2005–06 Pakistan Premier League
Pakistan Army won the title on 19 October 2005, after defeating Pakistan Telecommunication 2-0, with 54th and 70th minute goals from Mubassar and Jaffar Hussain, Army had one game to play against WAPDA who were three points away first position. Army won the league regardless of their result against WAPDA due to superior league. Army won the tie against WAPDA 3-1, with a brace from league's and team's top scorer Imran Hussain, Army ended up winning the league by six points.


2005–06 Pakistan Premier League
Panther and Pakistan Public Work Department were relegated at the end of the season and will be replaced by Karachi Electric Supply Corporation and Pakistan Railways in the coming season.


2005–06 Pakistan Premier League, Teams
Allied Bank, Baloch Nushki, Mardan, Mauripur Baloch, Naka Mohammaden and Young XI DIK were relegated at the end of 2004-05 season and were replaced by National Bank and Pakistan Public Work Department.


2005–06 Panathinaikos F.C. season
In the 2005–06 season Panathinaikos played for 49th consecutive time in Greece's top division, Alpha Ethniki. They also competed in UEFA Champions League and Greek Cup. Season started with Hans Backe as team manager.


2005–06 Panathinaikos F.C. season, Squad
As of 24 February 2007. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was Paris Saint-Germain's 36th season in existence. PSG played their home league games at the Parc des Princes in Paris, registering an average attendance of 40,485 spectators per match. The club was presided by Pierre Blayau. The team was coached by Laurent Fournier until 27 December 2005, when Guy Lacombe replaced him. Pauleta was the team captain.


2005–06 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Players, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Paris Saint-Germain F.C. season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Parma F.C. season
During the 2005–06 season, the Italian football club Parma F.C. was placed 7th in the Serie A. The team reached the fourth round of the Coppa Italia.


2005–06 Persepolis F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was the Persepolis's 5th season in the Pro League, and their 23rd consecutive season in the top division of Iranian Football. They were also be competing in the Hazfi Cup. Persepolis was captained by Behrouz Rahbarifar.


2005–06 Persepolis F.C. season, Squad
As of February 2006. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Persepolis F.C. season, Squad, Loan list
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Perth Glory FC season
The 2005–06 Perth Glory FC season was the club's 9th season since its establishment in 1996. The club competed in the A-League for the 1st time.


2005–06 Perth Glory FC season, Review
In 2005, it was announced that former Liverpool and England star Steve McMahon would be appointed as coach. The new season saw a complete overhaul of the playing squad, with Simon Colosimo and former Sunderland and Leeds striker Brian Deane as key signings. Other notable signings included future young stars Nick Ward and Billy Celeski.


2005–06 Perth Glory FC season, Review
Early results in friendlies against local opposition were not great, but Perth became the first team to defeat Sydney FC, winning 1–0 in the semi-final of the 2005–06 Pre-season Cup before losing in the final 0–1 to the Central Coast Mariners. Perth's woeful recruiting strategy was soon evident with the early departure of star import Brian Deane after seven games. Another McMahon recruit, Northern Ireland junior international Neil Teggart, quit the club prior to the start of the regular season. Deane was replaced by Damian Mori, a former Perth Glory striker. Originally on a three-game temporary contract, after some impressive performances Mori stayed for the rest of the season and finished with seven goals.


2005–06 Perth Glory FC season, Review
However, the club continued to be dogged by problems which would only be later revealed to the public. Steve McMahon was subject to constant media criticism over his coaching style and was accused of nepotism by signing his son, Steve McMahon Jr, who was of questionable talent. Rumours also surfaced that players were planning to stage a revolt against the coach. On 7 December, the club reported that the parties had "amicably" chosen to go separate ways. On 9 December 2005, the club announced that assistant coach Alan Vest would move into the head coach role for the remainder of the season, with striker Damian Mori taking on a dual role as player-coach after being named as his assistant.


2005–06 Perth Glory FC season, Review
The coach's departure was merely a symptom of deeper troubles. Poor performances saw Perth miss out on qualification for the finals for the first time since 1998. Dwindling support from chairman Nick Tana, as he looked to sell his 75% stake in the club, seemed to underpin a general decline in club fortunes. After the Round 20 match against Sydney FC, Alan Vest hinted that the current player group were incapable of achieving anything better and stated that "cliques" had been formed undermining club harmony. To cap off a bad season, Western QBE announced they were withdrawing as major sponsor after being associated with the club for 8 years.


2005–06 Perth Glory FC season, Players, First team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Pervaya Liga season
The 2005–06 Pervaya Liga season was the 14th season of the Pervaya Liga, the third level of ice hockey in Russia.


2005–06 Pescara Calcio season
The 2005–06 season was the 66th season in the existence of Pescara Calcio and the club's second consecutive season in the second division of Italian football. In addition to the domestic league, Pescara participated in this season's edition of the Coppa Italia.


2005–06 Philadelphia 76ers season
The 2005–06 Philadelphia 76ers season was the 67th season of the franchise, 57th in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Former Sixers player Maurice Cheeks spent his first season as the coach of the Sixers, and it was the last full season Allen Iverson would spend with the Sixers before getting traded to the Denver Nuggets the following season. He was also selected for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game.


2005–06 Philadelphia 76ers season, Draft picks
Philadelphia's selections from the 2005 NBA Draft in New York, New York.


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season
The 2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season was the Flyers' 39th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The Flyers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Buffalo Sabres in six games.


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Off-season
The Flyers were one of the more active teams once the lockout came to an end. Replacing the high-profile names of Tony Amonte, John LeClair and Jeremy Roenick were superstar Peter Forsberg, along with defensemen Derian Hatcher and Mike Rathje, as well as several players from the Calder Cup-winning Philadelphia Phantoms. When all was said and done, the team had experienced a turnover of nearly two-thirds of the roster.


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
The Flyers began the season with lofty expectations. Despite being hampered by injuries prior to and during 2005–06, the Flyers lived up to those expectations in the first half of the season, reaching the top of the league standings in January while simultaneously holding a ten-point lead in the Atlantic Division. The Deuces Wild line of Forsberg, Simon Gagne and Mike Knuble recorded 75, 79 and 65 points respectively, while Gagne scored a career high 47 goals.


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season
However, the injuries began to accumulate and take their toll. Keith Primeau suffered a concussion on October 25 in Montreal and missed the rest of the season and the playoffs. In late January, Hatcher was named team captain for the duration of Primeau's absence. All told, the Flyers were third in the NHL with 388-man-games lost to injury, tops amongst playoff teams. The second half of the regular season was defined by a record hovering around .500, sending the Flyers on a steady slide in the standings. The Flyers fell short of an Atlantic Division title finishing second by tie-breaker to the New Jersey Devils and drawing the 5th seed and a first round match-up with the Buffalo Sabres.


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season, Season standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Regular season, Season standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Playoffs
The Flyers lost to Buffalo in six games in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Schedule and results, Regular season
Win (2 points)  Loss (0 points)  Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions
The Flyers were involved in the following transactions from February 17, 2005, the day after the 2004–05 season was officially canceled, through June 19, 2006, the day of the deciding game of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals.


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Free agency
The following players were signed by the Flyers via free agency. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Signings, Internal
The following players were either re-signed by the Flyers or, in the case of the team's selections in the NHL Entry Draft, signed to entry level contracts. Two-way contracts are marked with an asterisk (*).


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Transactions, Departures
The following players left the team via free agency, release, or retirement. Players who were under contract and left the team during the season are marked with an asterisk (*).


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Draft picks
Philadelphia's picks at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, which was held at the Westin Hotel Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario on July 30, 2005. The Flyers traded their originally allotted second, third, and fourth-round picks in three separate trades.


2005–06 Philadelphia Flyers season, Farm teams
The Flyers were affiliated with the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL and the Trenton Titans of the ECHL.


2005–06 Philippine Basketball League season, 2005-06 Heroes Cup
Magnolia and Rain or Shine makes it to the finals via two-game sweep in their best-of-three semifinal series against Granny Goose and Harbour respectively, the Wizards won over Tortillos, 98-97 in overtime in Game One and repeated with another double overtime win in the second game, 92-86. The Painters edged Harbour, 69-67, in their semifinals opener, and they wrapped up the series with a 69-59 triumph in Game Two.


2005–06 Philippine Basketball League season, 2005-06 Heroes Cup, Finals
Magnolia overcame a 0-2 series deficit, the Wizards pulled away from a 56-all deadlock in the final three minutes of the deciding fifth game, a 9-0 run, with Arwind Santos hitting a triple, gave Magnolia a 65-56 advantage with 1:23 remaining, the Painters remain scoreless and allowed the Wizards to pad their lead to 16 points, 73-57. Kelly Williams of Magnolia was voted the finals MVP.


2005–06 Philippine Basketball League season, 2006 Unity Cup
Sixth-seeded Harbour advances to the finals with a 3-1 series win over Montaña. In the other semifinal series, Toyota-Otis scored a 3-0 sweep over defending champion Rain or Shine.


2005–06 Philippine Basketball League season, 2006 Unity Cup, Finals
Joseph Yeo fired seven three-pointers and scored a game-high 28 points as Harbour captured its first PBL title. The Portmasters drilled in 36 points from the three-point area and five of those triples came in the opening of the fourth period that opened up a 68-57 lead against the Sparks heading into the final 4:50. LA Tenorio of Harbour Centre was awarded with the finals MVP.


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season
The 2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, was the franchise's 34th season overall, 27th season in the National Hockey League and tenth season in Phoenix. Retired player Wayne Gretzky was named coach.


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Offseason, NHL Draft
Phoenix's draft picks at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, Ontario.


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Wayne Gretzky
Despite previous denials that Wayne Gretzky would not assume coaching duties, on August 8, 2005 Gretzky agreed to become the new coach of the Coyotes.


