Geiger counting on Swiss class

By Christian Châtelet

Swiss legend 
Geiger, who became something of a hero as a player with Les Verts from 1988-90, says there will be no room for sentiment when the club he now coaches - Neuchâtel Xamax FC - come face-to-face with his former team following their 1-1 draw at the Geoffroy-Guichard stadium last weekend. Although St-Etienne had the better of that encounter, the ex-Swiss international is confident Xamax can break French hearts in Switzerland.

Simple things 
"St-Etienne were above us in that game," Geiger said. "But in fairness, we have neither the same budget nor the same quality of player. However, we scored the away goal and I know it will be easier at home than in their stadium which is legendary and always very noisy. It will be 50-50 in the second leg but one thing is for sure - it will be a great game."

Chances galore
It was Massimo Lombardo who opened the scoring, silencing 35,000 St-Etienne fans with an opportunist strike. Home captain Julien Sablé restored parity 18 minutes from time - but only after his side had missed a host of opportunities to equalise.

Memorable night
Before his return to 'Le Chaudron', Geiger underlined that it is matches like these which make the Intertoto Cup a wonderful competition. "When you get paired with opponents like St-Etienne, it makes the Intertoto Cup seem like the real thing," he said. "To me and my players it was like playing in the [UEFA] Champions League. The atmosphere was that good."

'Swiss Baresi'
It is not as if Geiger has never experienced big European nights before. The 44-year-old former defender remains Switzerland's most-capped player with 112 games under his belt. He was nicknamed the 'Swiss Baresi' when he took part in the 1994 FIFA World Cup after outplaying the Italian legend in a qualifier. He also had an integral role in Xamax's championship victories in the 1980s under French coach Gilbert Gress.

New post
Those successes earned a special place in Geiger's heart and, after a spell on the coaching staff, he eventually took over as coach from Frenchman René Lobello last April. At the time, Xamax were on the brink of bankruptcy but things gradually improved on and off the pitch with Geiger eventually guiding them to eighth place in the Swiss Football League.

On the up
With their key performer Michel Favre signed up on a fresh contract, and a new-look defence including Geiger's 20-year-old son Bastien, the prospects no longer look so bleak for Xamax. Especially when you consider how they swept aside Azerbaijani outfit FK Karvan Evlakh 9-1 on aggregate in June. But Geiger knows Les Verts will provide tougher opposition at the Stade de Genève.

Renewed hope
"Of course St-Etienne will be tough, they are at another level," he said. "But we will have our chances and we must take them." One thing is for sure, though: at least one of Geiger's clubs will progress to the third round.