2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Report, Main race
A1 Team France, slowed by a 1.54 minute pit stop which saw them drop to eighteenth at the end of the safety car session then began its climb up the field to an eventual sixth-place finish, which they took on the penultimate lap by overtaking Canada at the end of the 1.1 km straight. After taking Austria on lap six, Mexico, Switzerland, Portugal, Germany and China all fell victim over the next two laps.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Report, Main race
For Lebanon a point in this race would have meant a lot and they fought to the finish to try to achieve this. On lap 17, it was Mexico that slipped by to take ninth but after then it was on lap 23 that the team finally saw their hopes dashed when A1 Team USA snatched tenth, the last points paying position.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Report, Main race
Mexico made their final leap up the leader board into eighth by overtaking Italy on lap 25. For Italy, this was not the end of the affair but their driver's hope of taking the place back again were dashed due to a spin of lap 26. Meanwhile, Portugal and Austria were disputing twelfth place. Even though they were both out of the points, this battle continued right to the chequered flag with newcomer to the Series César Campaniço finishing in front.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Report, Main race
Race winner, A1 Team Czech Republic's Tomáš Enge commented: "It's great to get this result today. We've had a lot of bad luck during the last half of the season. We've had lots of ups and downs in the last few races, in Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca we didn't finish either race. I hoped everything would go well, and in the end the pit stop and the restarts were all really good. I must thank the team for all their work and a great car. I think it will take us about a week to realise what has happened today. I'm very proud that the Czech Republic won the last race in the first season of A1 Grand Prix."


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Report, Main race
A1 Team Malaysia jumped from 10th in the Series standings to fifth after Alex Yoong's performance in Shanghai. "Before the weekend, we almost joked that we could get fourth in the series, if we won both races, and it nearly happened. The car was really good in the first race, in the second the balance wasn't quite as good, and Tomas was doing a good job. But we are pleased with this second place."


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Report, Main race
Ryan Briscoe for A1 Team Australia said: "It's a fantastic result to come away with third, especially as this is only my second outing in A1 Grand Prix. It means a lot to be racing for your country. I must say a big thank you to all the boys in the team. I kept working hard, and tried to preserve the tyres as much as possible, but I didn't have the speed to catch Alex. During the first race, we had a slight problem with the set up, but we made a few changes before the second race, and found the best set up again."


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Report, Main race
Asked whether Formula One was better than A1 Grand Prix, Alex Yoong answered, "You cannot compare F1 and A1GP, they are completely different. Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport in terms of technology. It is about manufacturer against manufacturer, about engine deals and about money. A1GP is run by countries, the cars are identical, it is an equal playing field. The aim is to see which is the best team and driver, it is about the people. I would definitely stay in A1GP, it would have to be a good deal for me to move to F1. A very good deal!"


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Report, Main race
The bonus point for the fastest race lap of the day went to A1 Team Malaysia who recorded a time of 1.52.508 on lap 14 of the Sprint race, with a speed of 174.4 km/h.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Report, Main race
The A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Shanghai International Circuit, China was the last race in A1 Grand Prix's inaugural season. The first race of the second season will take place at Circuit Park Zandvoort, Netherlands on 29 September - 1 October 2006


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, April 2, 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany was an A1 Grand Prix race, held on the weekend of October 9, 2005 at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz circuit.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Practice
Friday practice for the second A1 Grand Prix race showed how close the competition in the new series is set to be. In the first session, A1 Team Great Britain's Robbie Kerr topped the timesheets with a 1'34.675, followed by A1 Team France's Nicolas Lapierre just 0.023 seconds behind. Nelson Piquet Jr continued his impressive form in the series to set the third fastest time, with the top 11 cars in the session covered by just one second. Impressive performers in the first round, Australia were relatively disappointing in 23rd position, with Christian Jones making his debut in the car. A1 Team Russia decided not to compete in the round, preferring to give themselves extra time to prepare for the next round in Portugal.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Practice
The second practice session was also closely contested, with once again the top 11 cars covered by less than one second. Lapierre set the fastest time, a 1'34.150, nearly four tenths of a second ahead of A1 Team Ireland's Ralph Firman in 2nd, and A1 Team Germany's Timo Scheider in 3rd. Jos Verstappen set the fourth-fastest time for A1 Team The Netherlands, while A1 Team Indonesia continued their impressive weekend form with a 5th-place. Jones struggled again, finishing dead last of the teams and setting A1 Team Australia a difficult task for qualifying. China's Tengyi Jiang improved over 1.3 seconds on his morning time to move into 19th, while A1 Team Lebanon had their times for the session cancelled after failing to notify A1 Grand Prix of a change to their nominated driver for the session.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Practice
Saturday's session saw the usual suspects move to the top of the leaderboard, with France (2nd), New Zealand (3rd), Brazil (4th), Switzerland (5th) and The Netherlands (6th) all setting quick times. The surprise of the session was Scheider, who took top spot after continuing improvement over the race weekend.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Qualifying
A1 Team France took their first pole position in A1GP with an impressive qualifying session by Nicolas Lapierre. He was one of only three drivers to set times under 1'33, setting his quickest times on his second and third runs to take an aggregate time of 3'05.332. A1 Team USA surprised the paddock to take the other front row spot, driver Scott Speed managing to set the session's overall best time of 1'32.622 to end up only 0.056 seconds behind Lapierre.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Qualifying
A1 Team Brazil confirmed their position as one of the top teams to take third, while Robbie Kerr took fourth for Great Britain. Timo Scheider (Germany) continued his impressive form to take fifth, with Neel Jani (Switzerland) alongside him in sixth. Australia and South Africa continued with their dismal weekends, ending up in 22nd and 23rd respectively, while the inexperienced Khalil Beschir could do no better than 24th for Lebanon, nearly 2 seconds behind South Africa and 7 seconds behind the polesitter.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Sprint race
Before the start of the sprint race, all A1 Teams and drivers observed a minute's silence in respect to the victims of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. A1 Team France started at the front of the grid for the 30 minute race, which began with a rolling start. A first-corner incident between USA and Great Britain eliminated both teams on the spot, with Switzerland taking advantage of the chaos to slip into 2nd.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Sprint race
The collision also allowed Piquet to make up for starting the race in the wrong gear, the Brazilian able to retain his 3rd-place grid position by the end of the first lap. Pakistan and Malaysia were also major beneficiaries of the confusion, gaining 9 and 13 positions respectively for both teams to move into the top 10.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Sprint race
With no compulsory pitstops in the shorter race, the top four positions remained the same for the remainder of the race, the drivers choosing to continue the trend of "playing it safe" in order not to compromise their starting position for the main race. Lapierre took the 10 points and France's first A1GP race win to continue the team's perfect weekend. Switzerland's Jani took their first podium, with Piquet coming in third for Brazil to continue their championship lead. On lap 14, Piquet was also able to set the fastest lap, which could mean an additional point for Brazil, provided the time of 1'34.736 was not beaten in the main race.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Sprint race
The race was not so good for The Netherlands, who were forced to retire after just one lap due to damage. This also meant that Jos Verstappen would start from 22nd place in the main race, hindering the Dutch team's chances of taking A1GP points despite their obvious pace. Other retirees included Pakistan and Portugal, who collided in the first corner of lap 2, forcing both teams out of the race with damage. A1 Team Italy also had a disappointing race, being handed a 25-second penalty for overtaking under a yellow caution flag, and falling out of the points from 8th to 17th.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Main race
The main race began with A1 Team France on pole, due to its win in the sprint race, but the lead was short-lived, as Switzerland got a better start and moved into first place. A1 Team Malaysia also got a good start from 6th, and Alex Yoong was able to take 3rd by the end of lap 1, following by Brazil. Brazil was able to re-take the position on the following lap, and with Timo Scheider also taking advantage to move into 4th, Malaysia was down to 5th.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Main race
On lap 3, A1 Team Czech Republic also got past Yoong, while Ireland dropped dramatically from 13th to 19th. Lap 4 saw France move into the lead, passing Jani after using the PowerBoost button. Scheider continued his move up the field, taking 3rd from Brazil on lap 7 when Piquet took his compulsory pitstop. The Brazilian team again had difficulties with their stop, costing Piquet precious time and dropping him to 18th. Further problems emerged from the pitstop when the team were penalised for having an extra man in the stop, and Brazil were given a drive-through penalty. Meanwhile, Great Britain had begun an impressive drive through the field, and were in 11th on lap 10 after having started the race from dead last. The only retirements for the race so far were USA (tyre puncture on lap 4) and Italy (lap 11).


