France out to dominate UEFA Cup
Three French teams load up as quarterfinals start
Posted: Monday March 01, 1999 10:27 AM
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Olympique Marseille striker Fabrizio Ravanelli is chased by Raphael Micelli. AP |
LONDON (AP) -- With three teams in the last eight, French soccer
can follow up its first World Cup triumph with some long-overdue
success in the UEFA Cup.
Bordeaux, runner-up to Bayern Munich three seasons ago, joins
Olympique Marseille and Lyon in the quarterfinals. All three could
go through to the last four as France looks for its first success in the 31-year history of the compettion.
Standing against the French, however, are three Italian clubs
and two from Spain, with the Italians out to maintain their mastery
over all other nations in the competition.
Only one of the last 10 finals hasn't had an Italian team and
four of them have had Italian clubs playing against each other.
Now the French are bidding to take over.
Tuesday's quarterfinal lineup is Atletico Madrid vs. AS Roma,
Marseille vs. Celta Vigo, Bordeaux vs. Parma, and Bologna vs. Lyon.
Marseille, Bordeaux and Lyon also happen to be the leading three
in the French standings and are confident they will carry that
league form into the UEFA Cup.
Marseille's French international striker Robert Pires said it
was vital to make sure Celta Vigo doesn't score.
"It is very important that we don't concede a goal. We will
have to be patient and vigilant at the back," the World Cup player
said.
The Spanish club, which lies fourth in its domestic league,
welcomes back its influential midfielder Michel Salgado after
suspension and Celta hopes that Russian midfielder Alexandre
Mostovoi and Bosnian forward Vladimir Gudelj shrug off injuries.
Parma, which won the UEFA Cup four seasons ago, is second behind
Lazio in Serie A and is going well in three competitions.
"We are in the running for the league title and the UEFA and
Italian cups," said coach Alberto Malesani. "We are dreaming of a
grand slam this season."
Bordeaux coach Elie Baup doesn't want his players to be overawed
and insists they treat the game like any other.
"I've asked my players not to give them too much respect but
also not to be stupid," he said.
Lyon will give a late fitness test to star teenage midfielder
Steed Malbranque before the game in Bologna which comes off a
surprise 5-0 loss to lowly Piacenza.
"Only a clear-cut victory against Lyon can cancel Saturday's
rout," said club preident Giuseppe Gazzoni-Frascara.
By contrast, Roma is boosted by an impressive 1-0 victory over
AC Milan.
"If we play as well as against AC Milan last Saturday, Atletico
Madrid will have no chance," said a confident Roma captain,
Francesco Totti, whose team is out to emulate its other success in
the competition in 1961, when it was called the Fairs Cup.
Atletico has several key players injured, notably Francisco
Narvaez "Kiko" and Czech defender Radek Bejbl but will field
Argentine defender Jose Chamot who played for four years with
Roma's big local rival, Lazio.
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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