Atlé;tico and Leicester are obviously not identical but the teams do have startling similarities.
With almost one-third of the season gone, two players from Southampton and two from Leicester City make our side.
From giant Fijian locks to jinking Japanese backs and Scotland’s newly qualified backrow, Paul Doyle and Ian McCourt pick the players to look out for.
José Mourinho may hold off on more big-name purchases until he finds out if rivals are ready to mount a decent challenge this season.
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/ 15 February 2008
First things first: the best team won. Many, including myself, dismissed Egypt’s chances of defending their crown because of a ropey qualifying campaign and because they lost a number of important players from their 2006 squad. But the Pharaohs showed that their domestic league continues to cultivate quality footballers.
”I don’t want to come across as a demagogue,” interrupts Claude Leroy, instantly proving he’s not your everyday football manager, ”but can you hear that sound in the background? It’s wonderful!” The extraordinary French coach Claude Leroy speaks about his dream of achieving World Cup qualification with the Democratic Republic of Congo, a country ravaged by war, disease and malnutrition.