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THE DECISIVE PHASE
U E FA
CHAMPIONS
LEAGUE
The quarter-final matches on
March 1 and 15 herald the start of
the decisive phase in the 1994/95
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.
The eight remaining teams have now
entered the 'knock-out' stage of the
competition after finishing either in
first or second place in their
respective groups. In accordance
with the UEFA regulations, the
following fixtures were drawn:
FC Bayern Munich - IFK Goteburg
AC Milan - SL Benfica
FC Barcelona - Paris St-Germain
Hadjuk Split - Ajax Amsterdam
From a sporting point of view,
these eight teams have already over
come a difficult hurdle in warding off
the challenge of other top European
outfits in the group competition.
The clubs that were eliminated in the
group phase are all equally prstigious
membrs of the continent's elite:
Machester United, Galataaray
Istanbul, Dinamo Kiev, Spartak
Moscow, RSC Anderlecht, Steaua
Bucharest, Casino Salzburg and
AEK Athens.
This season's UEFA CHAMPIONS
LEAGUE underwent a variety of
changes from the 1993/94 event.
Sixteen clubs took part in a
preliminary round, with the eight
winning clubs joining eight other
seeded teams in the group competi
tion. The second phase now sees a
return to the old-style 'cup' format
that has been so succeful within
European football, culminating in the
final at the end of the season.
These fundamental changes have
strengthened the image and impact
of the UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.
Major clubs clashed with each other
in exiting matches from the opening
of the competition onwards, with
certain games proving to be worthy
of the final itself. Football fans can
now look forward to a feast of
entertainment unil May, as the teams
battling for a place in the final all
posses attributes that reflect the
status of the European game -
quality, elegance, power and skill.
One thing Is certain i in the short
time since the competion was
launched, the UEFA CHAMPIONS
LEAGUE has become a melting pot
for European football, in which the
various schools of footballing
thought, playing systems/mentalities
and passions have all combined to
form a superb whole.
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