Montpellier clinch maiden title, Dijon drop ( Montpellier claimed the first league title in their history after winning 2-1 at Auxerre on an extraordinary final day of the season on Sunday, after a game twice delayed due to protests by the home fans. Second-placed Paris Saint-Germain did all they could by winning 2-1 at Lorient, and the delays at Auxerre meant that Rene Girard's side had to endure a nervy wait before their title success was confirmed. Montpellier finished the season three points clear of PSG in the final standings, which gave the southern club, who were 14th in Ligue 1 last season, their first major honour since the 1990 French Cup. "I think it's deserved," said Montpellier coach Girard amid scenes of jubilation on the pitch at Auxerre following the final whistle. "It was a huge fight right until the end. Looking at the number of points, you have to say that the three teams at the top have had extraordinary seasons." There was no hint of the drama to come when Auxerre broke the deadlock in the 20th minute at Stade Abbe Deschamps, with Olivier Kapo heading home from a corner. A defeat was the only means by which Montpellier could have been denied the title, but they equalised in the 32nd minute when John Utaka converted a low right-wing cross from Souleymane Camara. The Auxerre fans' protest at their relegation, which saw them throw tennis balls and toilet rolls onto the pitch, began at the start of the second period and forced the players to return to the changing rooms. It was a huge fight right until the end. Rene Girard, Montpellier coach When play resumed, Montpellier were 19 minutes behind the Lorient-PSG game, and with PSG winning, the leaders were left living on their nerves. Goalkeeper Geoffrey Jourdren repelled a powerful drive from Delvin N'Dinga before flares thrown by Auxerre's fans obliged the players to leave the pitch again and led to a second delay lasting around 20 minutes. With PSG's players watching on television from Lorient, riot police began to clear the protesting fans from the stand behind the Montpellier goal and play was able to resume. There were still 16 minutes to play, but Utaka calmed the visiting fans' nerves in the 76th minute when he swivelled to slam home his second goal and take the title to Stade de la Mosson for the very first time. Montpellier's Olivier Giroud finished as the top scorer in Ligue 1, ending the season level with PSG's Nene on 21 goals but prevailing by virtue of having scored fewer penalties. PSG end runners-up PSG needed to win to stand any chance of winning the title, but they fell behind in the 28th minute at Lorient when Kevin Monnet-Paquet ghosted in behind Zoumana Camara to score with a back-post header. Carlo Ancelotti's men equalised in the 61st minute through record signing Javier Pastore and claimed victory through Thiago Motta with 15 minutes left, but although PSG had done their job, it was not enough to deny Montpellier their day in the sun. Elsewhere, Bordeaux won 3-2 at Saint-Etienne to pip their opponents to fifth place and a berth in the UEFA Europa League, with Rennes consigned to sixth despite a 5-0 thrashing of Dijon that sent the promoted side back down to Ligue 2. Caen were also relegated after going down 3-1 at Valenciennes. Finally, Eden Hazard bid farewell to outgoing champions Lille by netting a first-half hat-trick in a 4-1 win at home to Nancy in his final game for the club. Nice stayed up in enthralling fashion after winning 4-3 at Lyon. Goals by Lisandro Lopez and Jimmy Briand had the hosts in charge inside the opening half-hour, but the visitors hit back through Luciano Monzon and Kafoumba Coulibaly. Nice were gifted the lead early in the second half when Lyon goalkeeper Hugo Lloris inexplicably punched into his own net as he tried to clear Didier Digard's free-kick. A stunning 30-yard effort by Briand brought Lyon level, but with 18 minutes remaining Esmael Goncalves popped up to win it for Nice.

