Europe League

Arsenal may have been off the pace in the inaugural Premier League season in 1992/93, but they made up for it by winning both the FA and League Cups.

The Premier League crown eluded them until 1998 - two years into manager Arsene Wenger's tenure - when they did the league and FA Cup double. Under the Frenchman, the Gunners shook off their "boring" image and began to play some of the most attractive football in England.

In eight of his 13 seasons at the club, Arsenal have finished first or second. And together with star players such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, Wenger took Arsenal to another "double" in 2002.

The Gunners reached the Champions' League final in 2006, becoming the first London team to do so, but lost to Barcelona. Their Barclaycard Premiership title in 2003/04 saw them become only the second team to win the league without losing a match - earning them the title "The Invincibles." Overall they went 49 matches unbeaten, which is a national record

Full name : TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen e. V. Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH (Football)
Nickname(s) : Werkself ("Factory Squad"), "Neverkusen"
Founded : 1 July 1904
Ground : LTU Arena, Düsseldorf (temporary) BayArena, Leverkusen, formerly "Ulrich-Haberland-Stadion" (permanent) (Capacity: 30,000)
President : Wolfgang Holzhäuser
Manager : Jupp Heynckes
League : Bundesliga

Bayer 04 Leverkusen is a German football club based in Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is the most well-known department of TSV Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a sports club whose members also participate in athletics, gymnastics, basketball and other sports.

Club Name : Associazione Sportiva Roma S.p.a.
Club Headquarters : Via Trigoria Km. 3,600, Rome (Italy)
Telephone : 39 06501911
Fax : 39 065061736
Date of Foundation : July 22, 1927
Chairman : Rosella Sensi

Associazione Sportiva Roma, (BIT: ASR) commonly referred to as simply Roma, is an Italian professional football club from Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated at the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence bar one season in the early 1950s (in 1951-52). For their 57th season in a row, Roma are competing in Serie A for 2008–09.

Roma have won Serie A three times, first in 1941–42 then again in 1982–83 and 2000–01. As well as winning nine Coppa Italia trophies; on the European stage Roma won an Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1960–61, but have had come close to success finishing as runners-up in the European Cup in 1983–84 and the UEFA Cup in 1990–91.

Home games are played at the Stadio Olimpico, a stadium they share with city rivals S.S. Lazio. With a capacity of over 72,700 it is the second largest of its kind in Italy, with only the San Siro able to seat more.

Full name : Chelsea Football Club
Nickname(s) : The Pensioners, The Blues
Founded : 14 March 1905
Ground : Stamford Bridge, London (Capacity: 42,055[1])
Owner : Roman Abramovich
Chairman : Bruce Buck
Manager : Carlo Ancelotti
League : Premier League

Chelsea will be desperate to regain the Premier League crown after finishing second to Manchester United in the last two seasons. Former manager Jose Mourinho, bankrolled by owner Roman Abromovich's millions, brought the first title to Stamford Bridge for 50 years when the Blues lifted the trophy in 2005. Chelsea became only the second team to win back-to-back Premier League titles when they clinched it a year later. Mourinho left the club by mutual consent in September 2007.

Although Chelsea reached the FA Cup final in 1994, they hardly set the world alight in their early Premier League days. Ruud Gullit became manager in 1996 and steered the Blues to an FA Cup triumph in 1997, while his successor Gianluca Vialli guided the team to victory in the League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup in 1998.

Shortly after, he led the team to the UEFA Super Cup after a 1-0 win over Real Madrid. The FA Cup followed in 2000. Vialli was replaced by Claudio Ranieri in 2000 and he led Chelsea to another FA Cup final appearance in 2002.

Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the Blues for £140m. After a trophyless season, he appointed Mourinho as new Chelsea manager and there was instant success. In 2005, Chelsea won the Barclays Premiership and League Cup, along with a Champions League semi-final appearance.

And Mourinho retained the Barclays Premiership crown the year after, equalling the club's own Premier League record of 29 wins set the previous season. They were league runners-up in 2006/07 and also claimed the FA Cup and League Cup double.

They were also runners-up in the 2007/08 campaign, but by this time Mourinho had left the club. He was replaced by Avram Grant who led the Blues to the final of the Champions League and Carling Cup.

Grant left Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and was replaced by Luiz Felipe Scolari who will be charged with bringing the title back to the club. However he was sacked in February 2009 and replaced by Guus Hiddink who agreed to take charge until the end of the campaign while continuing to coach the Russian national side.

Club Heritage

Chelsea were formed in 1905 and were elected into the Second Division of the Football League. They just missed out on silverware 10 years later with an FA Cup final defeat. The Blues had to wait for their first major trophy in 1955, when under manager Ted Drake, they won the league title. Chelsea claimed the League Cup for the first time in 1965 and were defeated in the FA Cup final two years later.

