LEVY WON'T PUT SPURS FUTURE AT RISK

Article taken from THE GUARDIAN

Daniel Levy believes Tottenham Hotspur deserve to be in the group stages of the Champions League but on the eve of their return to Europe's premier club competition the White Hart Lane chairman said he will not jeopardise their future to pursue qualification year after year.

Having defeated Young Boys in a play-off-tie last month, Tottenham play their first game in the Champions League proper tonight, when they take on Werder Bremen in their opening Group A match. Spurs supporters misty-eyed at memories of the great Bill Nicholson side who reached the semi-finals in 1962 before losing to Benfica have long dreamed about seeing their team back on this stage and Levy shares their excitement.

The chairman has, however, moved to quell expectations and called for fans to be "realistic" about the prospects of the club remaining at football's top table in the long term, claiming only Manchester United and Chelsea are assured of a place in the league's top four every season.

Levy also said the Champions League is "not a gold mine" and pointed out that the £15m Spurs will make from competing in the group stages is merely the equivalent of a transfer fee for one player."We deserve to be in the Champions League. Our history dictates that but it has taken us a long time to get back," he said. "I think it's a huge achievement for Harry [Redknapp], all his coaching staff and players and the fans as well.

It's something special."I think we all want to stay there but we all have to be realistic. There are only four places in England and there are seven or eight clubs competing. There are probably two clubs you could say are guaranteed to be in that top four. You then have two places for six clubs. The odds are stacked against you.

But what we won't do is jeopardise the club to challenge to be one of those two. You can't run the club on the basis of being in the Champions League. "Often people say you just need an extra player. It doesn't work. It's about the team. I like to think it's important to run the club in the right way. It's not just about today; it's about the future generation of fans.

You have to protect the club."Spurs must already feel like they have travelled to hell and back in this competition after their remarkable first leg against Young Boys, when they fell 3-0 behind inside 28 minutes, leaving Levy in a state of shock as he looked on from the stands.

The real journey, however, starts in the Weser- stadion this evening, when Redknapp and his players seek to prove they belong at this level.Redknapp claimed last night he has "nothing to prove" after taking Spurs from the bottom of the Premier League to the Champions League in less than two years but he also admitted "you never stop learning".

The experience in Switzerland was uppermost in the manager's mind when he made that comment and he said he would be "committing suicide" if he set Spurs up in a 4-4-2 formation against Werder Bremen. "I went at Young Boys because the reports came back that they were there to be beaten, that they weren't a good side so I thought, 'We can have a go at these, we'll murder these tonight'.

And after half an hour ..."This is different, they are a good side with quality players. You have got problems with the way they play. They will certainly play with at least four narrow midfield players. It makes it difficult, you are going to get run around all over the shop if you open up and play 4-4-2. With your two wingers, the two in the middle are not going to get near them. If you play 4-4-2 you are committing suicide."

With Jermain Defoe, Michael Dawson and Heurelho Gomes injured and Luka Modric also ruled out after failing to make a full recovery from the knock he received at West Bromwich Albion, Redknapp is set to play with Peter Crouch as a lone striker, with Rafael van der Vaart likely to be encouraged to support him from what will effectively be a five-man midfield.

Bremen are not without their own injury problems. Claudio Pizarro, the former Chelsea striker, will be missing and the club's first-choice central defenders, the Germany international Per Mertesacker and the Brazilian Naldo, are also sidelined, meaning that Mikaël Silvestre, who was released from Arsenal in the summer, is set to start after making his debut at the weekend.

Maghrufa l-Gruppi tac-Champions League

Dan l-artiklu miktub minn Mark Mizzi deher fuq L-Orizzont tal-Hamis 2 ta' Settembru 2010

"Grazzi tal-polza...issa tista' tirranga sabiex Real jibqghu telghin sal-finali u jilghabu ma' Chelsea?". Dan kien il-messagg li baghat il-kowc ta' Real Madrid Jose Mourinho lill-ex internazzjonali Ingliz Gary Lineker hekk kif telghu il-poloz tal-gruppi tac-Champions League. Lineker kien protagonista ewlieni fil-procedura li ddecidiet min se jilghab kontra min f'din il-fazi tal-kompetizzjoni - procedura li se taghti bidu ghac-Champions League vera u propja li twassalna sa Wembley Stadium f'Mejju li gej.

