max. 54% v CSKA (h)

Luk Hejda
83
45+
AVERAGES
76
32
POSSESSION 44%
90
29
13
W 2-1
Mat Kozik
Short
27
MC
Medium
TEAM SHAPE
Goalkeepers
14
24
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
17
86
90
Forwards
9
8
76-90
85
5
61-75
AVERAGES
Midfielders
Jos Callejn
Max. 118,418 v Arsenal (a)

Min. 109,481 v Dortmund (h)
Defenders
31-45 Half-time 46-60
W 2-0
90
SUBSTITUTIONS 18/18
POSSESSION 50%
0
SUBSTITUTIONS 16/18
GOALS SCORED
18
PLAYERS USED
87
FC PORTO
REAL SOCIEDAD DE FTBOL
Portugal
Spain
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
18
PLAYERS USED
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
AW
W 0-1
ATL
L 1-2
ZEN
L 0-1
ZEN
D 1-1
AW
D 1-1
ATL
90+
90
90
90
90
90
90
24
Fabiano
Defenders
Danilo
31-45 Half-time 46-60
1-15 16-30
Minutes
90
90
90
90
90
90
Maicon
90
90
Jorge Fucile
13
Diego Reyes
22
Eliaquim Mangala
26
30
89
90
90
90
90
Alex Sandro
90
90
90
90
90
90
Nicols Otamendi
90
90
90
90
Midfielders
2
87
68
86
86
90
64
90
60
75
76
72
45
Lucho Gonzlez
Josu
15
Marat Izmailov
23
16
Hector Herrera
11
6 so
12
19
Lic
67
30
53
14
65
45
25
Fernando
90
90
90
90
90
90
35
Steven Defour
90
15
90
45
78
46
Mikel Agu
7
76-90
Max. 65% v Austria (a)

Min. 54% v Zenit (a)*
Max. 706 v Austria (h)

Min. 620 v Atltico (h)

113,061 metres*

Min. 73% v Atltico (h)
Max. 116,624 v Zenit (a)

Min. 109,098 v Atltico (a)
PASSES PER GAME*

95 (14% of total)
Medium
420 (64%)
Short
141 (21%)

*Excluding matchday three v Zenit (h) when playing 84 mins with ten men
TEAM SHAPE
9
8
3
17
25
26
Jackson Martnez
22
2
30
10
90
90
90
90
90
90
Juan Quintero
22
18
11
Nabil Ghilas
26
Paulo Fonseca
17
Silvestre Varela
79
90
37
90
45
90
21
Ricardo
25
Born: 05/03/1973,
Nampula (MOZ)
88
31-45
45+
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
SHK
LEV
MU
MU
SHK
L 0-2
L 2-1
L 1-0
D 0-0
L 4-0
LEV
46-60
61-75
76-90
0
90+
Claudio Bravo
90
90
90
90
90
13
Eaut Zubikarai
26
Enrique Royo
90
0
Carlos Martnez
90
90
90
90
Mikel Gonzlez
90
90
90
90
66
Iigo Martnez
90
90
90
90
90
15
Ion Ansotegi
90
90
Jos ngel
90
0
22
Dani Estrada
90
24
Alberto de la Bella
90
90
28
Jon Gaztaaga
31
Joseba Zalda
90
90
90
COACH

114,743 metres
Max. 76% v Shakhtar (a)

PASSES PER GAME

Long
92 (17% of total)
Medium
322 (60%)
Short
119 (22%)
24
8
10
90
90
14
62
Markel Bergara
90
90
90
90
90
10
Xabi Prieto
90
68
18
90
28
14
Rubn Pardo
81
22
72
68
90
17
David Zurutuza
90
75
90
23
Javier Ros
22
25
Esteban Granero
Forwards
7
Antoine Griezmann
74
84
90
80
74
90
Haris Seferovic
69
68
75
10
16
10
Imanol Agirretxe
21
22
15
63
16
80
11
Carlos Vela
90
90
90
90
74
90
16
15
27
90
90+
Max. 638 v Shakhtar (a)

Min. 467 v Man Utd (h)
Gorka Elustondo
TEAM SHAPE
90
0
5
76-90
Max. 54% v Leverkusen (a)

Max. 118,316 v Leverkusen (h)

Min. 111,376 v Shakhtar (a)
Liassine Cadamuro
13
61-75
L 0-1
Defenders
20
POSSESSION 50%
19
31-45 Half-time 46-60
AVERAGES
Midfielders
35
Forwards
9
90+
Long
90
6
61-75
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 60%*
Helton
L 2-0
SUBSTITUTIONS 17/18
GOALS SCORED
23
PLAYERS USED
11
5
24
2
6
COACH
Jagoba Arrasate
Born: 22/04/1978,
Berriatua (ESP)
Matches in
18
Chori Castro
32
Marco Sangalli
Head coach from:

10/06/2013
TEAM PROFILES
Matches in
Head coach from:
08/06/2013
89
FC SHAKHTAR DONETSK
FC STEAUA BUCURETI
Ukraine
Romania
STATISTICS
STATISTICS
17
PLAYERS USED
GOALS SCORED
TIME SCORED
TIME SCORED
1-15 16-30
Minutes
31-45
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Goalkeepers
RS
W 0-2
MU
D 1-1
LEV
L 4-0
LEV
D 0-0
RS
W 4-0
MU
90+
1-15 16-30
Minutes
90
90
90
90
90
90
32
Anton Kanibolotskiy
Defenders
Olexandr Kucher
90
90
90
90
90
90
13
Vyacheslav Shevchuk
90
90
90
90
90
90
33
Darijo Srna
90
90
90
90
90
90
Medium
38
Serhiy Kryvtsov
Short
44
Yaroslav Rakitskiy
90
90
90
90
90
90
Midfielders
66
90
90
90
24
90
90
Fred
10
Bernard
13
45
17
Fernando
87
84
61
90
80
64
69
27
90
10
90+
Max. 688 v Man Utd (h)

Min. 460 v R. Sociedad (a)
Max. 82% v Man Utd (h)

Min. 68% v Leverkusen (h),
R. Sociedad (a)
Max. 116,315 v Man Utd (a)

Min. 109,281 v Leverkusen (a)
Taras Stepanenko

113,875 metres
Olexandr Volovyk
9
76-90
D 1-1
SCH
D 0-0
CHL
45+
46-60
61-75
76-90
0
90+
12
Ciprian Ttruanu
90
90
90
90
90
90
Defenders
61-75
76-90
0
90+
AVERAGES

Max. 631 v Schalke (h)


117,581 metres
Max. 74% v Chelsea (h)

Max. 121,388 v Basel (a)

Min. 112,900 v Schalke (a)
90
90
90
90
90
Florin Gardo
90
90
90
90
90
90
14
Iasmin Latovlevici
90
90
90
90
90
90
343 (64%)
17
Daniel Georgievski
90
71
90
90
90
Medium
306 (57%)
110 (20%)
33
Fernando Varela
19
45
Short
142 (27%)
90
59
45
64
84 (16% of total)
ukasz Szukaa
POSSESSION 45%
0
31-45 Half-time 46-60
L 1-0
PASSES PER GAME

Long
84 (16% of total)
Midfielders
TEAM SHAPE
9
29
10
20
17
3
13
33
44
Mihai Pintilii
Alexandru Chipciu
28
77
90
Lucian Filip
90
31
45
10
Cristian Tnase
90
90
90
90
90
11
Andrei Prepeli
82
29
19
Adrian Cristea
17
22
Paul Prvulescu
90
23
Nicolae Stanciu
62
61
Ionu Neagu
45
0
S
90
90
78
90
90
28
Taison
90
90
45
12
21
63
77
Ilsinho
29
26
26
Forwards
55
Alexandru Bourceanu
Luiz Adriano
Adrian Popa
11
Eduardo
Gabriel Iancu
19
Facundo Ferreyra
29
Alex Teixeira
30
90
90
78
12
72
88
77
15
80
12
78
18
90
90
90
75
90
COACH
60
90
55
90
90
90
90
90
90
45
90
90
90
TEAM SHAPE
25
23
10
13
90
Forwards
77
55
17
14
4
12
COACH
Mircea Lucescu
20
Leandro Tatu
13
45
35
26
Laureniu Reghecampf
Born: 29/07/1945,
Bucharest (ROU)
25
Federico Piovaccari
26
45
45
76
90
19
35
Pantelis Kapetanos
64
45
45
14
71
Born: 19/09/1975,
Targoviste (ROU)
Nationality: Romanian
Matches in
Head coach from:

16/05/2004
90
D 1-1
BSL
77
L 0-4
L 3-0
BSL
90
CHL
Florin Ni
SCH
Douglas Costa
Goalkeepers
20
90
PASSES PER GAME

Long
31-45
1-15 16-30
Minutes
Max. 56% v Man Utd (h)

Min. 46% v Man Utd (a)
7
61-75
AVERAGES
POSSESSION 51%
Andriy Pyatov
Tom Hbschman
L 1-0
30
31-45 Half-time 46-60
GOALS SCORED
21
PLAYERS USED
Nationality: Romanian
Matches in
Head coach from:
21/05/2012
TEAM PROFILES
91
Event report
COMPETITION IDENTITY
A prestigious
brand
The UEFA Champions League is footballs greatest club competition and this is reflected in
its brand. The best of the best on the ultimate stage is the brand essence, and its vision is
to create the ultimate stage for Europes top clubs. Passion, inspiration, excellence and
authenticity are the brand values that reflect this mission and it has successfully conveyed
the combination of excitement and prestige strongly represented in the competition since
it kicked off in 1992.
These are also values held by the players
themselves. Its the best competition in the
world of football, along with the World Cup,
Chelsea FC playmaker Eden Hazard said. Its
the highest level. Everyone in the world watches
it. There are only great players in this
competition. These are games where the great
players must be at their best. Thats what the
Champions League is.
In 2013, global brand consultancy firm
Interbrand valued the UEFA Champions League
brand at 3.14bn. The strength of the UEFA
Champions League brand was comparable to
the top ten global brands in the Interbrand Best
Global Brands ranking and was significantly
higher than competitor sporting properties,
earning particular praise for its clarity,
authenticity, differentiation and consistency.
Its the highest level.

These are games where
the great players must be
at their best. Thats what
the Champions League is
The brands visual identity, based around

the starball motif, is enhanced by the famous
UEFA Champions League anthem, which is
synonymous with European footballs greatest
games. Since 1999, the competitions brand has
also been supplemented each season by specific
final branding, giving some of the unique colour
and flavour of the host cities. The core objective
is to strengthen the season campaign by
providing all stakeholders with a wide range of
dynamic activation opportunities specific to the
host city, designed to help advance and promote
their individual initiatives.
For Lisbon 2014, the concept was the stars
align a tribute to the method by which
Portuguese explorers once used the stars to
navigate around the globe. Visual identifiers
drew inspiration from the equipment the sailors
used, and the concept had clear parallels with
the way that footballs top stars light up every
edition of the UEFA Champions League. Of all
those European stars, the brightest 22 aligned
at the Estdio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on 24
May and when the stars align, everything falls
into place.
Eden Hazard
94
COMPETITION IDENTITY
95
SPONSORS
Shared benefits
The UEFA Champions Leagues six global partners enhanced
the prestige of the competition while successfully spreading
their message to a worldwide audience
Ford
The new Tourneo took centre stage for Ford,

and all promotions such as perimeter boards,
billboards and advertisements in Champions
Matchday magazine were aligned accordingly.
Vehicle supply is always a large activation for
Ford, and Tourneos were offered as the
multiple-seat option, with vehicles sometimes
displayed outside stadiums, too. Good examples
of match activations included the Centre Circle
experience, which featured regularly in Spain,
giving young fans the opportunity to be part of
the pre-match build-up, while in Turkey, Ford
arranged a promotion with a well-known
commentator, who encouraged social media
users to show their skills in describing the action.
Lus Figo led a campaign in Portugal, working
with Ford dealerships to present children with
the chance to play fun football games, with the
possibility of winning UEFA Champions League
match tickets.
96
Gazprom
Gazprom used its affiliation with the UEFA

Champions League to help maximise brand
awareness among football supporters, with
advertising and activations throughout the
season. Gazproms successful promotion
Ticketmania gave fans the opportunity to win
tickets to various UEFA Champions League
matches from the group stage to the final,
while at games, the Gazprom Fan of the Match
allowed supporters to show their appreciation
for their team, with the best fans selected to
appear on the giant screens at stadiums.
Gazprom also communicated directly with fans
via banners on UEFA.com, Facebook and Twitter.
Heineken
MasterCard
SPONSORS
Heineken has continued to bring the

excitement of the UEFA Champions League
to supporters around the world. Through the
engaging #sharethesofa Twitter activation,
fans were able to chat in real time with football
heroes such as Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robert
Pirs during UEFA Champions League games.
The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour,
presented by Heineken, brought the famous
trophy directly to supporters in Argentina,
Nigeria and Vietnam. Heineken also promoted
the UEFA Champions League brand on
packaging in store and offered consumers
the chance to win tickets to matches through
its Match Your Half Ticket activation.
MasterCard marked its 20th anniversary as a

UEFA Champions League sponsor by continuing
to publicise its brand and services to a global
audience via the competition, which is a natural
match for its Priceless advertising campaign.
Central to this is giving fans experiences that
money cannot buy, such as giving thousands
of youngsters the opportunity to accompany
players onto the pitch ahead of UEFA
Champions League games courtesy of
MasterCards Player Escort programme, which
has been running for ten years. Other Priceless
opportunities included giving referees red and
yellow cards away, watching teams train and
attending pre-match press conferences.
UEFA.coms popular UEFA Champions League
Predictor game remains a key MasterCard asset.
PlayStation
The launch of the PlayStation 4 in November

made this an important season for the game
console company. The key message
#4ThePlayers was promoted around the
UEFA Champions League from the start of
the knockout stage, and PlayStation 3 and
PlayStation Vita were also advertised via the
competition, with supporters being invited
to experience and discover all of the latest
games. Already sponsor for the popular UEFA
Champions League Fantasy Football game
on UEFA.com with PS Vita and PS4 consoles
among the prizes for top performers
PlayStation further engaged fans thanks to
the TopFive mini-game within the newly
created Fantasy Football app. From the start
of the campaign, PlayStations Young Journalist
programme gave fans the opportunity to meet
host broadcasters commentary staff at UEFA
Champions League games.
UniCredit
The UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour,

presented by UniCredit, was a huge draw as it
made its way across Europe during the group
stage. The most famous piece of silverware
in club football was taken to meet fans in
Germany, Hungary, Romania, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, and Bulgaria, with star guests
such as Fabio Capello, Hasan Salihamidi
and Paulo Sousa and an exciting touring
UEFA Champions League exhibition making
it a must-see event. For the first time, the bank
worked in partnership with Panini to create the
UEFA Champions League Virtual Sticker Album,
which gave UniCredit the opportunity to
engage with families and fans in a fun way.
UniCredits Fan Confidence Meter was a regular
UEFA.com feature, while UniCredit also gave
supporters a chance to be part of the action
with the official match coin handover before
every game, culminating in a fan delivering the
coin for the toss to the match referee.
97
OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS
adidas
HTC
predominantly red stars, was switched for the
blue-starred Finale Lisbon for the closing phase.
The final design fitted with the branding for the
event, while underlying the stylish exterior was
the customary cutting-edge ball technology.
Centre stage
adidass new Gamedayplus promotion brought

an added dimension to its activation in 2013/14,
putting stats and exclusive content into the
hands of supporters. This tablet and mobile-led
platform on adidas.com took fans closer to the
action, offering behind-the-scenes access to
players and coaches, in-depth match stats and
miCoach player data, as well as expert insight
and competitions with great prizes. Enriching
the experience for fans was also the key principle
behind adidass fine selection of licensed
products, which are available in thousands
of stores worldwide.
As official suppliers, adidas and HTC enjoyed

a privileged position at the heart of the
UEFA Champions League
Official supplier partner to the UEFA Champions

League, adidas is responsible for kitting out
referees, ballboys/girls and other officials, but
there is no more visible indication of its presence
than the famous starball, which once more
was transformed for the latter stages of the
competition. The Finale 13 ball, white with
At grassroots level adidas ran the UEFA Young

Champions programme, which gave playing
time in a UEFA Champions League environment
to over 1,000 footballers aged 1216 in Japan,
Brazil, North America and Portugal. The winners
of the global events were flown to Lisbon to
participate in an exhibition event on the
mini-pitch at the UEFA Champions Festival as
the Portuguese tournament concluded. All the
winning teams were rewarded with the ultimate
prize of attending the final itself.
Provider of the official smartphone of the UEFA

