Football season 2009-10 preview: Europe's big teams

This year’s European football competitions look to be more interesting than they have been since we can remember. Many of the strongest teams have made important changes and reinforcements, and several old giants are hungry for revenge while the rulers of the current order stand ready to defend their positions. Who will be the winners this year? With the new Europa League to replace the old UEFA Cup a new scene is set for teams just under the top ranks to make themselves seen and heard. And the Champions League final in May will, as always, be the brightest shining spectacle of all, to top off what promises to be a great season. And as if that’s not enough to wet our appetites – next June there is another World Cup!So, what can we say about the biggest teams in Europe and their prospects for this year?

England:

Manchester United are looking to defend their Premier League title. They will certainly feel the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tévez, but new signing Michael Owen is sure to want to show his worth at a megaclub, and there may still be more strikers coming in. Alex Ferguson’s men are never to be left out of the calculations.

United’s local rivals Manchester City deserve a mention here, for the first time in many years. Their simply awesome campaign of new signings, with Tévez, Touré and Adebayor topping the list, is sure to have some effect. They possess top-class player material, and if they can manage to bring it all together to become a solid team they can definitely challenge for a Champions League spot and certainly look like favourites to win the Europa League.

Liverpool keeps failing to reach the Premier League title, in spite of a team that looks stronger for every year and has even won the Champions League in recent history. Last year’s addition of striker Fernando Torres saw their offensive game step up a notch, and their midfield and defense are recognized as among the strongest in the world. Still, they always seem to fall short to either Manchester United or Chelsea. Will this be their year in England?

Chelsea is, as they have been for the last few years, a contender for all the major trophies in England and on the continent. They will want revenge for their narrow loss in the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona in a game that they dominated and were winning until the last minute, as well as for the penalty shoot-out loss in the 2008 final against Manchester United. They still have their squad intact, and with younger players such as Obi Mikel now coming of age to complement veterans such as John Terry and Michael Ballack, they certainly do look as strong as ever.

Arsenal’s fortunes has receded somewhat since they sold off stars such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Robert Pires, players who have since enjoyed success at other clubs. This summer has also seen them sell striker Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City. Still, Arsene Wenger seems to be able to continually find new young stars, and the team looks healthy and growing. The adding of Andrei Arshavin, possibly last year’s biggest transfer coup, saw their offensive power increase tremendously during the second part of the season. Arsenal might be somewhat less talked about than the other big English clubs, but they are certainly not to be counted out of the title race.

Italy:

Inter continues to be boss in Italy for the fourth year running. The sale of megastar Zlatan Ibrahimovic looks offset by the bringing in of strikers Samuel Etoo from Barcelona and Diego Milito from Genoa. Still, they have lost several more strikers as the contracts of Julio Cruz and Hernan Crespo expired, and Adriano’s contract was torn up due to unusual circumstances. The midfield has been strengthened by new signing Thiago Motta, and possibly an offensive midfielder is being brought in as well before the transfer window closes. The conclusion is that Inter looks as strong as ever, and they are in a strong position to retain their Serie A crown for a fifth year running, as well as challenge for the Champions League.

Milan have been without domestic glory under the domination of Inter and Juventus, respectively for a number of years now. Internationally they have done better, but the past two seasons have not given much reward. The sale of their star Kaká has been see of many as a sign of decline and by some as a sign of renewal. Under these circumstances, new coach Leonardo has everything to win and nothing to lose and it will be interesting to see how his men live up to their club’s tradition.

Juventus managed to finish last season excellently considering what many opined being a rather modest squad. This summer has seen several big name signings in the form of veteran champion Fabio Cannavaro and rising Brazilian stars Diego and Felipe Melo. Their aim is clear: to challenge Inter for the league title and to show once again that they are a force to be reckoned with in Europe. It all depends on how the team gels under inexperienced coach Ciro Ferrara.

Spain:

Real Madrid is the summer’s biggest spenders. With Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaká already signed and possibly more signings coming in, they have declared a clear agenda: with these types of investments a lack of titles would be a true fiasco. Still, can they beat Barcelona’s admittedly powerful team this year? They will certainly try.

FC Barcelona looked dominant domestically and powerful internationally last season. The biggest change has been is to ship off top scorer Samuel Etoo, but the replacement is none other than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swede is sure to live up to the extremely high expectations, but how will this change affect Barca’s game? And will they have another team of such incredible top form with their key players? Barcelona still looks stronger than a revamped and still unproven Real Madrid, so for the domestic title they are still favourites. As for the Champions League, it’s still all about being lucky in the key moments.