Ballack: It comes down to character Michael Ballack rates as one of the best players to emerge from Germany over the last decade. He won 98 caps and captained his country, and also earned a veritable array of domestic honours with Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich and Chelsea. He led Germany to the runners-up spot at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™ and third place at the 2006 edition on home soil. The 35-year-old also captained his side to the final of UEFA EURO 2008, only to collect another runners-up medal. The three-time German footballer of the year and FIFA 100 member spoke to FIFA.com about the UEFA Champions League final between two of his former clubs - Bayern and Chelsea - his illustrious playing career and hunger for trophies, and about the German national team, who he rates among the hot favourites for EURO 2012. FIFA.com: Bayern Munich and Chelsea meet in the final of the Champions League on 19 May. You spent four years at each of the clubs, so is it a case of divided loyalties for you personally? Michael Ballack: You're right, it certainly is. I was very successful with both clubs and I have a lot of fond memories, so ideally, I'd like both Chelsea and also Bayern to win it. Bayern are rated slight favourites for the final, but what’s your opinion? Is it an advantage for Bayern to be playing at their home ground? Yes, I think so. We've never had this apparent advantage for one side in a Champions League final before. More than anything else, playing at home has to give you the emotional edge. Both clubs are without a handful of important players. How would you rate the selection situation for both sides? First of all, I reckon Chelsea's loss is greater than Bayern's. Chelsea are without all their regular centre backs and defensive midfielders. Compensating for that is a problem even for the Chelseas of this world. On the one hand, Bayern boss Jupp Heynckes is a veteran who's seen it all, but Chelsea's Roberto Di Matteo has much less coaching experience. How do you think the pair match up? Obviously, Jupp Heynckes is way ahead in terms of international experience, but on the other hand, the Chelsea players more than make up for that, so I think it all evens itself out. You appeared in the Champions League final on two occasions. What are the little things which will make the difference between winning and losing on 19 May? Actually, it all starts in the build-up. How do you spend the preceding days, how do you prepare yourself mentally for this kind of game? Both teams missed out on their respective league titles this season, so the match is even more important for the pair of them. Both sets of players have been focusing hard on this match for a number of weeks. Obviously, a lot depends on form on the day. Experience, nerves, and a fact we should never forget, a little bit of luck, all play a role. You can be as talented as you want, but there's no way round ambition, discipline, focus, and the desire to overcome difficulties and make the breakthrough. Michael Ballack Turning to you personally, did you ever dream of the career you've ended up having when you took up football as a seven-year-old in Chemnitz? Never, never in the slightest. In fact, your career was nearly over before it began, as you suffered a serious injury as a 16-year-old, and the doctors doubted you'd ever recover. That was certainly a career-defining experience. I realised how quickly it can all be over. Aside from that injury, how difficult was it to get to the top? What did you have to sacrifice to get to where you’ve ended up? You can be as talented as you want, but there's no way round ambition, discipline, focus, and the desire to overcome difficulties and make the breakthrough. It's a long road and it doesn't always go according to plan - it can't, in fact. So the decisive factor is character. Back in my school days, my friends would come home and go out to play. I went to football training. Later, when I was at a sports academy, every day consisted of school lessons and training. But I never saw that as making a sacrifice, because I was always happy to be playing and always enjoyed it. You have nothing left to prove now and you're a member of the FIFA 100. What does recognition like that mean to you? Naturally, it’s a great honour and I’m proud to be on the list. In Germany, you were very successful with Kaiserslautern and Bayern Munich. How important is winning trophies to a hugely ambitious professional footballer? Trophies are part of the game. You win some, you lose some. But fundamentally, I'm delighted my hobby became my job. I had the privilege of making a living from something I enjoy, and that's independent of whether you win things or not. I think there’s seldom been a Germany team so well prepared and with so much quality as the current one. Michael Ballack Following the 2006 FIFA World Cup, you realised your dream of playing abroad by joining Chelsea. How much did the experience of playing in west London bring you on as a player and a personality? Personally, going abroad was a very, very important step. I know I arrived in England as a seasoned pro, but I had to adapt and impose myself there. The spell in London was one of the best in my career. What are your plans once you finish playing? Football has always been a central part of my life, so it's unlikely I'll entirely turn my back on the game. Briefly turning to the German national team, no-one disputes your crucial role over the past decade or so. What would you say was your greatest success in a Germany shirt? To me personally, the