Champions League, HTC became a prominent
part of the fan experience. Its Fan Photographer
campaign began at the start of the group stage
and offered amateurs access to professional
pitchside camera positions prior to games,
enabling them to photograph player warm-ups
and the lineups before kick-off using the
cameras on HTC One phones. This promotion
also helped to strengthen ties with broadcasters,
including Sky Deutschland, who publicised HTCs
Fan Photographer experience during its live
coverage of matches involving German sides
and encouraged viewers to get involved.
Ahead of the festival, adidas took the UEFA

Champions League and UEFA Womens
Champions League trophies across Portugal in a
customised bus (pictured) on the #allinucl trophy
tour. Ambassadors including Nuno Gomes and
Vitor Baa joined the tour, posing for
photographs, signing autographs and meeting
fans. At the festival, fans could test their skills
in the adidas battle dome arena and try on the
latest adidas boots and gear. adidass
comprehensive merchandising programme
enjoyed record sales, with fans keen to take
home a souvenir of the final.
Licensing
The UEFA Champions League licensing
programme brought outstanding examples
of manufacturers working in tandem with
sponsors and broadcast partners, with some
superb precedents sure to be pursued in
future campaigns. One notable example was
the UEFA Champions League Virtual Sticker
Album, involving tournament partner
UniCredit and sticker experts Panini. Virtual
stickers could be traded via social media, and
online communities were formed as fans
searched for missing images. The promotion
enhanced the UEFA Champions League
experience for supporters, and strengthened
the sponsors association with the
competition in the eyes of collectors.
A similar feat of cooperation between Konami
and PlayStation brought a rebranding of the
online PES 2014 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2014)
tournament, played online through
PlayStation 3 consoles. The new Virtual PES
UEFA Champions League pitted the best
gamers in the world against each other, with
the competition winners given the chance
to move out of the virtual world and attend
98
OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS
the real UEFA Champions League final in

Lisbon. The UEFA Champions League Trophy
Tour, presented by UniCredit, was also
embellished by an accompanying range of
replica trophy products, with many partners
boosting their connection with the
competition in consumers minds by giving
away official signed memorabilia products
and official watches as promotion prizes.
In November, HTC launched its FootballFeed

app, a second-screen experience allowing fans
to follow the competition in the palm of their
hands. The app features a live dashboard, which
notified fans of the team lineups as soon as they
became available and kept them up to date with
the action. HTC launched its new phone ahead
of the quarter-finals and used its sponsorship
rights to advertise the product to a global
audience. The new HTC One (M8) was the
central figure in their final campaign. Working in
partnership with UEFA and Facebook, HTC gave
fans at the UEFA Champions Festival in Lisbon
the opportunity to be photographed, using the
latest phone, with the competitions iconic
starball motif. Fans were encouraged to share
these images of themselves with friends around
the world via the social media platform.
99
LISBON 2014
Tale of
two cities
Fans congregate on Praa do Rossio in central Lisbon (main picture); both finalists showed the game live at their stadiums in Madrid
the centre of attention in the days leading up

to the match. Nearly 100,000 people visited
the festival between 22 and 25 May, with local
heroes Lus Figo, Paulo Sousa, Rui Costa and
Paulo Futre among the star attractions at the
Ultimate Champions match, as Lisboners
revelled in the build-up to the Estdio do Sport
Lisboa e Benfica showpiece.
Lisbon welcomed the football world with open arms for

a week of festivities culminating in a final made in Madrid
By car, train and plane they came as followers
of Spanish rivals Real Madrid CF and Club
Atltico de Madrid descended on the
Portuguese capital in huge numbers. History
was made as two teams from the same city
contested the UEFA Champions League final,
their colours almost as ubiquitous in Lisbon as
630km to the east in the Spanish capital.
Lisbon opened its arms wide to welcome its
visitors, proud to be hosting a match described
by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF)
president, Fernando Gomes, as the pinnacle of
the celebrations marking the associations
100th anniversary.
100
Gomes had declared the start of three weeks

of football festivities in Lisbon on 6 May with
the opening of the UEFA Champions Gallery in
Lisbon city hall and the UEFA Champions
Museum at the Sala do Risco in Pteo da Gal.
More than 150 iconic photos from the
competitions illustrious history were displayed
in the gallery, including one of Eusbio and
Mrio Coluna playing cards on the eve of
SL Benficas 1961/62 semi-final second leg
against Tottenham Hotspur FC in London a
poignant memory in the year football mourned
the passing of the two Portuguese greats.
Members of Jock Steins Celtic FC side that won
the European Champion Clubs Cup in Lisbon

in 1967 were honoured visitors to the gallery.
Across central Lisbon, from the main
thoroughfare Avenida da Liberdade through
prominent squares such as Praa Marqus de
Pombal where fans of Benfica or Sporting
Clube de Portugal congregate to celebrate their
triumphs official Final Lisbon 2014 flags and
banners set the scene. The UEFA Champions
Museum, boasting among other notable
exhibits Lionel Messis boots from the 2009
final, was located next to the UEFA Champions
Festival on Praa do Comrcio, which became
Before then, on 22 May, Tyres FF and VfL

Wolfsburg served up a classic UEFA Womens
Champions League final at the Estdio do
Restelo, defending champions Wolfsburgs 4-3
victory a brilliant showcase for the quality of
the competition. After the game, the 11,000
in attendance were invited onto the pitch to
watch R&B star Anselmo Ralph in concert.
In the space of half an hour the setting was
transformed from floodlit stadium to outdoor
pop festival.
LISBON 2014
Portuguese music was celebrated by fado star

Mariza and the Lisbon University choir, whose
rendition of the UEFA Champions League
anthem featured during a spectacular opening
ceremony for the mens final, which focused on
the nations proud seafaring tradition. Then the
Madrid rivals took centre stage for a game that
had all the passion and intensity of a local
derby. A dramatic late flurry eventually won
Real Madrid their tenth European title in extra
time with Cristiano Ronaldo converting a
penalty to add another local flourish to a night
made in Madrid.
101
SPONSORS
Ford
Gazprom
MasterCard
The car manufacturer tied in its promotional

push around the UEFA Champions League final
with the first ever launch of the Ford Mustang in
Europe. The arrival of the quintessential North
American coup on the continent was heralded
by the screening of a new commercial in the
run-up to the final, showcasing the vehicle.
Activity intensified as the Lisbon decider
approached, and fans at the UEFA Champions
Festival had the chance to see the Mustang on
display, under a large dome with an exciting
light show. During the final itself, Ford offered
fans the chance to pre-register for the car and
be among the first Mustang owners in Europe.
For the second season in a row, the Russian

natural gas company tied its UEFA Champions
League activities into its own Football for
Friendship campaign, a drive to bring children
into the game and encourage key principles
such as sportsmanship and mutual respect.
Under the Football for Friendship banner, 670
children from 16 nations came to the final in
Lisbon, having been chosen through
programmes linked to their national
associations. Members of the companys senior
management and Gazprom ambassador Franz
Beckenbauer joined the youngsters at a forum
on the day of the final, culminating in the
announcement of the Football for Friendship
Young Leader.
A UEFA Champions League winner with

