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Manchester United FC

Formed: 1878
Nickname: The Red Devils

UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)• European Champion Clubs' Cup: 1968, 1999, 2008, (2009, 2011)
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1991
• UEFA Super Cup: 1991, (1999), (2008)

Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)• League title: 19 (2011)
• FA Cup: 11 (2004)
• League Cup: 4 (2010)

History• United were formed in 1878 as Newton Heath L&YR FC, a railway works side which joined the English Football League in 1892. The club claimed a place in the First Division in 1906, and in 1907/08 they brought home their first championship before an inaugural FA Cup win in 1909. The next year United moved to Old Trafford and reclaimed the league trophy in their first season at the ground.

• A period of relative mediocrity followed, but the club were transformed forever by the appointment of Matt Busby as manager in 1945. The Scot developed a team of youngsters who went on to become English champions three times in the 1950s, yet the Busby Babes era ended prematurely with the Munich air disaster of 6 February 1958 which claimed the lives of 21 people, including eight players.

• Busby himself had to recover from serious injuries before rebuilding the squad. The FA Cup was recaptured in 1963 after a 15-year gap, then the league in 1964/65 and 1966/67. Busby's crowning glory came when a team featuring Bobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law became the first English side to lift the European Champion Clubs' Cup, although the injured Law missed the victory against SL Benfica in the 1968 Wembley final.

• Busby finally stood down in 1971 and proved a hard act to follow until the arrival of Alex Ferguson in 1986, the latter's first trophy arriving with the 1990 FA Cup. United followed up with the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup the next season.

• After bringing in Eric Cantona, Sir Alex's team ended a 26-year wait by claiming an eighth league title in the inaugural Premier League season of 1992/93. The new competition suited United, who went on to become a hugely dominant force in the domestic game while returning to the European summit in their treble-winning 1998/99 campaign and again in 2007/08. By winning the league for the 19th time in 2010/11, the Red Devils surpassed Liverpool FC as the most successful club in English football.

Club recordsMost appearances: Ryan Giggs (909)*
Most goals: Bobby Charlton (249)
Record victory: United 10-0 RSC Anderlecht (European Champion Clubs' Cup, 26 September 1956)
Record defeat: 7-0 on three occasions, most recently at Wolverhampton Wanderers FC (League, 26 December 1931)

Fit Fletcher keen to show United all-round worth

Manchester United FC's Darren Fletcher tells the latest edition of Champions Matchday about his return from illness and what it takes to become an all-round midfielder.

When Manchester United FC announced in December 2011 that Darren Fletcher would be taking an "extended break" from football because he was suffering from a bowel disease, many feared the Scotland captain had played his last game.

So that is why there was such a huge cheer at Old Trafford on matchday one when Fletcher came on for Paul Scholes in the second half against Galatasaray AŞ. "The condition never goes away and that's the thing I have to live with," Fletcher said of his illness. "Every day is a battle for me. I have to watch my diet and take certain medication or it could come back again."

Fletcher's return is perfectly timed. United have many creative players – Shinji Kagawa, Tom Cleverley and Ryan Giggs among them – but their midfield has been crying out for an organiser in the Roy Keane mould. A fit Fletcher, who admits he was a target for Keane's famously fierce, yet constructive, criticism whenever they trained together at United, could suit the job.

The Scottish international has been at the club since he was 11. Given he is the epitome of professional focus – his entire lifetime consumption of alcohol amounts to half a pint of cider – it is easy to see why Sir Alex Ferguson puts so much faith in him. Now 28, Fletcher made his United debut in 2003 yet came into his own in the 2008/09 season, when he started 42 games. Since then he has become increasingly influential and more rounded as a player.

"I decided I needed to see more of the ball and get more goals," he said. "I knew I could be a good team-mate, but I could also run beyond the strikers, make passes and get goals. I could become an all-rounder and not just think about what I'd do when we didn't have the ball."

Fletcher's hero as a child was Fernando Redondo, whom he watched hold Argentina's midfield together at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Not an obvious role model for a young footballer, perhaps, but it is telling that Redondo, an elegant defensive midfielder who added an attacking dimension to his game, caught Fletcher's eye.

Another key part of his make-up is his big-match temperament. He insists he gets excited about the marquee fixtures, not nervous, and is proud that no player has ever "torn him to shreds" in a high-profile game. Yet the most important ties have eluded him.