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Main race
The order at the front of the field remained the same until lap 16, when France pitted to give Switzerland the lead. This allowed A1 Team New Zealand into 2nd, and India into an incredible 3rd place, having started 16th on the grid. Great Britain's drive had continued up to 6th place, and by this stage a podium finish was a real possibility. Switzerland's troublesome long pitstop on lap 21 meant that Jani slipped down to 5th, allowing France to stretch its lead at the front.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Main race
South Africa ended its poor weekend with retirement on lap 15 and zero points, while India's joy was relatively short-lived, an alternator failure soon after the team's pitstop forcing Karun Chandhok out of the race on lap 19. This retirement caused a safety car period to allow the car to be retrieved from the start-finish straight, with France leading, followed by Great Britain and Canada. Malaysia's race was effectively ended when it was adjudged that Yoong had overtaken another car during the safety car period, and he was handed a drive-through penalty.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Main race
At the restart of the race, Czech Republic, Japan and Brazil were battling for eighth spot when Japan's Hideki Noda turned in on Brazil, forcing Piquet to spin out and retire from the race immediately. The collision sent Piquet into Czech driver Tomáš Enge, who was also forced to retire with broken steering the following lap. The positions at the front remained largely the same for the remainder of the race, although Switzerland was able to take 5th from Ireland 6 laps from the finish.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Report, Main race
Lapierre's win gave France 20 points for the weekend, as Piquet's quick lap in the sprint race proved fast enough to secure Brazil an extra point. Great Britain and Canada filled the remaining podium positions, followed home by the consistent New Zealand, who picked up 14 points. Germany picked up the final point in 10th point, after a troublesome wheel nut forced a long pitstop which saw Scheider fall back to 18th. Lebanon's Khalil Beschir provided the team's best result in the series with 18th, although he finished 2 laps down and was last of the cars that finished. Brazil still remain ahead in the championship, but lie just a single point ahead of both New Zealand and France, tied on 29.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, October 9, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Germany, Results, Main Race Results
The Main Race also took place on Sunday, October 9, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain was an A1 Grand Prix race, held on 25 September 2005 at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, England. This was the first in the 2005-06 A1 Grand Prix season, and the first race in the history of the A1 Grand Prix series.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Practice
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain at Brands Hatch had a rough start, even before it began. During the first two practice sessions, held on Friday 23 September, there were no less than eight red flags due to on track incidents. In the first session, A1 Team India's Karun Chandhok crashed into Jos Verstappen at a hairpin, sending him airborne damaging his car to such an extent that he was unable to set a time in the second session. Rain marred the second session, causing slower speeds and spins, but nothing as spectacular as in the first. Free practice 3, held on Saturday saw A1 Team France top the timesheets with a 1:15.421 courtesy of Alexandre Premat. Matt Halliday surprised for A1 Team New Zealand, setting the second quickest time, which was good enough to see him nominated for qualifying.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Qualifying
Nelson Piquet Jr. took A1GP's first ever pole position for A1 Team Brazil. Piquet set the fastest time over the entire session, with a 1:14.965 on his third run. Combined with the best first-lap time, he produced an aggregate time of 2:30.769, leading the results by over 0.3 of a second ahead of New Zealand's Matt Halliday. Brazil did not attempt a time in the final run, which was topped by French driver Alexandre Premat, placing them third on the grid for the sprint race.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Qualifying
Fourth position went to A1 Team Australia, followed by the home team, A1 Team Great Britain. The A1 Grand Prix rules allow teams to use one driver for qualifying and another for the race, provided the race driver's best practice time is within 102% of the team's best qualifying lap. All teams elected to use the same qualifying driver in the race, apart from A1 Team Malaysia, who used Fairuz Fauzy in the sprint race and return to former Formula One driver Alex Yoong for the main event.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Sprint race
Scheduled for 18 laps or 30 minutes (whichever came first), the first ever A1GP sprint race began with a rolling start, with A1 Team Brazil driver Nelson Piquet Jr. on pole position, followed by A1 Team New Zealand's Matt Halliday. Halliday had some experience in oval races which use sprint starts, and was expected to challenge Piquet into Paddock Hill bend. But it was France's Alexandre Premat who got the best start of the front-runners, slipping inside Halliday to move into second place. Australia's Will Power retained his fourth position, slightly ahead of Robbie Kerr for A1 Team Great Britain.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Sprint race
Piquet made it through the first turn with no trouble, and quickly began building a sizeable lead. Meanwhile, ex-F1 driver Jos Verstappen, in the Dutch car suffered damage to his car after a collision with the A1 Team South Africa car driven by Stephen Simpson, forcing him to limp back to the pits and retire from the race. This was a double blow to the Dutch team, as they would then have to start the feature race from the back of the field.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Sprint race
Simpson was also required to pit at the end of the first lap to repair damage from the collision. The field remained in almost the same order for the remainder of the race, as Piquet, Premat and Halliday produced a gap back to Power, who had eventually escaped the close attention of Kerr to secure fourth place. A1 Team USA's Scott Speed benefited from a fantastic opening lap, where he moved from 17th to 11th, holding that position until the end of the race. A1 Team Mexico held onto 6th, ahead of the Pakistani car in 7th, which spent most of the race holding up Portugal, Switzerland and Ireland behind him.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
Piquet took the first position on the grid for the feature race, thanks to his comprehensive victory in the sprint race. A1 Team France's Alexandre Premat suffered a battery problem between the two races which required some frantic work by the pit crew, resulting in Premat leaving the pit lane with 45 seconds to spare. This time the race started with a standing start, but as the drivers set off for a warm-up lap, A1 Team New Zealand's Matt Halliday stalled from third spot, forcing him to enter the pitlane and start from the very back of the pack.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
This left an empty grid slot in front of A1 Team Great Britain's Robbie Kerr, which would perhaps be an advantage as the drivers struggled for position into the heavily cambered first corner. At the actual race start, A1 Team France's Alexandre Premat also stalled, putting him out of the race immediately, and the drivers behind were able to narrowly avoid him. Brazil again got a good start, leaving Piquet to lead from A1 Team Australia's Will Power on the opening lap.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
Further back in the field, A1 Team Ireland collided with A1 Team Switzerland, putting both cars out of the race. A1 Team Lebanon driver Khalil Beschir spun off the track, hitting a wall on the outside and then coming back across the track narrowly in front of four cars.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
Luckily he was able to continue the race, which was not the case for A1 Team India's Karun Chandhok and A1 Team Indonesia's Ananda Mikola, who both did not complete lap 1. A1 Team Portugal soon joined the ever-growing list of retirees, when Álvaro Parente retired with a battery problem on only the second race lap when he was fighting for third place. By the end of lap 2, Brazil led from Australia, followed closely by Great Britain and Pakistan, with Enrico Toccacelo for A1 Team Italy a surprising 5th after taking an early compulsory pitstop, having started in 16th. Further back, A1 Team Germany's Timo Scheider used one of his eight power boosts to breeze past A1 Team Japan's Ryo Fukuda and into 8th place.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
Piquet continued to lead and open and impressive gap back to Power, who was being hounded by Kerr for second, but not allowing the British driver any room to get past. Several battles were emerging throughout the field, involving Pakistan and Italy for 4th place, Germany and Malaysia for 6th, and Canada in 9th, struggling to keep South Africa behind. A1 Team USA's Scott Speed rejoined the race after having to pit for a new nose cone earlier in the race, now lying several laps behind the leaders.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
With Germany taking its compulsory pitstop, Jos Verstappen in the Netherlands car moved into 7th, capping an excellent comeback from last at the start of the race. A few teams had difficulties in their stops, including A1 Team Malaysia, whose faulty wheel caused Alex Yoong to lose a large amount of time during his lap 9 stop. Pakistan, who had been held up by A1 Team Austria while trying to lap them, also lost out to the Netherlands when both teams pitted.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
On lap 13, with Toccacelo attempting a move up the inside of Lebanon driver Beschir, the pair's wheels touched, sending Beschir into a frightening barrel-roll across the gravel trap, and causing the introduction of the safety car, to slow the cars around the track whilst the debris was cleared. This gave the top three a good opportunity to pit, but Brazil had big troubles with a wheel, allowing Great Britain to jump into the lead, ahead of Australia, and leaving Piquet in third.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
Under the safety car, however, the British car suffered another battery failure, and forcing Kerr to retire and hand the lead to Will Power. Power made the most of the restart, opening up a good lead over Brazil, with A1 Team Mexico in third place. Only a few laps later though, A1 Team Russia driver Alexey Vasilyev spun off the track and forced the safety car to come out again. This time when the race restarted, Piquet was much closer to the back of Power, and took the lead on lap 29.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
With 32 laps completed, Brazil had opened up a good lead, setting the all-important fastest race lap in the process. Australia sat in 2nd position, in front of Salvador Durán for Mexico, who was being pressured by Halliday. Malaysia held an impressive 5th place, followed by South Africa and the Netherlands.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Report, Main race
The positions remained constant for the remaining laps of the race, despite a desperate attempt by New Zealand to make it past the apparently slower Mexico car. Piquet displayed his true speed in eventually winning by 11 seconds over Power, followed by Mexico, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa, the Netherlands and Japan, with Canada and Germany closing out the top 10. Piquet's win finished an impressive weekend for Brazil, giving the team the maximum 21 points. However, the gaps in the pointscoring system for A1GP are not large, so Australia lies close behind on 16, followed by New Zealand on 15 and Mexico on 13.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, 25 September 2005


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Great Britain, Results, Main Race Results
The Main Race also took place on Sunday, 25 September 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Indonesia
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Indonesia is an A1 Grand Prix race, held on the weekend of February 12, 2006 at the Sentul International Circuit.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Indonesia, Report, Postponement
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Indonesia was originally scheduled to be held on January 15, 2006. This changed on January 4, 2006 however, due to the unexpected death of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai, and the uncle of A1 Grand Prix launcher Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum, the day before. This postponement was prompted due to the traditional forty-day mourning period. Tony Teixeira, CEO of A1 Grand Prix stated:


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Indonesia, Report, Postponement
On the following day, A1 Grand Prix and the Indonesian race organizers agreed to run the race on February 12, changing its order in the schedule from that of seventh, to the eighth race of the eleven-race season.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Indonesia, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, February 12, 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Indonesia, Results, Main Race Results
The Main Race took place on Sunday, February 12, 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Malaysia
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Malaysia was an A1 Grand Prix race, held on the weekend of November 20, 2005 at the Sepang International Circuit.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Malaysia, Results, Qualification
Qualification took place on Saturday, November 19, 2005, with rain beginning in earnest at the end of the second segment of qualification.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Malaysia, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, November 20, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Malaysia, Results, Main Race Results
The Main Race took place on Sunday, November 20, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Mexico
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Mexico was an A1 Grand Prix race, held on the weekend of February 26, 2006 at the Fundidora Park Circuit.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Mexico, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, February 26, 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Mexico, Results, Main Race Results
The Main Race took place on Sunday, February 26, 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal was an A1 Grand Prix race, held on the weekend of October 23, 2005 at the Autódromo do Estoril circuit.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Practice
Friday was affected by inclement weather, which saw the morning test sessions and practice held in wet conditions due to rain. Local star Álvaro Parente set the quickest time in the first test session, one of two additional timed 40 minute runs that allowed teams to obtain the best set ups on their cars. Parente set a time of 1'54.918, but this was soon eclipsed by series leaders Brazil as Nelson Piquet Jr set a 1'51.916 during the second test.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Practice
The track was still slightly damp for the first practice session, but A1 Team France, who won both races in the previous round continued their impressive form with Alexandre Premat setting the fastest time - a 1'33.024. Adrian Sutil, driving for A1 Team Germany came in second in his debut outing, setting a 1'33.700 after 17 laps. Czech driver Tomáš Enge was a mere 0.034 seconds behind, while Australia's Will Davison made a successful return to the car to set the fourth fastest time. The top 5 was rounded out by Brazil, Piquet completing 18 laps on his way to 1'34.085.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Practice
The rain returned prior to the commencement of the second practice session, and it was delayed by 25 minutes to allow areas of standing water on the circuit to clear. This ensured that times were considerably slower than in the previous session, but Premat was still able to come out on top, setting a 1'52.037 after just 5 laps to finish over 1.5 seconds ahead of second-placed Piquet. Portugal continued to perform well at home to set the third fastest time, followed by Switzerland and USA. Australia decided not to compete in the session due to their concerns about the track conditions.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Practice
Saturday's session saw Czech Republic take top honours, with Brazil still close behind. Great Britain's Robbie Kerr and The Netherlands' Jos Verstappen set the third and fourth fastest times, followed by Germany in 5th. France completed just 8 laps in the session and set the slowest time of the morning, over 17 seconds behind the best.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Qualifying
A1 Team Brazil took its second A1GP pole position in qualifying, despite driver Piquet spinning out in the first of the four timed sessions. He went on to set times of 1'30.755 and 1'30.561 in his second and fourth runs to secure first position on the grid for the sprint race. Brazil's aggregate time was over half a second quicker than that of Switzerland, who were able to set the second-quickest lap of the session on their fourth run. Enge's aggregate time of 3'01.830 put the Swiss team second on the grid, their best qualifying result so far in the series. France confirmed their position as one of the top teams by taking third spot, followed by the Czech Republic and The Netherlands.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Qualifying
Portugal did not disappoint the home crowd, following on from their impressive times in the weekend's practice sessions to line up 6th, ahead of Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia and Great Britain. Germany were unable to carry their surprisingly quick times from practice to qualifying and will line up 11th. The same occurred for Australia, where Davison will line up from 19th place. Lebanon's Basil Shaaban and India's Armaan Ebrahim will take their places at the very back of the field in 23rd and 24th positions respectively.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Sprint race
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, October 23, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Sprint race
All cars got away cleanly for the parade lap and formed up well for the rolling start, but running very slowly behind the safety car. At the start, Piquet was followed closely by Premat of Team France and Verstappen of Team Netherlands. Piquet chose to brake fairly early into turn 1 and was watching Neel Jani of Team Switzerland on his outside, while allowing the French car to beat him to the apex with the cars running 3-abreast around the bend. Team Great Britain was pushed off the outside of the bend, but was able to rejoin the track in 13th place.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Sprint race
Australia, Mexico, China & Pakistan all retired following a shunt at turn 2 on the first lap.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Sprint race
At this stage in the race, France was in the lead, followed by Brazil, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, Portugal (who passed Canada down the pit straight at the end of lap 1), Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Italy, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, USA, New Zealand, Russia, Lebanon, India and Austria. Great Britain was clearly faster than Germany but couldn’t find a way past.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Sprint race
On lap 6, Ralph Firman of Team Ireland got too close to the British car around one of the slow right-hand corners and touched his front wing against its rear-right tyre, puncturing the tyre and destroying the left-hand side of the front wing. The British car went straight off at the next bend and retired from the race while Firman had to pit for a new nose and rejoined the race a lap down. At this stage, the top 3 cars had pulled away from the rest of the field by over 3.5 seconds.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Sprint race
With Great Britain and Ireland out of the way, it was the turn of Scott Speed of Team USA to try to find a way past the slower, German car ahead of him.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Sprint race
By lap 13, Malaysia had passed Indonesia for 8th place after a close battle and Austria had got ahead of India for 17th. In the French car, Alexandre Premat was using his PowerBoosts to try to get the fastest lap and the extra point that goes with it.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Sprint race
On lap 15 Austria and India both passed Lebanon for 16th & 17th places respectively and one lap later Scott Speed managed to get in front of Germany at turn 2, but ran wide at the following corner and lost the place again.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
The Main Race took place on Sunday, October 23, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
Armaan Ebrahim stalled the Team India car pulling away for the parade lap and the car was pushed back to the pits to be restarted there. One of the Team India engineers came onto the track, but the marshalls quite correctly would not allow him to work on the car until it was in the pit lane.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
As the field formed up, Nelson Piquet Jr. had pointed his car directly towards Alexandre Premat and Lebanon were in the wrong grid box, -1 place. Brazil, The Netherlands and Russia all stalled on the grid. France made it into Turn 1 ahead of Portugal, who had made a great start from 6th on the grid. These two were followed by Tomáš Enge of Czech Republic who got ahead of Neel Jani into third place. Jani was running 4th, followed by Indonesia who had managed to move up from 9th to 5th and Italy who had moved up from 6th.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
Unfortunately, Italy managed this by jumping the start and was penalised for this later in the race. Canada ran wide at turn 1 and dropped two places to 7th. Then came Malaysia, South Africa and Germany. Those two cars had bumped during the run down the pit straight, but both survived.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
The safety car was deployed at the end of lap 1, but I don’t know why. All I can assume is that the race officials thought that the 3 stalled cars might not have been moved to the pits by the end of the first lap, so did it as a precaution. The three cars were cleared off the track very quickly and there was no danger, so the safety car returned to the pits at the end of lap 2.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
While it was on track a number of teams chose to make their compulsory pit stop:- Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Great Britain, China, Mexico, Pakistan and India. South Africa emerged first following an excellent stop, followed by Germany, Indonesia, Great Britain, Mexico, India, Pakistan and China. Malaysia and New Zealand ran into problems during their stops and took much longer to get back on track.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
On lap 3, the race order was France, Portugal, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Ireland, USA, Austria, Australia, Lebanon, The Netherlands, South Africa, Germany, Indonesia, Great Britain and Mexico in 17th place. At the end of lap 4, Brazil pitted with no problems and on lap 6 Robbie Kerr managed to overtake Mikola while Neel Jani & Scott Speed both pitted cleanly. On lap 7 Italy was given a drive-through penalty for a jump start. Canada chose to pit at the same time, but problems with the front right wheel caused a delay. When McIntosh emerged from the pits it was behind Salvador Durán. The Canadian tried to get past, but outbraked himself, bumping the Team Mexico car and causing it to spin off.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
By the end of lap 10 the complete race order was France, Portugal, Czech Republic, Ireland, Australia, Austria, The Netherlands, Lebanon, Italy, Switzerland *, USA *, Germany *, South Africa *, Great Britain *, Indonesia *, Canada*, India *, China*, Pakistan *, Mexico *, Brazil *, New Zealand *, Russia * & Malaysia *. Teams marked with an asterisk (*) had completed their mandatory pit stop.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
On lap 11, Indonesia attempted an ambitious overtaking maneuver, trying to pass Great Britain and South Africa into turn 1. Mikola did get to the apex before the other but could not keep his car on the track and ran wide at the exit of the turn, spinning off. This happened right in front of Tomas Scheckter and Robbie Kerr capitalised on the confusion, passing the South African car into turn 2. After attempting unsuccessfully to recover the car under yellow flags, the safety car was deployed a lap later.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
Around this time, last-placed Malaysia was holding up a number of faster cars on track by not yielding when they came to lap him. The lack of blue flags in A1GP allows this to happen. Just before the safety car was deployed, Portugal pitted. While the wheels were changed quickly and without problems, Álvaro Parente stalled the car as he pulled way and when he reached the end of the pit lane and was trying to rejoin the race, he had to steer between two sets of marshalls recovering Mikola’s car.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
When the safety car was deployed, the remaining teams chose to make their pit stops:- France, Czech Republic, Ireland, Australia, The Netherlands, Italy and Lebanon. France made a particularly fast stop but Tomáš Enge stalled the Team Czech Republic car. While running under the safety car, the Team South Africa car retired with a mechanical problem.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
After the pit stops had been completed, the race order was France, Switzerland, USA, Ireland, Germany, Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, Austria, Italy, Lebanon, India, China, Portugal, Pakistan, Brazil, New Zealand, Russia and Malaysia. When the safety car returned to the pits the racing was very close. Portugal and India made up several places as racing resumed.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
Jos Verstappen also made up several places, passing Ireland (who had fallen back), but carried too much speed into the corner and launched over the back wheels of the German car, taking both of them out of the race and bringing the safety car out again less than a lap after it went in!