Torres ponders Chelsea future Fernando Torres will hold showdown talks with Chelsea after attacking his treatment by the club and threatening to quit Stamford Bridge this summer. Torres delivered an astonishingly-timed swipe at the Blues hours after helping them end their agonising wait for European Cup glory on Saturday night. The £50million man was fuming after being snubbed in favour of rookie Ryan Bertrand in the final against Bayern Munich, branding it possibly the biggest disappointment of his life. And the Spain striker warned he could walk away if he did not receive assurances about his future role. Torres told Press Association Sport: "This season, I felt things I had never felt. I felt they have treated me in a way I was not expecting, not the manner for which the club brought me here. "We have had many conversations and, now the season is finished, we will have more talks to see what happens in the future because this is not the role for which I came. I have been through the worst moments of my career during the season and I am not willing to relive those moments. We will have more talks to see what happens in the future because this is not the role for which I came. Chelsea striker Fernando Torres "There have been many ups and downs and many moments where I felt lost and I didn't know what to do and where to be. The ideal for me for next season is if someone tells me what's going to happen, what role will I have in the team, what function what is expected of me and to evaluate if it is worth it." Torres did not get on the pitch at the Allianz Arena on Saturday until Chelsea fell behind seven minutes from time. The 28-year-old won the corner that saw Didier Drogba equalise and impressed in extra time but he was not among those chosen to take a penalty in the 4-3 shoot-out win, which saw Drogba once again steal the limelight. Torres added: "Before the game, I felt it was going to be one of my best moments and I came with great desire and ambition. But then I had to start on the bench. I felt huge disappointment when I saw the starting line up, maybe the biggest disappointment of my life. "In the end, I was able to play a bit and help the team. Right now, I do feel it's all worth it but the truth is I've gone through some very bad moments." Torres' fortunes have improved dramatically under caretaker Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo after he was in danger of being branded the most expensive flop in football history. He more than doubled his goal tally for the club in the last three months of the season, scoring seven times, including a hat-trick against QPR. But he has remained second fiddle to Drogba, despite the record sum Roman Abramovich spent to prise him from Liverpool a year and a half ago.

German girls give coach a soaking! German girls give coach a soaking! © AFP Splash! Members of the Germany women’s national team had just finished a rowing race, in preparation for the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2011. But one of their coaches hadn’t finished getting wet for the cause – as this picture illustrates. Indeed, once his back was turned, two of them proceeded to push him into the lake!

Title deciders and classic battles ( While the Campeonato Brasileiro is just getting underway in Brazil, several titles were decided over the weekend in other parts of the Americas. The familiar rivalry between Santos and Monterrey took centre stage in Mexico’s championship play-off, while classic derbies were the focus in MLS and Uruguay. Join FIFA.com as we review all this action and more from the top leagues across the Americas. Argentina: Viatri boosts Boca, Luna spurs Tigre After a seven-month absence, forward Lucas Viatri made a dream return from a serious knee injury at the weekend as he helped Boca Juniors reclaim top spot in a 2-0 victory over derby rivals Racing Club. Coming on as a second-half substitute - with both sides goalless - the Argentinian proved the vital spark as he not only opened the scoring on 69 minutes, but did so in thrilling fashion. After receiving a pass with the back of his heel, Viatri proceeded to flick the ball over his shoulder before chasing it down to fire home from 15 metres. Meanwhile, a Carlos Luna treble inspired Tigre to a 3-1 win over former leaders Newell’s Old Boys, moving the victors up to second place and, more importantly, out of the three-season averaged relegation zone - above San Lorenzo de Almagro for the first time this season. Tigre are now in the promotion/relegation play-off zone, along with San Lorenzo, while Atletico Belgrano are already assured of their safety after a 1-0 victory over Velez Sarsfield. Brazil: Rio sides take early spoils In Brazil, all eyes turned to the first round of action in the Campeonato Brasileiro. It was a weekend of success for the Rio de Janeiro-based sides, with Botafogo, Fluminense and Vasco da Gama all claiming wins. With the long-standing rivalry between the Rio and Sao Paulo states to the fore, Botafoga twice came from behind to beat Sao Paulo, while Fluminense defeated reigning champions Corinthians. Argentinian forward German Herrera hit a treble en route to a 4-2 victory for Botafogo, and Fluminense needed a Leandro Euzebio goal in the 71st-minute to see off Corinthians. The latter match was largely contested between Flu and Timao reserves as both sides looked ahead to their midweek Copa Libertadores quarter-finals. Flamengo were the only Rio de Janeiro outfit not to win, finishing level on a goal apiece with Sport. Mexico: Santos crowned champions After a crushing defeat by Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions League final last month, Santos Laguna finally gained revenge as they defeated