Suspension kept him out of the 2009 UEFA Champions League final defeat by FC Barcelona and illness cut short his campaign two years later, sidelining him for the final against the same opponents. Could Fletcher be United's missing ingredient? If he stays fit and well, we may be about to find out.

Season over for United's Fletcher after surgery

Manchester United FC will be without Darren Fletcher until the summer after he had surgery to cure the bowel condition that caused him to miss a large part of last season.

Manchester United FC's Scottish international midfielder Darren Fletcher has had surgery to resolve his ulcerative colitis condition and will miss the remainder of the season.

The Premier League leaders said the operation had been planned to take place at an "optimal time" and "in the best interests of his long-term health", adding: "We look forward to him returning next season with this problem firmly behind him."

Fletcher's struggle with the chronic inflammatory bowel condition caused the 28-year-old to take a break from first-team football between December 2011 and his comeback appearance against Galatasaray AŞ in September. He has featured ten times for Manchester United this season – including five UEFA Champions League group stage outings – and on three occasions for Scotland.

"Darren has trained with the team regularly this season and has been available for selection right up to the operation," United said.

Ronaldo reunion takes top billing at Bernabéu

Real Madrid CF and Manchester United FC meet in a mouthwatering last-16 showdown lent extra spice by the presence of Old Trafford old boy Cristiano Ronaldo in the home ranks.

Real Madrid CF and Manchester United FC will square off in a much-anticipated last-16 showdown lent extra spice by the presence of Old Trafford old boy Cristiano Ronaldo in the home ranks.

• The sight of Ronaldo facing United for the first time since his departure adds another layer of intrigue to a contest pairing clubs who have met four times previously in the European Cup – with the winners going on to lift the trophy on three occasions.

• It is also an opportunity for José Mourinho to renew his rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson. Although United reached the round of 16 as Group H winners, Group D runners-up Madrid have won eight of their last nine UEFA Champions League home fixtures and can draw further encouragement from the fact United have conceded first in their last five European outings.

Previous meetings
• Madrid came out on top in three of the clubs' four previous encounters – in the semi-finals in 1956/57 and quarter-finals in 1999/2000 and 2002/03 – with United prevailing in the 1967/68 semi-finals.

• Madrid triumphed 6-5 on aggregate in their most recent encounter. Vicente del Bosque's side emerged 3-1 winners from the first leg at the Bernabéu, Luís Figo and Raúl González (2) scoring before Ruud van Nistelrooy pulled a goal back.

• The Brazilian Ronaldo struck a hat-trick in the Old Trafford return where United fought back to win 4-3 through two goals from substitute David Beckham on a night where Van Nistelrooy and Iván Helguera (own goal) also found the net.

• The lineups from that last meeting on 23 April 2003 were:
Man Utd: Barthez, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Brown, Silvestre (P Neville 79), Verón (Beckham 63), Butt, Keane (Fortune 82), Giggs, Van Nistelrooy, Solskjær.
Madrid: Casillas, Salgado, Hierro, Helguera, Roberto Carlos, Zidane, McManaman (Portillo 69), Figo (Pavón 88), Makelele, Ronaldo (Solari 67), Guti.

• In the 1999/2000 quarter-finals, eventual champions Madrid advanced 3-2 on aggregate as they followed up a goalless home draw by taking a 3-0 lead in Manchester through Roy Keane's own goal and a Raúl double, before Beckham and Paul Scholes replied for the then holders. Ryan Giggs and Iker Casillas also featured.

• United have a history of comebacks in this fixture. After George Best had scored the only goal of their 1967/68 semi-final first leg at Old Trafford, they trailed Madrid 3-1 at half-time in the return but goals by David Sadler and Bill Foulkes earned a 4-3 aggregate victory and United went on to lift the trophy for the first time.

• Madrid won the first-ever meeting 5-3 on aggregate to reach the 1956/57 final. The Merengues overcame Matt Busby's men 3-1 at home and then led 2-0 away before United battled back to 2-2.

Match background
• Madrid have already got the better of United's neighbours in this season's group stage. Mourinho's side earned a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Manchester City FC at home on matchday one, Ronaldo delivering the 90th-minute winner, then drew 1-1 away.

• The Spanish champions' home record against England clubs is W6 D4 L2. The last English visitors to beat them were Liverpool FC, 1-0 victors at this stage in 2008/09.