greatest success was and is the fact that I played and proved myself at the highest level with Germany for 13 years. The national team has changed enormously since your debut in 1999. What's your take on the way things have developed? More and more really quick lads are coming through, which obviously means the coach can fall back on a huge reservoir of fabulously talented players. That's showing in the real quality in the national team at the moment. Germany have matured into a genuinely world-class team in recent years. Germany are among the favourites to triumph at EURO 2012. How do you think your former team-mates will get on? I think there’s seldom been a Germany team so well prepared and with so much quality as the current one. They come across as very harmonious and they’re in outstanding form, so they're obviously one of the hot favourites to win the trophy. Spain and the Netherlands rate as Germany's biggest rivals. Which other countries do you think could make an impact? I was very impressed with France when they played Germany recently. And let's wait and see how the host nations get on. I think you can put them down as dark horses

Icons, excitement and invincibility ( Trophies and titles dominate FIFA.com’s latest stats review, with the silverware-securing feats of Neymar and Radamel Falcao featuring alongside landmark successes for Galatasaray, Juventus and the blue half of Manchester. 42 efforts on goal to QPR’s three was Manchester City’s tally going into stoppage time on Sunday, and yet still – despite also showing 19 corners to the Londoners’ none - they trailed 2-1. It was at this desperate moment, with the title seemingly destined to remain at Old Trafford, that the most dramatic of conclusions unfolded, as Edin Dzeko equalised with City's 43rd effort before Sergio Aguero sparked delirium with their 44th – securing, ironically, City’s first title in 44 years. Aguero’s championship-clincher was his 23rd Premier League goal of the season, equalling the club record tally of Carlos Tevez from the 2009/10 campaign. It was also the 1,065th of the 2011/12 Premier League, the highest tally ever recorded in a 20-team season. A little bit of history was also made by Yaya Toure, who became the first player to win the Premier League title on his birthday. 29 UEFA Europa League appearances, 29 goals: that was the incredible record with which Radamel Falcao exited last Wednesday’s tournament finale. The Colombian emerged as the star of Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao, becoming just the second player – after Ronaldo with Inter Milan in 1997 and Barcelona in 1998 – to score in successive European finals for different teams. With 34 goals overall, Falcao also became, alongside Sonny Anderson, the joint-seventh highest-scoring South American in European competition, and is now within two of Mario Jardel and O Fenômeno himself. Yet it is in the Europa League that Falcao is peerless, with his tally of 29 establishing a massive lead over his closest challengers in the rebranded competition: Oscar Cardozo, Fernando Llorente and Giuseppe Rossi, all of whom have 13. The former Porto striker also helped Atletico set a new record, with their 12th successive win in European competition allowing them to surpass a Barcelona benchmark established between 2002 and 2003. 23 wins and 15 draws are the results that enabled Juventus to become the first team to survive an entire 20-team Serie A campaign without tasting defeat. Perugia emerged unbeaten from the 1978/79 season, as did AC Milan in 1991/92, but over fewer matches: 30 and 34 respectively. Juve also set a new record for fewest goals conceded, with their meagre goals against record of 20 leaving them four better off than Modena in 1946/47, Juventus in 2005/06 and Milan in 2010/11. As for their beloved captain, Alessandro Del Piero, he marked his 704th appearance with his 289th goal, 188 of which have come in Serie A – moving him into joint-eighth alongside Giuseppe Signori in the league's all-time list. 20 goals and eight assists were contributed by Neymar in 16 appearances during their successful Campeonato Paulista campaign. The Brazilian prodigy, who has scored 27 times in 24 outings since the turn of the year, was crucial to O Peixe securing two notable continental and regional triumphs over the past week. The first came last Thursday, when they advanced to the Copa Libertadores quarter-finals with a remarkable 8-0 victory over Bolivar, equalling their biggest-ever win in the tournament: a 9-1 trouncing of Cerro Porteno 50 years ago. Neymar scored his 105th and 106th Santos goals in that match to become the club’s top scorer in the post-Pele era, and went on to add another couple on Sunday – having also scored twice in the first leg – as his team ran out 7-2 aggregate victors over Guarani in the Campeonato Paulista final. The youngster’s goals helped Santos become the first team since 1969 - when they themselves achieved the feat - to win three successive Campeonato Paulista titles, and unsurprisingly secured him the player of the tournament award for the third year running. 18 Turkish league titles have now been won by Galatasaray, enabling the Istanbul giants to equal the record tally of their bitter rivals, Fenerbahce. In a tense climax to the season, Gala – who failed to win any of their last three matches – drew 0-0 with Fener, their closest title challengers, to hold on to a slender one-point lead. Fatih Terim’s side duly became the fourth team in as many seasons to win the Turkish championship – the first time such a sequence has ever been seen in the top flight.