Featuring the likes of Ron 'Chopper' Harris, Ian Hutchison and Peter Osgood, Chelsea overcame Leeds to win the FA Cup in 1970. In the following season, they clinched the European Cup Winners' Cup with a replay victory over Real Madrid.

Financial problems meant the Stamford Bridge club dropped into the Second Division, and at one point they were close to falling to the Third Division.

They eventually won their place back in the top flight in 1984, but their stay only lasted four seasons. They clawed their way back to the First Division again as Second Division champions in 1989 and have remained there ever since.

Premier League History

1992/93 - Inaugural members of the Premier League
1993/94 - Lose FA Cup final
1996/97 - Ruud Gullit appointed player-manger
1996/97 - Win FA Cup
1997/98 - Gianluca Vialli becomes manager
1997/98 - Win League Cup, Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Super Cup
1999/00 - FA Cup winners
2000/01 - Claudio Ranieri becomes manager
2001/02 - Lose FA Cup final
2003/04 - Chairman Ken Bates sells Chelsea to Roman Abramovich
2000/05 - Jose Mourinho takes over as manager
2004/05 - Chelsea win Barclays Premiership and League Cup
2005/06 - Chelsea win Barclays Premiership
2006/07 - Win FA Cup and League Cup
2007/08 - Jose Mourinho leaves the club to be replaced by Avram Grant. Runners up in the Carling Cup, Barclays Premier League and Champions League. Part company with Grant. Luiz Felipe Scolari appointed manager in June.
2008/09 - Scolari is sacked in February 2009 and replaced by Russian national coach Guus Hiddink who will combine both roles until the end of the season. Carlo Ancelotti named new manager in June 2009.

Full name : Arsenal Football Club
Nickname(s) : The Gunners
Founded : 1886 as Dial Square
Ground : Emirates Stadium (Capacity: 60,355)
Owner : Arsenal Holdings plc
Chairman : Peter Hill-Wood
Manager : Arsène Wenger
League : Premier League

Arsenal may have been off the pace in the inaugural Premier League season in 1992/93, but they made up for it by winning both the FA and League Cups.

The Premier League crown eluded them until 1998 - two years into manager Arsene Wenger's tenure - when they did the league and FA Cup double. Under the Frenchman, the Gunners shook off their "boring" image and began to play some of the most attractive football in England.

In eight of his 13 seasons at the club, Arsenal have finished first or second. And together with star players such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp, Wenger took Arsenal to another "double" in 2002.

The Gunners reached the Champions' League final in 2006, becoming the first London team to do so, but lost to Barcelona. Their Barclaycard Premiership title in 2003/04 saw them become only the second team to win the league without losing a match - earning them the title "The Invincibles." Overall they went 49 matches unbeaten, which is a national record.

Club Heritage

In 1886, a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory formed a team called Dial Square, renaming themselves to Royal Arsenal shortly afterwards. The team turned professional in 1891 and changed its name again to Woolwich Arsenal, eventually dropping the prefix completely in 1913 when they moved to Highbury.

The Gunners joined the Second Division in 1893 and were promoted in 1904. Success eluded them until the arrival of Herbert Chapman in 1925 when they won the league five times between 1930 and 1938 and the FA Cup twice. Chapman, who died in 1934, was also behind the renaming of the nearest London Underground station to Arsenal.

Arsenal had to wait until the 1970s for their next period of success. But their first double in 1971 was followed by several near-misses - finishing second in 1972, and losing three FA Cup finals and the 1980 European Cup Winners' Cup final.

It was not until the return of ex-player George Graham as manager that the club rose to greatness again - winning six trophies during his nine-year reign. That included League Cup success in 1987 and 1993, the FA Cup in 1993, the league title in 1989 and 1991 and European Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. Arsenal hold the enviable record of the most consecutive seasons in the top flight - 81 at present.

Premier League History

1992/93 - Win the FA Cup and League Cup double
1993/94 - Win the European Cup Winners' Cup
1994/95 - George Graham sacked. Stewart Houston becomes caretaker. Lose the Cup Winners' Cup final to Real Zaragoza
1995/96 - Bruce Rioch takes charge for one season before resigning
1996/97 - Arsène Wenger becomes manager. Signs Nicolas Anelka and Patrick Vieira
1997/98 - Win the FA Carling Premiership and FA Cup double
1999/00 - Sign Thierry Henry. Lose the UEFA Cup final on penalties to Galatasaray
2000/01 - Break club record transfer signing Sylvain Wiltord for reported £13m
2001/02 - Win the Barclaycard Premiership and FA Cup double
2003/04 - Win the Barclaycard Premiership without losing a match
2005/06 - Last season at Highbury. Lose the Champions' League final to Barcelona
2006/07 - Move to Emirates Stadium