Latin spirit lifts Crvena Zvezda

A raft of new South American signings have left FK Crvena Zvezda feeling confident as they kick off their European campaign against FC Levadia Tallinn tonight.

Overseas aid
With Ecuadorian Eduardo Castillo and Brazilian Eli Tadeu having proved to be great recruits in recent seasons, the Serbian champions have signed three-year contracts with 23-year-old Argentinian forward Hernán Barcos, Ecuadorian forward Franklin Salas, 26, and 27-year-old Colombian midfielder Mauricio Molina as well as bringing in Polish left-back Grzegorz Bronowicki, 26.

Presidential commitment
President Dragan Stojković has made no secret of the fact that he believes South American talent can help his side reach the UEFA Champions League group stage, and initial reports on the three newcomers have been good. Barcos is regarded as a fine striker, Salas has earned the nickname 'Wizard' while coach Boško Djurovski said Molina's passing made it seem like the "ball has eyes".

European ambitions
Molina is certainly learning fast in terms of understanding what supporters in Belgrade dream of. "Everybody speaks only about the UEFA Champions League," he said. "My wishes are the same. I will be brave and say that I have come to help Crvena Zvezda to find their way into the group stage. I am an optimist and believe that we will get there."

'Highest expectations'
He added: "I always wanted to play in Europe. I know that my new club are former European champions and have the highest expectations in domestic football. Everyone in football has heard of Crvena Zvezda. I don't know much about Serbia and new Serbian football, but my first impressions have been good. The club is well organised and all of us can concentrate on only one thing - football."

Coach confident
With his new acquisitions getting used to life in Belgrade, Djurovski is sure that Crvena Zvezda are well placed to beat Levadia in the second qualifying round. "We are the better side but we must show that on the pitch," he said. "Levadia's players are typical of the Russian school and they know to play with the ball. The UEFA Champions League is our priority for this season and we must be on top form from the first match."