LONDON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Spain struck a joyous blow for the beautiful game as they finally shone on the international stage but the misery of Chelsea captain John Terry on a rainy May night in Moscow provided soccer's most vivid image of 2008.
As mega-bucks continue to pour into the bank balances of the world's top players despite a global recession, the sight of an inconsolable Terry in floods of tears after his miss in the Champions League final shootout against Manchester United spoke of a broken boyhood dream no amount of cash could fix.
It was a moment too that illustrated the thin dividing line between glory and failure that top sportsmen and women tread.
Terry, the club's inspirational leader, played in the match despite dislocating a shoulder the week before and seemed destined to lead Chelsea to the pinnacle of European club football for the first time.
After a 1-1 draw, Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti, Frank Lampard and Ashley Cole all scored for the Blues in the penalty shootout at the Luzhniki Stadium. Petr Cech saved from United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Terry stepped up for the fifth spot kick with destiny in his hands.
As he struck the ball, his standing foot slipped on the sodden turf and the ball angled away from United keeper Edwin van der Sar but skimmed the outside of the post.
Nicolas Anelka's subsequent miss that sealed United's victory was almost incidental as Terry's lonely, but very public, heartache filled television screens around the globe.
A few weeks later the focus was on a nation's joy rather than one man's grief as Spain proved popular and deserved winners of Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland.
Spain beat Germany 1-0 in the final with Fernando Torres scoring an exquisite goal that summed up his side's emphasis on fast, progressive, eye-catching football.
Incredibly for a country that has produced such wonderful players and dominant club sides over the years, it was their first major tournament triumph in 44 years.
Fittingly nine of Spain's players were named in UEFA's squad of the tournament, although few would have argued if all of them had made the list.
SEVENTH TITLE
While Euro 2008 ran like clockwork, the organisation of the African Cup of Nations in Ghana again threatened to turn the event into a sideshow and underline its reputation as the scourge of Europe's club coaches.
However, with 99 goals in 32 games, the quality of the football on show rivalled anything seen in other continental tournaments.
Egypt successfully defended the title, beating Cameroon 1-0 in the final to win the trophy for a record sixth time.
It was a good year for Egyptian football with Al Ahli also winning the African Champions League.
South America's continental club competition, the Libertadores, provided a shock winner when LDU beat Brazil's Fluminense on penalties to become the first Ecuadorean club to lift the trophy.
In the Asian Champions League, Japan's Gamba Osaka took the honours with an easy 5-0 aggregate victory over Australia's Adelaide United.
In Europe's top club leagues, Inter Milan, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Olympique Lyon all retained their titles.
Bayern Munich restored their place at the top of the Bundesliga as they wrapped up a 21st title to make up for missing the Champions League places the year before.
OUTSPOKEN MOURINHO
Manager Roberto Mancini's joy at winning the Serie A title for Inter was shortlived as he was sacked days later, having angered club owner Massimo Moratti who quickly replaced him with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho immediately began ruffling feathers in Italy where Catania chief executive Pietro Lo Monaco said the outspoken Portuguese risked having his "teeth smashed in".
Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich wasted little time ditching Avram Grant after the London club ended the season without a trophy, luring Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari to Stamford Bridge in his place.
AC Milan had a miserable year, finishing fifth in Serie A, and they will hope the arrival in January of former England skipper David Beckham on loan from LA Galaxy will help them to overhaul Inter in 2009.
While Beckham, who clocked up his 100th England cap in March under new national coach Fabio Capello, shows no sign of fading away, Paolo Maldini, 40, will hang up his boots at the end of this season after 24 years at the San Siro.
Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo scored 42 goals for the club last season as they won the Champions League and Premier League and was named European footballer of the year.
Brazil's former world player of the year Ronaldo ruptured a knee tendon in February playing for AC Milan. He signed for Sao Paulo club Corinthians this month but the 32-year-old's glittering career appears to be running out of time.
Diego Maradona became coach of Argentina in November -- the latest chapter in an extraordinary up-and-down life story.
Former Celtic manager Tommy Burns died in May, while former Oceania Confederation president Charlie Dempsey, the man who abstained from voting when Germany were controversially awarded the 2006 World Cup over South Africa, died the following month.
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