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Wayne Gretzky
In the time leading up to Gretzky's announcement, several prominent free agents signed with Phoenix citing the chance to play for Gretzky, including Brett Hull. Hull, who was briefly Gretzky's right winger, only lasted five games and only scored one assist before retiring. Ironically, "The Golden Brett" would have had the record for the most goals over any given three seasons — he scored 228 goals between 1989–90 and 1991–92 — if it weren't for The Great One. From 1981–82 to 1983–84, Gretzky scored 254 goals.


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Wayne Gretzky
Gretzky made his coaching debut on October 5, 2005, the opening night of the 2005–06 NHL season, losing 3–2 to the Vancouver Canucks. His first coaching victory was October 8, 2005, beating the Minnesota Wild 2–1. Gretzky took an indefinite leave of absence as coach on December 17, 2005 to care for his ill mother in Brantford, Ontario. His mother lost her battle to lung cancer two days later, dying on December 19, 2005. Assistant coach Rick Tocchet assumed the position until Gretzky's return on December 28. Coyotes' CEO Jeff Shumway announced on June 5, 2006 that Gretzky has agreed to a new five-year contract to remain as head coach.


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Regular season
Also in the 2005–06 season, the Coyotes were planning to host the NHL all-star game. Due to the XX Winter Olympic Games, the game was canceled.


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Regular season
The Coyotes tied the Los Angeles Kings for most power-play opportunities, with 541.


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: CE – Central, PA – Pacific, NW – Northwest


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Regular season, Final standings
P –  Clinched Presidents Trophy; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Playoffs
The Coyotes missed the playoffs for the third consecutive year.


2005–06 Phoenix Coyotes season, Transactions
The Coyotes were involved in the following transactions during the 2005–06 season.


2005–06 Phoenix Suns season
The 2005–06 Phoenix Suns season was the 38th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Suns were led by head coach Mike D'Antoni, posting a 54–28 record, third best in the Western Conference. All home games were played at the former America West Arena, which changed its name to US Airways Center in January 2006.


2005–06 Phoenix Suns season
The Suns looked to improve on their league-best 62–20 record and a trip to the Western Conference Finals in the 2004–05 season. The Suns suffered a major setback before the season, when All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire underwent microfracture surgery on his left knee. Stoudemire returned for three games, before undergoing another surgery on his right knee. The team was led by defending MVP Steve Nash and All-Star Shawn Marion. Marion led the team in points (21.8), rebounds (11.8), steals (2.0) and blocks (1.7) per game. Nash led the league in assists with 10.5 a game, while posting a career- high 18.8 points a game, earning his second consecutive MVP award.


2005–06 Phoenix Suns season
With injuries to Stoudemire and backup forward-center Kurt Thomas, the Suns looked to second-year forward Boris Diaw to fill in the middle. Listed in the Suns' media guide as a guard before the season, the 6-foot 8-inch Diaw started at small forward, power forward and center throughout the season, posting 13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and a block a game, earning Most Improved Player honors.


2005–06 Phoenix Suns season
In the first round of the playoffs, the Suns fell into a 1–3 hole against their longtime rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers. They became the eighth team in NBA history to recover from a 3–1 deficit, winning the final three games of the series to advance to the semifinals. In the semifinals, they defeated the Lakers' Staples Center co-tenants, the Los Angeles Clippers, in another seven-game series. The Suns fell in the Conference Finals to the Dallas Mavericks in six games.


2005–06 Phoenix Suns season, Player statistics, Season
* – Stats with the Suns. † – Minimum 300 field goals made. ^ – Minimum 125 free throws made.


2005–06 Piacenza Calcio 1919 season
The 2005–06 season was the 66th season in the existence of Piacenza Calcio 1919 and the club's second consecutive season in the second division of Italian football. In addition to the domestic league, Piacenza participated in this season's edition of the Coppa Italia.


2005–06 Pirveli Liga
2005–06 Pirveli Liga was the 17th season of the Georgian Pirveli Liga.


2005–06 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team
The 2005–06 Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by head coach Jamie Dixon, the Panthers finished with a record of 25–8 and made it to the second round of the 2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season
The 2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season was the team's 39th season in the National Hockey League (NHL). The season was notable for being Sidney Crosby's rookie campaign. It would be the last time the Penguins missed the Stanley Cup playoffs as of the 2020–21 NHL season.


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season
The Penguins struggled defensively, finishing 30th overall in goals allowed, with 310 (excluding 6 shootout goals allowed).


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby was selected first overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft by the Penguins on July 30, 2005. Due to the labour stoppage in the previous season, the 2005 draft was conducted via a weighted lottery based on each team's playoff appearances and draft lottery victories in the last four years. This lottery system led to the draft being popularly referred to as the "Sidney Crosby Lottery" or the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes".


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Sidney Crosby
On December 16, 2005, Michel Therrien named Crosby as an alternate captain for the Penguins. The move drew criticism from some hockey pundits, including Don Cherry, who claimed that Crosby had done nothing to earn the position.


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Sidney Crosby
Crosby finished his rookie season with the franchise record in assists (63) and points (102) for a rookie, both of which had been previously held by Mario Lemieux. Crosby is the youngest player in the history of the NHL to score 100 points in a single season, and only the seventh rookie ever to hit the benchmark. Overall, Crosby finished sixth in the NHL scoring race and seventh in the NHL in assists. Among Canadian NHL players, he trailed only Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley. While both Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals had impressive rookie campaigns, Crosby finished second behind Ovechkin for the Calder Memorial Trophy for NHL rookie of the year.


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Sidney Crosby
Through his first season, Crosby was accused by opposing players and coaches of taking dives and complaining to officials, which has been attributed to his youth. During his rookie campaign, he was second on his team and fourth among all NHL rookies in penalty minutes, and is the only rookie to accumulate both 100 points and 100 penalty minutes in a single season in NHL history. This magnified his reputation for complaining to NHL officials. Hockey analyst Kelly Hrudey compared Crosby to Gretzky, who had a similar reputation as a "whiner" in his youth, and suggested that as Crosby matured, he would mellow out and his reputation would fade.


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Mario Lemieux
After the lockout concluded, Lemieux returned to the ice for the 2005–06 season. Hopes for the Penguins were high due to the salary cap and revenue sharing, which enabled the team to compete in the market for several star players. Another reason for optimism was the Penguins winning the lottery for the first draft pick, enabling them to select Sidney Crosby. Lemieux opened up his home to Crosby to help the rookie settle in Pittsburgh and Lemieux also served as Crosby's mentor.


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Mario Lemieux
On January 24, 2006, Lemieux announced his second and permanent retirement from professional hockey at age 40. This followed a half-season in which he struggled not only with the increased speed of the "new NHL" but also with yet another threatening physical ailment, a heart condition called atrial fibrillation that caused him to experience irregular heartbeats.


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Mario Lemieux
Although he had put up points at a pace that most NHL forwards would be perfectly content with (22 points in 26 games) in his last season, Lemieux still remarked, "I can no longer play at a level I was accustomed to in the past."


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Season standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Regular season, Season standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Player statistics
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining the Penguins. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only. ‡Denotes player was traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with the Penguins only.


2005–06 Pittsburgh Penguins season, Transactions
The Penguins were involved in the following transactions during the 2005–06 season:


2005–06 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season
Plymouth Argyle competed in the Football League Championship in the 2005–06 season, having finished 17th place in the season prior. They underwent a change in their manager, replacing Bobby Williamson with Tony Pulis in the hope of seeing an improvement to the previous season. The "Green Army" finished 14th in the league and made it to the 3rd round of the FA Cup.


2005–06 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season, Summary of the 2005–06 season
After a poor start to the season, which made relegation a likely outcome, Argyle fired manager Bobby Williamson and brought in Tony Pulis. Argyle regrouped under Pulis and regained a solid place in the middle of the league standings. The team's performance was one of contrasts. Argyle conceded only 46 goals, which made it the fifth (tied) best defense in the league although they only scored 39 goals, which made it the third (tied) worst attack in the league. It meant a lot of 0–0, 1–0, and 0–1 games – results that are synonymous with Pulis' style of football. However, under new manager Pulis, Argyle were never in any significant danger of relegation.


2005–06 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Plymouth Argyle F.C. season, Squad, Left the club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Polish Basketball League
The 2005–06 Polish Basketball League was the 78th edition of the top basketball league of Poland.


2005–06 Polish Basketball League, Playoffs
91:76 (April 18 18:00 Sopot)80:60 (April 19 18:00 Sopot)85:93 (April 22 17:00 Starogard)(8) Polpharma Starogard Gd. 0_______________(4) Energa Czarni Słupsk 367:70 (April 18 18:10 Słupsk)70:62 (April 19 18:10 Słupsk)78:81 (April 23 14:35 Wrocław)67:69 (April 24 18:10 Wrocław)(5) Era Śląsk Wrocław 1_______________(2) Anwil Włocławek 389:66 (April 18 18:30 Włocławek)69:62 (April 19 18:30 Włocławek)79:81 (April 22 18:30 Zgorzelec)(7) Turów Zgorzelec 0_______________(3) Polpak Świecie 376:73 (April 18 18:30 Grudziądz)95:63 (April 19 18:30 Grudziądz)78:85 (April 22 18:00 Ostrów)(6) Stal Ostrów Wlkp. 0


2005–06 Polish Basketball League, Playoffs
80:70 (April 28 18:00 Sopot)73:57 (April 30 18:30 Sopot)61:77 (May 3 18:30 Słupsk)Czarni Słupsk 0_______________Anwil Włocławek 386:58 (April 29 18:30 Włocławek)78:61 (May 1 18:10 Włocławek)71:87 (May 4 18:30 Grudziądz)Polpak Świecie 0


2005–06 Polish Basketball League, Playoffs
88:72 (May 9 18:30 Sopot)74:83 (May 11 18:15 Sopot)64:66 (May 14 18:30 Włocławek)53:84 (May 16 18:30 Włocławek)89:62 (May 19 18:30 Sopot)Anwil Włocławek 1


2005–06 Polish Basketball League, Playoffs
FOR 3RD PLACEPolpak Świecie 0 (-16)60:68 (May 13, 2006 18:30 Grudziądz)79:71 (May 17, 2006 18:00 Słupsk)Energa Czarni Słupsk 2 (+16)


2005–06 Polish Volleyball League
2005–06 Polish Volleyball League was the 70th season of Polish Championship (6th season as professional league) organized by Professional Volleyball League SA (Polish: Profesjonalna Liga Piłki Siatkowej S.A.) under the supervision of Polish Volleyball Federation (Polish: Polski Związek Piłki Siatkowej).


