31 May 2009 - Capo Di Tutti Capocannoniere

On 31 May 2009, Inter striker Zlatan Ibrahimović's 81st-minute backheel on Serie A's last day won the match and made him the season's top scorer.

Playing at home against mid-table Atalanta, Inter had already secured their fourth consecutive Scudetto (including the 2006 title, awarded to Inter after being stripped from Juventus due to a bribery scandal), starting the day 10 points clear of second-place finisher AC Milan.

The match began with a flurry of goals. Inter went ahead early with a Sulley Muntary goal in the 6th minute. But Atalanta's Cristiano Doni headed his team level four minutes later. Two minutes after that, Ibrahimović got onto the scoresheet, slipping behind the Atalanta defense to retrieve a lobbed ball and powering it low past keeper Andrea Consigli. The lead did not last long, however, as Luca Cigarini provided another equalizer for Atalanta in the 25th minute.

In the second half, Doni scored again--this time from a 25-yard free kick--to send the visitors ahead. Inter then equalized after an 80th-minute scramble in front of the Atalanta goal resulted in a driving shot from Esteban Cambiasso. Only one minute later, Ibrahimović, standing in front of the Atalanta goal, muscled a defender off the ball and slotted it home with a clever backheel.

In addition to securing the 4-3 victory, the goal was his 25th of the season, pushing him past Genoa's Diego Milito and Bologna's Marco Di Vaio--both of whom had 24--for the Capocannoniere as Serie A's top scorer.

30 May 1957 - For Fiorentina, It's Close But No Cigar

On 30 May 1957, Real Madrid won their second consecutive European Cup, beating Fiorentina 2-0.

Real Madrid were the defending champions while the Viola earned the right to participate in the tournament by winning their first Serie A title the previous season. That season heralded a rise in Fiorentina's fortunes that saw them finish in Italy's top two for the next four years.

Their success carried over into the European Cup, where they advanced to the Final with wins over IFK Norrköping, Grasshopper, and Red Star Belgrade, but once there, they ran into the European Cup buzzsaw that was Real Madrid. Madrid had won the inaugural European Cup the season before, and--despite needing a playoff against Rapid Wien to get out of the first round--rolled into the Final with victories over Nice and Manchester United.

Playing before a partisan crowd of 124,000 at Madrid's home ground, the Bernabéu, Fiorentina managed to keep the match close. Unlike the previous final, which Madrid won 4-3 over Stade de Reims, the 1957 Final was a defensive battle, with both sides struggling to create scoring chances. Madrid eventually caught a break when the referee awarded a 69th-minute penalty kick that midfielder Alfredo di Stéfano converted with ease. Six minutes later, forward Francisco Gento scored on a breakaway, chipping the ball over Fiorentina keeper Giuliano Sarti.

It was Fiorentina's last appearance in the European Cup/Champions League Final, while Madrid went on to win the next three. In all, they played in ten more and accumulated their current tally of nine titles. Fiorentina eventually won European glory, however, claiming the 1961 Cup Winners' Cup.

29 May 2006 - An Idea Ahead Of Its Time

On 29 May 2006, the Republic of St. Pauli and Gibraltar kicked off the FIFI Wild Cup with a 1-1 draw.

Organized by FC St. Pauli, the Wild Cup was an alternative tournament for nations excluded by FIFA, global football's governing body. The organizers openly mocked FIFA by creating a mock federation of their own named FIFI. Six teams participated, including Greenland, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Zanzibar, Tibet, and Gibraltar. The sixth team was FC St. Pauli, playing as the Republic of St. Pauli. The entire tournament was organized in under three months, despite token resistance from FIFA, the German football federation (who were hosting the World Cup later that summer), and China, who opposed Tibet's inclusion.

Played at St. Pauli's home ground, the Millerntor-Stadion in Hamburg, the opening match kicked off after an announcer declared it a "Sepp Blatter-free zone." After the 1-1 draw, St. Pauli went on to win their three-team group, but lost in the semifinals to Zanzibar, 1-2. Northern Cyprus, the other group winner, went on to beat Zanzibar in the final on penalties, 0-0 (4-1).

28 May 2003 - So The Lesson Is He Who Has Seedorf, Wins

On 28 May 2003, Juventus and AC Milan needed a penalty shootout to decide the first all-Italian Champions League Final.

Played before a crowd of 63,215 at Old Trafford in Manchester, the Final was only the second one in tournament history to pair teams from the same league--Real Madrid defeated Valencia in 2000. The Serie A race had officially ended four days prior with Juventus at the top of the table. Although they finished 11 points clear of third-place Milan, the two teams had split their two league meetings, with each team winning at home, 2-1.