Mourinho rebah ic-Champions League ma' Inter l-istagun li ghadda u rnexxielu jaghmel il-holma ta' dan il-klabb ta' Milan realta'. Issa ghandu missjoni gdida u xejn ma jtih aktar sodisfazzjojn milli jaghmel l-istess fil-kapitali Spanjola ma' Real Madrid li huma ghatxana biex jergghu jitilghu fil-quccata tal-futbol Ewropew.

Bl-istil tipiku tieghu, Mourinho diga' qed ibassar il-finalisti u jemmen li t-tim prezenti tieghu jista' jikkontesta l-finali kontra l-ex tim tieghu Chelsea. Ghalkemm ghadu kmieni wisq biex wiehed jibda jaghmel il-previzjonijiet, kull fejn kien s'issa Mourinho gab is-sucess u ma nahsibx li jkun hawn hafna li lesti jahilfu li l-Portugiz ma jistax jasal ghat-tragward li jkun wahhal f'mohhu.

Dan l-istagun Mourinho akkwista tnejn mill-aktar plejers li spikkaw fit-Tazza tad-Dinja jigifieri l-Germanizi Sami Khedira u Mesut Ozil. Meta tghodd lil dawn ma' plejers bhal Kaka u Cristiano Ronaldo m'hemmx dubju li Mourinho, ghal darba ohra, ghandu f'idejh l-ghodda biex jasal. Kollox jiddependi mill-pressjoni li se ssir fuqu mid-dirigenza, mill-partitarji u mill-ambjent Madrilen inifsu li forsi ma tantx huwa sintonizzat mal-pragmatizmu ta' Mourinho.

Real Madrid huwa tim maghruf ghall-futbol offensiv u attraenti izda f'dawn l-ahhar snin dan il-futbol ma tantx gab unuri lejn il-klabb. Mourinho mhux bilfors joffri dan it-tip ta' futbol izda bhala kumpens kapaci jgib ir-rizultati. Issa wiehed irid jara kemm se jbati sakemm Mourinho jirnexxielu jdawwar il-mentalita Madrilena u kemm se jkunu lesti jiehdu pacenzja bih id-dirigenti ta' dan il-klabb sakemm jasal fejn irid.

Ir-rivali principali ta' Real Madrid fi Grupp G se jkunu Milan li f'din il-kompetizzjoni tant ghandhom rekord tajjeb. Fl-ewwel loghoba taghhom fil-kampjonat Milan urew sinjali ta' titjib kbir mill-istagun li ghadda. Ronaldinho deher trasformat, Pato rega' jinsab frisk u efficjenti quddiem il-lasta u bl-akkwist tal-attakkanti Ibrahimovic u Robinho Milan jistghu jergghu isibu ruhhom protagonisti ewlenin.

B'zewg timijiet jghaddu minn kull grupp il-kwalifikazzjoni ghal Milan u Real Madrid tidher prattikament assigurata b'Ajax u Auxerre probabilment jispiccaw jikkompetu ghat-tielet post u kwalifikazzjoni ghall-Europa League.

Il-kowc li ha post Mourinho ma' Inter, Rafa Benitez sab ruhu fi Grupp A flimkien ma' Werder Bremen, Tottenham u Twente. Fuq il-karta Inter ma jidhirx li jista' jkollhom problemi serji biex jghaddu minn dan il-grupp. Izda Benitez, bhal Mourinho, irid jiggieled kontra mentalita li sarett parti mis-sistema ta' Inter.

Il-kowc Spanjol ikkonferma dan u ammetta li qed isibha difficli jibdel il-mentalita tal-plejers tieghu u jwassalhom biex jaqilbu mis-sistema ta' Mourinho ghas-sistema tieghu. Dan wassal biex s'issa rajna lil Inter jitilfu s-Super Cup kontra Atletico Madrid u jibdew il-kampjonat bi dro kontra Bologna.

Benitez qal li taht Mourinho il-plejers kienu mdorrija jilghabu bil-kontrattakk izda hu irid tim li jiddfendi oghla u jzomm aktar il-pussess tal-ballun. Fi ftit kliem Benitez irid lil Inter jilghabu futbol aktar attraenti u hekk ikun tahom it-timbru tieghu. Fil-verita ghal Benitez se jkun difficli jirbah aktar mill-predecessur tieghu u ghalhekk irid li jirbah isbah.