Juve Champions Juventus broke AC Milan's record of 42 matches unbeaten and finished the league season undefeated with a 3-1 win over Atalanta on Sunday. It was also the perfect send-off after 19 years with the Old Lady for club captain Alessandro Del Piero, who took the armband for the final time in a Serie A game in Juve's colours and netted his team's second goal. Youngster Luca Marrone scored the opener and Andrea Barzagli netted a last-minute penalty as Juve finished the season with 84 points, four clear of last year's champions Milan. The only blips were a late own goal from Stephan Lichsteiner and an injury to centre-back Giorgio Chiellini that could put his UEFA EURO 2012 participation at risk. The victory meant Juve took their unbeaten run in all competitions to 43 games, including the final match of last season, a record for an Italian team. They also produced the first unbeaten Serie A campaign since Milan in 1992, and the first since Italy moved from an 18 to a 20-team league. "The aim was to remain unbeaten and to celebrate with our own fans," said coach Antonio Conte. "We managed that and that had never happened in a 20-team league. This is a legendary season because in the future no-one will ever be able to beat what we've done, only equal it. No-one ever gave us anything and that's reason for great pride. "Del Piero played like a champion once again, but I told him the season isn't over because he must be decisive again on Sunday in the Italian Cup final against Napoli." If they avoid defeat in next weekend's final they will become the first team to go an entire season unbeaten in league and cup, although they were helped by not playing in Europe. The aim was to remain unbeaten and to celebrate with our own fans. Antonio Conte, Juventus coach Inzaghi bags Milan winner AC Milan finished their season with a the perfect party scenario as 38-year-old Filippo Inzaghi scored the winner on his 300th and final appearance for the club before retiring in a 2-1 win over relegated Novara. "I'm spent, now it's hard to give up everything, my legs are there, I don't have any pain," said the man of the moment. "After the cruciate knee ligament operation I got well again. Playing a long way from Milan is so hard, but I will return to this club." With popular stalwarts Inzaghi, Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta all making their final bow in a Milan shirt, this match took time to come to life. Gattuso captained the side, but looked a shadow of his former self while the biggest cheer of the afternoon was reserved for Inzaghi's entry from the bench. It was Inzaghi's 156th goal in Serie A and just to top things off, it was fellow veteran Clarence Seedorf who played the pass. Udinese clinch third spot Udinese secured third place and the final UEFA Champions League qualification position with a 2-0 win at Catania. Emblematic captain Antonio Di Natale gave them a 19th-minute lead on a lightning counter-attack and Diego Fabbrini sealed the victory in the 58th minute. That result rendered Lazio's 3-1 win over Inter Milan meaningless, although that was enough to finish fourth. Diego Milito gave the visitors the lead from the penalty spot, but goals from Libor Kozak, Andrea Candreva and Stefano Mauri gave the Romans victory. Napoli finished fifth, just above Inter, after their 2-1 win over Siena. Lecce joined Cesena and Novara in Serie B after their 1-0 defeat at Chievo. Needing to win and for Genoa to lose, they could not have survived anyway as Genoa beat Palermo 2-0.

