Back from the dead after a summer full of international, transfer action

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It's a brand new day here in Rankingsville, and an exciting season awaits us. I fully expect José Mourinho to take Chelsea to the next step at last, Ronaldinho to rebound fully with Barcelona, Robinho finally to become the man with Real Madrid and ...

Wait, what? They're all with new clubs? Wow, I guess that's what happens when you're distracted by a summer chock-full of international action. The Euros, Olympics and even MLS have completely dominated my attention, which explains why we haven't re-visited the Rankings since, oh, May 29.

In any case, we're back, and the action in the transfer window has been so furious that it has made our heads spin. Hell, the action in the past week has been crazy in itself! So here we go with our first Rankings of the 2008-09 season.

And in case you forgot, we'll remind you: We are not ranking what we believe are the top 10 clubs in the world. That's a futile, boring exercise that would change little over the course of a season. Instead, these are the 10 clubs currently with the most "power." That is, the ebbs and flows of momentum have shifted their way in the soccer hotspots of the world, taking all competitions into account.

That doesn't exactly mean we're about to throw Joe Public FC up here, but you get the idea. Enjoy the new season!

Note: All rankings, records and statistics are through Sept. 3.

World Soccer Power Rankings

1 Previously: 1	Manchester United Man. United hasn't done anything remarkable early this season -- and its loss to No. 8 Zenit St. Petersburg in the UEFA Super Cup isn't that much cause for panic -- but until they show otherwise, the defending European champions hang onto the top spot by default. An attack that will eventually feature a fearsome quartet of Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tévez, new addition Dimitar Berbatov and, when he returns from injury, Cristiano Ronaldo, is the stuff of highlight reels.
2 Previously: 4	Chelsea It's amazing how much offseason tinkering was done to the European runners-up. Luiz Felipe Scolari is in charge now and already Chelsea has shown it's more of the aesthetically pleasing unit Roman Abramovich has demanded. Deco has reminded us what he was able to do before he landed in the Barcelona doghouse, and Joe Cole is freer to create from the wings. It's a nice show at Stamford Bridge, even without Robinho.
3 Previously: 3	Inter Milan The Special One has landed. It may take some time for Inter to fully realize its potential, but I can't wait to see what Mourinho's touch can do in Serie A. The Portuguese mastermind has added some impressive new recruits in Ricardo Quaresma, Mancini and Sulley Muntari to a squad that already boasts talent to win a fourth straight scudetto. The question now is if Mourinho can help Inter take the next step. Many are saying only a Champions League title will do, but let's face it, anything better than a quarterfinal flameout -- which is the best Inter has done over the past five seasons -- is an improvement.
4 Previously: 2	Real Madrid With back-to-back La Liga titles, Real is still the team to beat in Spain. But while its archrivals in Catalonia have rebuilt and its crosstown rivals have restocked, Madrid hasn't had much of an offseason to crow about. It lost Robinho to Manchester City, missed out on hooking Cristiano Ronaldo and made only one impact signing in flying Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart. To make matters worse, Euro star Wesley Sneijder is out injured and Real landed in a tough Champions League group, with both Juventus and upset specialists Zenit.
5 Previously: --	Bayern Munich If you were dazzled by the evolution of the German national team under Jürgen Klinsmann, then you'd be a fool to think he won't have a huge impact at Bayern, too. Already, Klinsi has changed the club culture, building a new high-tech 22,000-square foot training facility and bringing in a support staff from around the world, including former Chivas USA assistant Martin Vasquez. And as Nick Bidwell wrote in last month's World Soccer, "Not surprisingly, given Klinsmann's long-term residency in California, self-help buzzwords such as empowerment, communication and positive energy trip easily off his tongue." Translation: The German Phil Jackson has returned to the Bundesliga. Let's see what Klinsi can do at the reins of one of the world's biggest superpowers.
6 Previously: 5	AS Roma For now, the Giallorossi get the nod here as the No. 2 club in Serie A, mostly because reloaded AC Milan is playing for the UEFA Cup this season and Juventus is still behind the eight ball as far as depth and durability following its return to European play after two years out. Roma still has plenty of talent, a coaching whiz in Luciano Spalletti and some nice new additions in Júlio Baptista, John Arne Riise and young French up-and-comer Jérémy Menez. Of course, we also know this club moves up and down with the tide that is Francesco Totti.
7 Previously: --	FC Barcelona Yes, Barça's season-opening loss to promoted Numancia was a bit of a shock. But this team has been vastly rebuilt and will need some time to adjust. I love the moves new manager Pep Guardiola has made to end the embarrassment at the Camp Nou. Dani Alves is one of the most dangerous wingbacks in the world when he comes forward. Alexander Hleb may prove to be one of the biggest steals of the transfer window. Meanwhile, veteran icons Xavi and Andrés Iniesta return from Euro 2008 with a whole new outlook, and Olympic gold-medalist Lionel Messi is now the man on offense, continuing his march toward stealing that "greatest player on earth" label.
8 Previously: 8	Zenit St. Petersburg I took a ton of flack for including Russia's finest here last time, but I still believe Zenit is legit. And what a summer: a UEFA Cup, a Super Cup upset of Man. United and great representation at the Euros with five team members on Russia's squad -- all of which has allowed Zenit to take a hard line with its asking price for star Andrei Arshavin, who is staying put for now. Confidence is a highly underrated factor in soccer, and Zenit's currently got it oozing out its ears.
9 Previously: --	Atlético Madrid Let's call this now: Rankings debutant Atléti will be the biggest surprise in Europe this season. Spain's answer to the New York Mets has reloaded in a big way to gear up for its first taste of the Champions League in 12 years. Reinforcing the one-two punch of Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán with the likes of Johnny Heitinga, Paulo Assunção, Éver Banega and others gives Mexican manager Javier Aguirre serious depth and, at last, a contender. And if you're not loving the fact that los Colchoneros drew former captain Fernando Torres and his new club, Liverpool, in their group, you should find yourself another sport to follow.
10 Previously: --	LDU Quito We've been adamant about including at least one non-European club in every Rankings, and we nearly had to break our own rule this time, as not one club in Latin America has demonstrated any kid of consistency thus far. But we never gave our shoutout to LDU last spring, either: The Ecuadorians became the third club outside the Argentina-Brazil stranglehold to win the Copa Libertadores in the past 17 editions. And this was a hard-fought victory over a tough Fluminense side that had to be settled on penalties. Of course, LDU was then poached of its best player: Copa MVP Joffre Gerrón, who was sold to Spain's Getafe.
Honorable mentions: Juventus, Celtic, PSV Eindhoven, FC Porto, Boca Juniors, Olympique Lyonnais, Fiorentina, Villarreal, Arsenal, Al-Ahly Cairo Dropped off: FC Porto, Boca Juniors, Fluminense, Rangers