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Russian teams gear up for Europa League play-offs
Published: 20 August, 2009, 13:18
Zenit face Amkar in Russia's Premier League (Image from www.fc-zenit.ru)
TAGS: Sport, Europa League, Football
Three Russian clubs – Zenit Saint Petersburg, Dynamo Moscow and Amkar Perm – are among 76 hoping to take a big step towards the new UEFA Europa League this evening.
Amkar Perm face a stern test in the guise of English Premier League side Fulham on their European debut. And though their coach Dimitar Dimitrov is wary of the threat, he has pledged his side will give their all in England.
”Everything is possible in football. A lot will depend on the emotional condition of the footballers. We understand that it’s an honor to represent the city of Perm and the whole of Russia,” Dimitar Dimitrov said. “I think Fulham, who bought several good players, including Duff, has become an even stronger side than last season.“
Fulham’s £ 4 million signing Duff is expected to make his debut for the London team against the Russian side.
Former UEFA cup winners Zenit travel to the Madeira Island for the first leg of their playoff against Portuguese side Nacional.
Zenit have no injury worries ahead of today's game and acting coach Anatoly Davydov says his side is fully prepared for the start of another European campaign.
“I think we have a very strong team. Zenit is an experienced club, who’ve been playing in European competitions for many years,” Anatoly Davydov said. “We came to win, preferably by scoring as many as possible while keeping a clean sheet.”
Days after extending his contract, Dynamo Moscow's boss Andrey Kobelev has made reaching the group phase his top priority. Though he admitted their chances against Bulgarian outfit CSKA Sofia are fifty-fifty.
“We know a lot about CSKA,” Andrey Kobelev said. “We have to play them twice, and the main goal for us is to progress to the next stage on aggregate.”
Kobelev, however, should be boosted by the news CSKA will be without two strikers as Spas Delev and Vladimir Manchev are both unavailable.
19.08.2009, 12:51
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