Real , Villarreal Champions Real Madrid defeat Real Mallorca 4-1 on Sunday to break the 100-point barrier on the final day of La Liga season as Villarreal sensationally slipped through the relegation trapdoor. Mesut Ozil scored twice while Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema also hit the target as Jose Mourinho's Real smashed Barcelona's previous record of 99 points from the 2009/10 season. The Santiago Bernabeu was given the first chance to celebrate Mourinho's first Spanish title as coach of Real and resonated with a celebratory atmosphere to see captain Iker Casillas lift the trophy after the match. Mallorca needed a win to qualify for next season's UEFA Europa League and battled hard against a Real side who claimed their 32nd Spanish title two games ago. Ronaldo headed home an 18th-minute opener and two minutes later Benzema finished off a swift passing move after receiving a Ronaldo pass to double the lead. Ozil produced a delightful chip for the third on 50 minutes before Chori Castro pulled one back. German international Ozil added his second when he guided home a long cross from Marcelo eight minutes later. Champions League for Malaga Jose Rondon scored the goal to help Malaga beat Sporting Gijon 1-0 and guarantee their first ever qualification for the UEFA Champions League. Defeat for Sporting, meanwhile, has sent them down to second division after four successive seasons in the top flight. The Andalusian side started the stronger and Juan Pablo in the visitors' goal had to make an acrobatic save from Eliseu on 17 minutes. Then Rondon hit the post with a powerful header, and with the game goalless at the interval, Malaga's dream was on hold. However, it was Rondon who headed home a corner on 49 minutes to ease the nerves and send the packed Rosaleda crowd into celebration. Algerian striker Abdelkader Ghezzal scored twice to help Levante to a 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao and reward their magnificent season with a Europa League place. He raced onto a long ball from centre-half Gustavo Cabral to lob over the advancing Bilbao goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz on the stroke of half-time for his first. Jose Barkero supplied him for the second and Francisco Farinos got a last minute penalty to send Levante into European competition for the first time. Villarreal relegated At the bottom, Villarreal were relegated along with Sporting in a dramatic 90 minutes in which any two of five teams were facing the drop. Villarreal lost 1-0 at home to Atletico Madrid for whom Gustavo Falcao scored with two minutes remaining to condemn last season's Europa League semi-finalists to the second-tier for the first time since 1998/99. Marco Ruben and Marcos Senna went close from distance in a first half in which the team battling relegation were the stronger. All seemed under control until Falcao headed home and almost immediately a goal from Raul Tamudo for Rayo Vallecano at home to Granada turned things around completely. Until that stage, Rayo Vallecano were in the relegation zone and 60 seconds from the drop. Veteran striker Tamudo came off the bench to prod home a header from close range to send Villarreal to the second division and save the tiny club from the south of Madrid. Antonio Galdeano 'Apono' and Hector Postiga gave Zaragoza the 2-0 win they needed at eight-man Getafe and finish a miraculous end of season in which they won eight out of the last 11 games to guarantee safety. The home side had Pablo Sarabia sent off for two yellow cards within seconds for protesting on 25 minutes. In the second half, Miguel Torres was also sent off for a handball in the area and Apono hit home from the spot. Zaragoza lost a man late on when substitute Tomislav Dujmovic was dismissed before Miku left the home side with eight players and Postiga scored a last minute second to seal their survival.

