Ronald Koeman count five: Olympiacos vs AZ Alkmaar

On Wednesday, 16 September, AZ visit Olympiacos for their first ever Champions League match with coach Ronald Koeman setting a record as he will coach his fifth club in the CL.

Koeman previously coached Ajax, Benfica, PSV and Valencia CF in CL matches. Koeman won the Champions Cup twice as a player, with PSV in 1988 and with FC Barcelona in 1992.

AZ played in the Champions Cup once, in 1981/1982 when they lost to Liverpool in the second round.

Their best result in European competition was reaching the final of the UEFA Cup in 1980/1981, losing 0-3, 4-2 to Ipswich Town, then managed by the recently deceased Bobby Robson.

Most clubs coached in Champions League

# Name Nation Clubs

5 Ronald Koeman NED Ajax, Benfica, PSV, Valencia CF, AZ

4 Fabio Capello ITA AC Milan, AS Roma, Juventus, Real Madrid

4 Mircea Lucescu ROU Internazionale, Galatasaray, Besiktas, Shakhtar Donetsk

4 Carlo Ancelotti ITA Parma, Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea

3 Llorenç Serra Ferrer ESP FC Barcelona, Real Betis, AEK Athinai

3 Radomir Antic SRB Atlético Madrid, FC Barcelona, Celta de Vigo

3 Guus Hiddink NED Real Madrid, PSV, Chelsea

3 José Mourinho POR FC Porto, Chelsea, Internazionale

3 Alberto Zaccheroni ITA AC Milan, Lazio, Internazionale

3 Claudio Ranieri ITA Chelsea, Valencia CF, Juventus

3 Bobby Robson ENG FC Porto, PSV, Newcastle United

3 Trond Sollied NOR Rosenborg BK, Club Brugge, Olympiacos

3 Claude Puel FRA AS Monaco, Lille OSC, Olympique Lyon

3 Eric Gerets BEL PSV, Galatasaray, Olympique Marseille

3 Dick Advocaat NED PSV, Rangers, Zenit St. Petersburg

3 Louis van Gaal NED Ajax, FC Barcelona, Bayern München

You are welcome: 2009/2010 Champions League to feature eight debutants

The 2009/2010 Champions League main competition will feature eight debutants, the largest number since the 1999/2000 season, which saw the competition expanded to the current number of 32 participants.

AZ, Rubin Kazan, Standard Liège, Unirea Urziceni, VfL Wolfsburg, FC Zürich, APOEL Nicosia and Debreceni VSC are all about to embark on their maiden Champions League campaign.

Accorindg to Infostrada Sports, the last newcomers to survive the group phase were Sevilla FC in 2007/2008. The last debutants to reach the final were Valencia CF in 1999/2000.

Best results Champions League debutants – by season

Season Clubs New Best debutant(s) Reached

2009/2010 32 8 AZ (NED), Rubin Kazan (RUS), Standard Liège (BEL), Unirea Urziceni (ROU), VfL Wolfsburg (GER), FC Zürich (SUI), APOEL Nicosia (CYP), Debreceni VSC (HUN) TBD

2008/2009 32 4 Anorthosis Famagusta (CYP), BATE Borisov (BLR), CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU), Zenit St. Petersburg (RUS) Group phase

2007/2008 32 2 Sevilla FC (ESP) Last 16

2006/2007 32 2 FC København (DEN), Levski Sofia (BUL) Group phase

2005/2006 32 5 Villarreal CF (ESP) Semi-finals

2004/2005 32 1 Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR) Group phase

2003/2004 32 4 VfB Stuttgart (GER), Celta de Vigo (ESP), Real Sociedad (ESP) Last 16

2002/2003 32 3 FC Basel (SUI) Group phase 2

2001/2002 32 7 Liverpool (ENG) Quarter-finals

2000/2001 32 7 Leeds United (ENG) Semi-finals

1999/2000 32 11 Valencia CF (ESP) Runners-up

1998/1999 24 9 Internazionale (ITA), 1. FC Kaiserslautern (GER) Quarter-finals

1997/1998 24 10 Bayer Leverkusen (GER) Quarter-finals

1996/1997 16 5 AJ Auxerre (FRA), Atlético Madrid (ESP) Quarter-finals

1995/1996 16 11 Juventus (ITA) Winners

1994/1995 16 10 Ajax (NED) Winners

1993/1994 8 6 FC Barcelona (ESP) Runners-up

1992/1993 8 8 Olympique Marseille (FRA) Winners

Dutch Super Cup history: the best moment of AZ Alkmaar

On Saturday, 25 July, AZ cruised past SC Heerenveen 5-1 in the battle for the Johan Cruijff Schaal, the Dutch Super Cup, the annual opener of the Dutch football season. AZ head coach Ronald Koeman had already won the trophy with Ajax in 2002.

The club from Alkmaar, 2008/2009 Eredivisie champions, won their first ever Dutch Super Cup.

According to Infostrada Sports, the 5-1 victory was the joint most one-sided. In 1993, Ajax crushed Feyenoord 4-0. No team had ever scored five times in a Dutch Super Cup match before AZ.

The six goals equalled the most productive JCS match. In 2004, FC Utrecht beat Ajax 4-2.

Most Johan Cruijff Schaal victories per coach
# Coach Club Won
3 Louis van Gaal Ajax 1993, 1994, 1995
2 Dick Advocaat PSV 1996, 1997
2 Eric Gerets PSV 2000, 2001
2 Henk ten Cate Ajax 2006, 2007
2 Ronald Koeman Ajax, AZ 2002, 2009

Dutch Super Cup history
Year League Champions Cup Winners Score Winners
2009 AZ sc Heerenveen 5-1 AZ
2008 PSV Feyenoord 2-0 PSV
2007 PSV Ajax 0-1 Ajax
2006 PSV Ajax 1-3 Ajax
2005 PSV ** Ajax 1-2 Ajax
2004 Ajax FC Utrecht 2-4 FC Utrecht
2003 PSV FC Utrecht 3-1 PSV
2002 Ajax PSV 3-1 Ajax
2001 PSV FC Twente 3-2 PSV
2000 PSV Roda JC 2-0 PSV
1999 Feyenoord Ajax 3-2 Feyenoord
1998 Ajax PSV * 0-2 PSV
1997 PSV Roda JC 3-1 PSV
1996 Ajax PSV 0-3 PSV
1995 Ajax Feyenoord 2-1 aet Ajax
1994 Ajax Feyenoord 3-0 Ajax
1993 Feyenoord Ajax 0-4 Ajax
1992 PSV Feyenoord 1-0 PSV
1991 PSV Feyenoord 0-1 Feyenoord
1950-1990 not played
1949 SVV Quick Nijmegen 2-0 SVV
* = Ajax won the double in 1997/1998, PSV played as losing cup finalists (and runners-up in the league).
** = PSV won the double in 2004/2005, Ajax played as runners-up in the league.