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
The safety car returned to the pits at the end of lap 18. At the restart, Ireland and the Czech Republic both passed USA and Austria dropped from 7th to 10th place. Canada retired, Pakistan overtook India and New Zealand got ahead of Russia.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
On lap 23 the British car developed a gearshift problem which caused Robbie Kerr to lose a number of places. A lap later Portugal managed to pass Italy into turn 1. Shortly afterwards, officials gave a drive-through penalty to the Czech Republic for speeding in the pit lane. This would cost Tomáš Enge five places as he rejoined 10th. Brazil had just managed to overtake Lebanon for 10th place and was immediately promoted to 9th as a result of the Czech penalty.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Report, Main race
Portugal continued to move through the field, passing Australia for 5th place on lap 30. China span off two laps later and Australia was forced to defend 6th place against a very insistent Toccacelo.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, October 23, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Portugal, Results, Main Race Results
The Main Race took place on Sunday, October 23, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa was an A1 Grand Prix race, held on the weekend of 29 January 2006 at a street course in Durban, South Africa. This was the only street course of the 2005-06 A1 Grand Prix season.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa, Report, Practice
The first practice session was wet, and the second was wetter. Both were interrupted by several red flags. Ananda Mikola driving for A1 Team Indonesia was fastest in the first session with a time of 1:28.477. Will Davison from A1 Team Australia was fastest in the second session with a time of 1:30.520.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa, Report, Practice
During the third practice, on Saturday, A1 Team Pakistan driver Adam Khan was involved in a serious crash, forcing a helicopter flight to the nearest hospital for precautionary CT scans. These scans showed negative, but Khan was unable to compete in the remainder of the weekend's events, replaced by A1 Team Italy's backup driver, Enrico Toccacelo but Pakistan would not score points.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, 29 January 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa, Results, Main Race Results
The Main Race took place on Sunday, 29 January 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United Arab Emirates
The 2005-06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United Arab Emirates was held on the weekend of December 11, 2005 at the Dubai Autodrome.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United Arab Emirates, Report, Qualifying
Session One of Qualifying was red-flagged after Salvador Durán of Mexico suffered a bad accident.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United Arab Emirates, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, December 11, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United Arab Emirates, Results, Main Race Results
The Main Race took place on Sunday, December 11, 2005.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America was an A1 Grand Prix race, held on the weekend of March 12, 2006 at Laguna Seca.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America, Report
The first American stop for the A1GP (and so far only) was doomed to fail from the start. The race was announced before Laguna Seca announced it. There was little to no advertisement for the event, and very few fans of European open wheel racing in America even knew about the event. Due to constant rain, the A1GP weekend was canceled by the track a week before the race. The rain stopped, but the ground was still soaked to the point that most of the parking lots were closed in fear of vehicles getting stuck in the mud. Laguna Seca is located just a few miles from the Monterey Bay, and is at an elevation of about 750 feet. The weather chased away more fans as snow fell on Friday night.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America, Report, Qualifying
Qualifying was held in "ideal" conditions compared to the rest of the weekend and the lap times were quick.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America, Report, Sprint race
With rain nearby, officials changed the start times for both races. Temperatures were in the 40s, and the diehard fans were in for quite a show. Less than five minutes before the start, a torrent rain storm hit the track hard. Teams quickly switched to rain tires and put on a great show. By the halfway point of the 30 minute sprint race, the rain stopped, yet there was enough water that a dry line could not be found.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America, Report, Main race
By the start of the main race, the track was mostly dry, however there were enough wet spots on the track to make it dangerous for slicks. Many cars spun hitting the wet curbs. There were also some questionable calls by the officials causing Jos Verstappen to storm out of his car in the middle of the race.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America, Results, Qualifying Results
1. Mexico Salvador Duran 2min 30.744secs2. France Nicolas Lapierre 2min 30.895secs3. New Zealand Matt Halliday 2min 31.596secs4. Malaysia Alex Yoong 2min 31.810secs5. Australia Ryan Briscoe 2min 31.964secs6. Great Britain Robbie Kerr 2min 31.970secs7. Portugal Alvaro Parente 2min 32.042secs8. Ireland Ralph Firman 2min 32.098secs9. Germany Timo Scheider 2min 32.307secs10. South Africa Stephen Simpson 2min 32.535secs11. Lebanon Graham Rahal 2min 32.560secs12. Netherlands Jos Verstappen 2min 32.571secs13. Italy Max Papis 2min 32.745secs14. Czech Republic Tomáš Enge 2min 32.838secs15. Indonesia Ananda Mikola 2min 33.249secs16. Switzerland Giorgio Mondini 2min 33.299secs17. USA Bryan Herta 2min 33.602secs18. Canada Patrick Carpentier 2min 33.641secs19. Brazil Christian Fittipaldi 2min 33.686secs20. Austria Mathias Lauda 2min 34.338secs21. Pakistan Adam Khan 2min 36.325secs22. China Tengyi Jiang 2min 37.715secs


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America, Results, Sprint Race Results
The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, March 12, 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America, Results, Main Race Results
The Main Race took place on Sunday, March 12, 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United States of America, Results, Main Race Results
1. Mexico Salvador Duran 1 h 0 min 52.974 s; 40 laps2. Germany Timo Scheider +2.042 s3. Great Britain Robbie Kerr +3.117 s4. Portugal Alvaro Parente +10.420 s5. Canada Patrick Carpentier +14.183 s6. Ireland Ralph Firman +20.805 s7. Italy Max Papis +23.199 s8. Australia Ryan Briscoe +24.236 s9. Austria Mathias Lauda +29.229 s10. Malaysia Alex Yoong +30.072 s11. Pakistan Adam Khan +31.391 s12. New Zealand Matt Halliday +31.977 s13. Switzerland Giorgio Mondini +2 laps14. France Nicolas Lapierre +3 laps15. USA Bryan Herta +3 laps16. Czech Republic Tomáš Enge +6 laps17. China Tengyi Jiang +7 laps18. Brazil Christian Fittipaldi +11 laps19. Indonesia Ananda Mikola +12 laps20. Lebanon Graham Rahal +13 laps21. Netherlands Jos Verstappen +23 laps22. South Africa Stephen Simpson +37 laps


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix season
The 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix season was the inaugural season for the A1 Grand Prix series. It began on 25 September 2005, and finished on 2 April 2006 after eleven races.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix season
This first season was won by A1 Team France on 12 March 2006.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix season, Teams
25 teams, each representing a different country, signed up for the first A1 Grand Prix season. All teams used a control chassis (Lola), engine (Zytek) and tyre (Cooper Avon). The following teams competed in the 2005–06 championship:


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix season, Races
The first A1 Grand Prix season consisted of 11 races, all held in different countries. Each race ran over a three-day weekend, including a practice session on each of Friday and Saturday before a qualifying session on Saturday, and then two races on Sunday.


2005–06 A1 Grand Prix season, Races
The Indonesian Round had originally been scheduled to be held on 15 January 2006, but was postponed due to the death of Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The replacement date was set as 12 February 2006 (originally scheduled for the cancelled Curitiba race), resulting in effectively switching order with the South African round.


2005–06 ABA Goodyear League
The fifth season brought another change in the competition structure. Following the idea to make the league as strong as possible the management of the Goodyear league decided to reduce the number of clubs from 16 to 14 again.


2005–06 ABA Goodyear League
14 teams from Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro participated in Goodyear League in its fifth season: Union Olimpija, Helios, Pivovarna Laško, Geoplin Slovan, Cibona, Zadar, Zagreb, Široki ERONET, Bosna ASA BH TELECOM, Crvena zvezda, Partizan, Hemofarm, FMP Železnik, Vojvodina Srbijagas.


2005–06 ABA Goodyear League
There were 26 rounds played in the regular part of the season, best eight teams qualified for the Final Eight Tournament which was played in Sarajevo since April 20 until April 23, 2006.


2005–06 ABA Goodyear League, Regular season
Pld - Played; W - Won; L - Lost; PF - Points for; PA - Points against; Diff - Difference; Pts - Points.


2005–06 ABA season
The 2005–06 ABA season was the fifth season of the American Basketball Association. The regular season began in November 2005 and concluded with the championship game in March against the Rochester Razorsharks and the Southern California Legends. The Razorsharks won the game, 117-114, to claim their first ABA title.


2005–06 ACB season
The 2005–06 ACB season was the 23rd season of the Liga ACB.


2005–06 ACF Fiorentina season
The 2005–06 season was ACF Fiorentina's 80th season in its history and its 68th season in Serie A. The club had its best season on the pitch since the 1998–99 season, originally finishing 4th with 74 points and securing a spot in the qualifying round of the 2006–07 UEFA Champions League. However, the club was punished with a 30-point penalty for its involvement in the 2006 Italian football scandal, resulting in Fiorentina being pushed down the table to 9th.


2005–06 ACF Fiorentina season
This was a much better outcome than its original punishment, as La Viola were originally relegated to Serie B. Following a successful appeal, Fiorentina was admitted to play in Serie A the following season, albeit losing its Champions League slot and having to start the season with a 15-point penalty, removing any chance of mounting a genuine title challenge and building on the success of the 2005–06 season.