The 2012 AFC Champions League Nine places in the knockout stage are still up for grab as group campaign goes down to the wire on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the continent's west, Saudi giants Al Hilal are hoping to join compatriots Al Ittihad and Al Ahli in the Round of 16, while Iranian duo Persepolis and Esteghlal are also strongly favoured to qualify from their respective sections. In the east, all four Korea Republic representatives are hopeful of advancing and, while 2008 winners Gamba Osaka have been eliminated, Japan’s Nagoya Grampus are on the verge of progression. Meanwhile, J.League champions Kashiwa Reysol need to defeat in-form Jeonbuk Motors and hope other results go their way. Elsewhere, Guangzhou Evergrande are the only Chinese side still in contention, while Bunyodkor face a must-win at home against Pohang Steelers. Join FIFA.com as we preview in detail the showdowns across Asia. The match Buriram United-Guangzhou Evergrande When Group H bottom side Buriram United line up with second-placed Guangzhou Evergrande on Tuesday both sides know that they are on the threshold of history. The Thai hosts can seal their first-ever place in the Round of 16 if they win and Kashiwa Reysol drop points against leaders Jeonbuk Motors. The visitors, for their part, can secure qualification with a victory, while a point may be enough to take the Chinese debutants through as long as Jeonbuk avoid defeat against Kashiwa. Added to the home support, Buriram coach Attaphol Puspakom's side can take heart from their early form which saw them stun Kashiwa and Guangzhou, although they must make do without suspended Cameroonian defender Yves Hermann Ekwala. In order to rest his key players, Guangzhou coach Lee Jang-Soo fielded a second-string line-up in Friday's 3-1 defeat by Dalian Shide. However, there are still concerns for the Korean coach with first-choice goalkeeper Yan Jun serving a suspension and striking-ace Muriqui nursing a hamstring strain. Meanwhile, top-scorer Dario Conca is likely to miss the showdown as a result of internal disciplinary action. In the sections other match, Jeonbuk need just a point at home to make it through to the knockout stage for a third consecutive time. The other attractions Group A's Esteghlal finished third in the Iranian league on Friday, narrowly behind runners-up Teraktor Sazi on goal difference and just a point adrift of champions Sepahan. However, they have plenty of reason for optimism with a draw at the already-eliminated Nasaf enough to seal second spot behind Al Jazira, who face a determined Al Rayyan. Iranian hopes lie on the shoulders of top-striker Arash Borhani, who netted a brace in their 3-0 defeat of Al Rayyan in the previous round, before again being twice on target as they fired three unanswered goals past Naft Tehran. Similarly, Group B's Bani Yas need just a home draw against Pakhtakor to secure the runners-up place behind group winners Al Ittihad. However, the United Arab Emirates heavyweights must remain wary of their opponents’ recent form, having thrashed Mashal Mubarek on Thursday to move third in the domestic league standings. Leading second-placed Persepolis by a point courtesy of their previous 1-0 win in Tehran, Group D front-runners Al Hilal know a draw against third-placed Al Gharafa at home is enough to take them through. The Saudi giants can even make it through with a defeat should Persepolis fail to win at the eliminated Al Shabab. Despite finishing a humble 12th place in the Iranian league, Persepolis' chances in the continental competition look bright as a triumph over the bottom side can seal passage regardless of the other result. Group E's Bunyodkor face a straightforward scenario with nothing less than three points at home against Pohang Steelers enough to salvage their hopes. Boasting a 2-0 away win in the previous meeting, the Uzbek enter the re-match boosted by their recent 2-0 defeat of Olmaliq which saw them return to the summit of the local standings. Pohang, meanwhile, travel to Tashkent hoping to push aside some recent lacklustre form. The other game of the pool pits the qualified Adelaide United against the already-out Gamba Osaka, with the former seeking to win the group with an away victory. Sharing Group G's top place level on seven points, Seongnam and Nagoya can both progress with a point each against Tianjin Teda and Central Coast Mariners respectively. Should both lose, Seongnam can advance alongside Central Coast on goal difference at the expanse of the Japanese. Player to watch Buriram's Cameroonian striker Franck Ohandza completed a brace despite losing to Jeonbuk 3-2 on matchday 4. The 20-year-old's goalscoring form could be the key as the Thai champions aim to become the first side from their country to reach the knockout stage since 2003. The stat 4 - Having dominated the group campaign in the past two editions, K-League sides are likely to see their four representatives through to the knockout stage for a second time. What they said "For me, this game is as big as a grand final and to get into the second round of the Asian Champions League would be a fantastic achievement. The players know how big this game is so we'll be ready," Central Coast coach Graham Arnold AFC Champions League Matchday 6 fixtures 15-16 May Group A: Nasaf-Esteghlal, Al Rayyan-Al Jazira Group B: Bani Yas-Pakhtakor, Al Ittihad-Al Arabi Group C: Lekhwiya-Al Nasr, Sepahan-Al Ahli Group D: Al Hilal-Al Gharafa, Al Shabab-Persepolis Group E: Bunyodkor-Pohang Steelers, Gamba Osaka-Adelaide United Group F: Brisbane Roar-Beijing Guoan, Ulsan Hyundai-FC Tokyo Group G: Nagoya Grampus-Central Coast Mariners, Tianjin Teda-Seongnam Ilhwa Group H: Jeonbuk Motors-Kashiwa Reysol, Buriram United-Guangzhou Evergrande

