World Soccer Presents

World Soccer Presents is a bi-monthly souvenir bookazine collection from the team at Word Soccer magazine. Each issue provides expert analysis and insight into the world’s most popular sport, focusing on a specific theme, including, the world’s most important players, club, rivalries and tournaments.

From the editor

World Soccer Presents

Marseille the masters • The start of the Champions League era sees Marseille’s Bernard Tapie win the presidential duel with silvio Berlusconi as Milan get it all wrong on the night. Keir Radnedge reports from Munich’s Olympic stadium

Champions of corruption • Marseille’s 1993 Champions League success was marred by a match-fixing scandal during the 1992–93 campaign, which saw the French club banned from participation in European football for the following season

Out of this world • Fabio Capello’s Milan were simply on a different planet to Champions League final opponents Barcelona in Greece’s Olympic Stadium. Keir Radnedge reports from Athens

New kids on the block • Dutch giants Ajax are the new governors of European club football. Keir Radnedge reports from Vienna on an historic night when the young guns of Amsterdam outwitted the old masters from Milan

My biggest game • The 1995 Champions League final’s match-winner was a raw 18-year-old prodigy called Patrick Kluivert, handed his chance to play in the biggest game in European club football by coach Louis van Gaal. Some 26 years on from the night that changed his life, his memories of scoring the winning goal and becoming the tournament’s then youngest-ever goalscorer in a final were still vivid…

Blown apart by Bosman • Gavin Hamilton remembers the young Ajax side that took Europe by storm but then fell apart just as dramatically

Campioni, campioni! • Agony for the holders Ajax as Juventus triumph on penalties at the Stadio Olimpico. Keir Radnedge reports from Rome

The future is Teutonic • Keir Radnedge sees German pragmatism overcome Juventus in Munich’s Olympic Stadium

Real reclaim the prize • Gavin Hamilton in Amsterdam witnesses Real Madrid clinch arecord-breaking seventh European Cup crown – their first title for 32 years

Late, late United steal the show • Keir Radnedge’s match report from a remarkable night in Barcelona…

Number eight: no debate • Record winners Real Madrid were convincing champions of yet another European Cup, writes Keir Radnedge from Paris’ Stade de France

McManaman makes his mark • Steve McManaman remembers the night that he completed his journey from a young Evertonian to a European champion with Real Madrid

Bayern spot on • Keir Radnedge in Milan reports on a cagey game of few chances…and 17 penalties

Greatest-ever Champions League goal? • In 2007, World Soccer published a feature on the greatest goals of all time, both club and international, with Zinedine’s Zidane incredible volley in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen third on the list behind only Marco van Basten and Diego Maradona…

Milan hold their nerve • Paolo Maldini emulates “Papa Cesare” as the Rossoneri win their sixth European Cup. Keir Radnedge reports from Old Trafford, Manchester

No points for losers • The progress of Milan and Juventus to the 2003 Champions League final suggests rumours of the decline of Italian football have been greatly exaggerated, argues Paddy Agnew in Rome

Swimming with sharks • Porto, shrewd operators in the transfer market, may be about to lose their prize assets, as Gavin Hamilton reports ahead of the 2004 Champions League final

Gate crashers • Portuguse giants Porto beat Monaco as the “poor boys” take over the party. Keir Radnedge reports from Gelsenkirchen

The miracle of Istanbul...