Time for big changes in top football?

I know we are still in the first part of the football season but it seems to me that some changes might occur at the top of the football chain. Some teams that always have made a good impression are getting worse.

Some examples are Bayern Munchen and AC Milan. Both teams played in the UEFA Cup in recent years and this year they are having weak runs in the domestic leagues with Bayern in 6th position and Milan in 8th. The Germans are also having trouble in the Champions League with 3 points in 3 matches, a competition where Milan shoved they are still breathing after beating the high investors from Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu.

Another team that has problems and all the football blogs around the world are talking about is FC Liverpool. Rafa Benitez is a great manager, winning the UEFA Champions League in 2005 and reaching the final again in 2007, but now everyone is talking about him being sacked. I would not do it, maybe because I'm a fan of continuity. I know he bought most of the players the club has and who else could then know them better and get them out of the mess sooner than him?

Valencia, another team that always was between the big shoot is nowhere in sight now, and the money problems they have are still hurting them.

I guess the teams that will replace them are the ones bought by big investors like Manchester City, Chealsea and teams from the Eastern block like Shaktar and Dynamo Kiev from Ukraine and the Russian teams, who make transfer that could be envied by anyone.

Football Legends. France - Portugal 1984

Remember Michel Platini? Here he is at his prime. EURO 1984 in France.



via Box Office Football

Platini scored 9 goals in 5 matches in this tournament. I guess counting him as one of the best players in the history of football should be pretty obvious. I really see something similar in the way Frank Ribery plays today and Michel Platini played back in the '80. First international title for France and the next one to come was in 1998 when they also were hosts and they had another incredible playmaker: Zinedine Zidane.

Champions League 3rd Round Qualification Draw!

UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Third qualifying round draw:

Anorthosis/Rapid Vienna v Olympiakos
Vitoria Guimaraes v IFK Gothenburg/Basel
Shakhtar Donetsk v Domzale/Dinamo Zagreb
Schalke 04 v Atletico Madrid
Aalborg/Modrica v Rangers/Kaunas
Barcelona v Beitar Jerusalem/Wisla Krakow
Levski Sofia v Anderlecht/BATE
Standard Liege v Liverpool
Inter Baku/Partizan v Fenerbahce/MTK Budapest
FC Twente v Arsenal
Spartak Moscow v Drogheda/Dinamo Kiev
Juventus v Tampere/Artmedia
SK Brann/Ventspils v Marseille
Fiorentina v Slavia Prague
Galatasaray v Steaua Bucharest
Panathinaikos/Dinamo Tbilisi v Sheriff Tiraspol/Sparta Pragu


Thanks to BBC sport for the info.

I highlighted the games between teams that are very strong and almost equal in terms of value!