I think you've got the "Sunday Mail" and the "Mail on Sunday" mixed up mate. Best go back to the Beano
However, the Sunday Mail (an it's sister paper) have always been only good enough for chip paper, if that.
I think that's more down to the 'new money' currently kicking about the Russian league (and football association) than the type of pitch the teams play on.
In the Spanish league I think all players have minimum fee release clauses - they're pretty pointless as even squad players at the smaller teams have release clauses of 50 million euros. Messi's is obviously excessive just to scare off the Man Citys of the world.
By European Cup I'm guessing you mean any European cup? (UEFA Cup, Cup Winners Cup, Champions League)
Bobby Robson won the Cup Winners Cup with Barca in '97.
But in every single game Lennon goes aff his nut and then afterwards spouts his stuff about the referee costing the **** the game... I think Stein had a (considerably) bit more class than him. I agree that they've obviously had some questionable decisions, but so does everybody. Lennon is probably only doing it to distract attention from his poor managerial skills.