Monday 11 August 2008

[CL] Viola begin European adventure

Sebastien Frey wants Fiorentina to take Slavia Prague seriously in their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round fixture on Tuesday night after suffering embarrassing defeats at this stage before.

Cesare PrandelliThe French international was a member of the Inter side that lost out to Helsingborgs in the 2001 Champions League third qualifying round, while his Parma side fell foul of Lille the following summer.

"I have been eliminated twice at this stage because my team underestimated their opponents and I don't want it to happen again," he said.


Coach Cesare Prandelli will be without midfielder Riccardo Montolivo, who is on Olympic duty with Italy, scoring in the 3-0 win against South Korea on Sunday that took the Azzurrini to the quarter-finals.

"I know he scored and I am happy for him," said the 28-year-old Frey, who extended his contract in Florence to 2013 this summer. "We will definitely miss Riccardo but there are many players who can take his place."

One potential replacement is Brazilian Felipe Melo, a summer signing from Almeria who is settling in well.

"I feel at ease with my new team-mates and with Prandelli, an intelligent person who talks us through every detail," said the 24-year-old.

Sergio Almiron, on loan from Juventus, may also be in line for a game, but Senegal forward Papa Waigo, defenders Manuel da Costa and Gianluca Comotto, and midfielder Martin Jørgensen will miss both legs.

The Czech side, meanwhile, have had the weekend to prepare for the game with their league fixture against Pribram moved back to last Wednesday to make way for an Iron Maiden concert being played at their Eden Stadium.

Zdenek Senkerik scored the only goal of that game to give last season's Czech champions their first victory of the campaign at the second attempt.

Having watched Fiorentina on video, coach Karel Jarolím knows what to expect.

"Gilardino, who arrived from AC Milan, has excellent movement, Mutu is outstanding while we know Santana from the games against Palermo," he said.

Slavia's task has been made tougher by injuries to experienced midfielder Vladimir Smicer and defender Frantisek Drizdal but Fiorentina will do well to heed Frey's words.

The first leg in Florence kicks off at 1945 UK time (+1hr for Italy/CET), with the return in Prague on August 27.

UEFA Champions League
Third Qualifying Round, First Leg
Tuesday 12 August
Fiorentina v Slavia Prague (1945)
Wednesday 13 August
Aalborg v Kaunas (1905)
Anorthosis Famagusta v Olympiakos (1900)
Barcelona v Wisla Krakow (2100)
Brann v Marseille (1945)
Galatasaray v Steaua Bucharest (1915)
Guimaraes v Basle (2030)
Juventus v Artmedia Petrzalka (1945)
Levski Sofia v BATE Borisov (1800)
Partizan Belgrade v Fenerbahce (1945)
Schalke v Atletico Madrid (1945)
Shakhtar Donetsk v Dinamo Zagreb (1800)
Sparta Prague v Panathinaikos (1945)
Spartak Moscow v Dynamo Kiev (1700)
Standard Liege v Liverpool (2005)
Twente v Arsenal (1945)

Source: UEFA

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