Champions League - European Power Rankings

Eurosport - Wed, 24 Sep 10:24:00 2008

It's official, CFR Cluj are better than European champions Manchester United. Well, at least they are according to the first edition of our European Power Rankings.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Champions League Roma-Cluj Tony Culio Koné - 0

We take into account both domestic and Champions League performances, plus the relative difficulty of each team's league, to find out who is the best team in Europe.

Cluj kicked off their Champions League campaign with a shock victory over Roma and, coupled with their domestic form, that win sees the Romanian side enter the fledgling European Power Rankings table in an impressive ninth place. That is 12 rungs higher up the ladder than United, whose poor start to the season means they don't even make it into the top 20.

At the top of the table, Italian giants Internazionale and Juventus set the pace, although Premier League duo Chelsea and Liverpool are hot on their tails. Both Madrid clubs follow in fifth and sixth while Porto and Bayern Munich - despite their thumping by Werder Bremen at the weekend - occupy seventh and eighth. Completing the top 10, just below Cluj, are Barcelona.

Premier League leaders Arsenal weigh in at 13th after dropping points in their Champions League opener against Dynamo Kiev, but it has been a good start for European minnows Anorthosis Famagusta, who are a place ahead of Arsene Wenger's side.

Celtic may have only drawn against Aalborg, but their Scottish Premier League form - 13 points from six games - elevates them into 17th, ahead of such luminaries of European football as Sporting Lisbon, Bremen and Fiorentina. And, of course, United.

1. Internazionale - 26.67

2. Juventus - 26.67

3. Chelsea - 26.00

4. Liverpool - 26.00

5. Atletico Madrid - 25.00

6. Real Madrid - 25.00

7. Porto - 22.50

8. Bayern Munich - 22.20

9. CFR Cluj - 22.00

10. Barcelona - 21.67

11. Shakhtar Donetsk - 19.00

12. Anorthosis Famagusta - 17.00

13. Arsenal - 17.00

14. Lyon - 17.00

15. Villarreal - 16.67

16. Dynamo Kiev - 14.50

17. Celtic - 13.67

18. Sporting Lisbon - 13.50

19. Werder Bremen - 12.20

20. Fiorentina - 11.67

(21. Manchester United - 11.25)

HOW IT WORKS

Scores are based on points per game in domestic league and Champions League games.

Domestic points per game is multiplied by the league coefficient - either 4, 4.5 or 5 - with teams in stronger leagues getting more credit.

League coefficients:

5 - England, Italy, Spain (12 teams)

4.5 - Germany, France, Portugal, Russia, Netherlands (10 teams)

4 - Belarus, Cyprus, Denmark, Romania, Scotland, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine (10 teams)

Champions League victories are counted as three points for a win. They are all multiplied by a coefficient of 5.

Example: Chelsea

11 points from 5 Premier League games = 2.20 points per game.

Multiplied by league coefficient of five - 2.54 x 5 = 11.00

Three points from one Champions League game = 3 points per game.

Multiplied by European coefficient of five - 15.00

Total score = 15.00 + 11.00 = 26.00

Mike Hytner / Eurosport

Comment 13 - 32 of 32

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  1. ?

    From ian l, on Thu 25 Sep 12:38AM

  2. The European Power Rankings are solely a reflection of this season's form, hence the term 'Power'. When they calculate the winner of the European Golden Boot, they don't count last season's goals do they? juvenovic's comparision with the ATP race is an astute one. Indeed Manchester United will climb the rankings if their form reflects it. Come back and find out, the rankings are published every Tuesday.

    From Eurosport Journalists, on Wed 24 Sep 6:00PM

  3. give us something better to read. this thing doesn't make sense at all

    From moselimafa, on Wed 24 Sep 10:11AM

  4. Those who comment on Man U's performance will be given reply soon by their performances

    From kesavthailavaram2, on Wed 24 Sep 10:09AM

  5. utter rubbish, man.u are the champions of europe that makes them number 1.never ever heard of so much wishful thinking,someone having a laught

    From edwin l, on Wed 24 Sep 9:38AM

  6. Comment on this no way. its utter rubbish. Oooops

    From kenneth n, on Wed 24 Sep 8:35AM

  7. What a load of rubbish! Man U is the team to beat and are still the champions of Europe. No amount of wishful thinking, statistical psycho-babble, what if, then if skewed scenarios can change that. Burn 'em up Red Devils!

    From eugenepapa1, on Wed 24 Sep 6:51AM

  8. Haha ! Who ever said Maths always embarrass Football Pundits was right !! Wait Until December then your little silly equation can may be make sense !!

    From Bara Hangey, on Wed 24 Sep 5:56AM

  9. This may turn out to be an interesting tset of tables, but like the leagues, you cannot read anything in them this early.

    Is this worth commenting on I do wonder!

    From El-Tony., on Wed 24 Sep 5:37AM

  10. it doesn't matter how you begin the season . the most important is how you go through it and End it with a victory . like ManU last season, in the beginning they seemed not good , but in the end they win double winners ..

    From niwa, on Wed 24 Sep 4:53AM

  11. man u should be at the bottom

    From maggie, on Wed 24 Sep 4:38AM

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    From sandraaniston, on Wed 24 Sep 3:10AM

  13. farely accurate. really it should be all 20 SERIE A teams from 1-20 and then you can fill in the rest

    From justin, on Tue 23 Sep 11:02PM

  14. There is an old saying which goes something like ' statistics, statistics and damn lies '. I will leave you to guess which one this is. This is purely psychobabble which some statistician or consultant has been paid thousands for. What rubbish. Can we just concentrate on the football please instead of analysing this stuff. Thanks. Got that off my chest

    From taff, on Tue 23 Sep 10:49PM

  15. yeah i dont like man utd but this is complete rubbish. its an insult to over 70 clubs in europe to have that team on there. Cant wait till they play roma again so order can be restored.

    From football4life, on Tue 23 Sep 10:42PM

  16. CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! CFR! Go Cluj, Go CFR!

    From Zsigmund, on Tue 23 Sep 10:11PM

  17. A lot of people seem to be unhappy with this ranking, but here's a fact, if Man Utd were do good this season they'd be around the top. The rankings reflect this season, the last doesn't matter anymore, it's like the ATP race. Just look at Man Utd and Juve: Man Utd has played four games and have 5 points, Juve 3 and have 7 points; in the UCL Man Utd have 1 point, Juve have 3. Not to mention Juve beat the team Man Utd were killed by in European Super Cup. So Man Utd will obviously move up, but they're where they deserve to be right now.

    FORZA JUVE! ! ! one we start playing Giovinco we'll be unstoppable.

    From Andrew, on Tue 23 Sep 9:57PM

  18. man u is @#$%

    From kingstonjoe08, on Tue 23 Sep 9:10PM

  19. I'm not a football fan....but I do recognise rubbish when I see it; you would think people had better things to do. I certainly had better things to do than read this rubbish. "European Power Rankings"....sounds like it's worth reading...but is an absolute insult to all readers and especially to football fans. Please do your job...or find a different one.

    From rogerthegoodwin, on Tue 23 Sep 8:51PM

  20. In response to digit's comment I have heard of CFR 1907 Cluj since way before the Roma win, they knocked Steaua off the Liga I to win the title! I prefer them to Steaua because Steaua are a cheater's team

    From gbh08@..., on Tue 23 Sep 8:48PM
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