FC Porto and FC Barcelona, Deco was recruited
as MasterCards Official Player Mascot Manager,
charged with coaching the 22 player escorts
that the financial services company provided
for the final at the Estdio do Sport Lisboa e
Benfica. Deco led a masterclass featuring a
number of youngsters in the month leading up
to the decider, and unveiled the player escorts
official kit at a press conference in the UEFA
Champions Museum, with three of the
youngsters given their kit on that day. Deco
also surprised a child at a local school in Lisbon
(above) by making her the last of the player
escorts to be chosen for the final.
Heineken
PlayStation
UniCredit
As well as a strong presence at the final on

the LED perimeter boards and advertising
prominent throughout the city, Heineken
took its UEFA Champions League party to Ibiza,
where for the second season in succession
supporters from across the world were given
the chance to attend their final party on the
Balearic island. Over 500 guests watched the
final on a giant screen in the company of former
UEFA Champions League winners Luis Garca
and Fernando Morientes. After the match,
world-renowned DJs ensured guests partied
long into the night.
The games console manufacturer paired up

with official UEFA Champions League licensee
Konami at the UEFA Champions Festival,
reaching out to fans through their large
gaming centre, which provided opportunities
to try out the latest console games. As well
as sampling the delights of the PlayStation 4,
fans engaged with the company through its
sponsorship of UEFA.coms hugely popular
UEFA Champions League Fantasy Football
game. Supporters were also able to download
and play a new bespoke game Top Five
through the Fantasy Football app, and win
tickets for the final, among other prizes.
The banking and financial services company

brought in celebrated coach Fabio Capello
to launch and promote its Discover the Stars
digital campaign ahead of the final. Though
the competition was mainly geared towards
the Italian market, fans throughout Europe
were encouraged to answer Capellos questions
about the UEFA Champions League, which took
them on a journey across the continent,
culminating in the final in Lisbon. Great prizes
including official match balls and tickets to
the final itself were on offer to fans.
Final
spotlight
The six official partners played a prominent
role at the UEFA Champions Festival and
were an integral presence at the final
102
SPONSORS
103
EVENTS
UEFA Champions
Festival
Over 95,000 people joined the fun as Lisbon warmed

up for the final with the ultimate football festival
The UEFA Champions Festival in Lisbon proved

a social event on more than one level as
football-mad locals, curious tourists and
Real Madrid CF and Club Atltico de Madrid
supporters engaged with each other and
various digital activations during a successful
four days.
The build-up to the final had been marked by
heavy rain, yet from the moment the UEFA
Champions League trophy was marched from
Praa do Rossio down Rua Augusta and on to
its stand on Praa do Comrcio to open the
festival on Thursday, to when the doors were
closed on Sunday, the sun shone, songs were
sung and fans young and old were able to share
the pleasure and passion of football.
The iconic Praa do Comrcio in the heart of the
Portuguese capital, surrounded on three sides by
traditional buildings and opening up on the other
to the river Tagus, was transformed for the
eighth UEFA Champions Festival by partner
activations, skill stations and innovations such as
a social media tower projecting the best content
from Facebook and Instagram using the official
final hashtag #UCLfinal.
Also broadcast live to festival visitors and

worldwide followers of the UEFA Champions
League Facebook page were Q&A sessions with
the likes of Cafu and Steve McManaman,
answering fans questions from a studio
overlooking the site.
A second temporary stand was erected for
Fridays annual Ultimate Champions match
Cafu and McManaman taking centre stage
with 18 other European Cup winners as a
Portuguese and Brazilian Seleo faced an
all-star team dominated by Real Madrid heroes
but with a surprise inclusion. Local futsal player
David Pereira won a UEFA.com competition to
keep goal for the All-Stars, pipping applicants
from Aruba, New York, Australia, Syria, Canada
and elsewhere.
The same pitch was used for player development
purposes. Girls teams performed on the day of
the UEFA Womens Champions League final
before the Young Champions tournament,
organised in association with adidas, concluded
ahead of the UEFA Champions League final.
Portuguese internationals Nani and Rben
Amorim handed out medals.
Visitors could have their photograph taken

with the UEFA Champions League and UEFA
Womens Champions League trophies images
were printed and could be shared on social
networks while official partner enterprises
such as HTC Starball photo opportunities
provided a further 6,500 happy images.
Silver service
When a powerful film about the history of the

UEFA Champions League had its open-air
evening premiere, the park hushed as images
of Eusbio filled the screen before fans burst
into applause as he scored a wonderful goal
for SL Benfica.
Over 13,000 people had their picture taken

with club footballs most famous prize at
Praa do Comrcio, with thousands more
having done the same during the season:
the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour,
presented by UniCredit, visited Berlin,
Budapest, Bucharest, Sarajevo and Sofia in
the group stage before the UEFA Champions
League Trophy Tour, presented by Heineken,
headed to Buenos Aires, Lagos and Ho Chi
Minh City during the knockout stage. The
#allinucl final trophy tour with adidas toured
Portugal ahead of the main event. Each tour
was filmed as part of UEFAs TrophyCam
series of videos seen through the eyes of
the trophy as it journeyed from UEFA HQ to
Lisbon. It had more than 12m video views on
Facebook, while more than 16,000 people
created and shared a trophy selfie.
Praa do Comrcio is dominated by a statue

of King Jos I but Eusbio is royalty of the
footballing kind. A wall was erected honouring
the Portugal great in the year of his death,
allowing fans, friends and family members to
write tributes. When I stopped beside the wall
it was very emotional, said Eusbios daughter
Sandra. But I also felt immensely proud.
Wolfsburgs
crowning glory
Two days before the mens final, the UEFA
Womens Champions League commanded
attention as VfL Wolfsburg became the third
team to retain the European womens club
title with a breathtaking victory over Swedens
Tyres FF. Tyres led 2-0 at half-time at
Lisbons Estdio do Restelo through Marta
and Vernica Boquete, but the holders hit
back in the most thrilling 45 minutes in the
competitions history. Alexandra Popps
47th-minute header revived the German side
before Martina Mller levelled. If Tyres
seemed on the ropes, Martas brilliant finish
restored their advantage three minutes later,
104
EVENTS
only for Verena Faisst to equalise on 68

minutes. Ten minutes from time, player of
the match Nadine Kessler beat three Tyres
defenders to set up Mllers volleyed winner.
The team kept believing, coach Ralf
Kellermann said. Sensational!
105
UEFA Champions League final on Facebook
SOCIAL MEDIA
26m
67m+
Finals global reach

matchday one the previous September. For the
first time, the official event hashtag #UCLfinal
featured on the LED boards around the pitch
in Lisbon, leading to it being used on Twitter
more than one million times, while Facebook
live studio interviews were streamed both to
visitors to the UEFA Champions Festival via a
giant screen and to the world on the platform.
The UEFA President, Michel Platini, also

took questions from fans around the world
in a Facebook Q&A session. UEFA.com had
1.5 million visitors on the day of the final alone,
the 20% increase on last year no doubt helped
by three goals being scored in extra time.
United States
3.
United Kingdom
83m
1.5m visitors (over

50% from mobile)
on day of final
Germany
up 20% from 2013
Facebook/uefachampionsleague
1.3m
likes added during

final week
11.5m
likes
30m
likes
95,000
visitors over four days
16m
likes
2m
Top UEFA post
MD 1
MD 2
MD 3
8.4m
tweets
Top moment
Gareth Bale puts Real

Madrid 2-1 up in extra
time (209,594 tweets
per minute)
UEFAs official hashtag
#UCLfinal
was the most widely used
1m+
Around the match

(18.4522.40CET)
Plus ones
7,096,000
Views
145,250,000
Followed by
6,130,000
UEFA Champions Festival
during the match

Iker Casillas trophy lift
(reach 21.5m, 730,000 likes,
108,000 shares, 22,000 comments)
Tweets
9th
Most popular league page
400,000
106
followers of
@ChampionsLeague
highest + page
in the world
LIKES
12m+
VIDEO PLAYS
OF UEFAS
TROPHYCAM
SERIES
Cristiano Ronaldo
scores penalty
Spain
Google+
visits over season to UEFA

Champions League
website
4.
Brazil
4.6m
growth during
the season
2.
3.
Indonesia
Twitter
100%
Top three audiences
Top moment
2.
Mexico
Facebook interactions
related to the final
UEFA.COM
1.
1.
people had
The UEFA Champions League final captivated hundreds

of millions of supporters across the globe as fans watched
the action and shared their views on social media
The number of followers of UEFAs official social
media channels burst through the 50 million
barrier during the 2013/14 season, led by the
astonishing growth of the UEFA Champions
League Facebook page. Following the final it
had almost 30 million likes, and is the most
followed league or association page on the
platform, growing from 11.4 million on
Top four countries buzzing about the match
MD 4
MD 5
MD 6
R16
QF
SF
Final
updates/syncs on
Facebook/Instagram tower
SOCIAL MEDIA
13,000 fan
photos tak
en
with UEFA
Champion
s
League tro
phy
190,000+
followed final on UEFA
for first time
Facebook live studio

interviews streamed
on giant screen and
to the world
107
TV PRODUCTION
In the
picture
The UEFA Champions League remains at the cutting edge of innovation
in television, with 4K technology introduced at the final for the first time
As Cristiano Ronaldo scored the last goal of the
2013/14 UEFA Champions League season at
the final in Lisbon, 33 cameras around the
venue ensured that his 17th strike of a
record-breaking campaign was captured and
transmitted all around the world.
With host broadcaster Sport TV implementing
a production plan coordinated by UEFA TV
Production, nothing escaped the attention of
the cameras at the Estdio do Sport Lisboa
e Benfica. The action on and off the pitch was
picked up by among others two high-speed
cameras, four super slow motion cameras, an
aerial spidercam system suspended above the
pitch and a helicopter mounted camera
surveying the venue, capturing all the
pre-match excitement.
Ronaldos goal may have drawn a little more
global attention, but the TV production
standards were similarly high for all 125 UEFA
Champions League matches from the start of
the group stage. A year-long involvement with
host broadcast partners kicked off in July with
the broadcast partner pre-season meeting
and the UEFA Champions League directors
workshop, both providing UEFA with an
opportunity to outline its vision for the
seasons coverage.
to broadcasters, if necessary through the venue

operations and broadcast manager (VOBM) on
site at every ground each matchnight.
32 magazine shows and club profiles,

