Madrid adventure inspires Schaaf

Coach Thomas Schaaf has told uefa.com his side's UEFA Champions League Group C opener against Real Madrid CF is "an absolute highlight" for Werder Bremen.

Big occasion
With Bremen entering the group stage for the fourth successive season, the 46-year-old is getting used to facing Europe's top sides on a regular basis – but Tuesday's Santiago Bernabéu trip promises to be something special. "It's an absolute highlight, just as we see all matches in the Champions League as highlights," he told uefa.com.

No fear
A visit to Real Madrid could give some coaches nightmares, yet for Schaaf there is nothing to be scared of. "You look forward to these kinds of games," he said. "International competitions are still something special. Everyone – all the players and the support staff – is looking forward to the matches, and in Bremen you can see that there's great enthusiasm once more."

Astonishing standards
Bremen coach since 1999, Schaaf has helped the Bundesliga club hold their own at the continent's élite level, and they go into the tournament with one eye on the knockout phase. "Because we haven't been able to achieve this objective year in, year out, I think we don't belong among the truly major clubs – but I do think we've set standards that are astonishing for a club like ours," he said.

Famous names
If Bremen's 2007/08 adventure starts in Madrid, Schaaf is no less enthused by the prospect of tackling their other Group C rivals, Olympiacos CFP and S.S. Lazio. He said: "We're playing against opponents we haven't met before – that is obviously very exciting. Real Madrid are the team that stand out but Olympiacos and Lazio are also significant names."

Measuring stick
That excitement at meeting Europe's finest remains a crucial element of the appeal of the UEFA Champions League for Schaaf, whose charges finished third in the Bundesliga last term. "It's nice to be able to measure ourselves against the best teams," he said. He also thinks that the competition is a proving ground for players, making good players into great ones.

Proving ground
"The UEFA Champions League can give a terrific boost to one player or another – they can perhaps end up doing things that were not expected of them – and on the other hand, we've seen that it exposes players' limitations," he said. With the big kick-off looming, Bremen will be hoping their current crop find that extra burst of inspiration in the Spanish capital.