Zlogar plots Anfield coup

By Jonathan Wilson

Whatever happens, NK Olimpija Ljubljana will have had a season to remember. Michael Owen's equaliser for Liverpool FC means the Slovenian side must score at Anfield on Wednesday to have a chance of pulling off one of the great UEFA Cup shocks - but just by leading for 12 minutes at the Bezograd, Olimpija have done Slovenian football proud.

Zlogar confident
Olimpija's captain, Anton Zlogar, refuses to accept that Owen's goal effectively puts Olimpija out of the competition. "The result in Ljubljana means we're still in the tie," the midfield player said. "We know from the start that we have nothing to lose, and that's a big advantage. If we give it our best shot, luck will go with us."

Hard-earned draw
The 1-1 first-leg draw in Ljubljana had little to do with luck, even if Olimpija goalkeeper Borut Mavric did make a number of fine saves. Indeed, they played a total of 14 minutes of the first half with only ten men as Enes Handanagic, Janez Aljancic and Igor Lazic all received lengthy treatment for injuries. Handanagic and Lazic are both still out, but Aljancic is available for the Anfield tie having recovered from a back injury.

Brave perseverance
Zlogar, who rolled in the rebound after Nedim Jusufbeaovic's shot had come back off the post after 66 minutes, himself limped through the last ten minutes with an ankle injury, unable to go off because all three substitutes had been used.

'Tonci the Frog'
Not that Zlogar would have complained. Nobody so represents Olimpija as he does, which is why the Olimpija fans have nicknamed him 'Tonci Zabar' or 'Tonci the Frog' - frog being the local term for natives of Ljubljana.

Unfortunate circumstances
"We sat back a bit too much after the goal and then lost some of our tempo," the 25-year-old said. "We could possibly have done with making another substitution, but unfortunately our coach had to make all three substitutions in the first half."

Domestic gloom
After a disappointing start to the domestic league season, the performance in Europe was a huge boost, but since then Olimpija have drawn 0-0 against lowly NK Ljubljana and lost 2-1 to NK Domžale. They now lie in seventh position, seven points behind leaders NK Maribor.

Unique atmosphere
Zlogar believes it was the atmosphere that lifted his side to new heights against Liverpool. "As each minute went by, the fans backed us more and more," he explained. "It's hard to play badly in such an atmosphere. We supported each other on the pitch, and acted as a real team. That's what makes me happy."

Huge crowd
And even if Olimpija struggle to take that form into the daily grind of the league, their UEFA Cup adventure has provided a welcome financial bonus. "Even though the tickets were twice as expensive as for league games, we had three times the crowd," Zlogar said. "And for the players, especially those with the ambition of playing abroad, there is the chance to show our abilities on an international stage."

Anfield focus
However, for the time being, all such thoughts are on the back burner. Liverpool is the task in hand. "The game at Anfield begins at 0-0, and given that all English teams play without calculation, Liverpool will surely play an open game and attack us from the start," said Zlogar. "If we can keep possession, show the same fighting spirit we showed at home, and have a bit of luck, then we can surprise them."