16 matchnight profiles, five draw videos
and an end-of-season review programme.
The 2013/14 season brought several

enhancements and innovations as UEFA
continued to expand both its big-screen and
complimentary multimedia offerings. Allowing
broadcasters to develop their coverage before
and after the final whistle, UEFA expanded its
additional programming over the course of the
season, including 39 match promos,
The test release of the UEFA Legacy archive also

took place in 2013/14. Conceived in 2009, and
the culmination of five years of development,
the digital video archive contains more than
15,600 hours of UEFA footage, beginning with
the inaugural European Champion Clubs Cup
final in 1956 Real Madrid CFs very first victory.
Legacy is an invaluable video resource, with
more than 5,300 matches and 2.5m logs
available to the user.
Always at the forefront of technological
innovation, the UEFA Champions League final
was first broadcast in HD in 2005, and in 2014
the match was test produced in 4K for the first
time. With a picture resolution approximately
four times sharper that of todays top HD
standard, 4K represents the future of television
and the forefront of industry standards. UEFA
is also innovating on smaller devices; second
screen technology was in development during
the 2013/14 season, offering fans an enhanced
viewing experience across all their devices
including supplementary data and multiple
angles from which to enjoy the match action.
While each UEFA Champions League host

broadcaster implemented their own production
plan at each stadium, all the coverage was
closely reviewed at the UEFA Match Command
Centre in Nyon. The UEFA TV Quality Control
team was on hand to ensure consistency in
standards and to provide feedback and support
108
UEFA Champions League

ambassador Lus Figo
TV PRODUCTION
109
Prime
time
MEDIA RIGHTS
The UEFA Champions League

final confirmed its status as the
worlds most watched annual
sporting event in 2013/14
Top six European markets 44.4m

Across the top six European markets (France,
Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and
the United Kingdom) 44.4 million tuned in for
the final (27% of the global audience). The
match attracted an average 6.4 million viewers
(a 30.2% share) in France on TF1 and Canal+,
an increase of 9% on 2013. In Germany, Sky
and ZDF enjoyed higher audiences than for any
neutral final since 2007/08 and an increase of
42% on the previous neutral final in 2010/11.
Ned3s coverage of AFC Ajax, meanwhile,
averaged 2.4 million viewers, with a peak of
2.8m (a 37.9% share) for the key clash with
AC Milan on matchday six a 22% climb on last
seasons top-rated domestic interest match.
Spain 12.3m
The final simulcast on La1, TV3 and Canal+
Liga de Campeones was the most watched TV
transmission in Spain since the UEFA EURO
2012 final. It was by far the most watched
programme of the year up to that point,
averaging 12.3 million viewers, rising to an
average 13.8 million during extra time. An
average of 7 million viewers followed each
matchday live, with both semi-finals achieving
above 10 million. The UEFA Champions League
occupied four of the top five most watched TV
programmes by June.
United Kingdom +40%
Indonesia 5m
Brazil 16.1m
The final was the highest ever UEFA Champions

League broadcast in Brazil, attracting a record
16.1 million average audience. Live coverage of
FC Barcelona v Manchester City FC in the round
of 16 was watched by 12.9m, a 35.7% share
on TV Globo.
South Africa 1.5m
Over 5 million (57.9% share) turned on for

the second leg of Madrids semi-final against
Bayern, with season audiences averaging
2.8 million.
Mexico 3.4m
Coverage in South Africa on ETV pulled in over

1 million viewers a matchday across the
campaign, with 1.5 million watching Barcelonas
matches against Celtic FC on matchday two
and Manchester City in the round of 16 first leg.
Russia 7m
165m
Estimated global average
audience for the final
110
The Lisbon final between Real Madrid

CF and Club Atltico de Madrid was
aired in more than 200 countries to an
estimated global average audience of
165 million and an estimated global
unique reach of 380 million viewers.
There may only have been one nation
represented in the final, but that did
not stop the all-Spanish fixture from
drawing strong television audiences
around the world.
Over 7.4 million (35.4% share) switched on for

the final live across ITV and Sky Sports 1 an
increase of 40% on 2013. It drew the highest
neutral audience for seven seasons, up by 61%
against the 2010 final. Helped by Chelsea FCs
run to the semi-finals, on average 5.4 million
viewers saw matches live on ITV, a figure topped
by Manchester United FCs matchday nine
tussle with FC Bayern Mnchen which produced
the highest audience of the season and also
the highest sports rating of the year to that
point on British TV with 6.4 million (a 25.6%
share). The campaign-average matchday
audience for all live broadcasts was 7.3 million
viewers, a 12% rise on 2012/13.
MEDIA RIGHTS
The UEFA Champions League averaged 1.6

million viewers per matchday and peaked at
3.4 million (a 17.5% share) for the first leg of
the Bayern v Madrid semi-final, which was
simulcast free to air on Televisa 5 and Azteca 7.
Turkey 10m
The group stage audience in Russia averaged

more than 5 million viewers per matchday
on NTV, with FC Zenit attracting in excess of
7 million viewers for their games against FK
Austria Wien on matchday two and Atltico
on matchday five (average 14% share).
More than 10 million viewers on average

followed Galatasaray As campaign on Star
each matchday, with an average viewership of
11.4 million (a 44.9% share) for Galatasaray v
Madrid on matchday one.
111
MEDIA RIGHTS
Europe
Broadcast network
More broadcast partners than ever before were on
hand in Lisbon to give their viewers a taste of the final
Renowned TV personality and award-winning
presenter Carol Tshabalala, meanwhile, was
selected to host the global fan promotion for
SuperSport. Former Portuguese international
and SL Benfica forward Nuno Gomes and
former Ghanaian international and FC Bayern
Mnchen defender Samuel Kuffour
accompanied her on a tour of Lisbon and the
Estdio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, with Kuffour
also providing analysis of the final in a
pre-match pitchside presentation with
Tshabalala. All three were active promoting
the final on social media, with Kuffour also
participating in a live Q&A on the official
UEFA Champions League Facebook page.
Albania
SuperSport, TV Klan
Israel
The Sports Channel
Armenia
Armenia TV
Italy
Mediaset, Sky Italia
Austria
PULS 4, Sky Austria
Kazakhstan
KTK
Azerbaijan
AZ TV
Latvia
Viasat
Belarus
Belarus TV
Lithuania
Viasat
Belgium
2BE, Belgacom, RTL
Malta
GO, PBS
Bosnia & Herzegovina
BHRT, OBN TV, Telekom Serbia
Moldova
Prime TV
Bulgaria
bTV Media Group
Montenegro
RTCG, Telekom Serbia
Croatia
HRT, Telekom Croatia
Netherlands
NOS, Sport1
Cyprus
CYTA, Sigma TV
Norway
Viasat
Czech Republic
Czech TV, Prima COOL
Poland
ITI
Denmark
Viasat
Portugal
Sport TV, TVI Portugal
Estonia
Viasat
Romania
DIGI Sport, Dolce Sport, TVR
Finland
MTV3, YLE
Russia
NTV & NTV Plus
France
beIN Sport, Canal+
Serbia
RTS, Telekom Serbia
FYROM
MKRTV, Telekom Macedonia
Slovakia
Slovak TV
Georgia
Georgian Public Broadcaster,
Global Media Group (GMG), Rustavi 2
Slovenia
SportKlub, Telekom Slovenia
Spain
Canal+, TVE, TV3
Germany
Sky Deutschland, ZDF
Sweden
Viasat
Greece
ERT, NovaSports
Switzerland
SRG, Teleclub
Hungary
DIGI Sport, Sport1 Hungary
Turkey
Dogan Group
Iceland
365 Media
United Kingdom
BSkyB, ITV
Ireland
RTE, Setanta Sports, TV3
Ukraine
1+1 Ukraine, Media Group Ukraine (MGU)
Pan-European
Eurosport
Outside Europe
The broadcast network for the UEFA Champions