their title rivals to lift the Clausura title for the first time since 2008. Santos had sealed a slight advantage in the first leg of their final tie on Thursday, scoring an away goal through Oribe Peralta at Estadio Technologico in a 1-1 draw. Humberto Suazo hit Los Rayados’ reply. However, things changed in the return leg on Sunday in Torreon, as Peralta capped off a tremendous campaign with Los Guerreros by scoring the winner in a 2-1 triumph. Daniel Luduena opened the scoring before Peralta hit the decider and Aldo de Nigris netted a mere consolation for Monterrey. The win marked a first title for Santos coach Benjamin Galindo, and in contrast, a first loss for Monterrey manager Victor Manuel Vucetich in 13 finals. Major League Soccer: Woes continue for Galaxy, Toronto Defending champions Los Angeles Galaxy slipped up again in a narrow 1-0 loss to Chivas USA in the SuperClasico. The match marked Chivas first win at the Home Depot Center this season, and the first time since September 2007 in which Galaxy failed to beat their city rivals. With a handful of absentees, including David Beckham, Edson Buddle and Robbie Keane, Galaxy succumbed to the same storyline that has haunted them all season long. Despite long periods of dominance, the LA giants went behind to a second-half Jose Erik Correa spot-kick and were never able to recover. Without a win in five matches, the Galaxy are rooted to the bottom in the Western Conference, while Chivas hold sixth. In the East, Toronto FC’s woes also continued. Despite showing early signs of hope by reaching the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League, the Canadian club have yet to record a win this season. A 3-1 loss to DC United handed them an MLS-record ninth loss to start the season. Elsewhere In Uruguay, Penarol and Nacional met in the famous Superclasico. In a match acclaimed as one of the greatest duels in football, Nacional grabbed the decisive edge through second-half substitute Alvaro Recoba to bag a 3-2 victory. With Rodrigo Mora giving Penarol the lead on just one minute, the derby tilted early in the hosts' favour. However, an exchange of goals between Penarol forward Marcelo Zalayeta and Nacional midfielder Facundo Piriz had things deadlocked. Rocoba came to Nacional’s rescue, though, as he scored the winner just four minutes after stepping on to the pitch. Finally, titles were decided in Guatemala and Costa Rica. Xelaju MC defeated Municipal 3-1 on penalties to hoist their fifth title in history. Although a 1-0 first-leg win had put Municipal in control, all that changed on Sunday as Rojos had Jaime Penedo sent off early on. Israel Silva then made no mistake from the spot, while goals in the second half from Manuel Leon and Wilber Caal forced the match into extra time. In Costa Rica, Herediano won the Torneo de Verano to end an 18-year trophy drought. Herediano claimed a 4-2 first-leg advantage over Santos in their play-off final, and after first falling behind in the return fixture, rallied to a 2-1 victory.

Donovan: Klinsmann and I share a vision FIFA.com was fortunate enough to enjoy an in-depth chat with Landon Donovan recently. In this, the first of a two-part interview, all matters Stateside are discussed, such as Los Angeles Galaxy's start to the Major League Soccer season, the dominance of Mexican sides in the CONCACAF Champions League, the appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann as USA coach and why the FIFA World Cup™ is so special. FIFA.com: Considering the attacking players in the Galaxy’s squad, it would be the envy of many teams across the globe. Is that a sign of your attempt to capture a second MLS Cup? Landon Donovan: Well in our league, and particularly in LA, we have an owner here who is very committed to not only winning but to making sure we are putting an exciting product on the field. Most places around the world it’s just about the football, but we are still trying to build our game, so we need to have, hopefully, an exciting product that people want to pay money to come see. We’re fortunate that we’ve got an owner and a coach who are committed to that and it’s fun for me as an attacking player because I get to play alongside some of these great, talented players. Looking at the current table and the CONCACAF Champions League, it wasn’t the start you would have hoped for. What do you credit that to? It was tough. We are certainly a much better team than we showed early on. I think a big part of it was not having myself and Robbie [Keane] there from the beginning of the pre-season. We were a little bit disjointed to start and it kind of showed on the field. We weren’t playing terribly, but our league is parity-driven, so if you are a little bit off-form and a team is playing well they can beat you. So it’s not like we are Manchester United or Barcelona, where you have a bad day and you can still win 2-0 or 3-0. We have a bad day and we can lose games, and that’s what happened at the start of the season. Monterrey have qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup. It always seems to be the Mexican teams that reach the final of the competition. How close are MLS teams to narrowing the gap? We’re close, but there are realities. We’re the exception, but most Major League Soccer teams have a payroll of $3-4m USD for the entire squad. Some Mexican teams have a payroll of $20-30m USD. The reality is that the teams who are paying more for their players generally win. We’re getting better – our league is committed to continuing to spend more money, but they’re running a business so they’ve got to be smart about it. We’ve had a number of teams, even with the discrepancy in pay, doing very well and getting very close. Last