2005–06 ACF Fiorentina season
The most significant player during the season was new striker Luca Toni, signed from Palermo in the summer, who netted almost one goal per match on average over the full season, winning the topscoring battle of Serie A with 31 strikes, which was a near-record. New goalkeeper Sébastien Frey was also impressive, conceding 41 goals only due to a weak defence.


2005–06 AEK Athens F.C. season
AEK Athens F.C. competed for the 47th consecutive season in the Greek top flight and 82nd year in existence as a football club. They competed in the Alpha Ethniki, the Greek Cup and the UEFA Cup. The season begun at 29 August 2005 and finished at 14 May 2006.


2005–06 AEK Athens F.C. season, Players, Squad statistics
NOTE: The players are the ones that have been announced by the AEK Athens' press release. No edits should be made unless a player arrival or exit is announced. Updated 30 June 2006.


2005–06 AEK Athens F.C. season, Manager stats
Only competitive matches are counted. Wins, losses and draws are results at the final whistle; the results of penalty shootouts are not counted.


2005–06 AFC Ajax season
During the 2005–06 Dutch football season AFC Ajax participated in the Eredivisie, the KNVB Cup and the UEFA Champions League. The first training took place on 3 July 2005. The traditional AFC Ajax Open Day was on 3 August 2005.


2005–06 AFC Ajax season, Pre-season
The first training for the 2005–06 season was held on 3 July 2005. In preparation for the new season, Ajax organized a training camp in De Lutte, Netherlands, at the De Thij Sportpark. During the pre-season, the squad from manager Danny Blind played friendly matches against DWV, WHC, Quick '20, HHC Hardenberg, Rijnsburgse Boys, Fortuna Sittard, Arminia Bielefeld and FC Omniworld. They then returned to Amsterdam to play Arsenal and Boca Juniors in the annual Amsterdam Tournament.


2005–06 AFC Ajax season, Transfers, Summer
For a list of all Dutch football transfers in the summer window (1 July 2005 to 1 September 2005) please see List of Dutch football transfers summer 2005.


2005–06 AFC Ajax season, Transfers, Winter
For a list of all Dutch football transfers in the winter window (1 January 2006 to 1 February 2006) please see List of Dutch football transfers winter 2005–06.


2005–06 AHL season
The 2005–06 AHL season was the 70th season of the American Hockey League. Twenty-seven teams played 80 games each in the schedule. The Hershey Bears won the Calder Cup, defeating the Milwaukee Admirals in the finals.


2005–06 AHL season
To celebrate the AHL's 70th anniversary,  the league announced on January 6, 2006, the first inductees into the AHL's new Hall of Fame . The first inductees were; Johnny Bower, Jack Butterfield, Jody Gage, Fred Glover, Willie Marshall, Frank Mathers and Eddie Shore.


2005–06 AHL 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;


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


2005–06 AHL 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 AHL season, All Star Classic
The 19th AHL All-Star Classic was played on February 1, 2006, at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Team Canada defeated team PlanetUSA 9–4. In the skills competition held the night before, team Canada defeated team PlanetUSA 21–12 in front of two sellout crowds of 15,115, the largest for an AHL event.


2005–06 AS Monaco FC season
The 2005–06 season was AS Monaco FC's 49th season in Ligue 1. They finished tenth in Ligue 1, and were knocked out of the Coupe de la Ligue by Nice, in the Semifinals, and the Coupe de France by Colmar at the Last 32. Monaco started the season under the management of Didier Deschamps, but after a poor start and disagreement with the club's President, Michel Pastor, Deschamps resigned from the club on 19 September 2005. Jean Petit was appointed as coach follow Deschamps' departure with Francesco Guidolin taking over from him in October.


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


2005–06 AS Monaco FC season, Squad, Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 AS Monaco FC season, Transfers, Summer
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 AS Monaco FC season, Transfers, Summer
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 AS Monaco FC season, Transfers, Winter
In:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 AS Monaco FC season, Transfers, Winter
Out:Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


2005–06 Aberdeen F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was Aberdeen's 93rd season in the top flight of Scottish football and their 95th season overall. Aberdeen competed in the Scottish Premier League, Scottish League Cup, Scottish Cup.


2005–06 Adelaide United FC season
The 2005–06 Adelaide United FC season was the club's second season since its establishment in 2003. The club participated in the A-League for the first time after the National Soccer League was replaced.


2005–06 Adelaide United FC season
Continuing their good form from the final season of the NSL, Adelaide United finished as Premiers in the inaugural season of the Hyundai A-League.


2005–06 Adelaide United FC season
The Reds were bundled out of the finals race in straight sets losing to Sydney FC in the two leg semi final and then Central Coast Mariners 1–0 in the preliminary final at Hindmarsh.


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


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings
The Ahvaz bombings were a series of bomb explosions, that took place mostly in Ahvaz, Iran in 2005 and 2006, and were blamed on Ahvaz separatist organizations of Arabs. The bombings were linked to the violent '15 April unrest' in Ahvaz, prior to the bombings. Some 28 people were killed and 225 wounded in Ahvaz bombings.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Background
The region of Khuzestan continued suffering from periodical violent disruptions since the suppression of the Sheikh Khazal rebellion in 1925.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Background
In 2005, a wide scale unrest broke out in Ahvaz and the surrounding towns. The unrest erupted on 15 April 2005, and lasted for 4 days. Initially, the Iranian Interior Ministry stated that only one person had been killed, however an official at a hospital in Ahvaz said that between 15 and 20 mortal casualties.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, The bombings, 12 June 2005
The bombs in Ahvaz exploded over a two-hour period, four bombs have exploded, killing at least 11 people and wounding more than 87 others, days before the presidential election. One of the bombs exploded outside the governor-general's headquarters. Two went off near government offices and a fourth exploded near the home of a local state television executive. Two hours later, a bomb exploded in the capital Tehran, killing two people. Three other bombs were defused. According to the LA Times, the provincial governor of Khuzestan disclosed that several of the victims were women and children. Iran's Interior Ministry claimed that the bombings were meant to strike fear into Iranians in order to stop them from voting, according to the New York Times.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, The bombings, 12 June 2005
"These terrorists have been trained under the umbrella of the Americans in Iraq," The Iranian top national security official Ali Agha Mohammadi said.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, The bombings, 15 October 2005
Two bomb blasts hit a shopping center, killing at least six people and injuring up to 100. The attacks, a few minutes apart, took place near an area attacked by several bombs in June. The bombs were planted in rubbish bins. The blasts occurred shortly before dusk as shoppers crowded to buy food for the evening meal that breaks the daily fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. According to Aljazeera, two Arab separatists accused of carrying out the attack, were executed by hanging.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, The bombings, 25 January 2006
At least nine people were killed and 48 injured in two blasts. One bomb had exploded in the Kianpars area, inside the Saman Bank, and had killed at least 9 people and wounded 45 others; the second explosion took place on Golestan Road next to the Natural Resources Department, a state environmental agency, causing injuries but no deaths. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been due to give a speech at a religious centre nearby, but the visit had been cancelled due to bad weather. Mr Ahmadinejad's media chief said he did not believe the bombs were linked to the planned visit, because there had been a series of similar blasts last year.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, The bombings, 25 January 2006
"Our heroes... in the military wing of The Arab Struggle Movement for the Liberation of Ahvaz attacked and destroyed the dens of the occupying enemy" a statement posted on an Arab separatist organisation website said.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, The bombings, 25 January 2006
However, Iranian Foreign Minister has blamed the UK of working together with the attackers responsible for the death of eight people in Ahvaz, according to bbc.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, The bombings, 27 February 2006
Two bombs exploded in the Iranian cities of Dezful and Abadan. In both cities, the devices were planted in the governor's offices. Three injuries were reported. According to abc news, the twin bombs did affect the Iranian oil refinery in Abadan.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, The bombings, 2 March 2006
A bomb exploded hours after two men were hanged for a bomb blast. The percussion bomb shattered the windows of a building in the KianPars area on Thursday evening, but no casualties were reported.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Aftermath
At least 19 Arab Iranian were executed since the 2005 Ahvaz unrest and the consequent bombings. In April 2011, another wave of protests erupted across the Khuzestan province, resulting in a dozen killed and scores injured and arrested.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Perpetrators
The Iranian government has pointed the blame for the bomb attacks on a number of groups and foreign governments. The government initially blamed the Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MeK) and the separatist Ahwazi Arab Peoples Democratic Popular Front (ADPF). Both groups denied responsibility. At least three Arab groups claimed responsibility for the June bombings, including the Canada-based Party of the Ahwaz Arab Renaissance Party (AARP) (aka Hizba al-Nahdah al-Arabi al-Ahwazi) . Sabah al-Musawi of AARP - which was created in Damascus by the Syrian Ba'ath Party - also appeared to justify the killing of civilians, stating: "These people came from outside Ahvaz. These are settlers.... They came to Ahvaz and they must bear the consequences. The regime must bear its responsibilities towards the people it brought as settlers to Ahwaz." The AARP had claimed responsibility for an attack on the Abadan-Ma'shuur pipeline in May 2005.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Perpetrators
According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, British Ahwazi Friendship Society (BAFS) spokesman Nasser Bani-Assad dismissed the claims of responsibility by various foreign-based separatist groups, alleging that they did not have the ability to carry out an attack and were seeking publicity and notoriety. In a statement on the BAFS website, Bani-Assad said:


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Perpetrators
Presidential candidate Mostafa Moeen also suggested that those responsible for the Ahvaz attacks were also linked to similar attacks in Tehran and Zahedan. In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Moeen suggested that the violence could have been aimed at encouraging people to vote for a hardline militarist candidate. When asked by the Guardian whether the attacks had the government's approval, he said: "I do not consider it improbable."


