Koeman cautious on Spurs rematch

'Tough' for Feyenoord
Feyenoord may have fond memories of beating the English team 4-2 on aggregate to lift the trophy in 1974 but coach Erwin Koeman admitted it was a "tough draw" against a Tottenham side managed by Dutchman Martin Jol. "To get a good result there, we really have to brace ourselves for Tottenham's physical power," said Koeman, whose men drew 0-0 with another Premiership outfit, Blackburn Rovers FC, in the group stage. "On the other hand you always get space to play football yourself against English sides, which we see in the match against Blackburn. But I rate Tottenham more highly."

Jol sees advantage
His counterpart Jol was pleased that Tottenham, who won all four games in topping Group B, will have "the advantage" of playing the second leg at home. "It is not a bad draw for us - they are probably not as good as when they played Spurs in the final of the UEFA Cup in 1974, but it is still a big club who get crowds averaging 45-50,000 and it will be difficult going over there," said Jol.

Bremen face Ajax
Another Dutch team, AFC Ajax, face a high-profile contest against Werder Bremen, the German Bundesliga leaders. Bremen may have dropped into the UEFA Cup from the UEFA Champions League but their coach Thomas Schaaf expects the challenge to be no less difficult. "With Ajax we're staying at the same level we were in the Champions League," he said. "Ajax have been regulars in that tournament down the years and our fans know what their name means. They're an attractive opponent and German-Dutch duels always promise a certain tension."

'Special charm' for Skibbe
Anglo-German clashes are also worth watching – or, in the words of Bayer 04 Leverkusen coach Michael Skibbe, "have their own special charm". Reacting to being paired with Group E winners Blackburn, Skibbe added: "We know a lot of Rovers players very well, such as goalkeeper Brad Friedel or Tugay [Kerimoğlu] and Benni McCarthy. We're quite optimistic but it's a pity we play at home first."

Newcomers' new challenge
Another coach excited about facing English opposition is Francky Dury of Belgian newcomers SV Zulte Waregem. On the prospect of tackling Group H winners Newcastle United, he said: "I asked the chairman if it would not be better to draw a smaller team but there was not another Zulte Waregem in the pot. It's also nice for our supporters as they can taste the English atmosphere. After eastern Europe, Spain and the Netherlands this is a new challenge."

Rednic has work to do
FC Steaua Bucuresti's tie with holders Sevilla FC is not the only high-profile fixture involving Romanian clubs with their neighbours FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti, the Divizia A runaway leaders, drawn to meet Portuguese giants SL Benfica. Dinamo coach Mircea Rednic said: "Obviously it's a tough draw, because Benfica are an experienced team who might have qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds. But we have two months to prepare and to strengthen our team."

João Pinto eyes revenge
Finally, a word from João Pinto, one of SC Braga's scorers in the 2-0 win against Grasshopper-Club that clinched their place in the last 32. Braga's next opponents are the 1999 winners Parma FC, a side with whom Pinto has unfinished business. The former Portugal forward was in the Benfica team beaten by Parma in the 1993/94 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-final and he insists self-belief will be the key to a happier outcome this time round. "More than ever Braga must believe that anything is possible. We have to be confident and mature to play against Parma. Although they've not been so strong in recent years, they are a good team and the Portuguese have always struggled against Italian clubs. But I think it's possible to go through."