Feyenoord's mission improbable

By Berend Scholten

UEFA Cup winners in 2001/02, Feyenoord could have been handed few tougher tasks in the last 32 of this year's competition than overcoming Lisbon giants Sporting Clube de Portugal - a side with a history and a hunger for success every bit as potent as the Dutch side's.

Past meetings
Sporting knocked Feyenoord out of the UEFA Cup in the first round back in 1985/86, and Feyenoord coach Ruud Gullit is well aware of the strength of the current team. "We played against them in pre-season and technically they are a very good side," he told uefa.com.

Dangerous Brazilian
Chief among Sporting's assets is their Brazilian striker Liedson, who has been the decisive factor in leading the Portuguese side to the top of the SuperLiga and the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. However, in Dirk Kuijt and Salomon Kalou, Feyenoord have strikers every bit as potent in European competition.

'We have two'
"We have two good strikers, and they only have one," Kuijt told uefa.com. "It's always difficult to play a team like this but good for us because we are all young players and it will help us become better. It will be difficult for us but we hope to win and go on to the next round."

Kalou optimistic
Kalou was optimistic about the tie too, saying: "I think we have the chance to win because we are playing the first game away. We need to get a draw and I think we will win at home 2-0 and go through. They are a really good, skilful team but if we play like we can I think we can win."

Brotherly love
Victory might give Kalou the chance to come face-to-face with his older brother, Bonaventure Kalou, who is playing for fellow UEFA Cup contenders AJ Auxerre. "That would be nice," said the younger Kalou. "We talk a lot because he has more experience than me and he gives me lots of advice."

Newcastle prospects
Coach Gullit may also be up against familiar opponents if Feyenoord reach the latter stages of the competition, as English side Newcastle United FC - his second club as a manager - still have high hopes of fighting for the trophy. However, the former AC Milan star was staying cool about that possibility. "I always look back at my time at Newcastle with a smile because they had a very good crowd," he said. "It's not that I would love to face them or anything, but if we did it would be nice."

New-look Feyenoord
With the likes of Cory Gibbs, Nicky Hofs and Alexander Östlund having arrived at De Kuip during the transfer window, Feyenoord have started 2005 with a new-look team; 14 goals in their last two Eredivisie games suggest they are adapting to change well.

Transitional phase
"We have been through a phase where we had to get new players in and get them settled in the team," said Gullit. "At the moment, step by step, it's getting better." However, whether things are improving fast enough for Feyenoord to have designs on the UEFA Cup is a moot point.

Improbable, but possible
"Of course it would be very nice," Gullit added. "Knowing that we have a new team, a lot of players have had to adapt. It would almost be a miracle if we were to win the UEFA Cup. Nevertheless we will try to do everything that is possible to go even further in the competition."