• United exited last term's UEFA Europa League after home and away defeats by Athletic Club, and also lost their most recent UEFA Champions League encounter with Liga opposition – 3-1 against FC Barcelona in the 2011 final at Wembley.

• United's record away to Liga clubs is W2 D8 L10. Their last success came at Valencia CF in the 2010/11 UEFA Champions League group stage, Javier Hernández scoring the only goal.

• Madrid lost the 1981 European Champion Clubs' Cup final to Liverpool and the 1971 European Cup Winners' Cup final to Chelsea FC.

• United lost UEFA Champions League finals against Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 having beaten the same opponents in the 1991 European Cup Winners' Cup final. Sir Alex oversaw Aberdeen FC's 2-1 defeat of Madrid in the 1983 Cup Winners' Cup final – his first European trophy.

Team ties
• Mourinho has faced United twice before at this stage of the UEFA Champions League, starting with Porto's success in the 2003/04 round of 16 en route to winning the trophy. A side including Ricardo Carvalho earned a 2-1 advantage at home before securing a 3-2 aggregate win as Costinha cancelled out a Scholes goal with a 90th-minute equaliser in Manchester.

• Mourinho's FC Internazionale Milano lost to United in the 2008/09 last 16. After a goalless first leg, Inter succumbed 2-0 at Old Trafford, Nemanja Vidić and Ronaldo scoring.

• In between Mourinho enjoyed a good run of results against United as Chelsea manager, his Stamford Bridge reign starting with a 1-0 home victory over Sir Alex's United on 15 August 2004. During three years in London, Mourinho's record against United was W5 D4 L1, with the FA Community Shield in August 2007 counting as a draw having finished 1-1 before United prevailed on penalties.

• Mourinho's Chelsea team, including Michael Essien, were 1-0 extra-time winners against United in the 2007 FA Cup final. Rio Ferdinand, Vidić, Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, Scholes, Giggs and Wayne Rooney all played for United.

• Ronaldo spent six seasons with United between 2003 and 2009. He scored 118 goals in 292 games, winning one UEFA Champions League and three Premier League titles, as well as one FA Cup and two League Cups.

• Ronaldo played in two UEFA Champions League finals with United. He scored in the 1-1 draw against Carvalho and Essien's Chelsea in Moscow in 2008, where United triumphed on penalties although Ronaldo failed from the spot. Twelve months later, his final United appearance ended in defeat by Barcelona in Rome.

• Essien was in the Olympique Lyonnais side that met United in the 2003/04 group stage, earning a 2-2 home draw before a 2-1 away loss.

• Xabi Alonso had to wait until his fifth and final season with Liverpool, 2008/09, before tasting victory over United – his solitary success in seven attempts. Álvaro Arbeloa lost all three games against United as a Liverpool player.

• Luka Modrić won none of his eight meetings with United while at Tottenham Hotspur FC between 2008 and 2012. In his first campaign he lost the League Cup final on penalties and scored to put Spurs 2-0 up at Old Trafford in a league match they eventually lost 5-2.

• Kaká was in the Milan side that overcame United in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League round of 16 and, two seasons later, scored three goals as Milan defeated United 5-3 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

• As a Club Atlético de Madrid player, David de Gea conceded 11 goals in five straight derby losses to the Merengues.

• Spain's Casillas, Sergio Ramos and Alonso won the 2010 FIFA World Cup final at the expense of Robin van Persie's Netherlands. The following season Van Persie faced Barcelona with Arsenal FC in the UEFA Champions League round of 16, scoring in a 2-1 first-leg victory but receiving a red card in a 3-1 second-leg defeat.

• Wayne Rooney was in the England side beaten 4-1 by Sami Khedira and Mesut Özil's Germany in the round of 16 of the 2010 World Cup. Khedira and Özil had previously helped Germany win the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with a 4-1 final triumph over England in which Özil scored.

• Jonny Evans's Northern Ireland frustrated Ronaldo and Pepe's Portugal in a 1-1 2014 World Cup qualifying draw in Porto in October.

• Brazil's Rafael made his senior international debut in a May 2012 friendly against Denmark alongside Marcelo.

Silva goals aid Manchester City cause

David Silva earned Manchester City FC their sixth win in seven league games, Loïc Rémy scored a debut goal for Queens Park Rangers FC and Liverpool FC put five past Norwich City FC.

Manchester City FC moved to within four points of the Premier League summit after a 2-0 home victory against Fulham FC, on a day when Loïc Rémy struck on his debut for Queens Park Rangers FC.