League spans the globe. There are 125
broadcast partners affiliated with the
competition 47 of which are from outside
Europe and well over half attended the final,
customising their programming and bringing
their viewers close to the action. There were
1,500 rights-holding broadcaster personnel
on site in Lisbon, working for 72 organisations
(more than for any previous final) to optimise
coverage. A total of 130 TV and radio
commentary positions were allocated and 24
broadcasters had unilateral on-site productions.
112
Two examples of this were Ten Sports on

the Indian subcontinent and Supersport
which broadcasts to sub-Saharan Africa. Both
implemented special activations for the final and
both used celebrities to promote their coverage
and the final itself. Bollywood superstar Deepika
Padukone was a guest of Ten Sports as part of
their UEFA Champions League fan experience,
taking part in a live pre-match presentation and
proving a huge hit as she posed with the trophy.
She also advertised the final on her Facebook
page, which has 18m likes. The picture of her
with the trophy received nearly 450,000 likes
and was shared an impressive 7,337 times.
Main picture: Camera crews in position prior to the final;

Deepika Padukone broadcasts from pitchside in Lisbon for
Ten Sports (top); Nuno Gomes, Carol Tshabalala and Samuel
Kuffour fronted SuperSports final coverage
Australia
ESPN, SBS
Mexico
Televisa, TV Azteca
Bolivia
Unitel Bolivia
Middle East
Al Jazeera
Brazil
ESPN Brazil, Esporte Interativo, TV Globo
Mongolia
Channel 1
Canada
Sportsnet
Myanmar
S Media
China
CCTV, QQ, Sina
Nicaragua
Ratensa
Costa Rica
Repretel
Panama
TVN Panama
Ecuador
Canal UNO TV
Paraguay
Paravision
El Salvador
Canal 4
Peru
ATV Peru
Guatemala
Radio Television, Guatemala
Philippines
Balls
Honduras
Televicentro
Singapore
SingTel
Hong Kong
i-Cable
South Africa
eTV
Indian subcontinent
Ten Sports
South Korea
SPO TV
Indonesia
SCTV
Sub-Saharan Africa
Canal+ Afrique, Star Times, SuperSport
Japan
Sky Perfect TV
Suriname
STVS
Kyrgyzstan
KTRK
Taiwan
ELTA TV
Latin America
ESPN, Fox Sports, OTI
Thailand/Laos/Cambodia
True Visions
Macau
TDM
USA
Fox Sports
Malaysia/Brunei
Astro
Venezuela
Meridiano TV
Vietnam
VSTV, VTV
BROADCAST NETWORK
113
VENUE OPERATIONS
Sign of the
times
Dressed up for the big occasion, there is no mistaking a UEFA Champions League venue
Since the start of the 2012/13 season, UEFA
has played a greater role in the delivery of UEFA
Champions League matches, running media,
commercial and broadcast operations at the
venues as well as taking the lead in terms of
running the competition.
non-reflective fabric to give the best results

under the TV lights. Directional signage is set
up around the venue, while the exclusive
UEFA partner hospitality area the Champions
Club also incorporates extensive UEFA
Champions League branding, including a
welcome desk and a stage.
One visible aspect of that operation is the way

stadiums are transformed for each match by
the installation of UEFA signage, from the
starball centre circle to stadium dressing and
advertising boards. UEFA Champions League
matches have a unique look and feel, on TV
and inside the venues, which is all carefully
managed by UEFA teams at each venue. The
final is the most striking example, with all tiers
dressed in the specific final branding and
additional signage around and inside the
stadium enhancing the sense of occasion.
During the course of the season every venue is
kitted out to a prescribed minimum standard.
For every match up to the final, a UEFA signage
truck brings advertising or LED boards, dressing
and other materials to each venue from a
centralised warehouse three days in advance.
UEFAs branding extends to the substitutes
benches, and for every game up to the final
114
Every venue is treated in the same way to

bring that unique UEFA Champions League
experience and everything is branded, from
the fourth officials substitution boards to the
napkins in the Champions Club. Even during
the match the UEFA signage team is on alert,
making sure that the advertising boards are
always in place and fully visible. And once the
match is over, the team gets back to work to
dismantle everything and pack up the truck.
The next day, preparations begin for the next
match: a different stadium, but as ever
a unique and unmistakable look and feel.
The starball dressing (above at Stamford Bridge) is used at every match until the final
the starball dressing is fixed across the front of

the first tier of each stand 93km of this PVC
dressing is used each season in the UEFA
Champions League.
TV studio, media conference, mixed zone and

flash interview backdrops showcasing the UEFA
Champions League branding and partners are
also put in place, made from a special
VENUE OPERATIONS
Message boards
LED perimeter boards replaced static ones at
UEFA Champions League knockout matches
at the start of the 2012/13 season, and
were used at some venues in the group
stage for the first time in 2013/14. The
aim is to use high-quality LED boards at
all venues from the 2015/16 season. The
boards give UEFAs partners more visibility,
a greater chance to display their messages
and the opportunity to own the pitch
for 30 seconds at a time, as well as allowing
UEFA to reiterate its own important Respect
and No to Racism messages.
Media operations
With the eyes of the football world on the
Lisbon final, UEFAs media operations team
were put through their paces to
accommodate the needs of the written
press, broadcasters and photographers.
Not including the host broadcaster or
rights-holding radio and television
broadcasters, 602 accreditations were
delivered for the final. Official pre- and
post-match media conferences were
organised featuring both teams, as they had
been for all UEFA Champions League games
during the season. The UEFA Womens
Champions League final also proved a big
draw, with 146 press accreditations delivered.
115
COMMUNICATIONS
Ahead
of the
Exciting developments on
the social media front spread
UEFA.coms reach further
than ever before
Star names and thrilling games remain

constants in the UEFA Champions League,
but off the pitch the digital world moves fast
and UEFAs multi-platform coverage of the
elite club competition continues to set the
pace. With UEFA.com long established as the
primary destination for comprehensive text,
photographic and video coverage of the UEFA
Champions League, a wider audience has been
reached via an expanded social media portfolio.
Just after the final in Lisbon, the UEFA
Champions League Facebook page set a new
global standard by becoming the first league
or association page to pass 30 million likes
incredible growth considering it was 11.4
million on matchday one. Indonesia, Brazil and
Mexico are the top three countries in terms of
116
likes, although fans across the globe have

been tuning in for regular Facebook Q&A
sessions with footballing personalities including
current and former players and even the
UEFA President, Michel Platini.
The number of people who prefer their news
in 140 characters is also sharply on the rise, with
followers of the @ChampionsLeague Twitter
account doubling to 4.6 million during the
season, a figure which helped ensure there
were over 1 million mentions of the official
#UCLfinal hashtag. UEFA.com also launched
its first Instagram page in 2013/14, while more
than 2 million fans have followed the UEFA
Champions League via Chinese networks Sina
Weibo and Tencent Weibo since those pages
went live at the start of the campaign.
game
The continued surge of social media may have
moved the goalposts in what constitutes an
official web presence, but the UEFA.com
formula has not changed, with a continued
mission to inform, engage and entertain.
An overhaul of the UEFA Champions League
MatchCentre and the competitions history
sections added even greater depth to coverage
in 2013/14. From March, meanwhile, the
UEFA Champions Challenge provided a new
dimension, the online treasure hunt inviting
fans to register, explore the website and fulfil
tasks to win a range of plum prizes put forward
by UEFAs commercial partners.
Much was also done to enhance some of the
websites prime assets; a UEFA Champions
League Fantasy Football app was launched
for iPhone and Android devices, bringing the
hugely popular game to the mobile world for
the first time, while the annual UEFA.com users
Team of the Year, revealed in January, attracted
a record 6.3 million votes (including 86,000
picks on Twitter) and intensive media coverage.
COMMUNICATIONS
30m
The UEFA Champions League

