Center stage

Scots, Portuguese come in from the fringes for UEFA final

SEVILLE, Spain (AP) -- The UEFA Cup final match-up between Celtic and Porto may not bring much glamor to Europe's second-tier club tournament, but after long stretches in the shadows the two clubs' hunger for success promises a passionate game Wednesday.

The Portuguese last made it all the way, becoming European champions, back in 1987 when their current star striker Helder Postiga was just five years old.

Slovak Michel to take charge of final NYON, Switzerland (Reuters) -- Lubos Michel of Slovakia has been chosen by UEFA to officiate Wednesday's UEFA Cup final between Celtic and Porto in Seville. Michel, 35, is one of the youngest but most experienced referees on the international circuit having taken control of over 80 internationals. He is just two years older than some of the men who are expected to play in the match. Linesmen Igor Sramka and Martin Balko are also from Slovakia as is the fourth official, Anton Stredak. Michel officiated at the 2000 Olympics and at last year's World Cup finals where he refereed the match between South Africa and Paraguay in Busan. This is his first European final.

The last time the Scottish club lifted a European trophy was in 1967, two years before a man walked on the moon.

"Scottish teams fight till the end, they never give up. And we don't know how to play defensively," Porto coach Jose Mourinho said. "Seville could be a fantastic final."

No club from either Portugal or Scotland has ever won the UEFA Cup, the Champions League's poor cousin.

But while the Champions Cup final brings together two clubs from the same league in Juventus and AC Milan, the UEFA encounter has extra spice because it pits southern European flair against northern European brawn.

"Celtic play with heart, enthusiasm, aggressiveness and passion," Mourinho said. "We like to hold onto the ball and show off our skills."

Europe's top club tournament, the Champions League, has been dominated by elite clubs from richer countries such as Italy and Spain.

Porto and Celtic come from lower-rank leagues where the title is usually disputed between a handful of clubs.

"We can show the world that the best European soccer is not just played in Italy or Spain," Mourinho said.

The Dragons demonstrated their international credentials by ousting Italy's Lazio in the semifinals on a 4-1 aggregate score.

Porto was the runaway winner of this season's Portuguese championship -- its seventh league title in 10 years -- opening a 14-point lead to secure the trophy.

It is also on track for an unprecedented triple-trophy haul this season as after the UEFA final it meets lowly Leiria in the Portuguese Cup final next month.

Porto is looking to its standout playmaker Deco to turn on the style in front of the sell-out 52,000 crowd at Seville's Olympic Stadium.

The Brazilian-born midfielder, who took Portuguese nationality this year and has played three times for Portugal, is widely regarded as the best player in the Portuguese Super Liga where he has notched 10 goals this season.

Defensive midfielder Costinha, a former AS Monaco player, says he has recovered from a thigh strain and can play.

Burly central defender Jorge Costa, nicknamed The Tank, likely will be handed the task of marking Celtic's sturdy strikers.

In attack, Mourinho has to fill the gap left by Postiga who is suspended after being sent off against Lazio.

Brazilian Derlei, top scorer in the UEFA Cup with nine goals, is sure to start and he could partner Lithuanian Edgaras Jankauskas, a lanky forward whose strength in the air could trouble the Scottish defense.

The two clubs met last season in the Champions League. Celtic won 1-0 in Glasgow but Porto was devastating in the return match, winning 3-0.

Celtic coach Martin O'Neill reckons Porto will be even harder to beat this time round.

"They've improved a great deal," he said of Porto. "It's going to be very difficult for us. But we've got players who can play and are strong mentally and who have ability."

Celtic is still locked in a duel with archrival Rangers for the Scottish League trophy -- a battle which goes down to the wire next weekend.

O'Neill is keen to equal Jock Stein who led the Hoops to their last European honor as coach of the fabled Lisbon Lions.

That 1967 Celtic team became European champion -- and the first team from Great Britain to conquer Europe -- in the Portuguese capital.

Matching that glory year won't be easy, but Celtic's resilient away form suggests a strong challenge from the Scots in Seville.

Celtic had a tougher route to southern Spain than Porto.

Thanks largely to powerful performances away from its Parkhead stadium, the Scottish outfit overcame Liverpool, Stuttgart, Celta Vigo and Blackburn Rovers.

Even so, the Scots have still been dismissed by many as an unimaginative long-ball team, hitting passes far down the pitch in the hope of wrong-footing the defense.

That tactic, though, will be harder without John Hartson, the powerful Welsh forward who will miss the game because of a slipped disc.

But Swedish star Henrik Larsson is hunting for his 200th goal for Celtic, while England's Chris Sutton and Bulgarian Stilian Petrov are in top form.

Celtic's beefy midfield, featuring the dogged duo of Neil Lennon and Alan Thompson, takes no prisoners and will be looking to knock the Portuguese off their stride.

 

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