Erciyesspor aim high in Madrid

Having changed their shirts in honour of FC Internazionale Milano, Turkish minnows Kayseri Erciyesspor are gunning for Club Atlético de Madrid in the UEFA Cup.

Colour change
Until they won promotion to the Turkish Süper Lig in 2004/05, Erciyesspor wore red and yellow, but they celebrated their improved status with a shirt which matched their new ambitions, changing their colours to the blue and black of Inter. Last season ended in disappointment, with the Kayseri-based side relegated to the second tier, but thrills aplenty are expected in the UEFA Cup.

Rebuilt squad
Having overcome Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC 4-2 on aggregate in the second qualifying round, Mehmet Bulut's men head to Madrid on Thursday looking to create an upset. The squad has seen major changes since the end of 2006/07, but their new coach sees reason for optimism. "We rebuilt the team just before the start of the new season and with this squad we have found a wonderful harmony," he said.

Torrid season
Last season was a torrid one for Erciyesspor. When former Galatasaray SK star Bülent Korkmaz took over as coach midway through the season, they had just eleven points. Bülent helped them grab another 26 before the end of the campaign, but it was not enough to avoid the drop. However, losing 1-0 to Beşiktaş JK in the Turkish Cup final was enough to get them into Europe.

'Interesting team'
Bülent is now coach of Bursaspor, and of the side he led to the cup final only Ilhan Özbay, Yusuf Soysal, Ömer Közen and Kazim Seker remain. However, they have made an encouraging start in the league, and president Enver Kemaloğlu feels optimistic. "I think Atlético take us seriously," he said. "I know they came and watched our league games and said: 'Interesting team'. We have a lot of young players, and they are highly motivated for the big games."

Bulut confident
Bulut, meanwhile, feels that Atlético have yet to see his side in full flow, adding: "We know a lot about our opponents but they do not know eveything about us. We have the same chance as we had in the Maccabi Tel-Aviv [FC] games." He also feels his team have nothing to lose, concluding: "We are very comfortable and have no need to worry about what might happen if we lose. But if we can snatch a victory, we will be lauded in this country."