Soccer Blog|Football News, Reviews, Quizzes

The draw for the group stages of the 2008-09 UEFA Cup has been made, and we have some excellent fixtures within.

Portsmouth, in their debut season in Europe, will get a chance to play AC Milan at Fratton Park. Pompey are in Group E along with Herenveen, Braga and Wolfsburg.

There are eight groups in all, and 3 teams from each group qualify for the next round. They will be joined by the eight third placed teams in each Champions League group.

Group A :-

Schalke ( Germany)
Paris St.Germain ( France)
Manchester City ( England)
Racing Santander ( Spain)
FC Twente ( Netherlands)

Group B :-

Benfica ( Portugal)
Olympiakos ( Greece)
Galatasaray ( Turkey)
Hertha Berlin ( Germany)
Metalist Kharkiv ( Ukraine)

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After coming back from a two goal deficit to draw with Fiorentina in the Champions League, French giants Olympique Lyon won their weekend domestic fixture by beating Le Havre AC 1-0 at the Stade Jules Deschaseux. Lyon, who had Sidney Govou sent off in the second half, held on to their one goal lead, given by Ederson when he converted from the penalty spot a minute before half time.

Karim Benzema and Jean Alain Boumsong started on the bench as Claude Le Puel started with the below 11 players.

Hugo Lloris
Anthony Reveilliere
John Mensah
Cris
Mathieu Bodmer
Jean Makoun
Ederson
J.Toulalan
Miralem Pjanic
Frederic Piquionne
Sidney Govou

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Lyon defeated Toulouse 3-0 in their first game of the 2008-09 French Ligue 1 season. Karim Benzema netted twice and new signing Jean II Makoun scored once, but the French giants suffered a blow as rightback Francois Clerc ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in the first half. Medical tests have revealed that Clerc can be expected to be out of action for the next six months.

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If rumours in the press are to be believed, Marseille have reportedly told winger Franck Ribery that he can leave in the summer, if he wishes.

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Results from the games played on the 31st of March and 1 April:-
Toulouse 1-0 St.Etienne ( Johan Elmander)

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French legend Michel Platini has been elected as the new UEFA President. Platini defeated rival Lennart Johansson, who has held the post since 1990, in an election in Dusseldorf.

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Ligue 1 side Bordeaux have completed the signing of Fernando Cavenaghi from Spartak Moscow. The cultured Argentine forward, who had moved to Spartak for a fee of 6.5 million pounds from River in 2004, struggled to adjust to the style of play and the artificial pitches in the Russian capital. According to reports, Bordeaux have coughed up 10 million Euros for his signature.

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Lyon boss Gerard Houllier has reportedly stated that he wants to sign Aston Villa’s Milan Baros.

Baros had earlier rejected an opportunity to move to the French club when he was out of favour at Liverpool because he wanted to remain in the Premiership. He currently is at Aston Villa and is reported to have a fee release clause of about 15 million pounds.

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Ex Rangers boss Paul Le Guen has been named by Paris St Germain as their new manager. Le Guen succeeds Guy Lacombe, who was dismissed after PSG’s dreadful showing this season, with the club just one point above the danger zone. That is quite astonishing for a club which brought players like Ronaldinho and Pauleta into the limelight.
Le Guen has plied his trade at PSG as a player .

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