aka: the Bhoys, the Hoops (in reference to their green striped shirts)
Together with arch rivals Rangers FC, Celtic Football Club is part of the "Old Firm", one of the oldest and most famous rivalries in world football. Celtic is the only Scottish team to have won a European Championship (1967) and were runners up in 1970. They are also the only club ever to do so with a team entirely composed of home-grown players. Celtic fans are widely regarded as some of the best travelling fans in the world, attending events in foreign countries in vast numbers while causing little trouble along the way. Of late Celtic have had their run of the domestic league, winning the Scottish Premier League five of the last seven years. Last year Celtic proved they could play with the big clubs by advancing to the Champions League Round of 16 where they valiantly battled Milan to a 0-0 draw through four halves of football only to lose heartbreakingly on a single Kaka goal in extra-time.
Celtic is captained by Scottish international defender Stephen McManus, a product of the Celtic youth academy, high-scoring Australian international striker Scott McDonald, and Dutch international striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. The Hoops' not-so-secret weapon is playmaking Japanese international midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura who's devestating free-kick ability was on full display during last year's competition. Additionally an intriguing player in a wave of recent signings for Celtic is young Japanese international midfielder Koki Mizuno. Apparently the Scotland-Japan bond is growing tighter.
Celtic are currently four points behind leaders Rangers in the Scottish Premier League. Their tie against Barcelona promises to be a celebration of European football at it's best, as both clubs hold themselves to a higher standard of fairplay, attractive football, and world-class atmosphere.
Fenerbahçe SK
aka: Sarı Kanaryalar (Yellow Canaries)
Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü (Fenerbahçe Sport Club) is a professional sports club in Istanbul, Turkey whose celebrated football branch is one of the "Big Four" in the Turkcell Süper Lig (Turkish Super League) where they've won a record seventeen titles. Though eighteen teams compete in the Turkish League each year only one of the "Big Four" have won the title since the league was formed in 1956. Fenerbahçe's epic derby matches against crosstown rivals Galatasaray SK form one of the most intense rivalries in European football. Enjoying a new period of success, the Yellow Canaries have won the Turkish Super League title three of the last four years and the Turkish Super Cup in 2007.
Fenerbahçe is managed by Zico, the superstar Brazilian midfielder of the 70's and 80's, who took over the Turkish club after a four year tenure at the helm of the Japanese national team who he led to win the 2004 Asian Cup and appear in the 2006 World Cup. While keeping some of Fenerbahçe's Turkish international veterans like vice-captains Önder Turacı (defender) and Semih Şentürk (striker), Zico signed a slew of South American (mostly Brazillian) talent to form the core of his squad. Players such as Brazillian international midfielder and club captain Alex, Brazilian international superstar defender Roberto Carlos from Real Madrid, and defensive midfielder and captain of the Chilean national team, Claudio Maldonado, add strong international experience and veteran leadership to the club.
While Fenerbahçe may not be the favorites to win the Final in May they are certainly capable of giving Sevilla a run for their pesetas.
Olympiacos CFP
aka: Thrylos (Legend), Erythrolefki (Red-Whites), Kokkini (Reds)
Olympiacos Club of Fans of Piraeus - based in Piraeus, Athens - is the most popular multi-sport club in Greece . The "Big Three" of Greek soccer - Olympiacos, Panathinaikos and AEK Athens - all hail from Athens and battle each year for the Super League Greece title. Their fiercely loyal fans have had a lot to celebrate over the last decade in Greece but want desperately to taste success on the European stage: although Olympiacos have won ten domestic titles in the last eleven seasons they have not appeared in the Champions League Round of 16 in nine years.
Olympiacos' manager, Panagiotis Lemonis, is a local boy who spent eight years at the club as a player and has had two stints as its coach. This time around he's brought the Red-Whites a Greek League championship and their first away Champions League win in club history. A core group of veteran players led by Greek internationals Antonis Nikopolidis (goalkeeper) and Ieroklis Stoltidis (midfielder) as well as Serbian captain Predrag Djordjević (midfielder) are complimented by a newly signed group of young talent including a contingent of five Argentinian players - most recently Fernando Belluschi (midfielder) from River Plate during the January transfer window.