Facebook page became the
first league or association
page to pass 30 million likes
Huge amounts of work continue to be
dedicated to conventional website tasks,
not least authoring press kits for every UEFA
Champions League game from the play-offs
onwards in English, French, German, Italian,
Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. Video
from big-name interviews to highlights
and a matchnight audio panel show remain
mainstays of UEFA.coms coverage, but
2013/14 certainly maintained the push
towards new horizons.
Access all areas

One of the biggest draws of UEFAs coverage
of the UEFA Champions League is its
unrivalled access to key players and coaches.
By building close partnerships with the clubs,
UEFA was taken behind the scenes in
2013/14 and afforded exclusive interviews
with the competitions leading lights.
Gareth Bale, Diego Costa, Zlatan
Ibrahimovi, Philipp Lahm, Lionel Messi,
Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo were
just some of the stars interviewed during the
course of the season. Carlo Ancelotti, Jos
Mourinho and Diego Simeone were three
of the coaches that gave a tactical insight
across UEFAs many media platforms.
The interviews took place on assigned media
days with each club, at which all of UEFAs
media arms were represented, ensuring that
all needs could be catered for in one sitting.
From matchday one to the final, 70 media
days took place involving at least two
representatives from all 32 clubs, with 149
players and coaches interviewed in total.
Transcripts, video and photography were
then distributed to all UEFA media outlets,
including UEFA.com, the Champions Weekly
television programme, Champions
Matchday magazine and the final
programme, as well as affiliated
broadcasters. The content was also shared
with the clubs, allowing for maximum
exposure and guaranteeing that all
stakeholders benefitted from the media
day concept.
117
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The 32 clubs that competed in the UEFA

Champions League group stage shared 904m
in payments from UEFA in 2013/14, matching
the record outlay from the previous season. In
addition, the clubs involved in the play-offs
ten of which advanced to the group stage with
the other ten joining the UEFA Europa League
group stage shared 42m, meaning that the
total participation payments topped 946m.
This amount does not include the surplus that
will be calculated and distributed to the 32
participating clubs after closing the accounts.
Distribution
Group winner
Group runner-up
Each club was entitled to a minimum payment

for participation in the competition.
Additionally, performance bonuses were paid
for every win or draw in the group stage and
each knockout round progressed past. Monies
from the market pool were divided according to
the proportional value of the national TV
market allocated to each individual club,
among other factors. Unsurprisingly, eventual

winners Real Madrid CF secured the highest
payment from the UEFA Champions League,
their 57.4m including the standard 8.6m
participation bonus, more than 20.5m from
the market pool and over 28m in performance
monies including 10.5m for their final victory.
The figures in the table below were published at
the end of the 2013/14 season and do not
reflect any rulings then pending concerning
breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and
Financial Fair Play Regulations. They do not

include solidarity payments to any of the clubs
participating in the qualifying rounds, nor do
they include any additional solidarity payments
made to leagues for club youth development
projects or any additional surplus payments to
clubs. The total distribution figures for the
2013/14 UEFA Champions League will be
communicated once all payments have been
completed during the 2014/15 season.
Knockout stage
Group stage
Teams
The UEFA Champions League clubs will receive

an additional amount of around 40m, bringing
the total close to 1bn.
Total
Play-offs
Participation bonus
Performance bonus
Market pool
Round of 16
Quarter-finals
5,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
500,000
23,775,000
10,735,000
2,450,000
8,174,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
3,900,000
2,100,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
Group B
Real Madrid CF
Galatasaray A
Juventus
FC Kbenhavn
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
5,500,000
2,500,000
2,500,000
1,500,000
20,514,000
6,472,000
31,998,000
11,392,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
3,900,000
Group C
Paris Saint-Germain
Olympiacos FC
SL Benfica
RSC Anderlecht
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
4,500,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
500,000
33,917,000
11,806,000
3,274,000
3,142,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
3,900,000
Group D
FC Bayern Mnchen
Manchester City FC
FC Viktoria Plze
PFC CSKA Moskva
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
5,000,000
5,000,000
1,000,000
1,000,000
18,716,000
18,302,000
1,528,000
5,585,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
3,900,000
4,900,000
44,616,000
35,402,000
13,228,000
15,185,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
4,000,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
1,500,000
18,491,000
8,120,000
1,684,000
5,100,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
3,900,000
4,900,000
43,391,000
25,820,000
15,384,000
17,300,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
4,000,000
4,000,000
4,000,000
0
14,725,000
11,132,000
25,998,000
23,815,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
3,900,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
5,500,000
2,500,000
2,000,000
2,000,000
17,148,000
4,771,000
3,618,000
2,174,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
3,900,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
8,600,000
4,500,000
3,500,000
3,000,000
1,000,000
21,475,000
21,999,000
9,604,000
7,966,000
3,500,000
3,500,000
3,900,000
275,200,000
96,000,000
409,600,000
56,000,000
31,200,000
Group A
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
Real Sociedad de Ftbol
Group E
Chelsea FC
FC Schalke 04
FC Basel 1893
FC Steaua Bucureti
Group F
Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal FC
SSC Napoli
Olympique de Marseille
2,100,000
2,100,000
2,100,000
2,100,000
2,100,000
Group G
FC Zenit
FC Porto
FK Austria Wien
2,100,000
Group H
FC Barcelona
AC Milan
AFC Ajax
Celtic FC
2,100,000
2,100,000
2,100,000
Clubs eliminated at the play-off stage
21,000,000
Totals ()
42,000,000
118
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
Semi-finals
Final
Total ()
44,775,000
26,335,000
14,050,000
19,374,000
4,900,000
10,500,000
57,414,000
21,072,000
43,098,000
21,492,000
54,417,000
27,406,000
15,374,000
12,242,000
34,725,000
29,332,000
38,598,000
32,415,000
4,900,000
6,500,000
50,048,000
21,471,000
14,218,000
14,874,000
41,975,000
39,699,000
21,204,000
19,666,000
19,600,000
17,000,000
946,600,000
119
UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE
Perfect start
Created to aid the development of Europes top young players,
UEFAs newest club competition hit the ground running
An incredible strike from inside his own half by

FC Barcelonas Munir El Haddadi brought the
curtain down on the inaugural UEFA Youth
League season in stunning fashion. With their
3-0 victory against SL Benfica, Barcelona
became the first team to win the Lennart
Johansson trophy, and as they celebrated
their triumph, that air of success permeated
the new competition as a whole.
The UEFA Youth League was launched in
conjunction with the European Club Association
as a development competition with the aim of
helping youngsters learn more about the game
and prepare them for the step up to their senior
sides. The response from participating clubs has
been hugely positive. The final marked the
mid-point of the competitions two-year trial
period, but already the format for the 2015/16
season was being discussed, with the possibility
of opening it up to more youth champions from
more national associations.
Barcelonas El Haddadi (top) in celebratory mood. The final

tournament attracted huge crowds
It has been great playing

in this competition. What
we have achieved will stay
with us in the future
Roger Riera, Barcelona captain
120
Certainly as the sun beat down on a packed

