SOCCER: Everton's passage back into Europe's premier club competition for the first time in 35 years is barred by Villarreal. David Moyes's side were given a daunting tie in yesterday's Champions League third qualifying-round draw.
The Everton squad gathered at their Bellefield training complex to watch the proceedings in Nyon, Switzerland. Though relieved to avoid a pairing with the holders, Liverpool, who are likely to play CSKA Sofia, there was clear dismay at the news that they must get past the side that finished third in La Liga last season if they are to reach the money-flushed group stage, which this season could be worth as much as £15 million (€22 million).
"It's going to be very difficult and, if I'm honest, we haven't been very lucky," admitted Everton's Spanish midfielder Mikel Arteta, aware that Villarreal have reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals of the Uefa Cup in successive years.
"If I could have chosen who we'd play, I'd never have chosen them," said Arteta. "They like to play good football, and played the best stuff in Spain along with Barcelona last year. They have great players in Juan Roman Riquelme, Diego Forlan, Juan Pablo Sorin - international players - so we'll have to be at the top of our game to beat them.
"Jose Reina was there last year and has since gone to Liverpool, so I'll ask him about them as well. I'll see if he can offer us any kind of advice about how to beat them. I'll do my best to use my knowledge of playing in Spain and try and tell everyone about how they play, and identify their weaknesses.
"But we just have to have confidence in ourselves. It could have been tougher, if we'd drawn an Italian team maybe, but this is so tough as well."
Moyes admitted the draw looked "tough" as he and his squad departed for today's friendly against Fenerbahce. He may also bridge the city divide to ask Rafael Benitez for advice on how best to combat Villarreal, whose sudden emergence in recent seasons culminated in their highest league finish last term.
Forlan finished last season sharing Europe's Golden Boot with Thierry Henry after notching a barely credible 25 goals in 33 starts.
"Villarreal and Internazionale were probably up there in the hardest four or five teams we could have drawn, but we've just got to remember there'll be Champions League football at Goodison Park," said Everton chairman Bill Kenwright.
"We've never had that before, so this is a miracle. I hate saying that because, in the mid-80s, it was our right to be in Europe virtually every year, but that was taken away from us. I just hope we can surmount this hurdle and get into the group stages."
The other English and Scottish teams face less imposing ties, though Celtic's fate at Bratislava - after their first leg 5-0 hammering - warned against complacency. Liverpool are on course to play CSKA Sofia, who lead Dinamo Tirana 2-0 with the home leg to come.
Liverpool met Levski Sofia in the Uefa Cup in 2004. Their 4-2 win at the Vasil Levski stadium was marred by racist abuse at the substitutes Emile Heskey and Djimi Traore. Tensions this time are more likely to revolve around the fate of Liverpool fan Michael Shields. The 18-year-old was sentenced to 15 years in jail in the Black Sea town of Varna this week for attempted murder, despite another man confessing to the crime.
"We've obviously avoided a lot of the biggest teams and Everton, which will displease all the conspiracy theorists," said Liverpool's chief executive Rick Parry. "It's always better to come up against teams who come up through the qualifying stages, so we're as comfortable as we can be with that draw."
Liverpool's games have already been switched, with the holders now scheduled to play the first leg away because they have a Super Cup date with CSKA Moscow in Monaco on August 26th.
Manchester United face a likely tie against Debrecen of Hungary, who are leading Hajduk Split 3-0. The away leg is expected to be switched to Budapest.
Rangers play Anorthosis Famagusta or Turkey's Trabzonspor, who lost the first leg 3-1 in Cyprus, and Celtic would face Partizan Belgrade or Moldova's Sheriff Tiraspol should they overturn Bratislava's daunting lead.
Guardian Service
