Champions Elect

The embers of this year's Champions League are still warm but I can't help but look forward to next season's competition. The following is a ranking of the teams already qualified and likely to qualify for 2009/10 version of European football's most celebrated tournament.

A possible 32 for next seasons Champions League (not all qualifiers confirmed). The rankings are weighted against teams that have to enter early qualifying rounds.

The ‘Nobody will remember you were in it by February’ Section

32. Dinamo Bucharest - Might just pinch the Romanian Liga 1 and would be automatic qualifiers for the group stage as a result. The ‘Red Dogs’ are built on domestic talent and have two of the nation’s top forwards in Marius Niculae and Ionel Daniculescu (who has scored twice for his country, both in a 5-1 thrashing of Germany in 2004)
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Gabriel Torje

31. Dynamo Moscow - The club is probably most notable for being the home of Lev Yashin, possibly the best goalkeeper of all time. The current incarnate of a team that has not been competitive at a high level since the 70’s (with a brief comeback in the mid 90’s) will probably need a kind draw to make the group stage.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Aleksandr Kerzhakov

30. FC Twente - Steve McClaren’s charges resigned the likes of Ajax and PSV to Europa League football in the coming year while Twente will enter the qualifying rounds but are unseeded. They seem destined to lose highly rated 20 year old forward Marko Arnautovic but will be heavily recompensed should he leave. They may also find it tough to hold on to the former England manager.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Edson Braafheid

29. Rubin Kazan - Current Russian champions (and they lead the standings this year also) and first-timers to any major European tournament. Will do well to be anything but makeweights in the group stage but do have some players with European experience like Serhiy Rebrov (formerly of Spurs and West Ham) and captain Sergei Semak and a squad studded with internationals.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Alejandro Dominguez

28. Celtic - Whoever becomes the new manager of Celtic will have a hard act to follow. Despite no league championship this season, the green side of Glasgow have seen three straight league titles and two trips to the Champions League knockout round (losing to AC Milan and Barcelona). To really progress in the tournament, they will have to improve their form away from Celtic Park which has seen them, amazingly, collect just one draw in 18 games.
This Season - Group Stage
Key Man - Aiden McGeady

The ‘Oh, did you see that goal by that fella against Arsenal?’ Section

27. Standard Liege - Victories over Everton, Sevilla and Sampdoria (and almost one over Liverpool) as well as the sale of Marouane Fellaini have brought plenty of attention to this club over the past year. They qualified for Europe’s premier tournament by defeating rivals Anderlecht in a playoff and could be a dangerous proposition for their group opponents. The group is very young and with limited experience at the top level; will their youth be a blessing or will a lack of experience be their undoing?
This Season - Third Qualifying Round
Key Man - Steven Defour

26. Besiktas - Lead the Super Lig with one game left and should clinch their spot in the Champions League proper at lowly Denizlispor. Hardly seen since their 8-0 spanking at the hands of Liverpool a couple of years ago, this side should be better equipped to deal with the continents best and in forward Bobo, have a player capable of netting at this level.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Matias Delgado

25. Dynamo Kyiv - Beaten by upstarts Shakhtar in the UEFA Cup semis this year but managed to win their 13th league title and have qualified automatically for the group stage. Unfortunately, the current version is not quite the standard of the side that almost made the Champions League final in 1999 (the team of Rebrov and Shevchenko) but they will provide a stern test for anybody at home and possess some real attacking flair. Dismissed Spartak Moscow 8-2 in qualifying for this years Champions League and won 1-0 in Porto.
This Season - Group Stage
Key Man - Oleksandr Aliev

24. Marseille - Eric Gerets has inspired L’OM to a title challenge but will not be around next year, he will be replaced by Didier Deschamps. Marseille have finished 3rd in successive group phases but have made life difficult for Liverpool in both campaigns. Will Brandao be able to ‘batter’ his way through Europe’s best? Can Hatem Ben Arfa come of age on the big stage? What will Deschamps make of Tyrone Mears?
This Season - Group Stage
Key Man - Lorik Cana

23. CSKA Moscow - CSKA qualified courtesy of finishing second in the Russian Premier league last November and will be near the end of their season when the group stages begin in September. Last season, the Russians easily disposed of Aston Villa, Deportivo and Feyernord and did so with some style. Vagner Love was the tournament’s top scorer with 11 goals and he is aided by a number Russia’s impressive EURO 2008 squad including Igor Akinfeev and Yuri Zhirkov.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Milos Krasic

The 'You have absolutely no chance of winning it but well done for making the knockout round and getting the opportunity to get battered by Barca' Section