2005–06 Polish Volleyball League
Gwardia Wrocław and Joker Piła were promoted to Polish Volleyball League in this season.


2005–06 Polish Volleyball League
In season 2004/2006 BOT Skra Bełchatów played in CEV Champions League, PZU AZS Olsztyn in CEV Top Teams Cup, Wkręt-Met Domex AZS Częstochowa and Jastrzębski Węgiel played in CEV Challenge Cup.


2005–06 Polska Liga Hokejowa season
The 2005–06 Polska Liga Hokejowa season was the 71st season of the Polska Liga Hokejowa, the top level of ice hockey in Poland. Eight teams participated in the league, and KS Cracovia won the championship.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was Port Vale's 94th season of football in the English Football League, and second successive season in League One. They finished in mid-table, and exited the League Cup at the First Round and the League Trophy at the Second Round. In the FA Cup, Vale made it to the Fourth Round, where they were knocked out 3–1 by top-flight Aston Villa. Foyle's efforts to build a promotion-winning team were boosted when Vale gained striker Leon Constantine, but his efforts were hindered with the sales of both Sam Collins and Billy Paynter.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, League One
The pre-season saw Martin Foyle sign Mickey Bell and Hector Sam on free transfers from Bristol City and Wrexham respectively. He also took in promising young striker Chris Cornes on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers, who would impress in a Vale shirt.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, League One
The season started with fourteen points from seven games to launch the club's promotion bid. After three defeats the Vale then entered a long period of inconsistent form. In September, Darrell Clarke joined on loan from Hartlepool United, though he would play just the one game for the club. Gary Mulligan also arrived on loan from Sheffield United, and would find greater success in Burslem. The next month Foyle added to the squad by signing Michael Husbands from Walsall.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, League One
In November, Sam Togwell joined on loan from Scunthorpe United, in an initial six week deal that was extended until the end of the season. Another long-term loan deal was struck with Leyton Orient for big defender Clayton Fortune, who would later turn down a permanent transfer to Vale Park after failing to agree on personal terms. Foyle also made possibly the best signing of his spell in charge at Vale, bringing striker Leon Constantine in from Torquay United for a £20,000 fee.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, League One
However Foyle lost two big players, when key defender Sam Collins and promising striker Billy Paynter were sold to Hull City for £65,000 and £150,000 respectively, the pair leaving on loan deals until the January transfer window (when they would leave permanently). Four straight defeats followed this, emphasising the effect the sales had on the club's promotion bid. In January, Bell moved on to Cheltenham Town, and Hector Sam joined Walsall. In came Jason Talbot on loan from Mansfield Town, who joined the club permanently at the end of the season. Foyle also signed defender Mark McGregor from Blackpool, and midfielder Sean Doherty from ADO Den Haag. A sequence of two points in five games killed off the Vale's promotion hopes by April.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, League One
They finished in thirteenth place with sixty points, some distance from both promotion and relegation. Only the four relegated teams scored fewer goals than Vale, and Constantine was the club's top-scorer with twelve goals, closely followed by Cummins with eleven.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, League One
At the end of the season nine players departed the club: Lee Matthews (Crewe Alexandra); Hector Sam (Walsall); Steve Rowland (Southport); Tony Dinning (Stockport County); Micky Cummins (Darlington); Jonny Brain (Macclesfield Town); Mark Innes (Hyde United); Sean Doherty (Accrington Stanley); and Craig James (Darlington). Andy Porter retired to concentrate on his coaching. With Dinning's departure, George Pilkington was appointed club captain. World Cup international winger Chris Birchall was also sold to Coventry City for £325,000.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances
On the financial side, Bill Bratt's cost-cutting measures had reduced the club's operating losses from £500,000 to £50,000. Despite this, the club took out a £2.25 million loan from the local council, with monthly repayments of around £19,000. Bratt continued to try and woo elderly North American millionaires, but Steve Stavro did not follow up his initial interest with any investment. In October 2005, the club turned down an investment group that wished to appoint Paul Gascoigne as manager. Foyle said "We need a cup run, or an investor, to give us a kick-start because we aren't doing too badly".


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Finances
He got his wish with an expected income of £250,000 from the Villa game. In February, lifelong fan Robbie Williams bought £240,000 of the £250,000 worth of available shares in the club. In April, the club announced a new record-breaking shirt sponsorship deal with BGC Gas. The club also announced Bill Bratt would now be a paid chief executive.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the FA Cup, Vale advanced past Wrexham to reach a Second Round encounter with Bristol Rovers. A late equalizer from Constantine earned Vale a replay, and a Chris Birchall strike gave the "Valiants" victory at the Memorial Stadium. They then made it to the Fourth Round after a 2–1 win over Doncaster Rovers thanks to a brace from loanee Sam Togwell. They faced a trip to Villa Park to face Premier League Aston Villa, where they were defeated 3–1 after a brace from Milan Baroš.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the League Cup, Vale were knocked out 3–1 by Rotherham United at the Don Valley Stadium, with Hector Sam breaking his leg during the game.


2005–06 Port Vale F.C. season, Overview, Cup competitions
In the League Trophy, Vale received a bye in the First Round, but in the Second Round were embarrassed to lose 2–1 to Conference club Hereford United at Edgar Street, after a Tamika Mkandawire header in extra-time.


2005–06 Portland Trail Blazers season
The 2005–06 Portland Trail Blazers season was the team's 36th in the NBA and their first with new coach Nate McMillan. The team began the season hoping to improve upon their 27–55 output from the previous season. However, they came up six games shy of tying it, finishing 21–61 and failing to qualify for the playoffs for the third straight season.


2005–06 Portsmouth F.C. season
During the 2005–06 season, Portsmouth competed in the FA Premier League. It was Portsmouth's third consecutive season in English football's top-flight.


2005–06 Portsmouth F.C. season, Season summary
Manager Alain Perrin was sacked in November with Portsmouth struggling in the relegation zone. Joe Jordan was appointed caretaker manager after the sacking of Perrin. He was replaced by Harry Redknapp, who had walked out of arch-rivals Southampton after being refused permission by the club to talk to Portsmouth about the managerial vacancy. For a while it looked as if Redknapp's efforts were in vain, with Portsmouth eight points adrift of safety at the end of February. However, by the end of March that had been cut to just three (with a game in hand over seventeenth-placed West Bromwich Albion) and eventually Portsmouth managed to secure survival with a 2–1 win at Wigan Athletic to send West Brom and Birmingham City down.


2005–06 Portsmouth F.C. season, Kit
Portsmouth signed a deal with Jako to produce the club's kit. Oki became the kit sponsors. The strip was manufactured by Pompey Sport, but after the kit deal with Jako, they were rebadged with its logo. The home shirt was atypical for Portsmouth, as it had a large white space under the collar on the rear where players' names were printed. The away was red and gold, whilst the third was white and navy. The white strip was only worn three times, away at Manchester United, Aston Villa and West Ham United respectively.


2005–06 Portsmouth F.C. season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Portsmouth F.C. season, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Portsmouth F.C. season, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Powergen Cup
The 2005–06 Powergen Cup was the 35th annual rugby union cup competition in England. Originally contested between clubs of the English leagues, this was the first season for which the competition was open to the Welsh regions, forming the Anglo-Welsh Cup. The cup is contested between the twelve teams of the English Premiership and the four Welsh regional sides from the Celtic League. The format of the cup is similar to that of the Heineken Cup, beginning with pool stages, with the top placed teams entering knockout stages. Each pool consists of a Welsh region and three English sides, with each team playing the others in the group once, and the top team of each group advancing to the semi-finals.


2005–06 Powergen Cup
Pool matches were played in September, October and December 2005. Bath Rugby, London Wasps, Llanelli Scarlets and Leicester Tigers emerged as winners of their respective pools. London Wasps defeated Llanelli Scarlets 26 points to 10 in the final at Twickenham Stadium on April 9.


2005–06 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Statistics of Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 2005–2006 season.


2005–06 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Overview
It was contested by 16 teams, and NK Široki Brijeg won the championship.


2005–06 Premier Soccer League
The following is the final results of the 2005–06 Premier Soccer League football season.


2005–06 Premiership Rugby
The 2005–06 Guinness Premiership was the 19th season of the top flight of the English domestic rugby union competitions, played between September 2005 and May 2006. The final was contested by the Sale Sharks and the Leicester Tigers at Twickenham. Sale Sharks won 45–20 to win the Premiership. Leeds Tykes were relegated, whilst Harlequins were promoted for the 2006-07 Guinness Premiership.


2005–06 Premiership Rugby
As per a tradition started in the previous year, two of the opening games of the season (round 1) were played at Twickenham, in the 2005 London Double Header.