The Final was even closer. The only real chance came from Milan striker Andriy Shevchenko, whose early goal wasruled out because his teammate Rui Costa had blocked the view of Juventus keeper Gianluigi Buffon from an offside position. They completed the first 120 minutes of play deadlocked at 0-0.

The shootout took place in front of the Juventus section. After four kicks each, Milan were up 1-2, with both Buffon and Milan keeper Dida making critical saves. Juventus forward and captain Alessandro Del Piero converted his team's last kick to level the score, putting the pressure on Milan's last kicker, Shevchenko. But the Ukrainian confidently stroked the ball past Buffon for the win, 0-0 (2-3).

Coincidentally, it was the third Champions League trophy for Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf, who had won it in 1995 with Ajax (against Milan) and in 1998 with Real Madrid (against Juventus).

27 May 2000 - A Century Of Silverware

On 27 May 2000, Rangers defeated Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup Final, making them the first club in the world to secure 100 major trophies.

Founded in 1872, Rangers started the 1999-2000 season with 98 major trophies, including 48 league titles, 28 Scottish Cups, 21 Scottish League Cups, and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. They had the chance to take four more trophies that season, but were eliminated from the Scottish League Cup and the UEFA Cup in December.

The focus on their two remaining competitions paid off--they clinched the league title on 22 April after Celtic's draw with Hibernian left the former 17 points adrift of Rangers with only five matches left to play. Rangers proceeded to finish 21 points clear of their Old Firm rivals in the final table.

That left the Scottish Cup Final, played before a crowd of over 50,000 at Hampden Park. Although Aberdeen had knocked Rangers out of the League Cup in the quarterfinals, 0-1 (aet), the Scottish Cup Final was not as close a contest. Rangers won 0-4 with goals from Giovanni van Bronckhorst (36'), Tony Vidmar (47'), Billy Dodds (50'), and Jörg Albertz (51').

Since then, Rangers have continued to add to their silverware collection with five more league titles, four more Scottish Cups, and one more League Cup.

26 May 1982 - "Oh It Must Be, And It Is!"

On 26 May 1982, Aston Villa won the European Cup over Bayern Munich with an outstanding performance from an unlikely hero.

Playing before a crowd of 45,000 at the Feyenoord Stadion in Rotterdam, Villa started the match as decided underdogs to three-time champion Bayern. And their hopes took another hit when their starting goalkeeper, Jimmy Rimmer, had to leave the match after only 10 minutes. He had injured his neck previously and was relying on painkillers to see him through the day, but he could not make it and had to withdraw. Villa sent on his replacement, 23-year old Nigel Spink. Despite joining the club in 1977, Spink had made only one other appearance with the first team.

His inexperience did not show, however, and he made several dazzling saves to deny the Germans, who boasted three of the tournament's top four scorers (Dieter Hoeness, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, and Paul Brietner).

Villa scored the day's only goal in the 67th minute. Forward Gary Shaw delivered a cutting pass down the left to midfielder Tony Morley, who dodged a couple of Bayern defenders and slipped the ball behind them and across the goalmouth. Forward Peter Withe was waiting there and tapped the ball into the net for the win. Commentator Brian Moore famously announced the goal by saying "Shaw, Williams, prepared to venture down the left. There's a good ball in for Tony Morley. Oh, it must be and it is! It's Peter Withe!"

Spink remained with Villa until 1996, making a total of 460 appearances before moving to West Brom.

25 May 1901 - Take Me To The River

On 25 May 1901, Club Atlético River Plate was founded in Buenos Aires. With a record 34 titles, they are the most successful team in Primera División history.

Named after the nearby Río de la Plata which separates Argentina from Brazil, River Plate won their first Primera División title in 1932 and added eleven more before the 1950s ended. Along the way, the club produced legendary players such as Omar Sivori and Alfredo di Stéfano, both of whom went on to star in Europe for Juventus and Real Madrid, respectively.

After a fallow period of almost twenty years, River Plate returned to their winning ways in 1975. But their greatest year was 1986, when they took an historic treble consisting of the league title, the Copa Liberatadores, and the Intercontinental Cup.

They maintain a fierce competition with fellow Buenos Aires club Boca Juniors. The derby, known as the Superclásico, is one of the most heated rivalries in sport. At present, Boca have a slight edge, with 124 wins to 107 for River Plate and 105 draws.