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Perpetrators, Alleged UK, US involvement
The oil-rich Khuzestan province, which is home to about two million ethnic Arabs, has been rocked by a wave of unrest in April 2005. Iran accused British army forces across the border in southern Iraq of co-operating with bombers who carried out January's attacks in Ahvaz. The UK Foreign Office rejected the allegation.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Perpetrators, Alleged UK, US involvement
In the months after the June 2005 attacks, government officials and the pro-government media alleged that the UK, US, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the Shell Oil Company all had a role in the bombings, but none published any conclusive evidence. Despite claiming to have arrested those responsible for the attacks, no-one has been charged or put on trial.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Perpetrators, Alleged UK, US involvement
Following the October attacks, the head of the judiciary for Khuzestan province, Sayyed Khalil Akbar al-Sadat, blamed "British spies," while the conservative Kayhan newspaper claimed the terrorists were "British soldiers." Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Hossein Mousapour told state-run Mehr news agency:


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Perpetrators, Alleged UK, US involvement
The British Embassy in Tehran denied any responsibility in a statement released after the attacks:


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Perpetrators, Alleged UK, US involvement
Various officials repeated the claim of British involvement, repeating that they had reliable intelligence and confessions from those arrested after the attacks. However, no-one has been tried in connection to the attacks. Senior members of the Bawi (Bavi) tribe were arrested and two were sentenced to death, but it is not known whether this is in connection with the attacks.


2005–06 Ahvaz bombings, Perpetrators, Alleged UK, US involvement
U.S. agents have allegedly been working in Iran with anti-government groups. According to Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker: "[T]eams of American combat troops have been ordered into Iran, under cover, to collect targeting data and to establish contact with anti-government ethnic-minority groups."


2005–06 Air21 Express season
The 2005–06 Air21 Express season was the 4th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).


2005–06 Airdrie United F.C. season
Season 2005–06 was Airdrie United's fourth competitive season. They competed in the First Division, Challenge Cup, League Cup and the Scottish Cup.


2005–06 Airdrie United F.C. season, Summary
Airdrie United finished sixth in the First Division. They reached the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, the first round of the League Cup and were eliminated in the second round of the Challenge Cup.


2005–06 Al-Mina'a SC season
The 2005–06 season was Al-Minaa's 30th season in the Iraqi Premier League, having featured in all 32 editions of the competition except two. Al-Minaa participated in the Iraqi Premier League and the AFC Champions League.


2005–06 Al-Mina'a SC season
They entered this season having finished in 2nd place in the league in the 2004–05 season, but this season was less successful as the club ranked in 10th place out of 28 teams. In the AFC Champions League, Al-Minaa were eliminated in the group stage where they earned their first ever points in an AFC competition with draws against Mash'al and Al-Hilal.


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


2005–06 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team
The 2005–06 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team (variously "Alabama", "UA", "Bama" or "The Tide") represented the University of Alabama in the 2005–06 college basketball season. The head coach was Mark Gottfried, who was in his eight season at Alabama. The team played its home games at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and was a member of the Southeastern Conference. This was the 93rd season of basketball in the school's history. The Crimson Tide finished the season 18–13, 10–6 in SEC play, lost in the second round of the 2006 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament. They were invited to the NCAA Tournament and lost in the round of 32.


2005–06 Alabama–Huntsville Chargers men's ice hockey season
The 2005–06 Alabama–Huntsville Chargers ice hockey team represented the University of Alabama in Huntsville in the 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season. The Chargers were coached by Doug Ross who was in his twenty-fourth season as head coach. The Chargers played their home games in the Von Braun Center and were members of the College Hockey America conference.


2005–06 Alaska Aces season
The 2005–06 Alaska Aces season was the 20th season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).


2005–06 Albanian Cup
2005–06 Albanian Cup (Albanian: Kupa e Shqipërisë) was the fifty-fourth season of Albania's annual cup competition. It began on 28 August 2005 with the First Round and ended on 10 May 2006 with the Final match. The winners of the competition qualified for the 2006-07 first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. KF Teuta were the defending champions, having won their third Albanian Cup last season. The cup was won by KF Tirana.


2005–06 Albanian Cup
The rounds were played in a two-legged format similar to those of European competitions. If the aggregated score was tied after both games, the team with the higher number of away goals advanced. If the number of away goals was equal in both games, the match was decided by extra time and a penalty shootout, if necessary.


2005–06 Albanian Cup, First round
Games were played on 28 August – 4 September 2005.


2005–06 Albanian Cup, Third round
All fourteen teams of the 2004–05 Superliga and First Division entered in this round, along with Second Round winners. First legs were played on 19 October 2005 and the second legs were played on 26 October 2005.


2005–06 Albanian Cup, Quarter finals
In this round entered the 8 winners from the previous round.


2005–06 Albanian Cup, Semifinals
In this round entered the four winners from the previous round.


2005–06 Albanian Cup, FINALE
2006 ALBANIAN CUP FINAL KF TIRANA VS KS VLAZNIA SHKODER 1-0 10 MAY 2006


2005–06 Algerian Championnat National
The 2005–06 Algerian Championnat National was the forty-two season of the Algerian Championnat National since its establishment in 1962. A total of 16 teams contested the league, with USM Alger as the defending champions.


2005–06 Algerian Championnat National 2
The Algerian Championnat National 2 season 2005-06 is the thirteenth season of the league under its current title and fifteenth season under its current league division format. It started on 16 August 2008.


2005–06 Algerian Championnat National 2, League table
A total of 18 teams contested the division, including 12 sides remaining in the division from the previous season and three relegated from the Algerian Championnat National, and another three promoted from the Inter-Régions Ligue.


2005–06 Algerian Cup
The 2005–06 Algerian Cup was the 42nd edition of the Algerian Cup in the sport of football. MC Alger won the Cup by defeating city rivals USM Alger 2-1 in the final with two goals from Noureddine Daham. It was MC Alger's fifth Algerian Cup in its history and its first in 23 years.


2005–06 All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship
The 2005–06 All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship was the second staging of the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 2004.


2005–06 All-Ireland Intermediate Club Hurling Championship
On 12 February 2006, Dicksboro won the championship following a 2–13 to 1–13 defeat of Ballinhassig in the final.


2005–06 All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Championship
The 2005–06 All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Championship was the third staging of the All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association  in 2002.


2005–06 All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Championship
On 12 February 2006, Fr. O'Neill's won the championship following a 2–16 to 2–10 defeat of Erin's Own in the final.


2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
The 2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship was the 36th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1970-71. The championship began on 16 October 2005 and ended on 17 March 2006.


2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
Ballina Stephenites were the defending champions, however, they failed to qualify after being beaten by Charlestown Sarsfields in a quarter-final replay in the 2005 Mayo County Championship.


2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
On 17 March 2006, Salthill-Knocknacarra won the championship following a 0-07 to 0-06 defeat of St. Gall's in the All-Ireland final at Croke Park. It remains their only championship title.


2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Football Championship
James Masters from the Nemo Rangers club was the championship's top scorer with 2-17.


2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
The 2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship was the 36th staging of the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county club hurling tournament. The championship began on 30 October 2005 and ended on 17 March 2006.


2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
James Stephens were the defending champions but were defeated by Portumna in the All-Ireland semi-final.


2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
On 17 March 2006 Portumna won the championship following a 2-8 to 1-6 defeat of Newtownshandrum in the All-Ireland final. This was their first All-Ireland title.


2005–06 All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship
James Stephens's Eoin Larkin was the championship's top scorer with 2-27.


2005–06 Alpha Ethniki
The 2005–06 Alpha Ethniki was the 70th season of the highest football league of Greece and the last season under the name Alpha Ethniki, before then was renamed to Super League Greece. The season began on 27 August 2005 and ended on 13 May 2006. Olympiacos won their second consecutive and 34th Greek title. However, the season was somewhat overshadowed by the suspension of the Greek FA by UEFA, which jeopardized the European places of the Champions League, UEFA Cup, and Intertoto Cup qualifiers from Greece, as well as the use of Athens Olympic Stadium as the site of the 2006–07 Champions League final.


2005–06 Angola Basketball Cup, Men's Tournament
The 2006 Men's Basketball Cup was contested by eight teams and won by Primeiro de Agosto. The final was played on May 9 and 12, 2006.


2005–06 Angola Basketball Cup, Women's Tournament
The 2006 Women's Basketball Cup was contested by three teams and won by Primeiro de Agosto.


2005–06 Angola Basketball Super Cup
The 2006 Angola Basketball Super Cup (13th edition) was contested by Primeiro de Agosto, as the 2005 league champion and Petro Atlético, the 2005 cup runner-up. Petro Atlético was the winner, making it its 5th title.


2005–06 Angola Basketball Super Cup
The 2006 Women's Super Cup (11th edition) was contested by Primeiro de Agosto, as the 2005 women's league champion and Desportivo do Maculusso, the 2005 Women's cup runner-up. Primeiro de Agosto was the winner.


2005–06 Arab Champions League
2005 and 2006 saw the 3rd edition of Arab Champions League. 32 teams represented Arab nations from Africa and Asia.


2005–06 Arab Champions League
Raja Casablanca of Morocco won the final against ENPPI of Egypt.