2005–06 Premiership Rugby, Sky Sports Dream Team 2005/06
15 Matt Burke (Newcastle Falcons)14 Tom Varndell (Leicester Tigers)13 Mathew Tait (Newcastle Falcons)12 Mike Catt (London Irish)11 Tom Voyce (London Wasps)10 Carlos Spencer (Northampton Saints)9 Justin Marshall (Leeds Tykes)1 Tony Windo (Worcester Warriors)2 Mark Regan (Bristol)3 Cobus Visagie (Saracens)4 Danny Grewcock (Bath Rugby)5 Ben Kay (Leicester Tigers)6 Matt Salter (captain, Bristol)7 Magnus Lund (Sale Sharks)8 Juan Manuel Leguizamón (London Irish)


2005–06 Premiership Rugby, Top scorers
Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under World Rugby eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who did not earn international senior caps. Players may hold one or more non-WR nationalities.


2005–06 Preston North End F.C. season
During the 2005–06 English football season, Preston North End F.C. competed in the Football League Championship.


2005–06 Preston North End F.C. season, Season summary
In the 2005–06 season, Billy Davies and his assistant David Kelly were rewarded for their success with new and improved contracts in June 2005 and repaid the board's faith by leading Preston to the play-offs for the second year in succession. However, this time they were knocked out in the semi-final stage by Leeds United.


2005–06 Preston North End F.C. season, Season summary
In June 2006, Davies left his post at Deepdale to become manager of Derby County.


2005–06 Preston North End F.C. season, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Preston North End F.C. season, First-team squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Primeira Liga
The 2005–06 Primeira Liga was the 72nd edition of top flight of Portuguese football. It started on 19 August 2005 with a match between Sporting CP and Belenenses and ended on 7 May 2006. The league was contested by 18 clubs with Benfica as defending champions.


2005–06 Primeira Liga
Porto and Sporting CP were both qualified for the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League group stage, and Benfica qualified for the UEFA Champions League qualifying round; Braga, Nacional and Vitória de Setúbal qualified for the UEFA Cup 2006–07;  in opposite, with the league dropping to 16 teams, four teams were relegated to the Liga de Honra; Gil Vicente, Rio Ave, Vitória de Guimarães and Penafiel. Meyong was the top scorer with 17 goals.


2005–06 Primeira Liga
The season's first goal was scored by Rogério, who scored a 39th-minute goal for Sporting against Belenenses. The first yellow card of the season was given to Sporting's Fábio Rochemback in the opening game of the season, and the first red card was given to Benfica's João Pereira in his club's away draw against Académica de Coimbra.


2005–06 Primeira Liga, Promotion and relegation, Teams relegated to Liga de Honra
Moreirense, Beira-Mar and Estoril were relegated to the Liga de Honra following their final classification in 2004–05 season.


2005–06 Primeira Liga, Promotion and relegation, Teams promoted from Liga de Honra
The other three teams were replaced by Estrela da Amadora, Paços de Ferreira and Naval 1º de Maio from the Liga de Honra.


2005–06 Primeira Liga, Awards, Footballer of the Year
The Footballer of the Year award was won by the Portuguese Ricardo Quaresma of Porto, for a second successive season.


2005–06 Primeira Liga, Awards, Portuguese Golden Shoe
The Portuguese Golden Shoe award was won by the Cameroonian Albert Meyong of Belenenses, scoring 17 goals.


2005–06 Primera B Nacional
The 2005–06 Argentine Primera B Nacional was the 20th season of second division professional of football in Argentina. A total of 20 teams competed; the champion and runner-up were promoted to Argentine Primera División.


2005–06 Primera B Nacional, Promotion Playoff
This leg was played between the Apertura Winner: Godoy Cruz; and the Clausura Winner: Nueva Chicago. The winning team was declared champion and was automatically promoted to 2006–07 Primera División and the losing team played the Second Promotion Playoff.


2005–06 Primera B Nacional, Second Promotion Playoff
This leg was played by Nueva Chicago, the losing team of the Promotion Playoff, and Belgrano, who was the best team in the overall standings under the champions. The winning team was promoted to 2006–07 Primera División and the losing team played the Promotion Playoff Primera División-Primera B Nacional.


2005–06 Primera B Nacional, Torneo Reducido
It was played by the teams placed 3rd, 4th 5th and 6th in the Overall Standings: Chacarita Juniors (3rd), Huracán (4th), San Martín (SJ) (5th) and Talleres (C) (6th). The winning team played the Promotion Playoff Primera División-Primera B Nacional.


2005–06 Primera B Nacional, Promotion Playoff Primera División-Primera B Nacional
The Second Promotion playoff loser (Belgrano) and the Torneo Reducido Winner (Huracán) played against the 18th and the 17th placed of the Relegation Table of 2005–06 Primera División.


2005–06 Primera B Nacional, Relegation
Note: Clubs with indirect affiliation with AFA are relegated to the Torneo Argentino A, while clubs directly affiliated face relegation to Primera B Metropolitana. Clubs with direct affiliation are all from Greater Buenos Aires, with the exception of Newell's, Rosario Central, Central Córdoba and Argentino de Rosario, all from Rosario, and Unión and Colón from Santa Fe.


2005–06 Primera Divisió, Overview
It was contested by 8 teams, and FC Rànger's won the championship.


2005–06 Primera División (Costa Rica)
Primera División de Costa Rica (Costa Rica First Division) is a Costa Rican football tournament composed of two short tournaments that take up the entire year to determine the champion of Costa Rican football.


2005–06 Primera División (Costa Rica)
In both the Apertura and Clausura, 2 groups of 6 teams are conformed, they will play twice (Home and away) with the teams of their own group (10 games) and once game with the teams of the other group (6 games), for a total of 16 games. The top 2 teams from each group after the final round of the Apertura and the Clausura qualify for the playoffs.


2005–06 Primera División (Costa Rica), Final
No Final was played as Saprissa won both the Apertura and Clausura tournaments.


2005–06 Primera División A season
Primera División A (Méxican First A Division) is a Mexican football tournament. This season was composed of Apertura 2005 and Clausura 2006. Querétaro was the winner of the promotion to First Division after winning Puebla in the promotion playoff.


2005–06 Primera División A season, Promotion final
The Promotion Final faced Puebla against Querétaro to determine the winner of the First Division Promotion. Querétaro was the winner.


2005–06 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team
The 2005–06 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team represented Purdue University during the 2005-06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Matt Painter, the current head coach, began his first year at Purdue. On February 11 the Boilermakers upset #22 Michigan at Mackey Arena, which was their first win over a ranked team since beating #19 Wisconsin in January 2004. Purdue finished 9–19 overall and 3–15 in the Big Ten. Although they finished in last place in the Big Ten, they had improved on their overall record from the previous year by two games. The Boilermakers would win at least 16 games per season in all of their following seasons.


2005–06 Purefoods Chunkee Giants season
The 2005–06 Purefoods Chunkee Giants season was the 18th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).


2005–06 QMJHL season
The 2005–06 QMJHL season was the 37th season in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Canadian Hockey League institutes the shootout loss statistic to be recorded in the regular season standings. The league inaugurates the Maurice Filion Trophy for the "General Manager of the Year."


2005–06 QMJHL season
The QMJHL continued to expand eastward, into former American Hockey League markets, by granting franchises in Saint John, New Brunswick and St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. The league reorganizes into a West Division, entirely made of teams from the province of Quebec, and an East Division, entirely made of teams in Atlantic Canada. Eighteen teams played 70 games each in the schedule.


2005–06 QMJHL season
Coach Ted Nolan led the Moncton Wildcats to a first overall finish in the regular season, winning their first Jean Rougeau Trophy. The Wildcats also won their first President's Cup, defeating the Quebec Remparts in the finals. Since Moncton was chosen by default (Due to no other bids); to host the 2006 Memorial Cup tournament, the Remparts qualified for the Cup as league finalists, and won the Memorial Cup, defeating Moncton in the championship game.


2005–06 QMJHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime loss; SL = Shootout loss; PTS = Points; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against


2005–06 QMJHL season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes


2005–06 QMJHL season, Canada-Russia Challenge
The 2005 ADT Canada-Russia Challenge was hosted by the Drummondville Voltigeurs and the Moncton Wildcats. On November 21, 2005, the QMJHL All-stars defeated the Russian Selects 7–4 at the Centre Marcel Dionne. On November 22, 2005, the QMJHL All-stars defeated the Russian Selects 6–4 at the Moncton Coliseum. Since the tournament began in 2003, the QMJHL All-stars and Russian Selects have three wins each.


2005–06 QMJHL season, Playoffs
The top nine teams from the West division, and top seven teams from the Eastern division qualified for the playoffs. The ninth place team in the West division qualified in the Eastern division, and ranked by regular season points. All series were best-of-seven. Divisions crossed over in the semifinals.


2005–06 QMJHL season, Playoffs
Alexander Radulov was the leading scorer of the playoffs with 55 points (21 goals, 34 assists).


2005–06 Qatar Stars League, Overview
It was contested by 10 teams, and Al-Sadd Sports Club won the championship.


2005–06 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
The 2005–06 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was one of three first-class domestic cricket competitions that were held in Pakistan during the 2005–06 season. The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was contested by thirteen teams representing regional associations; it was followed in the schedule by the Patron's Trophy Grade-I, contested by ten departmental teams, and the revived Pentangular Trophy, involving the top teams from each competition, later in the season.


2005–06 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
There were significant changes from the previous season as the Pakistan Cricket Board reorganised the competition into two divisions, with seven teams in the top "Gold League" and six teams in the second "Silver League"; matches in both leagues were accorded first-class status. Each division was played in a round-robin of 4-day matches, with a final played over 5 days between the top two teams to determine the winner. The winner of the Gold League final received the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, and the winner of the Silver League final gained promotion to the Gold league for the following season, with the last placed team in the Gold League being relegated to the Silver League.


2005–06 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
Sialkot won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for the first time, after they beat Faisalabad by an innings and 44 runs in the Gold League final. Karachi Harbour won the Silver League final to earn promotion, and Multan were relegated from the top division.