year, Real Salt Lake went close against Monterrey – and were less than 45 minutes away to advancing to a Club World Cup. It’s only a matter of time, but as long as we’re progressing I think we’re still OK with that. Jurgen’s very adamant about pushing us, even to the point of getting out of your comfort zone and I think it’s done wonders for a lot of our guys so far. Landon Donovan on working with Jurgen Klinsmann Do you think the Galaxy may be the team which are in the best position to narrow that gap? Yes, if our team is healthy. We’ve got enough talented players to pull off plays and score goals. One deficit we had at the start of this year we were missing arguably our most important player in Omar Gonzalez, our centre-back, and I think we paid for it. We gave up some pretty soft goals early on and goals that you wouldn’t expect to give up if Omar was there. So I think if we were a healthy team, we’d have a realistic chance to do well. Turning to the national team, what do you think Jurgen Klinsmann wants to achieve with USA? He keeps his goals pretty broad. He wants progress and those of us who have been in the game for a long time here in America know that’s what it is about. It’s about continuing to progress. It would be a little unrealistic to expect we are going to go win the World Cup in 2014. We’ve had a number of games over the past ten years where we’ve pulled off some special results, but the best teams do that consistently. We want to get to a place where we can do that. Jurgen’s very adamant about pushing us, even to the point of getting out of your comfort zone and I think it’s done wonders for a lot of our guys so far. It was a little slow to take hold early on, but I think guys are started to adapt now and understand what his demands are and it’s getting better and better. In terms of pushing you to the limits, is that physically, mentally, or is it both? I think it’s both. I think it’s continuing to challenge guys, particularly younger guys, to not be content with, you know, if you had a good season last year, don’t be content with that, keep going. If you had a good game last week, don’t be content with that, get better. The physical part, he has been very demanding in the camps so far, but it’s all in a positive way and I think we’re starting to see the benefits of it. How have you responded to him personally? You’ve missed a couple of games through illness and injury. Well, I’ve known Jurgen a long time now and I think we have a lot of respect for each other. For me, it was great to have him appointed because of our relationship. I think we sort of see not only soccer the same way, but we kind of see the world in the same way. We both believe in really good, positive energy and he wants to fill us with confidence and give us the ability to express ourselves. And as a sort of creative, attacking player that’s all we ever want and so, it’s been great – it’s been a little frustrating for me because I haven’t been able to be in the squad for a while, but I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get in again and be with the team. How confident are you of reaching Brazil 2014? Well, it’s never easy in our part of the world. I think the assumption probably from around the world is that this is an easy place to qualify. The reality is, it’s not - it’s difficult and it always has been and always will be. But, I think particularly what we’re seeing in recent history is that the footballing world is getting smaller and smaller, and teams are getting better and better. In the past, if we played the El Salvador national team in qualifying, out of 23 guys in their squad, they had 22 guys that were playing in El Salvador. Now you might get eight which are playing in El Salvador, two in Mexico, three or four in the US, and some in Costa Rica or other parts. They’re pushing themselves more and getting better and better. So, that’s the way football is going. I’m sure people see it around Europe, with some results you wouldn’t expect from some of the smaller nations against bigger nations. I think that trend is going to continue as the world gets smaller. I think a lot of people don’t realise that I’m actually half-Canadian. At one point, I could have had the opportunity to play for Canada! Landon Donovan tells FIFA.com a secret What makes the FIFA World Cup so special for you personally? Well, I think for most Americans, particularly my age, it’s all we knew of football. Growing up I had four TV channels, and none of them in America ever showed a soccer game – literally ever. So, I never watched soccer on TV growing up and never had the opportunity to really follow world-class players. I didn’t watch the Champions League, I didn’t watch the Premier League, I didn’t watch La Liga – I had no idea. So the only chance we got to really watch football was the World Cup, so that became my dream. My dream was ‘OK, well, this is the event that matters. This is what I want to do’, and that’s always made it really special for me. I’m a big sports fan in general, and to have the opportunity three times now to do something like that, there’s no doubt it’s been the most special times in my career. Finally, tell us something about yourself which we wouldn’t find on the internet already? I think a lot of people don’t realise that I’m actually half-Canadian. At one point, I could have had the opportunity to play for Canada! I think more importantly, my dad always secretly hoped I’d be a hockey player, but growing up in sunny Southern California I think the odds were low! *A second part of this exclusive interview with Landon Donovan, in which he talks about his loan spells with Bayern Munich and Everton will appear on FIFA.com tomorrow.