The CAF Champions League, but there were major wins for a pair of west African clubs as Sunshine Stars and Berekum Chelsea reached the group stage in their debut in the continent's most prestigious club competition. Game of the week Coton Sport 1-2 Berekum Chelsea The rising Ghanaian club with the English name continued their improbable run by knocking out the 2008 finalists 2-1 in the match and on aggregate. After winning their first domestic championship last term, Chelsea have reached the group stage of the Champions League at first shot and keep alive the possibility of what would be a true Cinderella trip to the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. The goal heroes were captain Mohammed Abdul Basit and 24-year-old striker Emmanuel Clottey, who now has six tallies to lead the competition. The surprise AFAD Djekanou 1-0 Etoile du Sahel It would have been a far greater surprise had AFAD Djekanou completely reversed their 4-1 first leg loss to Etoile du Sahel, but a single-goal victory in Abidjan is encouraging enough for the Ivorians. Founded less than a decade ago, the club gave a good accounting in their second attempt against the three-time finalists from Tunisia. The hosts controlled most of the possession in the match, and they won the day, if not the tie, through promising defender Henri-Joel Konan. After the match, coach Cesar Lambert Amani Yao lamented AFAD's lack of cutting edge and big-match experience, but the Ivorians and the other seven losing teams in this round have a spot in the CAF Confederation Cup as consolation. Other matches TP Mazembe kept up their streak of fine continental performances with a 1-1 draw at Al Merreikh on a steamy Saturday night. After a 2-0 win in the first leg, the Congolese kept their cool despite intense pressure from Sudanese supporters and the opposition. Two Zambians combined for the goal as Rainford Kalaba set up Nathan Sinkala to fatally wound the hosts, who got a consolation with 20 minutes remaining from Kelechi Osunwa. Al Hilal, Sudan's other representatives, also went out after two 1-1 draws against ASO Chlef sent them into a penalty shoot-out. The Algerians were on top of the spot kicks from the off and won 4-2 to reach the group stage for the first time. Holders Esperance danced with Dynamos in a second leg that was a foregone conclusion after a 6-0 throttling in the first leg. But with little to lose the teams played out an entertaining 1-1 draw in Harare. The hosts hit the woodwork in the first half before Khaled Ayari made the score 7-0 on aggregate although Denver Mukamba did save some face for the Zimbabweans. The other clubs will no doubt be anxious to avoid the Tunisians in Tuesday's draw, but one team that feels they have nothing to lose is Sunshine Stars, who overcame a 4-1 first leg loss to Recreativo do Libolo in the last round. The Nigerian debutants showed confidence in packing away Mali's Djoliba with a 1-0 home win after a 1-1 first leg, with both goals from attacking midfielder Izu Azuka. Playing in an empty stadium, Zamalek booked their first group place since 2008 with a second 2-0 win over Maghreb de Fes. The Whites held their heads on the pitch against 10 men despite headlines made for the wrong reason after native talent Shikbala lashed out at veteran coach Hassan Shehata upon being substituted. Another Cairo team with internal strife, Al Ahly meet Stade Malien in Monday's delayed final match as the Egyptian giants must overcome a 1-0 loss they suffered in Bamako a fortnight ago. Player of the week In-form Karim Ali Hadji scored the equaliser in both of Chlef's rugged 1-1 draws with Hilal. His close-range header late on in the second leg was surely enough to gloss over missing the side's only penalty in the shoot-out. The stat 10 – The number of matchdays left in the CAF Champions League. The competition takes almost two months off before returning with six group matches and then a two-legged semi-final and final. What they said “It was a busy match that tested us in a variety of ways, particularly in defence as Dynamos attacked throughout the game. We are happy with the result, but we will need to get better if we are to be champions again,” Esperance coach Michel Decastel. Have your say What has been the biggest surprise of the CAF Champions League so far?