2005–06 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Group stage
The top two teams in the round-robin group stage (highlighted) advanced to the finals.


2005–06 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Group stage
Position determined by total points, most matches won, fewest matches lost, followed by adjusted net run rate (matches with no result, i.e. those where both teams did not complete their first innings, were disregarded); matches finishing in a draw were decided on first innings scores, with points awarded as follows:


2005–06 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season
During the 2005–06 English football season, Queens Park Rangers F.C. competed in the Football League Championship.


2005–06 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season, Season summary
In the 2005–06 season, QPR struggled to build on the previous years' successes and on 6 February 2006, Holloway was suspended amidst rumours of his departure for Leicester City. He was replaced by a former player; the popular Gary Waddock. The 2005–06 season overall was difficult for QPR both on and off the pitch as financial troubles and boardroom issues combined with a series of poor performances and defeats. However, until the sacking of Ian Holloway, they had been secure in mid-table, it was only a winless run from the end of February to the end of the season, saw QPR drop to 21st.


2005–06 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season, Season summary
Off the pitch there was a scandal involving the directors, shareholders and other interested parties which emerged during the 2005–06 season, following allegations of blackmail and threats of violence against the club's chairman Gianni Paladini, who was allegedly held at gunpoint during a match at Loftus Road by hired thugs at the instigation of rival directors. He was later reported to have received threats and was, for a time, wearing a bullet-proof vest. The chairman also launched a strong attack against some critics who he claimed were seeking to destroy the club.


2005–06 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season, Season summary
In an unrelated incident youth team footballer Kiyan Prince was murdered on 18 May 2006.


2005–06 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season, Players, First-team squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Queens Park Rangers F.C. season, Players, Reserve squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Queensland Roar FC season
The 2005–06 Queensland Roar season would mark the first season for the Hyundai A-League. Queensland Lions withdrew their first team from the QLD State League and entered it in the new fledgling competition as ‘The Roar’ having been accepted by Football Federation Australia to take part as the sole representative for Queensland after no other club was able to raise the required funds to participate. The Queensland Roar were previously playing in the Brisbane Premier League under the name Queensland Lions.


2005–06 Queensland Roar FC season, 2005–06 season
The Queensland Roar made their A-League debut against the now-defunct New Zealand Knights, in a 2–0 win in front of over twenty thousand fans at their home ground of Suncorp Stadium. Unfortunately, the Roar were mediocre in the next rounds and after a series of draws and losses would not record their next win until Round 6 against the Newcastle Jets.


2005–06 Queensland Roar FC season, 2005–06 season
The rest of the 2005–06 season would follow in a similar fashion as after 21 rounds of the regular season the Roar finished with seven wins, seven draws and seven losses, placing them sixth on the ladder from eight teams. It has been said the Roars first season in the inaugural A-League was more successful off-field than on.


2005–06 Queensland Roar FC season, 2005–06 season
The club was the first to have 100,000 spectators pass through the gates and overall had the second highest attendance for the season (148,609) and despite failing to qualify for the finals, the club's home attendance was the second highest in the opening season (average 14,860 a game).


2005–06 Queensland Roar FC season, 2005–06 season
Despite the clubs average win-loss record the club had a number of highlights throughout the year, notably the season's equal highest scoring win (5–0 over the Newcastle Jets in Round 20) and striker Alex Brosque being one of four A-League players awarded the Reebok Golden Boot Award for Top Scorer of the Year with 8 goals.


2005–06 Queensland Roar FC season, Inaugural A-League squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 RC Lens season
The 2005–06 season was the 100th season in the existence of RC Lens and the club's 15th consecutive season in the top-flight of French football. In addition to the domestic league, Lens participated in this season's editions of the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue.


2005–06 RCD Espanyol season
The 2005–06 RCD Espanyol season was RCD Espanyol's 12th consecutive season in top-division of the Spanish football league, the La Liga, and the 106th as a football club.


2005–06 RK Zamet season
The 2005–06 season was the 49th season in RK Zamet’s history. It is their 5th successive season in the Dukat 1.HRL, and 29th successive top tier season.


2005–06 Radivoj Korać Cup
The 2006 Radivoj Korać Cup was the fourth season of the Serbian-Montenegrin men's national basketball cup tournament. The Žućko's Left Trophy awarded to the winner Crvena zvezda from Belgrade.


2005–06 Radivoj Korać Cup
It was the last time that the Cup was organized in Serbia and Montenegro.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football by Rangers.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
Rangers played a total of 52 competitive matches during the 2005–06 season. Their start to the season was poor, winning only six league games out of the first 17. The period from October through to early December saw the team embark on one of the worst runs in their history, going ten games without a win. The league form scarcely improved as they failed to catch Hearts and so finished third in the league.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
The domestic cup competitions were not productive as the club went out of the League Cup at the quarter final stage to Celtic, losing 2–0 at Celtic Park. They lost 3–0 also at Ibrox to Hibernian on 4 February 2006 to go out of the Scottish Cup in the fourth round and end their last hope of silverware for the season.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
Rangers did however qualify for the Champions League group stages, and a 1–1 draw with Internazionale saw Rangers progress to the last 16 for the first time in the club's history, and the first Scottish team to do so. They were then eliminated by Spanish side Villarreal on the away goals rule.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season, Overview
This season turned out to be the last for manager Alex McLeish, with his imminent departure at the end of the season being announced in February following the Scottish Cup exit and a 2–0 defeat away to Aberdeen in the league.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, Scottish Premier League
Last updated: 7 May 2006Source: Wikipedia article1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, UEFA Champions League
Last updated: 7 March 2006Source: Wikipedia article1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, Scottish Cup
Last updated: 4 February 2006Source: Wikipedia article1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, League Cup
Last updated: 9 November 2005Source: Wikipedia article1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2005–06 Rangers F.C. season, Matches, Friendlies
Last updated: 26 July 2005Source:1Rangers goals come first.National flags for Ground and Opponent columns are only shown when different from that of Rangers.M = Match; Ground: H = Home, A = Away, N = Neutral, HR = Home replacement, AR = Away replacement.


2005–06 Ranji Trophy
The 2005–06 Ranji Trophy was the 72nd season of the Ranji Trophy. Uttar Pradesh won the final against Bengal on first innings lead and became the winner of Ranji Trophy, 2005-06, while the Saurashtra team clinched the Plate Group title.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was Reading's 135th year in existence and fourth consecutive season in the Championship, since their promotion from the Second Division in 2002, and covers the period from 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season
Reading finished the season as Champions, winning promotion to the Premier League for the first time, and registered the highest points total gained in a professional league season with 106, bettering the previous record held by Sunderland by 1 point.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, Pre-season, Transfers
Following the completion of the 2004–05 season Reading announced on 11 May that veteran duo Martin Keown and Les Ferdinand, along with Ricky Newman, Bas Savage and youngster Louie Soares would not have their contracts renewed and were free to leave the club. On 22 June striker Nicky Forster left the club after 6 years, opting to sign for Ipswich Town having turned down a new contract at Reading. He was followed in the days after by Paul Brooker and Lloyd Owusu who both moved to Brentford on free transfers.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, Pre-season, Transfers
On 21 July Andy Hughes moved to Norwich City in a deal thought to be worth £500,000 and the next day Dean Morgan moved to Luton Town on a free transfer. The final summer departure from the Madejski was Shaun Goater who agreed to have his contract terminated by mutual consent on 27 July.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, Pre-season, Transfers
The first signings of the summer were Irish pair Kevin Doyle and Shane Long who joined from Cork City on 7 June. Stephen Hunt arrived from Brentford on a free transfer on 29 June and he was followed by Graham Stack who signed on a six-month loan from Arsenal on 7 July. Leroy Lita was signed from Bristol City for a then club record £1,000,000 on 14 July and on 22 July Brynjar Gunnarsson transferred from Watford for an undisclosed fee. On 2 August Chris Makin and John Oster both arrived on free transfers from Leicester City and Burnley respectively. Eric Obinna signed on a short term deal on 24 August and Reading's summer transfer business was completed by Sekou Baradji who was signed on loan from West Ham on 1 September.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, August
Reading's first match in the Championship was a home game against Plymouth Argyle on 6 August and despite dominating the game Reading lost 1 – 2. Having gone one down Leroy Lita equalised with a goal on his debut but a late finish from Nick Chadwick was enough to give Plymouth all the points. On 9 August Reading faced Brighton in the first of two away games with goals in each half for Glen Little and Dave Kitson enough for a 2 – 0 victory.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, August
Reading then faced a trip north to Preston on 13 August and a came away with a comfortable 3 – 0 win thanks to a brace from Lita and a second goal in four days from Glen Little. Reading returned to the Madejski on 20 August to face Millwall in a game they won emphatically 5 – 0. Bobby Convey scored two and one each from James Harper, Kitson and Steve Sidwell completed the scoring.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, August
Reading faced Swansea City on 23 August in the first round of the League Cup. Kitson opened the scoring on 13 minutes but an 80th-minute equaliser from Adebayo Akinfenwa saw the game go into extra times with the score at 1–1. A second goal Kitson and one for Lita in extra time were enough to earn a 3–1 victory and progress into the second round. Reading were back in league action on 27 August away at Watford though neither team could make the breakthrough and it ended 0 – 0.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, August
The last game in August saw Reading at home in the league against Burnley. Leroy Lita put Reading into the lead on 7 minutes but Burnley equalised through Ade Akinbiyi. Kevin Doyle won the match for Reading with his first goal for the club on 70 minutes with the game finishing 2 – 1.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, September
After a 12-day break Reading travelled to the Ricoh Arena to face Coventry City on 10 September. A second goal in two games from Kevin Doyle was only enough for a 1 – 1 draw with Rob Page equalising in the 86th minute. Three days later Reading faced Crystal Palace at home in a game they won 3 – 2. Kevin Doyle opened the scoring for Reading but Andy Johnson equalised shortly after and Clinton Morrison then gave Palace the lead at the start of the second half.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, September
However goals from Leroy Lita and Ibrahima Sonko were enough to secure the win for Reading. Next up was the visit of Crewe on 17 September which Reading won 1 – 0 thanks to a 78th-minute header from Ivar Ingimarsson. Reading were back in Football League Cup action on 20 September with a second round home tie against Luton Town. A single John Oster goal was enough to see Reading progress to the third round.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Review and events, September
On 24 September Reading traveled to Norwich City in the Football League Championship recorded and a third straight 1 – 0 win thanks to a goal from James Harper. The final game in September was at Southampton which finished 0 – 0 with both sides having chances but failing to make the breakthrough.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Squad, On loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Reading F.C. season, Squad, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Real Betis season
During the 2005–06 season, Betis finished 14th in the La Liga.


