Emotional weekend in Italy

Emotions promise to run high in Italy this weekend and the 1. Bundesliga returns from its winter break. uefa.com looks forward to all the domestic action.

Sadness at Brescia
Brescia Calcio’s game at US Lecce on Sunday is a vital one for both sides but Brescia’s players will be forgiven if their minds are not focused on the relegation battle. Brescia travel to the Comunale Via del Mare stadium trying to come to terms with the death of defender Vittorio Mero, who was killed in a car crash on Wednesday. The players heard the tragic news shortly before their Coppa Italia tie with Parma AC, and the match was subsequently cancelled.

Shirt retired
A minute's silence will be observed before all the weekend games in Italy while Brescia have also taken the decision to retire the shirt number worn by Mero. "No player will ever wear that number again. Vittorio Mero and his No13 shirt will remain in our memories and our hearts forever," the club said in a statement. Thousands of people gathered in Brescia for Mero's funeral on Friday when his coffin was carried by his team-mates.

New dawn for Zaragoza
Attention in Spain will be on Real Zaragoza, who face their first game after the departure of coach Txetxu Rojo earlier this week. Their visitors are Rayo Vallecano, and the home side will be preparing for the first game of Luis Costa’s second spell as the club’s caretaker coach with Yugoslavian striker Savo Milosevic keen to make an impression following his return on loan to his old stamping ground.

'A new start for me'
Milosevic arrived from Parma AC earlier this week and will be eager to return to the kind of goalscoring form which saw him score 37 times in 72 Primera División games in his first spell at the club. "The fans are fantastic I am sure they will help me in the comeback," said the 28-year old. "This is a new start for me."

Here come the Germans
Sunday will mark a new start in Germany, too, as the 1. Bundesliga returns from its winter break. UEFA Champions League challengers and league leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen play host to FC Hansa Rostock while fourth-placed 1. FC Kaiserslautern will be aiming to leapfrog SV Werder Bremen into third place as they travel to VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Key ties
Title challenges will be at the forefront of players' minds in Greece, Belgium, the Netherlands and Northern Ireland as some of the countries' top clubs clash in vital league ties while it is back to FA Cup action in England, with Liverpool FC taking on Arsenal FC in the tie of the fourth round. Sunday's match is a repeat of last year's final which Liverpool won 2-1.

Greek giants clash
In Greece, FC PAOK Thessaloniki will be eager to blunt AEK Athens' title ambitions as the two clubs meet at the Toumba stadium. PAOK currently lie in third place in the Ethniki Katigoria with 22 points and will be well aware of the growing gap between them and second-placed AEK.

Standard challenge for top spot
In Belgium, Saturday is a big day for third-placed R. Standard de Liège, who have the chance to take top spot in the Eerste Klasse. Standard travel to RWD Molenbeek’s Edmond Machten stadium knowing that a win would see them overhaul Club Brugge KV and current leaders KRC Genk and put them in pole position for the league title.

Dutch drama beckons
Over the border in the Netherlands, similar thoughts will be on the minds of PSV Eindoven and NAC Breda’s players, who come face to face on Saturday. Third-placed PSV host fourth-placed NAC with both sides level on points and keen to challenge for a Champions League place. A win for either side would see them top the table, but their stay could be brief as leaders AFC Ajax travel to FC Utrecht on Sunday and second-placed Feyenoord visit AZ Alkmaar.

Showdown at Shamrock Park
Northern Ireland, finally, is gearing up for a clash of the footballing titans as first-placed Glentoran FC travel to second-placed Portadown FC. Both sides have 45 points but Glentoran will be conscious that their opponents at Shamrock Park have a game in hand on them.