Rossoneri with the Cup!

AC Milan bring the Champions League back to Italy! Yesterday's final against Liverpool in Athens was not a classic as the one in Istanbul, but the result brought a big smile to the faces of the Milan faithful - unlike last time around! Though the reds enjoyed much of the first half possession, they paid their price for not converting any as Pirlo's free kick right on half time took a wicked deflection off Inzhagi and ended in the back of the net. Then on, Milan pressed forward in search of the killer second goal, and that arrived at the 82nd minute, again from Pippo who neatly finished after a through ball from Kaka. Liverpool were running out of ideas and the introduction of Crouch brought a change and they pulled one back in the dying minutes through a Kuyt header - but it was too late to make much of a difference.

At the final whistle, the proud Rossoneri were the happy bunch and the sad red's had a dejected look on their faces as they were not able to repeat the 2005 final here in Athens. Maldini - at 38 - was the oldest player in the final, but the proud captain of a mighty Milan team which, I should say, deserved the Cup. Holding aloft the coveted Champions League trophy, with Sir Alex probably opening the bottle of wine back in England, Maldini looked majestic surrounded by his team.

Milan have done the nation proud after all the Serie A problems.!
The night belonged to them!

AC Milan: Dida, Oddo, Nesta, Maldini, Jankulovski (Kaladze 79), Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini, Seedorf (Favalli 90), Kaka, Inzaghi (Gilardino 88).
Subs Not Used: Kalac, Cafu, Serginho, Brocchi.

Booked: Gattuso, Jankulovski.

Goals: Inzaghi 45, 82.

Liverpool: Reina, Finnan (Arbeloa 88), Carragher, Agger, Riise, Pennant, Alonso, Mascherano (Crouch 78), Zenden (Kewell 59), Gerrard, Kuyt.
Subs Not Used: Dudek, Hyypia, Gonzalez, Bellamy.

Booked: Mascherano, Carragher.

Goals: Kuyt 89.

The Final Curtain Call :(

The day, season and all with it is over! Going into Administration was the only option to keep the club alive and the 10 points deducted as a result of it, sent Leeds United spiraling down to League One! All may seem lost for the once Mighty whites, but there has to be a light at the end of the tunnel! Though there is a dark cloud hanging over Elland Road and the atmosphere is gloomy, there is still hope that we can start from scratch again and get back to the glory days!

The Fall:
Six long years ago, Leeds were battling it out with Valencia for a place in the Champions League final - which they lost; fast forward to 2007, and they were battling for survival in the Championship - which, sadly, they lost. If they had won that battle and had marched on to the finals, things could have been very very different. Failure to qualify in 2000-01, 01-02 started the decline of a Club which had a proud history and an even more proud fan base. 2002 started the steep decline and Leeds took the shortest route possible to League One!

The Big-name Exodus:
Rio Ferdinand - 30m to ManU
Robbie Keane - 12m to Tottenham
Lee Bowyer - 100,000 to West Ham
Olivier Dacourt - 3.5m to Roma
Robbie Fowler - 6m to Man City
Jonathan Woodgate - 9m to Newcastle
Harry Kewell - 5m to Liverpool
Mark Viduka - 4.5m to Middlesbrough
Paul Robinson - 1.5m to Tottenham
Alan Smith - 7m to ManU

The once proud line up which was glittered with stars has to be re-worked on with home grown talent to take them up the ladder rung by rung - not one rung is to be missed or the fall might be greater than expected!

The Future:
Now, all that's left is a team with fringe players and few glitters here and there. More names, such as David Healy, leaving the club will not be a surprise and to be honest, nothing will be a surprise after all that has happened over the last few years at Elland Road. We look forward to fight in League One and slowly scratch ourselves back up...and this time around, try not to follow the same old path.

To be Remembered:
Leeds United showed the world "How not to manage a Professional Football Club"

Signing off with a heavy heart!
Abe - Always a Mighty White! "LUFC for ever"

Going Down. :(

League One beckons! Sadly, that is true for the once mighty Leeds United. LU's fall from glory has been drastic and it was not long ago that we were contesting with the likes of Valencia and Lazio in the Champions League, but the latest 1-1 draw with Ipswich, more or less sent Leeds to League One. Nothing short of a miracle will help now!..it's a sad day at Elland road, but we will march on together!

Way way up on the other side, Liverpool sent Chelsea packing out of the Champions league in the Semi's on penalites and it's a welcome sight to see the sad blue bus head back to London! There are clubs and people to stop Chelsea and the sefl proclaimed 'Special One' - Mourinho. Though I feel bad for Terry and Sheva, Chelsea needed someone to bring them back to earth in the CL and the Premiership and this year Looks like Liverpool and ManU have done just that.