2005–06 Real Betis season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Real Madrid CF season
The 2005–06 Real Madrid C.F. season was the club's 75th season in La Liga. This article shows statistics of the club's players in the season, and also lists all matches that realmadrid c.f. played in the 2005–06 season.


2005–06 Real Madrid CF season, Players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Real Madrid CF season, Players, On loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Real Zaragoza season
The 2005–06 Real Zaragoza season was Real Zaragoza's third consecutive season in top-division of the Spanish football league, the La Liga, and the 74th as a football club.


2005–06 Red Bull Barako season
The 2005–06 Red Bull Barako season was the 6th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).


2005–06 Red Star Belgrade season
During the 2005–06 season, Red Star Belgrade participated in the 2005–06 Serbia and Montenegro SuperLiga, 2005–06 Serbia and Montenegro Cup and 2005–06 UEFA Cup.


2005–06 Reggina Calcio season
Reggina Calcio extended its stay in Serie A by a further season, despite being charged with involvement in Calciopoli at the end of the term. Reggina was allowed to retain its Serie A status, but was demoted eleven points out of its 2006-07 campaign, leading to the general consensus that its time in the top-flight division was running out, given that it had only sealed its Serie A stays by the shallowest of margins before.


2005–06 Regionalliga
The 2005–06 Regionalliga season was the twelfth season of the Regionalliga at tier three of the German football league system. It was contested in two geographical divisions with eighteen teams in the south and nineteen in the north. The champions, Rot-Weiss Essen and FC Augsburg, and the runners-up, FC Carl Zeiss Jena and TuS Koblenz, of every division were promoted to the 2. Bundesliga.


2005–06 Regionalliga, Team movements, Promoted to 2. Bundesliga, From Süd
1Eintracht Braunschweig were promoted due to VfB Lübeck being barred from promotion.


2005–06 Regionalliga, Team movements, Teams Promoted from Oberliga, To Süd
4Despite being champions of Oberliga Südwest, Borussia Neunkirchen were barred from promotion. Instead, 1. FC Kaiserslautern II was promoted to the Regionalliga Süd.


2005–06 Rochdale A.F.C. season
The 2005–06 Rochdale A.F.C. season was the club's 85th season in the Football League, and the 32nd consecutive season in the bottom division of the League. Rochdale finished the season in 14th place in League Two.


2005–06 Romanian Hockey League season
The 2005–06 Romanian Hockey League season was the 76th season of the Romanian Hockey League. Six teams participated in the league, and Steaua Bucuresti won the championship.


2005–06 Royal League, Rules
Initially, the twelve participating teams are placed into three groups with four clubs each. These face each other home and away. The group winners and runners-up qualify for the quarter finals, along with the two best 3rd position-teams. From here on, the tournament is purely played as a two-legged knockout tournament, except from the final.


2005–06 Royal League, Bonuses
A wide variety of bonuses are paid in the Royal League 2005–06. A complete list is found below. All amounts are in Norwegian kroner.


2005–06 Royal League, Knockout stages, Quarter-finals, Second leg
Copenhagen win 3–0 on penalties after playing 2–2 on aggregate


2005–06 Royal League statistics
This page shows aggregate tables and attendance averages for the 2005/06 season of Royal League.


2005–06 Royal League statistics, Average attendances by club
Note: Copenhagen had an extra home game in the final


2005–06 Rugby Pro D2 season
The 2005–06 season of the Pro D2 (the second French domestic rugby union club competition)  ran from August 2005 to June 2006.


2005–06 Rugby Pro D2 season
The top two teams gained promotion to the Top 14 whilst the bottom three teams were relegated to Fédérale 1.


2005–06 Rugby Union County Championship
The 2005–06 Tetley's Bitter Rugby Union County Championship was the 106th edition of England's County Championship rugby union club competition.


2005–06 Rugby Union County Championship
Lancashire won their 18th title (beating Gloucestershire's record) after defeating Devon in the final.


2005–06 Russian Superleague season
The 2005–06 Russian Superleague season was the tenth season of the Russian Superleague, the top level of ice hockey in Russia. 18 teams participated in the league, and Ak Bars Kazan won the championship.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season
The 2005–06 European football season was the 102nd season of Sport Lisboa e Benfica's existence and the club's 72nd consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football. The season ran from 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2006; Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Liga and the Taça de Portugal and also participated in the UEFA Champions League as a result of finishing first in the Primeira Liga the previous season.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season
After Giovanni Trapattoni led Benfica to their first league title in 11 years, he resigned for personal reasons. To replace him, the club hired Ronald Koeman, who was assisted by Bruins Slot and Fernando Chalana. Benfica remained highly active in the transfer market, signing and releasing over twelve players. Noticeable additions were Anderson, Léo and Nélson to the back four; Karagounis and Miccoli to the offence. The departures included Miguel, the biggest loss.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season
Benfica started the domestic season by winning their fourth Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, beating Vitória de Setúbal one-nil. In the Primeira Liga, Benfica struggled initially, making their worst entry ever. Results improved following a European win against Lille, with Benfica climbing several places and defeating Porto in the Clássico. In late October, the team experienced a drop in form, going a month without a win. In December, Benfica's results improved in December, qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League for the first time in eleven years and winning nearly ten matches in a row, allowing them to get within three points of the top of the league.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season
In the final match of January, Benfica lost to Sporting CP and underwent another erratic period, losing two more league matches in February. A home win against Liverpool motivated them; they beat Porto and eliminated the reigning title-holders from the Champions League. This success was not replicated domestically; in mid-March, Benfica lost further ground in the Primeira Liga and were eliminated from the Portuguese Cup. Koeman's side recovered, but they were eliminated by Barcelona from the Champions League and failed to overtake Sporting when they dropped seven points in three match-days. At the end of the season, Koeman left the club by mutual consent.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, Pre-season
After leading Benica to their first league title in ten seasons, Giovanni Trapattoni departed the club for personal reasons. Faced with the task of finding a new manager for a second year in a row, Luís Filipe Vieira was quick to choose Trapattoni's successor; on the 5 June 2005, he said, "I already know who's the next manager". From the list of available managers, the press speculated on Paul Le Guen, Ronald Koeman and Javier Irureta. After a failed approach to Le Guen, Benfica selected Koeman as the next manager on 8 June 2005. His assistant would be Tonny Bruins Slot, replacing Álvaro Magalhães, who left the club after two seasons. Later in the month, Fernando Chalana returned to Benfica on a 2-year contract to serve on Koeman's technical staff.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, Pre-season
To replace the "Italian" style of Trapattoni, Koeman wanted Benfica to have a "Dutch" approach; he said, "A team like Benfica always has to play to win. In what I know of this team, we can perfectly play in a 4–3–3," and that finding the right balance between offence and defence in the playing style mattered. Vital to his new formation, Koeman asked for more wingers, such as Andy van der Meyde, and Boudewijn Zenden, but Benfica did not sign them. Instead, he received attacking midfielders Diego Souza, Andrei Karyaka and Giorgos Karagounis. To improve Koeman's options up-front, composed of Nuno Gomes and Mantorras, Benfica tried but failed to sign Jon Dahl Tomasson. Koeman instead received Italian international Fabrizio Miccoli on loan from Juventus. In defence, Benfica added Brazilians Anderson, Léo, with Nélson replacing Miguel, who moved to Valencia.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, Pre-season
The pre-season began on 4 July 2005 with medical exams, followed by the first training session on the next day, with two thousand supporters present at the Estádio da Luz. On 6 July, Benfica travelled to Nyon for a pre-season tour until 14 July. During the eight days in Switzerland, Benfica defeated Sion and Étoile Carouge. Back in Portugal, Benfica faced two Premier League opponents, losing to Chelsea, and defeating West Bromwich. Afterwards, Benfica played three Portuguese teams, winning against Barreirense and Estoril Praia, and drawing with Vitória de Guimarães. They ended their pre-season with a presentation match against Juventus on 6 August, losing 2–0.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
Benfica began their season with the 2005 Super Cup, trying to win the trophy for the fourth time. On the 13 August, Benfica faced Vitória de Setúbal at the Estádio Algarve, winning 1–0 with a goal from Nuno Gomes. It was the first win in 15 years since 1989, breaking a five-time losing streak, all against Porto. Koeman praised his players, saying, "We played very well. I am happy with the work I have done with my players". On 20 August, Benfica began their title defence with an away game at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
The home team, Académica, held the score to 0–0 and won a point against Benfica. After the match, Koeman said Benfica had struggled in Coimbra. On 26 August, Benfica took part in the draw for the group stage of the 2005–06 UEFA Champions League; their first in the new century because they failed to qualify in the past two seasons. In 2005 the club ranked 57th in the UEFA coefficient, thus placing them on pot 4. They were drawn in Group D with Manchester United, Villarreal and Lille. The following day, Benfica hosted Gil Vicente for their final match in August. An unusual 3–4–3 formation did not work as planned; Benfica lost 2–0 and posted their worst league start since 1976–77. Koeman blamed anxiety in the players after Simão missed a penalty.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
After an international break of nearly two weeks, Benfica returned to competition on 10 September with a Lisbon Derby against Sporting CP. Koeman played the same 3–4–3 as before, selecting Carlitos for the starting 11 in place of Nuno Gomes. Sporting scored first through Luís Loureiro in the first half, but Simão equalized with a free-kick on the second half. In the 75th minute, Liédson made the score 2–1 against a ten-man Benfica, ultimately winning the match for Sporting.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
With two losses and a draw in three match-days, Koeman broke a club record for the worst season start in history, already eight points from the top of the league. Four days later, Benfica made their seasonal European debut in the Champions League against Lille. The match was well fought between both teams, with Fabrizio Miccoli scoring a winning goal for Benfica in the 92nd minute. Koeman later said in the post-match interview, "We deserved this win because we search for it".


