European Football Fixtures

Getting the correct dates and kick off times for European football fixtures may seem like a simple enough task, BUT BE WARNED - television companies have wreaked havoc with many European league's fixture lists, even more so than in England.

I once travelled all the way to Madrid for a Real v Racing Santander fixture in La Liga, only to arrive and find the match had been switched to the night before at the last minute! Something similar happened in Naples too. Unfortunately, you can't legislate for late alterations occurring once you've booked your trip. The best you can do is stay as up to date as possible, and, if you're going for the weekend, try and get there Saturday morning and don't leave until Monday.

The website of the club you are visiting is the most obvious place to check for dates and times. For a more general overview ESPNsoccernet covers schedules for leagues throughout Europe on one handy website.

European cup competitions and internationals are less susceptible to late changes and therefore easier to plan with confidence. Champions League, UEFA Cup and European Championship qualifying and tournament games can all be viewed at www.uefa.com. For the World Cup go to www.fifa.com.

For international friendlies consult the websites of the FA's involved.