Roberto Mancini's team recorded their sixth win in seven top-flight games thanks to David Silva, who scored the first of his two goals after just 95 seconds. Leaders Manchester United FC can restore their seven-point cushion on Sunday, when Arsenal FC face Chelsea FC, at Tottenham Hotspur FC. 

Rémy, a €9.5m signing from Olympique de Marseille earlier in the week, took 14 minutes to open his QPR account, only for Joe Cole to earn hosts West Ham United FC a point in the east-west London derby.

Harry Redknapp's bottom-placed side are four points behind three clubs, one of whom, Wigan Athletic FC, lost 3-2 at home to Sunderland AFC. Another, Reading FC, came from behind to prevail 2-1 at Newcastle United FC, who are nervously looking over their shoulders in 16th position.

Elsewhere, Swansea City AFC (3-1) and Liverpool FC (5-0) recorded home victories against Stoke City FC and Norwich City FC respectively. West Bromwich Albion FC fought back from two goals down to deny relegation-threatened Aston Villa FC a vital win in the late fixture.

Team of 2012 reflect on a brilliant year

"It's an honour for me to be voted in this team of great players," said FC Barcelona's Xavi Hernández as UEFA.com users' chosen XI reflect on 12 months of footballing wonders.

Five members of Spain's UEFA EURO 2012-winning squad are represented in the UEFA.com users' Team of the Year for 2012, with 5.3 million votes cast in this year's poll. Here the final XI – in users' favoured 4-4-2 formation – tell UEFA.com about their successes in 2012.

Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid CF)
In these last few years we've become European and world champions, and now people demand that from us again. But people should not forget that it's not that easy. There are other national teams that are changing and developing their squads as well, which is also a factor. Fortunately, though, I think we still have what it takes for a long time yet.

Defender: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid CF)
We are aware of what is at stake. And if you impress individually, it is because of the collective work. And, in this regard, we are happy with all the defensive line in general. Not only myself and Piqué, but also the full-backs and the work done by every team-mate who gives everything on the pitch.

Defender: Gerard Piqué (FC Barcelona)
There are many things behind the scenes that people don't see. People only see the final product that happens in the stadium, but behind that there is a lot of work, a lot of suffering and sacrifice. There's a lot of desire to win, and in the end there is a final result that people can see. But behind that, a lot of work.

Defender: Philipp Lahm (FC Bayern München)
I know that I can play at the top level on either flank. I have always shown that I can switch sides for a game, whether it's with Bayern or the national team. I have proven that I can switch from right to left for a game and vice versa. But in the end it's the coach's decision.

Defender: Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain FC)
I always try to do the simplest thing possible and bring security to my team, because there's no point in a central defender going forward and wanting to score goals, that isn't my job – my job is to defend. I hope that as the year goes on I can maintain my form and the same consistency as ever, so I can continue to receive such praise.

Midfielder: Andrés Iniesta (FC Barcelona)
I'm very happy and proud to have won that treble. Two EUROs and a World Cup has never been done before – it's something historic. Nowadays, in football, it’s very difficult to go all the way until the end, so we'll give our very best to reach another final.

Midfielder: Xavi Hernández (FC Barcelona)
I'm very proud. It's an honour for me to be voted in this team of great players at both European and world level. I just want to keep doing my very best so I can keep winning and achieving big things with my club and national team. I am going through a great time in this world of football and I want it to continue.

Midfielder: Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)
Well, you need to know a bit of everything. You need to know how to defend, how to attack, how to direct the game, win the ball and score goals – a bit of everything. I just try to give my best in training to be fit for the matches. The older you get it becomes more and more important to train well and focus on every single detail, just to stay in your best form as long as possible.

Midfielder: Mesut Özil (Real Madrid CF)
I live in Madrid, the team supports me a lot, the coach has confidence in me, so I can express my full potential on the pitch. For the national team I also have the confidence of the coach and the team is there for me – I enjoy it a lot and am very proud to play for Germany.

Forward: Lionel Messi (FC Barcelona)
Every year I try to develop further and become a better player. I had the good fortune to score many goals but, like I always say, it's not my objective to increase the number of goals every year. My real objective is to win more trophies and that's what I intend to do.

Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid CF)
I will always have responsibility, but not much pressure. We can always improve in every department. I won't single out one area, because I think the most important thing is to always do well and work more and more.