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors have earned the status of perennial challengers to win the AFC Champions League after winning the competition in 2006 and finishing runners-up last season. They have successfully shaken off the unwanted tag of underdogs on the domestic stage in the process, claiming the K-League titles in 2009 and 2011. Even when they were pitted in a tough group containing the champions of China PR, Japan and Thailand earlier this year, few expected that the Motors would fall at the first hurdle despite the departure of long-serving coach Choi Kang-Hee in December. But as it turned out, the Korea Republic champions suffered an inexplicable slump under caretaker boss Lee Heung-Sil. The side fell to a 5-1 defeat at home against Guangzhou Evergrande, before going down by the same scoreline at the hands of Kashiwa Reysol in March. Those disappointing results were partly due to their lack of depth in defence in particular, where they struggled to fill the void left by injured captain Cho Sung-Hwan. In his absence, veteran midfielder Kim Sang-Sik wore the armband to lead the Motors’ rearguard, with striker Jeong Shung-Hoon even tested in the centre of defence in some of the K-League matches. At the opposite end, centre forward Lee Dong-Gook remained uncharacteristically silent on the continental front, while setting all kinds of scoring records in the domestic league. Arguably the most disappointed among the Jeonbuk players was inspirational midfielder Eninho. “We were one of the best teams in Asia and were confident after winning the national championship as well,” he told FIFA.com as he recalled the catastrophic start to the continental championship. “Probably we were overconfident. We thought we could beat any opponents we play against because we were strong. Such humiliating defeats came as a rude awakening for us, and we had to start over from square one.” From bottom to top Little hope seemed to be left for Jeonbuk ahead of their visit to surprise packages Buriram United, who had defeated Kashiwa and Guangzhou to sit comfortably on top of the section. Against all the odds, however, the Motors geared up on the road by beating Buriram 2-0 and then came from behind to defeat the Thais 3-2 with Lee Dong-Gook twice on target in the reverse fixture at home. “It’s true that we also needed some time to adapt to the style of our new coach, which was slightly different from the one of our former boss,” Eninho explained. “But basically there was no big change in between as long as we stuck to attacking football, and we managed to regroup and believe in ourselves again.” Jeonbuk went on to continue their habit of impressive comebacks winning their penultimate group match against Guangzhou earlier this month. Lee Sung-Hyun cancelled out the hosts’ opening goal in the first half, and despite being down to ten men midway through the second period, the Motors snatched all three points thanks to a quick-fire brace from Lee Dong-Gook deep into stoppage time. It was not only sweet revenge for Jeonbuk, who with the result moved into pole position in Group H, but also a turning point for their top marksman. Lee struck four times on his Asian debut in 2010 before finishing as the competition’s top scorer with nine goals last season. And four goals so far this term has taken his overall tally to 17, just one shy of the milestone set by Leandro. But for all these records, Jeonbuk’s priority is to win their group to gain home advantage in the one-off Round of 16 at the end of this month. Next up for the Motors is the final group game at home against Kashiwa on Tuesday. “We won’t know the winners of this group until tomorrow’s match has finished,” coach Lee Heung-Sil said during the pre-match press conference on Monday. “Since we lost 5-1 to Kashiwa on the road they have the upper hand on goal difference. But we’ll play at home tomorrow and try to take all three points to get through.”