Monthly Archives for August 2012

REVIEW: Atlético Madrid 8th club to multiple ESC wins

FOOTBALL – Atlético Madrid cruised to a 4-1 victory against Chelsea in the European Super Cup final, riding a Radamel Falcao hat-trick to become the second Spanish club and the eighth overall to win this trophy more than once. Click Read More to see the winners of multiple European Super Cups.



Clubs that have won most European Super Cups

5 – AC Milan (ITA)

4 – FC Barcelona (ESP)

3 – Ajax (NED)

3 – Liverpool (ENG)

2 – Anderlecht (BEL)

2 – Juventus (ITA)

2 – Valencia CF (ESP)

2 – Atlético Madrid (ESP)

PREVIEW: Three drivers have completed all laps

FORMULA 1 – The F1 season makes a stop at Belgium’s Spa-Francorchamps track for the annual Grand Prix of Belgium. Only three drivers have completed the maximum of 686 laps in the previous 11 races of the 2012 F1 season.


> The three drivers that have completed all 686 laps so far are Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) and Kimi Räikkönen (Lotus – Renault).

> Remarkably, the two drivers completing fewest laps are teammates of two of the three leaders. They are Romain Grosjean (Lotus – Renault, 480 laps), Michael Schumacher (Mercedes, 487 laps) and Pedro de la Rosa (HRT – Cosworth, 487 laps).

> Michael Schumacher has retired from six of 11 Grands Prix in 2012, the most by any driver this season. Next in line are Romain Grosjean and Narain Karthikeyan (HRT – Cosworth) with four retirements each.

> The six retirements by Michael Schumacher are more than the five in the entire previous season and is one shy of his most within a season. In 1993, he failed to finish seven Grands Prix driving a Benetton.

DAILY FOOTBALL QUIZ QUESTION – 30 August

FOOTBALL – What was the first club other than Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV to win the Dutch domestic league Eredivsie?


Answer to yesterday’s question: Trevor Steven, Chris Woods, Gary Stevens, Terry Butcher and Paul Gascoigne

You will find the answer to today’s question here tomorrow at 14:00 CET. Questions courtesy of Voetbalkenners masters of the quiz (find them on Twitter @Voetbalkenners).

PREVIEW: Blake looks to go under 9.70 seconds again

ATHLETICS – Fresh off running the equal-third fastest time ever in the 100m in Lausanne, Yohan Blake can become the first man to go under 9.70 seconds twice in one season at the Weltklasse in Zurich on Thursday.



> Blake ran 9.69 seconds in a Diamond League meet in Lausanne last week, the fifth mark under 9.70 seconds by any man. Of the other four, three belong to Usain Bolt and the other to Tyson Gay.

> Blake can be the first man to run under 9.70 seconds twice in one season. Bolt’s three times under 9.70 seconds came in three different seasons: 2008, 2009 and 2012.

> Blake can become the first man to run 9.75 seconds or better four times in one season and can equal Bolt’s career record of four times of 9.75 seconds or better.

> Jamaicans Blake, Bolt and Asafa Powell currently own nine of the 11 marks of 9.75 seconds or better, with Gay owning the other two. Blake can make it 10 out of 12 for Jamaica.

> Blake clocked 9.82 seconds in winning in Zurich last year. Powell’s 9.77 seconds in 2006 is the meet record.

> The 100m is not a Diamond League discipline in Zurich but has still drawn a world-class field. All nine scheduled starters have personal best times of under 10 seconds.

REVIEW: Real win Supercopa as Messi and Ronaldo score

FOOTBALL – Real Madrid defeated FC Barcelona 2-1 in Bernabéu in the second leg of the 2012 Supercopa. Barça won the first leg 3-2, meaning Real Madrid won the Supercopa on the away goal rule. Both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi scored in today’s match.

  • Messi scored his 15th goal in El Cláciso and overtook César Rodríguez as Barça’s all-time top scorer in matches against Real Madrid. Only Real Madrid player Alfredo di Stefano (17) scored more often in El Clásico.
  • This was the third time FC Barcelona lost an official match in which Messi scored. Barça’s record is now 146W-14D-3L when the Argentine striker scored for the club.The only other defeats came in a La Liga match against Atlético Madrid (4-3) on 1 March 2009 and in a Copa del Rey match against Real Betis (3-1) on 19 January 2011.
  • Cristiano Ronaldo scored in a record equalling five successive El Clásicos. He equals Ivan Zamorano with that feat. 

ANALYSE THIS – Champions League draw possibilities

FOOTBALL – After Wednesday’s Champions League qualification matches, all 32 teams are known for the main tournament. The draw will be held in Monaco at 6pm local time. The 32 teams are divided in four pots based on the UEFA coefficient of each team.

Since the Champions League has 32 teams (1999/00), a team originally in pot 1 won nine of the 13 CL seasons, with teams from pot 2 having success three times. Only once has a team from pot 3 won the Champions League, when AC Milan was victorious in 2002/03.

The Champions of the four biggest competitions (ENG, ESP, GER, ITA) can draw each other. Real Madrid are in pot 1, Manchester City in pot 2, Juventus in pot 3 and Borussia Dortmund in pot 4.

REVIEW: Muller now the ultimate Marathon Man

TENNIS – Gilles Muller overcame Mikhail Youzhny in five sets at the 2012 US Open, improving his career record in five-setters at Grand Slams to six wins and zero defeats. Click Read More to see who are the most durable Marathon Men in men’s singles matches.

Best career records in men’s singles five-setters at Grand Slams (W-L)

6-0 Gilles Muller (LUX)

5-0 Butch Buchholz (USA)

5-0 Kei Nishikori (JPN)

4-0 Andrei Olhovskiy (URS/RUS)

4-0 Paolo Bertolucci (ITA)

DAILY FOOTBALL QUIZ QUESTION – 29 August

FOOTBALL – Which English players have played at a World Cup or European Championship whilst under contract at Glasgow-based side Rangers?

Answer to yesterday’s question: Bela Guttmann

You will find the answer to today’s question here tomorrow at 14:00 CET. Questions courtesy of Voetbalkenners masters of the quiz (find them on Twitter @Voetbalkenners).

REVIEW: Málaga 13th Spanish side into CL main phase

FOOTBALL – Málaga CF have punched their ticket into the UEFA Champions League main phase, becoming the 13th Spanish side to do so since the competition was launched in 1992/1993 (this being the 21st season in the history of the league). Click Read More to see which countries have been represented by most clubs.


Countries represented by most clubs in CL main phase (group stage and onwards)

13 – Spain (Leading representatives: Real Madrid (17), FC Barcelona (17))

10 – Germany (Bayern Munich (16))

10 – France (Olympique Lyon (12))

9 – England (Manchester United (18))

9 – Italy (AC Milan (16))

Notes: Appearances include 2012/2013. Germany’s total will rise to 11 should Borussia Mönchengladbach eliminate Dynamo Kyiv.