[Steve]

UNDERAGE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ANNOUNCED
MICHEL PLATINI INTRODUCES THE FIRST EVER UNDER 21 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.

[ranslated From Italian]
Friday, 23rd October 2009
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After much heated debate about the position of youth players in a club team, UEFA have announced the first ever official under-21 UEFA Champions League. The rules are the same as the senior players champions league and the first installment of the tournament is install for this season.

A total of 64 teams from across Europe have entered the qualifying rounds, which will result in the creation of 8 pots with four teams in each, just like the senior Champions League. AC Milan has already thrown its support behind the competition and will field a team coached by newly appointed youth and academy director Franco Baresi. The already strong youth players of Milan will now have steep competition to be decalred the best in Europe.

Matches in the tournament will be played as mid-week matches in the week before their corresponding senior champions league matchdays, so if players in the U21 squad make the senior team they may play for both. The age cut-off for the tournament is obviously 21 years of age, however the guidlines state that if a player is 21 on January 1st, 2009 then he is eligable to play in the tournament. This will allow players such as Lionel Messi of Barcelona may compete in the tournament, though they are in face 22 years of age.

The Milan squad will boast several important players, and none more so then cover boy of the tournament and Brazilian wiz Alexandre Pato. He can play in the senior and U21 teams and will look to help his side make the first and inaugural final, set to be played at the Santiago Bernabeu as the curtain raiser to the 2009/10 Champions League final on Staurday, the 22nd of May 2010.

Franco Baresi is expected to make several transfers for the team before the tournament starts, with several positions in dire need of a replacement. The goalkeeping job is a major concern with no senior team goalkeeper eligable. There are three senior player roles in the team, however it's expected that fringe midfielders and defenders will be used to provide some experience for the Milan team. Alexandre Pato is expected to captain the side.

Basic Overview of the Rules
The rules of the tournament are quite simple, with all players that take to the field having to have been 21 as of January 1, 2009. There are three spots in the team that can be filled by players over this age group. These three players are then ineligable to start for the senior team in their next senior match. However players that are 21 or under that play can start in the senior match should they be selected. For instance Pato can start in both matches, but Flamini would have to start the U21 match, and start on the bench for the senior match.

The Road to the Cup
The qualifying matches for the tournament have been released, with one home and away leg set to be played for each club. Milan will find themselves up against dutch champions AZ Alkmaar of Holland, in a match that will surely be highly anticipated.



Qualifying Matches - Monday
Olympiacos CFP - SK Rapid Wien
Galatasaray SK - Shamrock Rovers
Club Brugge - Houston Dynamo
Slavia Praha - Toulousse FC

Qualifying Matches - Tuesday
Jeju United - Cottbus
Grasshopper - Real Madrid
Cheltenham Town - Real Betis
AC Milan - AZ Alkmaar


Qualifying Matches - Wednesday
Werder Bremen - Chelsea
Midtjylland - Fiorentina
Manchester United - Rangers
Bordeaux - Atletico Madrid

Qualifying Matches - Thursday
Kobenhavn - Djurgardens IF
Tours FC - FK Jablonec
Monarcas - Bohemians FC
Galway United - Sporting CP

Qualifying Matches - Friday
Sprata Praha - Odense Boldklub
Barcelona - Budejovice
St Patricks - KAA Gent
Port Vale - Besiktas JK

Qualifying Matches - Saturday
Wisla Krakow - Warszawa
Bristol City - Stade Lavallois
Helsingborgs IF - FC Porto

Qualifying Matches - Sunday
West Ham - RC Lens
Racing Club - Celtic
Girona CF - Inter Milan
Juventus - Rosenborg BK

Qualifying Matches - Monday
Bayer Leverkusen - Red BullSalzburg
FC Basel - Valerenga
AEK Athens - Olympiacos
Ajax - FK Austria

Qualifying Matches to Watch
The major match to see will be Manchester United up against their Glasgow rivals Rangers. It will be Fleck of Scotland up against players like Macheda in an encounter that could go both ways for their either team. AC Milan has an interesting match, up against a domestic champion in AZ Alkmaar, watch out for the latter teams new Australian wonder kid James Holland who will be looking to put down a place in Europe and the Socceroos squad bound for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The other match will be the Greek derby of AEK Athens up against Olympiakos, in a match that will see some great Greek talents take to the field. It's unknown what atmosphere this youth match will have, but if the senior matches are anything to go by the match will be huge.

Other Italian clubs that will hope to qualify include Juventus and Inter Milan, the latter will be hoping for easy passage against Girona CF. Juventus however will face a test against the Norweigan giants Rosenberg, and it will be Ciro Immobile, Luca Marrone and Fausto Rossi against Jo Inge Berget in what could be an encounter that could upstage the British derby.