Stade de Colovray in Nyon, and Barcelona
paraded their trophy, it was clear the UEFA
Youth League had hit the mark. Twelve
thousand people attended the semi-finals
and final, played as a mini-tournament
opposite UEFAs headquarters on the shore
of Lake Geneva, with many thousands more
watching the action unfold on Eurosport.
Interest in the nascent competition had been
piqued by aligning it with the very pinnacle of
club football the UEFA Champions League.
Each of the 32 clubs in the group stage entered
their Under-19 team, and the UEFA Youth
Leagues autumn schedule replicated that of
the seniors. The aim was to give the youngsters
as much of a feel for the best of club football:
games were regularly played on the afternoon
and within a short distance of the
corresponding UEFA Champions League match.
The youth teams often travelled with their

senior colleagues, allowing the youngsters
to gain an all-round experience of European
football, both off the pitch and on it.
It may have been a new competition, but there
was no shortage of famous names: Manchester
City FC were led by former France midfielder
Patrick Vieira, while playing up front was a
certain Devante Cole son of Andrew who
ended up as joint second top scorer in the
competition. Zindine Zidane and Mehmet
Scholls sons also made their European bows,
while back on the bench, Filippo Inzaghi was
leading AC Milans Under-19s. The lads are
very proud to play matches like this, and they
develop further, Inzaghi said, adding that
young coaches too were benefiting from
the experience.
The competition went its own way after the
group stage, with one-off ties in the round of
16 and quarter-finals. The semi-finals and final
were played at a sold-out Stade de Colovray
and the participants Barcelona, Benfica,
Real Madrid CF and FC Schalke 04 combined
to produce a real showcase for the standard
of European youth football, according to the
UEFA Club Competitions Committee chairman,
Michael van Praag.
Barcelona ultimately came out on top,
defeating previously unbeaten Benfica 3-0 in
the final, crowned by that moment of magic
by El Haddadi, the competitions top scorer. In
a competition devoted to development, it was
a reminder that the first year of the UEFA
Youth League also offered plenty of room for
entertainment. It has been great playing in
this competition, Barcelona captain Roger
Riera said. What we have achieved will stay
with us in the future.
UEFA YOUTH LEAGUE
121
2014/15 SEASON PREVIEW
The European Cup final comes to Germany for

the eighth time in 2015, but this will be the first
opportunity for the nations capital to stage the
climax to Europes premier club competition.
The largest all-seat stadium in Germany, with a
capacity of 74,244, Berlins Olympiastadion
provides a fittingly grand stage.
Destination
Berlin
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
PLAY-OFFS
GROUP STAGE
OCTOBER
Originally built for the 1936 Olympic Games,

the stadium hosted the 2006 FIFA World Cup
final, when Italy defeated France on penalties,
as well as five other matches at that
tournament and three at the 1974 World Cup.
NOVEMBER
DECEMBER
FEBRUARY
The Olympiastadion underwent extensive

modernisation work between 2000 and 2004 in
preparation for the 2006 World Cup, and now
boasts a thoroughly modern interior and
stunning transparent roof, while retaining its
1930s exterior. The stadium has also been
home to Hertha BSC Berlin since the founding
of the Bundesliga in 1963 and has staged every
German Cup final since 1985.
Nottingham Forest FC in 1979 and Chelsea FC

in 2012 prevailing in Munich. Borussia
Dortmund are the only German side to have
won the title on German soil, defeating
Juventus 3-1 in 1997, also at Munichs
Olympiastadion.
Clubs from six different nations have won the

European Cup in Germany and English sides
have been the most successful both
MARCH
ROUND OF 16
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
QUARTER-FINALS
SEMI-FINALS
FINAL
MATCHDAY TWO
BERLIN
1st
6th
MATCHDAY FOUR
4th / 5th
MATCHDAY SIX
9th / 10th
ROUND OF 16 DRAW
12th
FIRST LEG
5th/ 6th
MATCHDAY ONE
16th / 17th
19th / 20th
FIRST LEG
SECOND LEG
SECOND LEG
10th / 11th
MATCHDAY THREE
FIRST LEG
SECOND LEG
FIRST LEG
21st/ 22rd
17th / 18th
17th / 18th
QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
20th
14th/ 15th
SECOND LEG
12th / 13th
21 22
24th
st /
nd
SEMI-FINAL DRAW
SECOND LEG
26th / 27th
GROUP STAGE DRAW
28th
122
MATCHDAY TWO
30th
MATCHDAY FIVE
25th / 26th
FIRST LEG
24th / 25th
DESTINATION BERLIN
123
Roll of honour
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
1989
1988
1987
1986
1985
Real Madrid CF
FC Bayern Mnchen
Chelsea FC
FC Barcelona
FC Internazionale Milano
FC Barcelona
AC Milan
FC Barcelona
Liverpool FC
FC Porto
AC Milan
Real Madrid CF
FC Bayern Mnchen
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid CF
Borussia Dortmund
Juventus
AFC Ajax
AC Milan
Olympique Marseille
FC Barcelona
FK Crvena zvezda
AC Milan
AC Milan
PSV Eindhoven
FC Porto
FC Steaua Bucureti
Juventus
Credits
1984
1983
1982
1981
1980
1979
1978
1977
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
1971
1970
1969
1968
1967
1966
1965
1964
1963
1962
1961
1960
1959
1958
1957
1956
Liverpool FC
Hamburger SV
Aston Villa FC
Liverpool FC
Nottingham Forest FC
Nottingham Forest FC
Liverpool FC
Liverpool FC
FC Bayern Mnchen
FC Bayern Mnchen
FC Bayern Mnchen
AFC Ajax
AFC Ajax
AFC Ajax
Feyenoord
AC Milan
Celtic FC
Real Madrid CF
AC Milan
SL Benfica
SL Benfica
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid CF
Real Madrid CF
Managing editor
Michael Harrold
Technical report editorial
Ioan Lupescu, Graham Turner
Technical assessors
Sir Alex Ferguson, Mircea Lucescu
Technical observers
Jean-Paul Brigger, Jacques Crevoisier, Fernando Hierro,
Roy Hodgson, Gins Melndez, Peter Rudbk,
Thomas Schaaf, Gareth Southgate
Contributors
Kevin Ashby, Phil Atkinson, Rob Esteva, Patrick Hart,
Andy Lockwood, Dominique Maurer, Paul Murphy, Jim Wirth
Design
Oliver Meikle, Chrissy Mouncey, Toms Louro (Designwerk)
Photography
Getty Images
Translation
Doris Egger, Zouhair El Fehri, Corinne Gabriel, Gudrun Grner,
Franois Jamme, Yves-Manuel Man, Patrick Pfister, Ccile
Pierreclos, Sabine Redlich, Florian Simmen, Anna Simon,
Annika Thoden, Frdric Wyler
Administration/coordination
Frank Ludolph, Stphanie Ttaz, David Gough
Printing
Identity
This publication is issued by the UEFA President and
Executive Office (Communications) in coordination with
National Associations, Competitions, Operations and
Marketing divisions.
UEFA 2014. All rights reserved. The UEFA word, the
UEFA Champions League logo and trophy are protected
by trade marks and/or copyright of UEFA. No use for
commercial purposes may be made of such trade marks.

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Season review

The lure of Lisbon........................................................ 10

The final: A minute difference................................... 18

The winning coach: Carlo Ancelotti.......................... 23

A tale of two cities....................................................100

UEFA Champions Festival.........................................104

The importance of scoring first................................. 42

Approaching the goal................................................. 50

UEFA Youth League...................................................120

2014/15 season preview.........................................122

Results and tables....................................................... 56

UEFA PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

Simeones side, Atltico must hold their heads

This is the ultimate

In this season review we analyse the key tactical

Financial fair play also came into effect as we

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2013/14

UEFA PRESIDENTS MESSAGE

The Respect campaign was launched at

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2013/14

The global popularity of the UEFA Champions

television spot, which was transmitted by clubs

Reading the game

attended the matches played during the

food for thought. By highlighting tendencies

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2013/14

campaign with a bitter taste of disappointment

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2013/14

The drama started to unfold during the

expectations by reaching the knockout rounds.

AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli

Olympiacos advanced for the first time since 2009/10

Wesley Sneijder strikes to send Galatasaray through

Philipp Lahm revelled in a new central role for Bayern

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2013/14

Aaron Ramsey was in sparkling

Benfica bowed out despite amassing ten points

Ryan Giggs retired with a record 151 UEFA Champions League

Further apparent contradictions could be found

champions, Porto, and in Group H, AC Milan

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2013/14

and a quick reaction by Arda Turan when his

2013 finalists Dortmund saw off Zenit in the last 16

team produced nail-biting. Limiting the

The other semi-final also produced a tale of

A minutes silence was held before both semi-finals to mark

David Moyes team then faced the defending

Diego Costa (left) celebrates

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2013/14

Real Madrid also prevailed by the narrowest

Andr Schrrle takes on Alex at Stamford Bridge

To start a review of the 2014 UEFA Champions

Sergio Ramos celebrates his dramatic late equaliser

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEASON REVIEW 2013/14

For Sir Alex, Atlticos strength was to hunt the

Diego Godn opened the scoring for Atltico

The hindsight factor reaches back to 75

Atltico were ready to

And so to the pitch, where the pageantry of the

The first half ended with Khedira earning

Atltico coach Diego Simeone

the 59th minute, when Ancelotti ordered a

Sir Alex Ferguson

Luka Modri goes past Atltico captain Gabi

This is the ultimate

Atltico were ready to

Its not just about