22. Girondins de Bordeaux - Laurent Blanc’s team seem poised to be crowned French champions and in Yoann Gourcuff (who will join on a permanent deal from Milan in the summer and has been labelled as the next Zidane) have the best performer in the league this year. Bordeaux were overmatched by Chelsea and Roma in the group stages of this years event.
This Season - Group Stage
Key Man - Yoann Gourcuff

21. Sporting Lisbon - Another who may face a tough fixture in order to qualify, Sporting will be desperate to make up for their embarrassing 12-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in the Last 16. Liedson will lead the line and has been a prolific scorer both in the league and in Europe. The last three seasons they have finished 4th, 3rd and 2nd in their group with the latter ensuring European football after Christmas; Can they make the next step to become contenders?
This Season - Last 16
Key Man - Joao Moutinho

20. Shakhtar Donetsk - UEFA Cup winners have not always been prosperous in the following season; of the past five winners, only Sevilla have made the Champions League knockout stages. But Shakhtar only need look a little further back to Porto, who achieved the double of UEFA Cup and Champions League in successive seasons in 2003 and 2004. The newly reworked qualifying process wont be easy to navigate but, if they can make the group stage, should benefit from this years European adventure and it bears remembering that they were the only team to beat Barcelona in this year’s tournament.
This Year - Group Stage
Key Man - Darijo Srna

19. Glasgow Rangers - The season looked lost almost before it begun when they crashed out to FBK Kaunas in this years qualifying round but, with their 52nd league title secured, they will be in the group stages of next year’s tournament. The lost revenue from failing to qualify last year could limit their summer spending but Walter Smith has fashioned a decent squad without great funds so far. A lot may depend on whether Smith can negotiate a way to bring back Allan McGregor and former captain Barry Ferguson from exile.
This Season - Second Qualifying Round
Key Man - Steven Davis

18. AZ - Another newcomer to the competition, AZ went unbeaten in 28 games on their way to their second Eredivisie title, their first in 28 years. They lose Louis Van Gaal, the former Ajax and Barcelona coach, but gain Ronald Koeman. Koeman had difficulties at Valencia but has reached the Champions League quarter finals with three different sides in the past - Ajax, Benfica and PSV. He inherits a young squad but may struggle to keep his best players.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Stijn Schaars

17. VFB Stuttgart - Former Germany and Liverpool defender Markus Babbel lead Stuttgart to third place in the Bundesliga and with it, a chance to qualify for the Champions League. However, they will have to do so without star striker Mario Gomez, who will join Bayern. Without Gomez, Stuttgart will have to rely on Ciprian Marica to score the goals but will look to strengthen and do possess two of the most exciting young German prospects in Samir Khedira and Serdar Tasci.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Thomas Hitzlsperger

16. Fiorentina - ‘La Viola’ failed to make it out of the group stage this year (in a tough group with Lyon and Bayern) and will hope to qualify next season for a chance to make more of an impact. Cesare Prandelli has been with the club since 2005 (virtually an age considering the team had 11 managers in the previous 4 ½ years) and built a competitive team built on Italian talent like Marco Donadel, Alessandro Gamberini, Riccardo Montolivo and former European Cup winner Alberto Gilardino.
This Season - Group Stage
Key Man - Adrian Mutu

15. VFL Wolfsburg - Recently crowned German champions and Champions League debutants. Felix Magath has worked wonders with the ’Wolves’ and can call upon the two top scorers in the Bundesliga this year, 28-goal Brazilian Grafite and 26-goal Bosnian Edin Dzeko as well as key creator Zvjezdan Misimović and new signing Thomas Kahlenberg. Again the draw will be important but Wolfsburg could be dark horses next season.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Edin Dzeko

The ‘Eh, you never know if they get the right draw’ Section

14. Atletico Madrid - Atletico will qualify as long as they avoid defeat against Almeria in their final game of the season after a terrible start which saw popular coach Javier Aguirre sacked. Should they do so, the Champions League will be rewarded with some superb attacking talents; Sergio Aguero, Diego Forlan (who is likely to finish as the pichichi), Simao and Maxi Rodriguez in particular. They will have to be better defensively but the experience gained this year should serve them well.
This Season - Last 16
Key Man - Maxi Rodriguez

13. Olympique Lyonnais - Finally deposed as French champions after seven straight titles, Lyon will be without the influential Juninho next year after his decision to leave. Claude Puel, should he stay, will be under pressure to regain the dominance of the past and also avoid the kind of defeat they suffered against eventual champions Barcelona, conceding four goals in the first half of their knockout match at the Nou Camp.
This Season - Last 16
Key Man - Karim Benzema

