C is for ...

As uefa.com Action's A to Z countdown to the UEFA Champions League final on 25 May continues, the letter C shuffles under the spotlight.

The UEFA Champions League will not be quite the same next season, with one very recognisable figure missing from the centre circle when Europe's premier club competition resumes. The bald head and bulging eyes of referee Pierluigi Collina will be no more once he hangs up his boots at the end of this campaign, his mandatory retirement coming at the age of 45.

Widely regarded as the world's top referee, Collina took charge of the 1996 Olympic final, the dramatic 1998/99 Champions League final and the 2002 FIFA World Cup final and also officiated at the FIFA/UEFA Football for Hope match at Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium in February. A true ambassador for the game, Collina will be sorely missed by players, managers and supporters alike.

Whether you're a player, a coach or a fan, goal celebrations form a large part of the modern game. Be it Brandão's samba for FC Shakhtar Donetsk against Celtic FC, or Nelson Valdéz's golf practice against Valencia CF, goalscorers are coming up with new, unique ways of expressing their joy at beating the opposition goalkeeper.

Some chose to celebrate their strikes alone, while others opt for more of a collective party spirit but for the likes of AC Milan's Kaká and Olympique Lyonnais's Juninho Pernambucano, a simple offer of thanks to a higher power will suffice.

C is also for Chelsea FC, whose huge spending spree ahead of this season's Champions League campaign appears to be paying dividends as the London club surge towards the Premiership title and remain on course for European glory. Owner Roman Abramovich's wealth has no doubt played a part in Chelsea's success this term, but José Mourinho's managerial flair and tactical ability have also been to the fore.

The Portuguese coach snapped up fellow countrymen Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira after impressive performances at UEFA EURO 2004, while Didier Drogba's arrival from Olympique de Marseille has produced goals and an added spark in attack.

The capture of Dutch winger Arjen Robben has also been a high point for the Blues, despite his lengthy injury problems, while goalkeeper Petr Cech has been a revelation, turning in several immaculate displays in the Champions League. Other new players to arrive in West London were Mateja Kezman and Tiago.