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
On 18 September, Benfica hosted União de Leiria; Koeman reverted to the 4–2–3–1 formation that Giovanni Trapattoni regularly used. Benfica won 4–0 in the largest win all season, with Nuno Gomes netting a hat-trick. Koeman classified the formation as "ideal," and sid he wanted to use it more often in the future. The following Saturday, Benfica played on the road against Penafiel. A strong start put Benfica in the lead by 2–0 in the first 15 minutes, and despite conceding a goal, they won the match 3–1.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, August–September
Koeman attributed the win to the good momentum that Fabrizio Miccoli–Nuno Gomes were passing. On 27 September, Benfica travelled to Old Trafford to play Manchester United on the second match-day of the Champions League. United scored first through a Ryan Giggs free-kick that deflected off the wall; Simão levelled the score in the second half—also on a free kick—but United responded with a winning goal in the 85th minute through Ruud van Nistelrooy.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
October began with a home match against Vitória de Guimarães. Miccoli opened the scoring for Benfica in the 20th minute, but Tiago Targino equalized a few minutes later. Simão put Benfica back in front with a deflected shot that beat Márcio Paiva, ensuring a third consecutive win that reduced the distance to the league leader to four points. After another interruption for international football, Benfica returned to competition with a Clássico against Porto. Despite Porto being the favourite to win, Benfica won 2–0 with two goals from Nuno Gomes.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
It was Benfica's first away win at Porto since 1990–91, when César Brito also scored a double. On the following Thursday, Benfica visited El Madrigal to play Villarreal. On the half-hour mark, Benfica lost their goalkeeper Quim to injury and replaced him with the 19-year-old Rui Nereu. In the second half, Villarreal scored from the penalty spot. Five minutes later, Manuel Fernandes levelled the score again. The draw allowed Benfica to remain in second place in Group D; Koeman was confident he could beat the Spaniards at home. On 22 October, Benfica hosted Estrela da Amadora for the Primeira Liga.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
Two second-half goals by Karyaka and then Nuno Gomes, gave Benfica their fifth consecutive win in the competition. Four days later, Benfica made their Portuguese Cup debut in the fourth round. Playing in Estádio do Bessa against Leixões, Simão's decisive performance opened the scoring in the 11th minute and scored Benfica's second goal that made the score 2–1. The month ended with an away match against Naval. Benfica were surprised by the home side and dropped two points in a 1–1 draw, costing them the chance to reach second place. Koeman was unhappy with the result, saying Benfica played better and deserved to win.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
Benfica began November with a home match against to Villarreal. Benfica were hoping to win and take the lead in Group D but were defeated 1-0 with a winning goal for Villarreal in the 81st minute through a 30 m (98 ft) strike from Marcos Senna. Despite the loss, Koeman remained confident in the qualification for the knockout stage; he said, "It is a very balanced group. We are missing four points to progress." On 6 November, Benfica played Rio Ave at home.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
The match was unusually competitive, with Benfica trailing twice and avoiding defeat with two free kicks from Petit. Koeman took the blame but criticized the referee's assistant for making several mistakes against Benfica. After a third international break, Benfica visited the Municipal de Braga on 19 November to play Braga. Benfica scored first through Anderson but could not prevent the comeback of Braga, first through Césinha and then Julio Bevacqua. Benfica responded with a Nuno Gomes goal in the 92nd minute, but Bevacqua gave the win to Braga three minutes later.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, October–November
It was Benfica's fourth consecutive winless game, the worst spell of the season. Three days later, Benfica played Lille on the road for match-day five of the group stage. Koeman surprised with a highly defensive team composed of four centre-backs in the back-four, two defensive midfielders, two fullbacks playing in the midfield and only two offensive players, Miccoli and Nuno Gomes. The match ended 0–0, achieving Koeman's goal of securing a point. For the final game of the month, Benfica received Belenenses on 27 November. They were unable to beat Belenenses' keeper, dropping two points in a 0–0 draw and extending their winless run to six matches, the longest dry spell since 2001–02.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
On 3 December, Benfica travelled to Barreiros to play Marítimo. Under pressure from the run of poor results, Koeman asked his players to give it all to beat Maritímo. Benfica fended off Marítimo attacks, responding with a goal through Mantorras in the 86th minute and winning for the first time since 26 October. Four days later, Benfica hosted Manchester United for the last match of the group stage. United's Paul Scholes scored first but ten minutes later, Geovanni equalized 1–1 and in the 34th minute, Beto fired a shot from outside the box to make it 2–1.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
The result was unchanged and Benfica qualified in second for the knockout stages for the first time since 1994–95. On 11 December, Benfica played Boavista at home. Anderson scored for Benfica off a corner-kick from Petit; the only goal of the game. Koeman was happy with the win, saying, "We played well, as did the fans, who supported us. Like this, it is very difficult to beat us." On 17 December, Benfica continued their winning run, beating Nacional 1–0 with a goal from Nuno Gomes.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
The goal was controversial because of an alleged infraction of Luisão over Diego Benaglio prior to the goal. Koeman said, "I agree that it should have been signalled, like it should have been in many other instances". Benfica ended 2005 with an away visit to the Estádio do Bonfim. They struggled to beat Vitória de Setúbal's goalkeeper Marcelo Moretto throughout the game, only securing the win in the 90th minute through Nuno Gomes. The win was Benfica's fifth in December; enough to place them third in the league table just before the Christmas break.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
Competition resumed on 8 January with a home game against Paços de Ferreira. New signing Moretto made his first appearance for Benfica. Nélson scored early, putting Benfica in the lead, with Geovanni setting the final score in the second half. With the win, Benfica climbed to second place, four points ahead of Sporting but ten behind leaders Porto. On 11 January, Benfica played Tourizense for the 2005–06 Portuguese Cup. Recently signed Laurent Robert scored the opening goal in the second half, while Nuno Gomes scored a second, letting Benfica progress to the sixth round.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
Four days later, Benfica hosted Académica at home. Early in the match, Roberto Brum touched the ball with his hand inside the box, giving Simão the opportunity to score the first goal; two more goals in the second half secured a comfortable 3–0 win for Benfica. The following day, Benfica signed Académica striker Marcel on a six-month loan. On 20 January, Benfica played away to Gil Vicente. A 10th-minute goal from Nandinho meant Benfica trailed for the first time in the season at the quarter-hour mark.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, December–January
The Lisbon-side responded with two first-half goals from Simão and Geovanni, while an own-goal in the second half confirmed the win for Benfica. It was their seventh consecutive league win, a feat not seen in 11 years since the 1994–95 season. On 28 January, Benfica played the Derby de Lisboa against Sporting CP. Benfica scored first through Simão but they could not stop Paulo Bento's team from winning the match 3–1 at the Luz. Koeman said, "Sporting was much better on the pitch, before the 1–0 and especially after".