Kahlert: Form on the day will be decisive Two of the most successful clubs in European women’s football go head to head when 1. FFC Frankfurt meet Olympique Lyon in the UEFA Champions League final on Thursday. It will be the German team’s fifth final appearance in the continent’s elite club competition and they are out to claim their fourth title. “I’m really looking forward to the final and everything that comes with it,” Frankfurt coach Sven Kahlert told FIFA.com in an exclusive interview. “It’s important for a women’s Champions League final to have a worthy setting and I hope Munich will provide that.” The two teams could hardly come into the match in more differing circumstances. While the French outfit have been in top form of late and travel to the Bavarian capital on the back of a 2-1 victory in the final of the French Women’s Cup, Frankfurt are still digesting two bitter defeats. A 3-1 loss against Turbine Potsdam left them out of the running for the domestic title, before a 2-0 reverse to Bayern Munich meant they finished as runners-up in the DFB Cup. With only five days separating the two cup finals, Kahlert’s charges have not had much time to put the latest disappointment behind them. “It was only one game but there is enough time to rest and prepare for the match in Munich,” said Kahlert, who is now focusing his attention on Lyon. Form on the day will be decisive As the sides have never previously met in European competition, Kahlert has left no stone unturned in finding out about the opposition. “I know Lyon, in a manner of speaking, from the video analysis we have been doing ever since we knew we’d be up against them in the final,” said the 41-year-old. “We have the tapes and I saw them play in last year’s final against Potsdam, as well as in their semi-final second leg this time around. Their team has pretty much stayed together and they know each other inside out. We have a lot of information on them and will be 100 per cent prepared for any situations that may occur. But in the end, form on the day will be decisive.” Having scored 103 goals in the French league, Kahlert is well aware of Lyon’s attacking prowess. And as impressive a tally as that is, their defensive record is equally remarkable, with just three goals conceded all season. “Lyon are very strong up front and have shown that in all their games, both domestically and in the Champions League,” said Kahlert. When two equally potent attacking sides go head-to-head, the one with a defence that can stand firm under pressure will be successful. Sven Kahlert, 1. FFC Frankfurt coach “They score a lot of goals and as a result are even better in defence. Because the opponent is so far away from their goal, there is less for them to do. They have quality in every area of the pitch. In [Lotta] Schelin, [Camille] Abily, [Louisa] Necib, [Lara] Dickenmann and [Eugenie] Le Sommer they have superb attackers. They are excellent in defence too and have several international players in the squad.” However, Lyon are not the only ones with an eye for goal and Kahlert has great faith in his own strike force. “At the moment we’re unpredictable. Players who were injured are returning to fitness, like Sandra Smisek for example, who’s a terrific striker. Up front we have one or two options so we’ll see what works and make changes accordingly,” said the Frankfurt coach. “In my opinion we’re just as strong in attack as they are. If you just look at the front lines, it’s virtually the French national team against the German one. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens on the day.” Coping with pressure Despite Lyon’s intimidating defensive record, Kahlert believes his own side’s back line could give Frankfurt the edge on the day: “Over the course of the season, our defence has had to withstand a lot of pressure in the league, the DFB Cup and the Champions League. That might be to our advantage, as when two equally potent attacking sides go head-to-head, the one with a defence that can stand firm under pressure will be successful,” said Kahlert. The tactician may seek additional information on the opposition from two of his players who have already faced Lyon in a final, Desiree Schumann and Fatmire Bajramaj, who will miss out through injury. However, he does not believe his side will enjoy ‘home’ advantage, in spite of the final location. “I think between 500 and 1000 fans will come from Lyon and maybe 1,000 to 2,000 from Frankfurt. It’s up to us to influence who the rest will cheer for,” said Kahlert. “I hope the spectators will see a good match and support us. But I don’t know if it’s a home game. I’m happy the final is taking place in Germany and that makes getting there a bit easier. We’ll see whether that gives us an advantage during the match.” It is now up to his team to win over the crowd and make the dream of winning the Champions League a reality. Perhaps the Bayern Munich players, who line up in the men’s final two days later, will be keeping their fingers crossed for Kahlert’s side, just as he is for them. “There are never many goals,” the likeable coach said of Saturday’s showpiece. “But I hope Bayern win 2-1.”