2005–06 Arab Champions League, Round of 32
32 teams play home and away matches as Knock out stage.


2005–06 Arab Champions League, Round 16
16 teams play home and away matches as Knock out stage.


2005–06 Arab Champions League, Quarter-Finals
8 teams play home and away matches as Knock out stage.


2005–06 Argentine Primera División
The 2005–06 Argentine Primera División was the 115th season of top-flight football in Argentina. The season ran from August 5, 2005 to May 14, 2006.


2005–06 Argentine Primera División
Boca Juniors won both, Apertura and Clausura championships totalising 28 league titles to date, while Instituto (C), Tiro Federal and Olimpo were relegated.


2005–06 Aris Thessaloniki F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was the 92th season in Aris Thessaloniki F.C. 's existence. The club finished 3rd in the Beta Ethniki and promoted to Super League for the next season.


2005–06 Aris Thessaloniki F.C. season
Aris Thessaloniki was eliminated in Second round of Greek Football Cup by Panthrakikos.


2005–06 Aris Thessaloniki F.C. season
As runners-up of the Greek Cup in previous season, Aris Thessaloniki qualified in to First round of UEFA Cup. The club were eliminated by the Italian Roma.


2005–06 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team
The 2005–06 Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team represented the University of Arizona during the 2005–06 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Wildcats, led by head coach Lute Olson, played their home games at the McKale Center and are members of the Pacific-10 Conference.


2005–06 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team
The 2005–06 Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball team represented the University of Arkansas in the 2005–06 college basketball season. The head coach was Stan Heath, serving for his fourth year. The team played its home games in Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas.


2005–06 Armenian Hockey League season
The 2005–06 Armenian Hockey League season was the fifth season of the Armenian Hockey League, the top level of ice hockey in Armenia. Five teams participated in the league, and Urartu Yerevan won the championship.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season
The 2005–06 season was the 108th season of competitive football played by Arsenal. It was the final season in which home matches were played at the club's Highbury stadium after 93 years; Arsenal intended to move to its new 60,000 capacity Emirates Stadium in time for the following season. The club ended their Premier League campaign in fourth, having pipped local rivals Tottenham Hotspur to the position on the final day. Arsenal became the first London club to reach a UEFA Champions League final, though lost 2–1 to Barcelona in Paris. In the League Cup the club was eliminated in the semi-finals on aggregate score by Wigan Athletic and knocked out of the FA Cup, against Bolton Wanderers in the fourth round.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season
Before the season commenced midfielder Patrick Vieira was sold to Juventus; striker Thierry Henry assumed his club captaincy role. Alexander Hleb was purchased from Stuttgart for an undisclosed fee in July 2005; in the winter transfer window Arsenal signed midfielder Abou Diaby, and forwards Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season
Arsenal lost to league champions Chelsea in the 2005 FA Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium. An indifferent start in the league saw Arsenal peak in second position after 13 matches, but a run of three consecutive defeats a month later had effectively ruled them out of title contention. On the final day, they beat Wigan Athletic 4–2 at Highbury; Tottenham Hotspur's defeat at West Ham United meant Arsenal secured fourth place. The team's performances in Europe were more striking; they eliminated Real Madrid, Juventus and Villarreal in the knockout stages.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season
In the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final held at the Stade de France in Paris on 17 May 2006, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off for a professional foul on Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o. Although defender Sol Campbell gave Arsenal a first half lead from a set piece, the team conceded twice in the final 15 minutes to lose the match.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season
To mark the final season at Highbury, Arsenal held a valedictory campaign titled "Highbury – The Final Salute". The club staged several themed matchdays and a redcurrant home kit replaced the common red to honour the shirts worn in 1913.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Background
Arsenal began the preceding season as league champions; a win against Blackburn Rovers in August 2004 ensured they eclipsed Nottingham Forest's record of 42 league matches unbeaten. The run extended to six more matches, before losing 2–0 to Manchester United at Old Trafford on 24 October 2004. Poor form throughout November allowed league leaders Chelsea to extend the gap at the top; Wenger conceded retaining the title in April 2005, calling his opponents "worthy champions ... they have been remarkably consistent."


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Background
A run of twelve league matches unbeaten, culminating in a 7–0 home win against Everton helped Arsenal finish in second place. In spite of exiting the Champions League to Bayern Munich in the second round, the team won the 2005 FA Cup Final against Manchester United – winning 5–4 on penalties after a goalless draw.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Background, Highbury – The Final Salute
The 2005–06 season marked Arsenal's final season at Highbury, their home since 1913. The club planned to move half a mile to the Emirates Stadium, considered "vital to our future" by Wenger, as it financially would help them to compete at the top level. To mark the valedictory campaign titled "Highbury – The Final Salute", the club staged many special activities on matchdays "...to celebrate the many great players and moments that this fantastic stadium has witnessed." A redcurrant home kit was designed to honour the shirts worn in the club's first season at Highbury. It was adorned with gold lettering and accompanied by white shorts and redcurrant socks.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Background, Transfers
Arsenal signed youth players Nicklas Bendtner, Vito Mannone and Armand Traoré in the summer transfer window. Belarusian Alexander Hleb joined the club for an undisclosed fee on 12 July 2005. Arsenal made four more additions during the season: goalkeeper Mart Poom, signed on a permanent deal, midfielder Abou Diaby, who reportedly turned down an offer to join Chelsea and forwards Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Background, Transfers
After the early departures of Jermaine Pennant and Stuart Taylor, club captain Patrick Vieira joined Italian side Juventus in a £13.7 million deal. Wenger did not intend to sign a replacement, saying "I am not in a hurry. We have Gilberto, Flamini, and Fàbregas. Pires can play in there also so we have plenty of players." English midfielder David Bentley made his loan deal at Blackburn Rovers permanent in the January transfer window.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Community Shield
As winners of the FA Cup in the previous season, Arsenal contested the 2005 FA Community Shield against league champions Chelsea. Two goals scored by striker Didier Drogba in either half meant Arsenal lost the match. Wenger commented afterwards that Chelsea's gameplan made it difficult for the Arsenal defenders, and noted his opposition's strength was playing long balls. When asked if he was concerned by the performance, Wenger replied: "Why should I worry? Did you see the game? You can worry for the Chelsea supporters."


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
"If you look at the history of the championship, this is very early to have lost two games. If we lose more than four, it's going to be a struggle."


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
Arsenal began their final league season at Highbury against Newcastle United on 14 August 2005. In spite of having a man advantage after midfielder Jermaine Jenas was sent off for a challenge on Gilberto Silva, striker Thierry Henry scored from the penalty spot in the 81st minute. Robin van Persie added a second, four minutes from the end of the match. A fortunate goal from Drogba inflicted Arsenal's first defeat against Chelsea in the league for almost a decade. The team responded with a 4–1 victory against Fulham, whereby Henry and defender Pascal Cygan both scored twice. Arsenal lost away to Middlesbrough on 10 September 2005, in a performance derided by Wenger as being "unacceptable". A brace (two goals) from Sol Campbell against Everton was followed by a goalless draw against newly promoted West Ham United.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
An own goal scored by Stephen Clemence gave Arsenal a 1–0 victory in the first week of October at home to Birmingham City. Despite being "technically the better side" away to West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal lost 2–1; Wenger after the match commented that the team "played with great spirit but … were punished for a lack of experience and maturity because we didn't take advantage of the chances we created." A penalty scored by Robert Pires was enough to secure three points against Manchester City.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, August–October
The midfielder wasted a second penalty in the second half, choosing to recreate a spot kick executed by Johan Cruyff and Jesper Olsen for Ajax. Having attempted to roll the ball towards onrushing Henry, Pires inadvertently flicked the ball twice, enabling referee Mike Riley to award a free-kick to Manchester City. Although both players were scrutinised by Chelsea manager José Mourinho, they were commended by Cryuff for showing a desire to try something different. The final league match of October ended in a 1–1 draw against local rivals Tottenham Hotpsur.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
A 3–1 win at home to Sunderland on 5 November 2005 meant Arsenal moved third in the league table. This was followed by a trip to the JJB Stadium; Arsenal beat Wigan Athletic 3–2 in a "hugely entertaining game on a cold, frosty afternoon". Henry scored his 100th goal at Highbury against Blackburn Rovers to extend a club unbeaten run of nine matches. Defeat at Bolton Wanderers in early December concerned Wenger, admitting the opponents showed the template required to beat his team.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
A further defeat against Newcastle United, where Gilberto Silva was sent off in the second half highlighted the "physical absence" of Vieira in midfield. In losing 2–0 to Chelsea a week after – their third successive defeat for the first time under Wenger, Arsenal lay in eighth position, 11 points behind Manchester United. An early morning kick-off away to Charlton Athletic ended in a 1–0 victory for Arsenal; José Antonio Reyes scored his second goal in the league. Four first-half goals against Portsmouth helped Arsenal to close the gap on second place by nine points. They ended the calendar year and began 2006 with goalless draws against Aston Villa and Manchester United respectively.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
Arsenal recorded the biggest win of the league season, against Middlesbrough at Highbury. Henry scored a hat-trick in a 7–0 victory; the striker post-match deemed it was vital for the club to finish in the top four "…for me, for the club and for the fans." They suffered two consecutive defeats: away to Everton and at home to West Ham United. In the latter match, Campbell was substituted at his request before the second half, having been at fault for Nigel Reo-Coker and Bobby Zamora's goals. He "went missing" after the match, subsequently returning to training five days later.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, November–February
Emmanuel Adebayor scored his first goal for Arsenal in a 2–0 win against Birmingham City on 4 February 2006. A stoppage time goal scored by Gilberto earned the team a point against Bolton Wanderers at Highbury; they went 1–0 down in the 12th minute after Kevin Nolan chipped the ball past goalkeeper Jens Lehmann. Arsenal conceded a late goal away to Liverpool on Valentine's Day – a result which left the club 10 points behind their opponents. Defeat against Blackburn Rovers meant they lost for the second consecutive game. Having collected just three wins out of a possible 14 away from home, Wenger admitted the form of the team remained "a big worry" given they needed to play five more.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
In the first week of March, Arsenal beat Fulham 4–0 with a "commanding performance" from Henry, who scored two goals. The striker scored the winning goal against Liverpool in their next match, from a Steven Gerrard backpass. A polished performance against Charlton Athletic was followed by a five-goal win at home to Aston Villa on 1 April 2006. Arsenal lost 2–0 to Manchester United and dropped two points against relegation-threatened Portsmouth, meaning a fourth-place finish was in Tottenham Hotspur's favour.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
Dennis Bergkamp scored his final goal for Arsenal against West Bromwich Albion in a 3–1 win; he came on as a substitute in the second half to set up Pires to score the winning goal, moments after Nigel Quashie had leveled the scoreline; fittingly the day was dedicated to him. Arsenal drew 1–1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur, with Wenger choosing to rest players in mind for the club's Champions League semi-final. A 3–0 win away at Sunderland was overshadowed by a tackle on Abou Diaby, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Premier League, March–May
Two late goals scored by Reyes against Manchester City moved Arsenal a point behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth. In the final competitive match played at Highbury, Arsenal faced Wigan Athletic, needing to better their rivals result to guarantee Champions League qualification. Henry scored a hat-trick in a six-goal match, helping Arsenal end the season with 67 points from 38 matches. Tottenham Hotspur's defeat against West Ham United meant Arsenal finished fourth, a position Gilberto felt the club "deserved".