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
Entering the decisive part of the season, and still present in all competitions, Benfica's first game of February was a visit to Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa to face União de Leiria. The home side startled Benfica, beating them 3–1. The loss, which Koeman called a small setback, granted Sporting the chance to catch Benfica in second place. On 8 February, Benfica met Nacional at home for the sixth round of the Portuguese Cup; the match ended in a goalless draw, even after extra time. Benfica won the match after a penalty shoot-out.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
Four days later, Benfica returned to the winning path in the Primeira Liga after beating Penafiel 4–0. Geovanni opened the scoring in the first half, after which Nuno Gomes, Simão and an own goal from Roberto set the final result. On 18 February, Benfica played on the road against Vitória de Guimarães. They did not play as expected and conceded two goals—one in each half—losing 2–0. The loss severely hampered their title defence after being overtaken by Sporting and Braga and allowing leaders Porto—their next league opponent—to gain an eight-point advantage.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
Three days after Guimarães, Benfica hosted Liverpool for the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. According to Adrian Harte, the match was "largely disappointing", but Benfica secured a vital win against Liverpool when Luisão scored with an 84th-minute header. The final match of February was a home to Porto, the second Clássico of the season. The high-tension match was decided with a 40 m (130 ft) free kick from Laurent Robert that Vítor Baía could not stop. The win relaunched Benfica's title race and Porto's lead was reduced to five points. It was the first time in 29 years since 1976–77 Benfica had beaten Porto twice in the league and was also their first home win over Porto since 2000–01.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
Benfica began March with a visit to Estádio José Gomes, home of Estrela da Amadora. The local team scored first through Paulo Machado in the first half, but Benfica scored two goals in the second half; the latter in the 91st minute. On 8 March, Benfica played the return trip of the Champions League against Liverpool. The Rafael Benítez-led side needed to recoup a 1–0 disadvantage but Benfica won the match.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
A long-range shot from Simão in the 36th minute and a volley from Miccoli in the 89th minute put Benfica into the quarter-finals for the first time in 11 years, eliminating the reigning Champions League title holders in the process. Koeman was thrilled with the win, saying, "This is why football is so nice—you can win against a bigger team, and anything is possible if you work for it". Four days later, on the same day they were drawn with Barcelona in the Champions League, Benfica hosted Naval at home.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
They failed to break Naval's resistance despite several attempts from Simão and dropped two points in a 0–0 draw. The draw threatened the hopes for a title renewal, as Porto and Sporting had distance themselves in the first two spots. On 15 March, Benfica suffered another setback at home. In the quarter-finals of the Taça de Portugal against Vitória de Guimarães, Benfica was surprised by the visitors and lost 1–0; the match's only goal was scored by Dário Monteiro. On 19 March, Benfica visited the Estádio dos Arcos to play Rio Ave.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, February–March
As with Estrela da Amadora, Benfica only secured the win in overtime, when Mantorras beat Mora with a 93rd-minute goal. Simão later told the press Benfica were still in the title race. Almost a week later, on the 25 March, Benfica hosted the fourth-place team Braga. The home team scored in their second attempt through Nuno Gomes and retained their slim lead until the end. Koeman was happy Benfica resolved the game so early, because in three days they met Barcelona. In the final game of March, Benfica faced Barcelona for the Champions League. Both goalkeepers were instrumental in securing a goalless draw; Moretto had the most work. Koeman was satisfied with the stalemate, predicting the second leg would be similar.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
In April, Benfica were still battling for a Champions League semi-final spot while chasing Porto and Sporting in the domestic title race. On the first day of the month, Benfica played away to Belenenses. José Pedro scored first for the home team in the 9th minute, but Benfica's Miccoli equalized and seven minutes later, Karagounis scored again. Benfica won 2–1. Assistant manager Bruins Slot said, "The win allows us to keep pressure on our opponents and give us morale for Barcelona". The following Wednesday, Benfica visited the Nou Camp in the second leg of the quarter-finals.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
Barcelona pressured hard and almost scored in the first five minutes with a penalty kick, with Moretto defending Ronaldinho's shot. A few minutes later, the Brazilian scored to make it 1–0 for Barça from open play. Benfica had the best chance to level in the 61st minute, but Simão missed an opportunity. Samuel Eto'o scored a late goal for Barcelona, putting Barça into the semi-finals. President Luís Filipe Vieira said, "We were hoping to reach the final. We were awakened from the dream—every supporter was".


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
On 9 April, Benfica hosted Marítimo at home. They were caught off guard and briefly trailed by 2–0. Petit and a 96th-minute penalty from Simão equalized for Benfica. Nonetheless, the draw granted Porto the chance to increase their lead to nine points with four games left, making the title renewal "impossible," as Koeman described it. Six days later, on 15 April, Benfica played visitor to Boavista. Hoping to take advantage of Sporting's slip hours earlier and only battling for a direct qualification for the next Champions League campaign, Benfica beat the home side 2–0, with goals from Tiago and Mantorras.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
The win also broke a ten-year winless streak at the Estádio do Bessa, the last win being on 30 March 1996. On 23 April, Benfica played Nacional on Estádio da Madeira. Benfica led the game most of time, but conceded a late goal from Ricardo Fernandes and lost the chance to overtake Sporting. On 30 April, Benfica hosted and defeated Vitória de Setúbal 1–0 with a first half goal from Anderson. The win meant Koeman had surpass Giovanni Trapattoni's previous points total (67–65), but without the same glory; Porto had already won the league and Sporting was in good position to finish second.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
On 7 May, Benfica played their final match of the season at Estádio da Mata Real. Benfica's Manuel Fernandes scored first but could not prevent Paços de Ferreira scoring three second-half goals, thus losing the game. Benfica ended the season in third place, missing out on the title and an automatic place in the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League. Despite winning both games against Porto, the closest Benfica had come from them was on the 18 and 19 match-days, with only three points. Benfica closed the season 12 points behind the leader and five from Sporting.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Season summary, April–May
Of the Big Three, Benfica conceded the most goals (29) and scored the second-highest number of goals (51), with the worst goal-average (+22). Koeman wanted to fulfil his contract with Benfica, but after negotiations with the management and sudden interest from PSV, Benfica opted to release him on mutual terms. Koeman thanked Luís Filipe Vieira and José Veiga for their support in face of repeated criticism, and said, "This is very big club, but you cannot win all the time, although I admit, that in the Primeira Liga, he did not do everything he could. We could have done better. But I say, It was a pleasure being here, now my career will continue elsewhere."


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Player statistics
The squad for the season consisted of the players listed in the tables below and staff members Ronald Koeman (manager), Bruins Slot (assistant manager) and Fernando Chalana (assistant manager).


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Player statistics
Note 1: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 S.L. Benfica season, Player statistics
Note 2: Players with squad numbers marked ‡ joined the club during the 2005-2006 season via transfer, with more details in the following section.


2005–06 S.S. Lazio season
The 2005–06 season was the 106th season in Società Sportiva Lazio's history and their 18th consecutive season in the top-flight of Italian football. Lazio finished Serie A in 6th place, but were later placed in 16th, just above the relegation zone due to involvement in the 2006 Italian football scandal.


2005–06 SC Bastia season
French football club SC Bastia's 2005–06 season. Finished 6th place in league. Top scorer of the season, including 12 goals in 16 league matches have been Pierre-Yves André. Was eliminated to Coupe de France end of 16, the Coupe de la Ligue was able to be among the 1. tour.


2005–06 SC Bastia season, Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 SIJHL season
The 2005–06 SIJHL season is the 5th season of the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL). The six teams of the SIJHL played 52-game schedules, except for Minot State University-Bottineau who played a 20-game season.


2005–06 SIJHL season
In February 2006, the top teams of the league played down for the Bill Salonen Cup, the SIJHL championship. The winner of the Bill Salonen Cup competed in the Central Canadian Junior "A" championship, the Dudley Hewitt Cup. If successful against the winners of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, the champion would have then moved on to play in the Canadian Junior Hockey League championship, the 2006 Royal Bank Cup.


2005–06 SIJHL season, Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GF = Goals For; GA = Goals Against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched conference title


2005–06 SIJHL season, Dudley Hewitt Cup Championship
Hosted by the Fort William North Stars in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Fort William finished won the tournament, Dryden finished in third.


2005–06 SIJHL season, 2006 Royal Bank Cup Championship
Hosted by the Streetsville Derbys in Brampton, Ontario. Fort William finished third in the round robin and was eliminated in the semi-final.


2005–06 SIJHL season, Scoring leaders
Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty Minutes


2005–06 SIJHL season, Leading goaltenders
Note: GP = Games Played; Mins = Minutes Played; W = Wins; L = Losses: OTL = Overtime Losses; SL = Shootout Losses; GA = Goals Allowed; SO = Shutouts; GAA = Goals Against Average


2005–06 SK Rapid Wien season
The 2005–06 SK Rapid Wien season is the 108th season in club history.


2005–06 SM-liiga season
The 2005-06 SM-liiga season was the 31st season of the SM-liiga, the top level of ice hockey in Finland. 14 teams participated in the league, and HPK Hameenlinna won the championship.


2005–06 SPHL season
The 2005–06 Southern Professional Hockey League season was the second season of the Southern Professional Hockey League. The regular season began October 21, 2005, and ended April 12, 2006, after a 56-game regular season and a six-team playoff. The Knoxville Ice Bears won their first SPHL championship.


2005–06 SPHL season, Preseason
The Asheville Aces, Macon Trax, and Winston-Salem Polar Twins all folded following the 2004–05 season. Replacing them were the Florida Seals and Pee Dee Cyclones.


2005–06 SPHL season, Preseason
A new playoff structure was announced, with the top seed and sixth seed playing each other in a best-of-5-game series, with the winner advancing to the championship. The second and fifth, and third and fourth seeds each play a best-of-3-game series, with the winners meeting in another 3-game series to determine the second finalist.


2005–06 SPHL season, President's Cup playoffs, (1) Knoxville Ice Bears vs. (6) Pee Dee Cyclones
The Knoxville Ice Bears and the Macon trax play at best of 5 round that will take the place of the first two playoff rounds. The other four teams will play a best of 3 game Quarter Final and Simi Final round.


2005–06 SPHL season, Awards
The All-SPHL teams were announced March 21, 2006, followed by the MVP on March 22, Defenseman of the Year on March 23, Coach of the Year on March 24, Rookie of the Year on March 27, and Goalie of the Year on Match 28.


2005–06 SPHL season, Awards, All-Star selections
F Tim Green (Columbus) F Tylor Keller (Columbus) F Kevin Swider (Knoxville) D Ryan Aikia (Columbus) D Mike Clarke (Fayetteville) G Matt Carmichael (Huntsville)


2005–06 SPHL season, Awards, All-Star selections
F Jason Bermingham (Knoxville) F Dean Jackson (Fayetteville) F Edan Welch (Pee Dee) D Mat Ponto (Columbus) D Doug Searle (Knoxville) G Terry Denike (Florida)


2005–06 SV Werder Bremen season
During the 2005–06 season, SV Werder Bremen played in the Bundesliga, the highest tier of the German football league system.


2005–06 SV Werder Bremen season, Season summary
Werder Bremen climbed to second place in the final table, 5 points behind Bayern Munich. They were also the league's highest scoring team, with 79. Miroslav Klose was the league's top scorer with 25.


2005–06 SV Werder Bremen season, Players, Left club during season
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 SV Werder Bremen season, Players, Werder Bremen II
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 SV Werder Bremen season, Players, Youth team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Sacramento Kings season
The 2005–06 Sacramento Kings season was the franchise's 57th season in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the 21st in Sacramento, California. The team began the season looking to improve upon a 50–32 record from the previous season, but off-court problems meant they declined by six wins despite a late rush.


2005–06 Sacramento Kings season
In the playoffs, the Kings lost to the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the First Round.