UEFA draw draws criticism
Two French clubs to meet in historic European soccer first
Posted: Friday November 06, 1998 12:35 PM
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Frank Gava (right) and Monaco will meet Marseille for the first leg games on November 24 AP |
GENEVA, Switzerland (AP) -- Monaco and Olympique Marseille will make history
later this month as the first two French clubs to play each other
in European competition.
And they're not happy about it.
Friday's draw in Geneva for the third round of the UEFA Cup also
matched Spanish sides Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid.
Monaco and Real Sociedad will be at home for the first leg games
November 24. The second leg is scheduled for December 8.
In past years, UEFA has separated teams from the same country.
But this time, with four teams each from France and Spain, and at
least three from Italy, it was impossible to keep clubs apart.
"Monaco is a team which is like Roma, Parma or Liverpool - a
team we really didn't want to draw," Olympique Marseille's
Jean-Michel Roussier said. "It's a shame for French soccer that we
should be together."
"It's not the worst draw but it's certainly not the best,"
Monaco vice president Max Poggi said. "For French soccer this is
really not a good draw. It's a shame but that's the luck of the
draw."
By coincidence, the same two clubs were to meet Friday night in
an important French league match. Marseille tops the French
standings, while Monaco is in fourth place.
Italian clubs, which have won seven of the last 10 UEFA Cups,
were fortunate not to have been drawn against each other.
Title favorite Parma was pitted against Scottish side Glasgow
Rangers, Roma against FC Zurich and Bologna vs. Real Bettis. The
first legs will be played in Glasgow, Zurich and Bologna.
Fiorentina, a fourth Italian club, will likely not make it into
the third round. The club's second-round, second-leg game against
Swiss side Grasshoppers was abandoned at halftime Tuesday after an
off-field official was injured by the explosion of a device thrown
from the stands in Salerno, Italy.
UEFA is scheduled to announce the outcome of the game Sunday,
with Fiorentina facing the likelihood of a 3-0 forfeit defeat and
the possibility of a European ban.
Whichever team is selected to advance will host French club
Bordeaux in the first leg of the third round.
The fourth French club, Lyon, is home vs. Belgian side Brugges.
It's the first time four French clubs have reached the third
round of the UEFA Cup. A French team has never won the competition,
while Real Madrid was the last Spanish club to capture the UEFA Cup
in 1986.
No German clubs made it to the final 16 this year.
Liverpool, England's only survivor, was drawn against Spanish
side Celta Vigo, which eliminated English Premier League leader
Aston Villa from the competition on Tuesday. Celta is at home for
the first leg.
"It's a very difficult draw," said Peter Robinson, executive
vice chairman of Liverpool. "Celta Vigo has already disposed of
Aston Villa, currently leader of the English league. I just hope
that our good fortune against Spanish clubs will continue."
"I may be wrong, but I don't believe Liverpool has ever been
eliminated by a Spanish club."
Horacio Gomez Araujo injected some humor, which he can afford to
these days as the president of one of Spain's hottest teams.
"From a sporting situation, we would have preferred an easier
team. But from an economic point of view, this game is very good,"
he said.
"To be honest, we would have liked Zurich if we'd had a choice.
Switzerland is closer and has better chocolate."
The draw for the quarterfinals of the Champion Cup, UEFA Cup and
Cup Winners Cup is December 16.
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