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, FA Cup
Arsenal entered the competition in the third round, receiving a bye as a Premier League club. Their opening match was a 2–0 home win against Cardiff City on 7 January 2006, with both goals scored by Pires. Arsenal faced Bolton Wanderers the following round; an understrength team lost 1–0 after Giannakopulos headed in the winning goal, six minutes from the end of the match.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Football League Cup
Arsenal entered the Football League Cup in the third round, where they were drawn away to Sunderland. A 3–0 victory meant they progressed to the fourth round, where they beat First Division club Reading by an identical scoreline. Extra time and penalties was required in Arsenal's fifth round tie against Doncaster Rovers, after a 2–2 draw in 90 minutes. Two saves by goalkeeper Manuel Almunia helped Arsenal win 3–1 on penalties and reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 1998. They faced Wigan Athletic, losing 1–0 in the first leg and in spite of winning the second leg 2–1 with a full strength team, Arsenal was eliminated on the away goals rule.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Group stage
Arsenal qualified for the group stages of the Champions League in the 2005–06 season on virtue of finishing runners-up in the Premier League the preceding season. They were drawn in Group B, along with Swiss' Thun, Czech club Sparta Prague and Ajax of the Netherlands. In spite of Van Persie's dismissal against Thun in the opening group match, Arsenal won 2–1, courtesy of a late goal by substitute Bergkamp. A 2–1 win against Ajax was followed by a 2–0 victory against Sparta Prague; Henry scored both goals to surpass Ian Wright's all-time leading scorer record. A goal from Henry and two from Van Persie in the reverse fixture meant the club reached the knockout stages. A win at Thun on 22 November 2005 ensured Arsenal topped the group; they ended the group stages with a draw at Highbury against Ajax.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, First knockout round
The club faced Real Madrid in the last 16 – the first encounter between both clubs in the competition. A solo goal by Henry at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu in the first leg, inflicted the home team's first defeat in 18 Champions League matches. A disciplined display at home a fortnight after helped Arsenal to reach the quarter-finals and become the sole English representative left in the competition.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, Quarter-finals
At home to Juventus, Arsenal won 2–0 with goals from Fàbregas and Henry; the match was overshadowed by the return of former captain Vieira. A goalless draw at the Stadio delle Alpi meant the club progressed into the semi-finals against Villarreal.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, Semi-finals
In the club's final European match at Highbury, Touré scored a first-half goal to give Arsenal a 1–0 win. A late penalty save by goalkeeper Lehmann in the second leg helped Arsenal become the first London club to reach a Champions League final. The result, another goalless draw was Arsenal's tenth clean sheet in a row – a new competition record. Campbell, returning from injury praised the team performance in his post-match interview: "It's brilliant for us. It's also great for the manager Arsène Wenger to get to the final in France – I'm sure he will get a great reception."


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, Final
In the final against Barcelona at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, Arsenal fielded a 4–5–1 formation, with Eboué replacing the injured Lauren, and Cole making a return at left-back for Flamini.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, UEFA Champions League, Knockout phase, Final
Lehmann was sent off in 18th minute for a professional foul on striker Samuel Eto'o. Wenger reacted by substituting Pires for goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, altering the formation. In spite of the disadvantage, Arsenal took the lead in the 37th minute, after Henry's free kick was headed in by Campbell. Henry missed a chance in the second half to give Arsenal a two-nil lead before Eto'o equalised with 14 minutes left. Substitute Henrik Larsson set up Juliano Belletti to score the winner for Barcelona. Wenger used his post-match press conference to criticise referee Terje Hauge for sending off Lehmann, a view later shared by club captain Henry and FIFA president Sepp Blatter.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Squad statistics
Arsenal used a total of 34 players during the 2005–06 season and there were 16 different goalscorers. There were also six squad members who did not make a first-team appearance in the campaign. The team played in a 4–4–2 formation for much of the season, though Wenger deployed a 4–5–1 formation in Europe – a five-man midfield with Ljungberg playing behind the main striker Henry. Fàbregas featured in 50 matches – the most of any Arsenal player in the campaign; Lehmann started in all 38 league matches.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Squad statistics
The team scored a total of 96 goals in all competitions. The highest scorer was Henry, with 33 goals, followed by Van Persie and Pires who both scored 11 goals. Four Arsenal players were sent off during the season: Lehmann, Fàbregas, Van Persie and Gilberto.


2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season, Squad statistics
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with number struck through and marked  left the club during the playing season. Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Arsenal.


2005–06 Asia League Ice Hockey season
The 2005–06 Asia League Ice Hockey season was the third season of Asia League Ice Hockey. Nine teams participated in the league, and Kokudo Ice Hockey Club won the championship.


2005–06 Aston Villa F.C. season
During the 2005–06 season, Aston Villa competed in the FA Premier League.


2005–06 Aston Villa F.C. season
After the previous seasons tenth placed finish Villa never recovered from a poor start which left them at times close to the bottom 3 and despite some impressive wins which ultimately kept Villa in the league discontent among the fans at an uncomfortable relegation battle grew and lead to manager David O'Leary being sacked after the end of the season.


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


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


2005–06 Atalanta B.C. season
The 2005–06 season was the 99th season in the existence of Atalanta B.C. and the club's first season back in the second division of Italian football. In addition to the domestic league, Atalanta participated in this season's edition of the Coppa Italia.


2005–06 Athletic Bilbao season
The 2005–06 season was the 105th season in Athletic Bilbao's history and their 75th consecutive season in La Liga, the top division of Spanish football.


2005–06 Atlanta Hawks season
The 2005–06 NBA season was the Atlanta Hawks' 57th season in the National Basketball Association, and 38th season in Atlanta. After finishing the previous season with the worst record, the Hawks selected Marvin Williams out of the University of North Carolina with the second overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft. During the offseason, the team acquired Joe Johnson from the Phoenix Suns, and signed free agent Zaza Pachulia. However, tragedy struck as center Jason Collier suffered a heart attack during the preseason and died suddenly on October 15.


2005–06 Atlanta Hawks season
The Hawks would stumble out of the gate again losing their first nine games the same as the Toronto Raptors, on their way to an awful 2–16 start. Tony Delk was released to free agency after one game, and later signed with the Detroit Pistons. However, they would play better in December winning five of their next seven games, including a home win over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs, 94–84 on December 10. The Hawks played .500 basketball in February, which included a 99–98 home victory over the Pistons on February 7. The Hawks doubled their win total by finishing last place in the Southeast Division with a 26–56 record, tied with the second-year Charlotte Bobcats.


2005–06 Atlanta Hawks season
Johnson led the Hawks in scoring with 20.2 points per game, while Al Harrington averaged 18.6 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Second-year forward Josh Smith provided the team with 11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, and Williams was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Following the season, Harrington was traded back to his former team, the Indiana Pacers, then traded again this time to the Golden State Warriors along with Stephen Jackson, and two other players just two months later.


2005–06 Atlanta Thrashers season
The 2005–06 Atlanta Thrashers season was the Thrashers' seventh season in the National Hockey League. The Thrashers again did not qualify for the playoffs.


2005–06 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season, Final standings
Note: CR = Conference rank; GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; T = Ties; OTL = Overtime loss; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; Pts = Points         Bolded teams qualified for the playoffs.


2005–06 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season, Final standings
Divisions: AT – Atlantic, NE – Northeast, SE – Southeast


2005–06 Atlanta Thrashers season, Regular season, Final standings
Z –  Clinched Conference; Y –  Clinched Division; X –  Clinched Playoff spot


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