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Spanish return Inter coach Cuper takes slim lead to former club ValenciaPosted: Monday April 21, 2003 10:37 AMUpdated: Monday April 21, 2003 10:44 AM VALENCIA, Spain (AP) -- Inter Milan coach Hector Cuper returns to the club he guided to two Champions League finals when his team visits Valencia in the competition's second-leg quarterfinal on Tuesday. The Argentine coach hopes that Inter -- Champions Cup titlist in 1964 and 1965 -- can protect its slender advantage over his former club from the 1-0 first-leg win, courtesy of striker Christian Vieri's goal at Giuseppe Meazza Stadium nearly two weeks ago. The winning team will face AC Milan or Ajax, which stand goalless after their first leg, in the semifinal of Europe's top soccer competition on May 7 and 13. Cuper's two-year stint at Valencia left its fans divided, with some believing him to be a loser after the team lost the Champions Cup final in 2000 and 2001, even though they represented the club's best achievements in the competition. After the Argentine moved on to Inter shortly after the second defeat, Valencia replaced him with the unsung Rafa Benitez and did what it had failed to do for 31 years -- capture the Spanish title. Cuper first returned to Valencia a year ago and saw Inter eliminate the Spanish club in the UEFA Cup quarterfinals by winning 1-0 at the Mestalla stadium. Valencia captain Santiago Canizares said he hoped that there would be a reversal of fortune on Tuesday. "We've got revenge on our mind," Canizares told the regional newspaper Las Provincias. "There is a lot of feeling attached to this match and I'm sure that our fans will enjoy a great game." Cuper, who received UEFA's coach of the year award in 2000, comes into the match at an awkward time, even though Inter lies second in the Italian league, six points behind leader Juventus. However, its 1-0 last-gasp victory in Brescia on Saturday ended a three-game streak without a victory, which had sparked reports that the Argentine could soon be fired. Inter president Massimo Moratti has continued to back Cuper, telling Inter's Web site (www.inter.it), "He has all the quality and the ability to do things right. He has my total confidence." Both Valencia's Benitez and Amadeo Carboni expressed the importance of their team's victory Tuesday. "We're perfectly qualified to beat Inter and be among the best four teams in Europe," Benitez said in a press conference Monday. "One-nil is the worse result that we could have. Inter plays better away than at home," the Italian defender said. Carboni added: "They can be playing 89 minutes in their area and shoot a goal in the last minute." Valencia also goes into the match at a sensitive time. On Saturday, its chances of retaining the league title virtually disappeared with a 1-0 defeat at lowly Valladolid. The Spanish team has won just one of its last seven matches. "This match is an exam for us, we have to prove who is qualified to continue. It's time for courage," Benitez said. Valencia is likely to be backed by a capacity crowd of 45,000 at Mestalla. Inter defender Daniele Adani has already experienced the pressure which Valencia supporters exert. "I played in Valencia with Fiorentina. There was a lack of control," Adani told Inter's Web site. "I recall a wall of people shouting and cheering on their team." Valencia's Spanish international midfielder David Albelda and Inter's Turkish international midfielder Emre Belozoglu were suspended after their clash in the first leg. Valencia's Argentine midfielder Christian "Kily" Gonzalez and full back Curro Torres are injured, as are Inter defenders Fabio Cannavaro and Francesco Coco, together with Argentine midfielders Matias Almeyda and Andres "Guly" Guglielminpietro and Sierra Leonian forward Mohamed Kallon. Cuper has also omitted Portuguese midfielder Sergio Conceicao, reportedly for showing his annoyance at being substituted in Saturday's game. |
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