12. Sevilla - A consistent performer domestically over the last few years, Sevilla are back for their second shot at glory in this competition after back to back UEFA Cup triumphs in 2006 and 2007. The biggest problem for them will be keeping the likes of Diego Capel and Julien Escude, vital components of their recent success, and the draw that will likely see them paired with at least two more fancied clubs.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Frederic Kanoute

11. Porto - Came very close to knocking out Manchester United in the quarter final stages this year and of course won the tournament as recently as 2004. The squad’s balance of function and flair has been rewarded with yet another league title, their fourth straight, and feature some of the best players outside the ’big three’ leagues; strong defender Bruno Alves, dangerous striker Lisandro (6 goals in this years competition) and one of the most underrated players around, the ‘commander’ Lucho Gonzalez.
This Season - Quarter Finals
Key Man - Lucho Gonzalez

The ‘November: They’re gonna win it, March: Never stood a chance’ Section

10. Juventus - The ‘Old Lady’ has appeared in four Champions League finals and, after their humbling relegation a few seasons back, are getting back to form. The squad is embedded with some talented young players and experienced campaigners plus they have already made two of the largest close-season signings in Brazilian playmaker Diego and Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro.
This Season - Last 16
Key Man - Gianluigi Buffon

9. Real Madrid - Madrid have failed to progress beyond the first knockout round in any of the past five tournaments and were demolished 5-0 on aggregate by Liverpool this year. Juande Ramos will be charged with reversing that series of results, particularly as Barca now reign supreme at home and abroad. The ‘galacticos’ are gone but there is the talent, should they play to their potential.
This Season - Last 16
Key Man - Iker Casillas

8. Bayern Munich - Unfortunate to play Barcelona with an injury riddled team this season but the Germans have perhaps the best chance of any club outside of the ‘big three’ leagues. They have a new coach in Louis Van Gaal and they have already strengthened the squad (Anatoliy Tymoschuk and forwards Ivica Olic and Mario Gomez are confirmed) but will have to work hard not to lose one of their stars, Frank Ribery.
This Season - Quarter Finals
Key Man - Miroslav Klose

7. Arsenal - The Gunners will have to qualify but have done so for the last nine years and, during that streak, have reached the quarters or further on five occasions. However, the gap between Arsenal and the remainder of England’s ‘big four’ appears to have widened over the past few years. Could Arsene Wenger’s young guns be ready to break out next season?
This Season - Semi Finals
Key Man - Cesc Fabregas

The ‘David Beckham is the fifth choice free kick taker but that doesn’t win you games’ Section

6. AC Milan - Milan return to the top table next season after being one of this year’s notable absentees. Questions surround the manager but nobody can question that they are one of Europe’s most successful clubs or the combined experience of some of the most celebrated players of the last decade. An infusion of youth may help their cause.
This Season - DNQ
Key Man - Kaka

The ‘Anything but playing in the Bernabeu in May would be a disappointment’ Section

5. Internazionale - 4 straight Serie A titles but Inter have only been to one Champions League semi final. That could all change under the newly re-signed Jose Mourinho, he is special you know (but then again he did sign Ricardo Quaresma...)
This Season - Last 16
Key Man - Esteban Cambiasso

4. Chelsea - They could be a team in flux over the summer with a change of manager and probably plenty of movement in the transfer market but one thing will remain consistent; they will have a team as strong as any in Europe. The return to fitness of Michael Essien is key and his goal put them within moments of the final this year.
This Season - Semi Finals
Key Man - Frank Lampard

3. Liverpool - Not just European specialists any more, Liverpool are a team on the rise and maybe only a player or two away from having a squad that can challenge both at home and abroad. In Fernando Torres, they have arguably the best forward in the competition.
This Season - Quarter Finals
Key Man - Steven Gerrard

2. Manchester United - Beaten finalists and perennial challengers for the trophy. They failed to perform to their peak in the final but this crop of players have proven they know how to win. How much more can the remnants of the golden generation of Giggs, Scholes and Neville offer and how does Ferguson react to seeing his team being taken apart in the final?
This Season - Finalists
Key Man - Cristiano Ronaldo

1. Barcelona - Reigning champions and the finest footballing side on the planet. Little reason to suggest that this team cannot repeat as champions under Pep Guardiola as long as the likes of Messi, Xavi and Iniesta are in the side but no team has ever retained the trophy and the target on their chest has consumed all before them.
This Season - Champions
Key Man - Leo Messi