França is the answer

By Jim Wirth & Mark Bennett

The Bayer 04 Leverkusen players who endured defeat against Real Madrid CF in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League final will have relished their opening 3-0 win against the Spanish giants in this season's competition more than most, but it was a good day for Brazilian striker França too.

Miserable start
The 28-year-old striker was signed for the season following Leverkusen's run to the final, but after a miserable first season, which started with him scoring a goal and sustaining an injury in his debut against VfL Bochum 1848, it seemed that the Brazilian was destined to disappoint.

Good form
However, having scored 14 goals last term as Leverkusen finished third in the Bundesliga under coach Klaus Augenthaler, França is the man of the moment, scoring twice in a 4-1 win against Bayern and adding another in the thrashing of Madrid.

More chances
"I am now having much more opportunities to play here," he told uefa.com. "Everyone knows my first year at Leverkusen was a bit of a disaster, but now I know I have the chance to prove what I can do. I want to win titles with Leverkusen because that's very important for the career of a soccer player."

German underachievers
With just a single German Cup win and a UEFA Cup success in 1987/88 to show for their efforts over the years, Leverkusen are tiring of being underachievers, and França for one fancies their chances in Europe this season. "We have hard teams in the next games, but we have a lot of confidence," he said.

Contrasting results
Certainly the Madrid victory has helped Leverkusen regain their confidence after their good run of Bundesliga results ended the preceding weekend with a 2-0 defeat at 1. FSV Mainz 05. When you compared that performance to the slick display against Madrid, Leverkusen were almost unrecognisable.

Augenthaler amazed
"That was the question in the head of our coach," said França. "He said: 'I don't believe it - against Mainz you play like children and against Real Madrid you were really good'. At the BayArena we played at 120 per cent. It was amazing. The three points were important to us and now we have to continue like this."

Solid partnership
A 2-2 draw at home against 1. FC Nürnberg at the weekend may have dampened Leverkusen's ardour, but the partnership between França and Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov is yet to lose its lustre. "Everybody's happy," said the Brazilian. "Me and Berbatov have confidence when we play together."

Brazilian ambitions
Now the former Nacional FC, XV de Jau and São Paulo FC player, who cost Leverkusen €8.5m, hopes that his performances in Germany will get him some recognition back at home. Having scored once in eight international appearances, he is keen to be back in the Brazil squad.

Home audience
Certainly he was convinced that his performance against Madrid had done his chances of an international call-up no harm. "This game was live in Brazil and I think that if the national coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, saw this game I will have more chances [of being called-up]," he said.

Frosty reception
With nine goals in all competitions so far this season, FC Dynamo Kyiv will be forgiven for giving the Brazilian a less than whole-hearted welcome when Leverkusen arrive in Ukraine for  Matchday 2.