The Red-Whites are currently locked in a dead heat for the Greek Super League title and face a tough task in their draw with Chelsea - one of the most loaded squads in Europe.
Olympique Lyonnaise (Lyon)
aka: OL, Les Gones
Olympique Lyonnais is by far the most successful side in recent French football history having won the Ligue 1 title six years in a row. Though not as famous or popular as French sides Olympique de Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain or AS Saint-Étienne, Lyon has gained a strong reputation in Europe due to their seven appearances in the Champions League. Despite their dominance domestically they have failed to advance beyond the Round of 8 each time they've tried.
They are managed by Frenchman, Gerard Houiller, widely regarded as one of the most knowledgable managers in the game. They are led by a host of Brazillian superstars - captain Juninho, nicknamed "Mr. 50%" for his uncanny ability to score on freekicks, as well as the ever opportunistic foward Fred, and defender Cris. The French international team is well represented at Lyon by national team goalkeeper and OL vice-captain, Gregory Coupet, midfielders Sydney Govou and Hatem Ben Arfa, and high-scoring striker Karim Benezema.
Lyon currently sit one point above second place Bordeaux in Lique 1. As the sole representative of France in this year's installment of the Champions League they face a stiff challenge in ultra talented Manchester United.
FC Porto
aka: Dragones (the Dragons), Azuis e Brancos (the Blue and Whites)
FC Porto together with Sporting Clube de Portugal and SL Benfica form the "Big Three" clubs in Portugese football. With two champions league titles (the most recent in 2004) Porto is the most successful Portugese side on the international stage. However Porto's 2004 success was followed by the departure of many of the key actors, like highly regarded manager Jose Mourinho to Chelsea, and star midfielder, Deco to Barcelona. Still Porto has managed to continue their success both domestically and in Europe having won the Portugese Liga the last two years and having advanced to the Champions League Round of 16 last year where they ultimately fell to Chelsea by a goal.
Porto is managed by the seasoned Portugese coach Jesualdo Ferreira and led on the pitch by their Angolan-born defender captain, Pedro Emanuel, Portugese international star winger Ricardo Quaresma, high-scoring Argentine international striker Lisandro López, and Argentine midfielder, Lucho Gonzales. Porto are loaded with at least seven players who've represented Portugal in the national team and five players from each of the two South American giants Argentina and Brazil.
Porto currently sit at the top of the Portugese Liga table by a large margin and strive to build on last year's European campaign by advancing to this year's Round of 8. To do that they'll next need to knock out German side Schalke.
FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 (Schalke)
aka: Die Königsblauen (The Royal Blues), Die Knappen (The Miners)
Schalke is located in the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia and is the second largest sports club in Germany. Though the Royal Blues have always been one of Germany's most popular teams they have won precious few trophies since their golden age in the 30s and 40s. Schalke's been on a decent run over the last three years, having finished 2nd, 4th, and 2nd in the German Bundesliga respectively. Their fans still have a bitter taste in their mouths from last year's finish when Schalke who had led the league for most of the campaign relinquished first place to Stuttgart in the second-to-last week of the season. This is Schalke's first ever appearance in the Champions League Round of 16.
Managed by the German Mirko Slomka, Schalke is led by club captain and Brazilian international Marcelo Bordon (defender), German international Kevin Kurányi (striker), and hopes for many goals from January signee Uruguayan striker Vicente Sánchez from Mexican side Deportivo Toluca FC. Schalke is comprised of a good mix of Germans and Foreign players with their South American contingent evenly balanced between Brazilians and Uruguayans.
Schalke presently sit at 3rd in the Bundesliga table and are revelling in their role as Germany's sole Champions League survivors. They'd like nothing more that to knock Porto out of the tournament and advance to the Round of 8 for the first time in their history.
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