Zairi's Sochaux dream

By Matthew Spiro

Moroccan international forward Jaouad Zairi is pleading with FC Sochaux Montbéliard manager Guy Lacombe to give him a chance to impress in Thursday's UEFA Cup third-round tie against FC Internazionale.

Used sparingly
Zairi has been used sparingly by Lacombe this season, playing just nine times in Ligue 1 and once in the UEFA Cup as the in-form pair of Santos and Pierre-Alain Frau occupy the striking positions. But the 21-year-old is desperate to make an impact after proving his quality with some outstanding performances for Morocco in the African Cup of Nations earlier this month.

'I could explode'
"I feel I could explode with Sochaux at any moment," he told uefa.com. "I just hope that sooner or later the coach gives me the chance to do so. I've been patient and I'll continue to be patient because I'm still young. But at the same time this is my third season at the club so I'm anxious to start playing regularly."

Dazzling form
The former FC Gueugnon player was in dazzling form in Tunisia, and had he not been struck down by illness on the eve of the semi-final, Morocco might well have gone one better than the runners-up slot they achieved. "Playing games from the start was clearly beneficial for me," said Zairi, who could only play the last 17 minutes of the final against Tunisia. "Up until the semi-final I was putting in the sort of performances that I know I'm capable of but have not always produced at Sochaux. Now I need to take that form back to France."

Busy schedule
The left-footed attacker hopes that with Sochaux competing for honours on three fronts - they are fifth in Ligue 1, have reached the French League Cup final and the UEFA Cup third round - he will be given more chances in the second half of the season. "We're going to be playing matches every three days so the manager will need the whole squad available," Zairi explained. "He'll have to rest people because there are some massive games coming up and that might help me."

Inter hope
The match that whets Zairi's appetite most is Thursday's clash with Internazionale at the Stade Bonal. "To play against Inter would be an incredible experience," he smiled. "They're a team that is out of this world. Personally I've never played against a true European giant like Inter and I'd love to be involved in some capacity. Whatever happens it will be a great occasion for the club and the atmosphere is going to be electric."

'We fear nobody'
Lacombe's exciting young side have already eliminated Myllykosken Pallo-47 and BV Borussia Dortmund from the UEFA Cup - notably seeing off Matthias Sammer's team 4-0 in the home leg - and Zairi warned Inter to expect a tough encounter. "We fear nobody at home," he insisted. "Of course Inter have some outstanding individuals - people like [Christian] Vieri and [Alvaro] Recoba who can win a match on their own if you give them too much space. But we know that we have our own qualities, too."

Extra option
Frau and Santos have scored 29 goals between them this season and will almost certainly start the first leg. But if Sochaux are struggling to breach the Inter back line, Lacombe knows he has a useful option in Zairi. "I'll be ready if the manager needs me," Zairi declared. "If I could get on the pitch and maybe grab a goal, it would make all the waiting worthwhile."