Saturday, April 05, 2025

The Latest Football News and Opinions From 90 Minutes Online

Champions League minnows are bigger than you think

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Just two games into this season's Champions League group stage, and it is becoming apparent that the dynamics of European club football is reflecting more that of international football. It has been a common soundbite in recent years that there are no easy international matches anymore, and likewise judging by some of the results, the same could now be said for the highest level of club football.

If you only take a fleeting look at the scorelines of this weeks round of Champions League matches, you could be forgiven for thinking that there were some mistakes in the reporting. The stand-out results involved both of Milan's clubs. Firstly Jose Mourinho's Inter only managed a 1-1 draw in Russia against Rubin Kazan, and then on Wednesday AC Milan fell to a 1-0 home defeat to Swiss champions FC Zürich.

 

What the fans have to say: Chelsea

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Chelsea were making steady progress up the Premier League ladder when, in 2003, Roman Abramovich came along and pumped in a few billion roubles. In 2004/05 The Blues put a smile on their Russian owner’s face by winning their first top flight championship for 50 years, but Abramovich’s lusty eyes are still set on the elusive Champions League trophy.

Former manager José Mourinho won it with Porto but couldn’t win it with Chelsea. Current boss Carlo Ancelotti won it twice with AC Milan and won his first Champions League game with Chelsea 1-0 against Porto. His progress might be hindered somewhat though by the transfer ban that FIFA has slapped on the club until 2011.

90minutesonline spoke to Rowan Farnham-Long, editor of CFCnet, about his team and his hopes for this season… before they lost 3-1 to Wigan.

What the fans have to say: AFC Wimbledon

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Rising from the ashes of Wimbledon FC’s decision to relocate to Milton Keynes and become Milton Keynes Dons, AFC Wimbledon formed in 2002.

Having won promotion four times in seven seasons the club now play in the Blue Square Premier and are just one promotion away from League Two. Impressively, AFC Wimbledon also hold the record for most consecutive games unbeaten by a senior football club with a whopping 78.

90minutesonline spoke to Robert Dunford, editor of SW19’s Army – The Politically Unsound AFC Wimbledon Fanzine, about his team and his hopes for this season.


 

Sol Campbell joins an exclusive 'club'

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Sol Campbell signing for Notts County

Today’s announcement that Sol Campbell has parted company with Notts County means that he will be labeled with one of football's less glamorous legacies. The former England defender only made his debut for the League Two club last weekend, when they succumbed to a 2-1 loss away to Morecombe.

Campbell's performance was a little laboured, understandable considering how much pre-season he has missed, but you have to wonder if it was during these 90 minutes that he made up his mind to leave. Meanwhile for the fans of Notts County it must feel like a slap in the face, especially after all the shock and excitement that greeted Campbell's unveiling at Meadow Lane on August 25th.

Polish prices and a Mick McCarthy look-alike

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If another day is worth another dollar, then a week is worth seven dollars, or 19 złotych 74 grosze if you’re Polish.

In Poland 19 złotych 74 grosze will get you half a litre of vodka, 80 cigarettes, six saucepans or a lot of bread. It’s temporal equivalent will get you another round of Ekstraklasa and another edition of Szybka Piłka, which this week made one yearn for a couple of the aforementioned material items. HINT: not the saucepans or the bread.

 

More Articles...

  1. Football troubles
  2. Avant-garde football highlights and UEFA coefficients
  3. Eredivisie: The big clubs get in formation.
  4. World Cup line-up becoming ever clearer.

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