PrintKings crowned across Eastern Europe Football in Eastern Europe is entering a new age of prosperity, with the game thriving both domestically and internationally. Poland and Ukraine will co-host the continent’s flagship national tournament, UEFA EURO 2012, during June and July, while the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ will take place in Russia. The region’s clubs have also been making their mark, with two Russian sides - CSKA Moscow and Zenit St. Petersburg - reaching the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and Metalist Kharkiv of Ukraine qualifying for the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League. The surge can partly be credited to the growing strength of the area’s domestic leagues, which have once again captured supporters’ interest in 2011/12. FIFA.com has all the details. Croatia Dinamo Zagreb emphasised their recent dominance of Croatian football this season as they cruised to a league and cup double, the fifth time in the past six years that the club have achieved such a feat. Ante Cacic’s men were rarely troubled on their way to claiming a seventh consecutive title for the club, as they lost just once and conceded a mere 11 goals in 30 fixtures to finish 21 points clear of second-placed Hajduk Split, who were forced to settle for runners-up spot for the fourth year running. With the number of teams participating in the division to be reduced from 16 to 12 for 2012/13, five sides faced relegation. Rock-bottom Varazdin endured a miserable campaign which ended with suspension from the league and an uncertain future. They were joined in demotion by Karlovac, Sibenik, Lucko and Rijeka, who will begin next season outside the top flight for the first time in 38 years after narrowly missing safety by the tightest of margins. Czech Republic The goalscoring exploits of trio Michal Breznanik, Jiri Stajner and Michael Rabusic - who all reached double figures in the league this season - helped Slovan Liberec win the third title of their history after a close three-way battle with Sparta Prague and 2010/11 champions Viktoria Plzen. Sparta had actually been the early pace-setters, breaking a league record by winning all of their first nine fixtures before losing 3-0 at home to Slovan, who eventually triumphed by two points. A final-day draw at home to Plzen proved enough for Slovan to lift the trophy and take their spot in next year’s Champions League qualifiers, where they will attempt to match the achievements of their opponents, who progressed to the group stage during this campaign. At the other end, newly-promoted Viktoria Zizkov finished last and suffered relegation, and were accompanied by Bohemians 1905. David Lafata struck 25 goals for Jablonec to finish top scorer for the second season running. Poland Slask Wroclaw won their first Polish championship for 35 years after taking advantage of a late slip by Legia Warsaw, who won just one of their last five games to waste a lead and end in third. Legia were still in contention on the final day but Rok Elsner’s goal earned Slask a 1-0 win at Wisla Krakow and with it the league title. Ruch Chorzow finished in second while 2009/10 winners Lech Poznan completed the final four, having been boosted by the 22 goals of league top scorer Artjoms Rudnevs. In comparison, no single player scored more than six league goals for the champions. At the bottom, Cracovia ended the campaign last and nine points from safety, while LKS Lodz filled the other relegation berth and returned to the second division after just a season in the top flight. Russia Luciano Spalletti led Zenit St. Petersburg to back-to-back titles after losing just four of 44 games as the Russian Premier League aligned itself to a traditional European format. Zenit finished two points clear of CSKA Moscow in the 30-game regular season before the league divided into two sections of eight teams, and their lead was only stretched further during the remaining 14 fixtures. Spalletti’s side eventually ended the marathon campaign 13 points ahead of Spartak Moscow, with CSKA - whose striker Seydou Doumbia led the scoring charts with 28 goals - in third. Anzhi Makhachkala, coached by Guus Hiddink and led by Samuel Eto’o, and Rubin Kazan, winners in 2008 and 2009, were disappointed with their fifth- and sixth-placed finishes respectively. Spartak Nalchik finished bottom of the relegation section and dropped out of the top flight after a six-year stay, while Tom Tomsk were also demoted following seven consecutive seasons in the Premier League. Ukraine The Ukrainian Premier League finished with the exact same top three for the third successive year, as Shakhtar Donetsk were champions ahead of Dynamo Kyiv and third-placed Metalist Kharkiv. Despite remaining unbeaten for the first 25 games of their campaign, Dynamo could not topple Shakhtar, whose 2-0 victory at home to their rivals in April played a major part in deciding the destination of the 2011/12 title. Mircea Lucescu’s side also completed the double by winning the cup after extra time against neighbours Metalurh Donetsk. Just four wins apiece meant PFK Olexandria and Obolon Kyiv were relegated, the former returning to the second division immediately after securing promotion the previous season and the latter bringing to an end a three-year spell in the Premier League.