Dan mhux se jkun facli specjalment meta wiehed jiftakar li l-plejers li ghandu huma bazikament il-plejers ta' Mourinho li jibqghu leali lejh u lejn is-sistemi tieghu grazzi ghas-success li dawn gabulhom. Wiehed ma jridx jinsa wkoll li uhud mil-kolonni tat-tim qabzu t-tletin sena u bidla fil-mentalita u sistema ghal dawn il-plejers tista' tkun aktar difficli.

Minkejja dan Inter m'ghandhomx jonqsu milli jikkwalifikaw b'Werder Bremen potenzjalment joffru l-akbar sfida. Werder Bremen irnexxielhom jeliminaw lil Sampdoria fil-playoffs u jinsabu kunfidenti li jghaddu minn dan il-grupp. Il-General Manager ta' Bremen Klaus Allofs qal li Werder huma rrenkjati fid-9 post fl-Ewropa u jemmen li, "l-grupp huwa difficli ghat-timijiet l-ohra" u mhux ghall-klabb tieghu.

Ghal Tottenham din se tkun l-ewwel avventura fic-Champions League u n-nuqqas ta' esperjenza tista' tilghab parti importanti hafna f'dan l-istadju. Ghalkemm Spurs jistghu jaghtu loghoba lil kulhadd wiehed ghad irid jara kemm l-iskwadra hija preparata mentalment u fizikament ghal sfida bhal din flimkien mal-impenji domestici.

Tottenham jinsabu ezatt fuq il-linja bejn li jiggieldu ma' Werder Bremen ghat-tieni post u ma' Twente ghat-tielet post. Episodji partikolari waqt il-loghobiet u l-forma ta' plejers importanti ghandhom jiddeciedu lejn fejn se jxaqleb il-mizien.

Fi Grupp C se jkollna l-battalja tar-Renju Unit b'Manchester United jiltaqghu kontra l-Iskoccizi Rangers. Fl-istess grupp hemm ukoll Bursaspor tat-Turkija u Valencia ta' Spanja b'dawn tal-ahhar ikunu mdghajjfa wara l-bejgh ta' David Villa, Carlos Marchena u David Silva.

Kontra Rangers Manchester United ghandhom jistennew battalja fizika aktar milli teknika izda l-Iskoccizi ma tantx ghandhom rekord tajjeb fl-Ewropa u ma kellhomx xi kampanja akkwisti b'sahhitha. Nemmen li r-Red Devils ghandu jkollhom bizzejjed kwalita biex jinnegozjaw iz-zewg loghobiet kontra t-tim ta' Glasgow.

Mill-banda l-ohra loghoba fit-Turkija qatt m'hi facli izda l-loghoba ghand Bursaspor se tkun ir-raba wahda ghall-United fil-grupp. Hekk, sa dakinhar it-tim ta' Sir Alex Ferguson jista' ga jkun relattivament komdu fi triqtu lejn il-kwalifikazzjoni bit-tlett timijiet l-ohra jikkontestaw it-tieni post tal-grupp.

Chelsea ta' Carlo Ancelotti jinsabu fi Grupp F flimkien ma' Marseilles ta' Franza, Spartak Moscow tar-Russja u Zilina tas-Slovakkja. Dan huwa grupp li m'ghandux joffri problemi kbar ghall-Blues biex jghaddu ghal fazi li jmiss. Marseilles mistennija joffru l-aqwa oppozizzjoni izda l-loghoba fi Franza tintlaghab fit-tieni gimgha ta' Dicembru u sa dakinhar Chelsea jistghu ikunu prattikament akkwistaw il-kwalifikazzjoni.

Is-Slovakki ta' Zilina se jkunu qed jiddebuttaw f'din il-fazi u ma jidhirx li jistghu joffru intoppi serji lil Marseilles u Chelsea. Min-naha l-ohra loghoba kontra Spartak Moscow, specjalment fir-Russja, qatt m'hi passiggata u l-possibilita li l-Moskoviti jtellfu l-punti liz-zewg favoriti zgur mhix eskluza.

Tim iehor Ingliz fic-Champions League huwa Arsenal li telghu biex jilghabu fi Grupp H flimkien ma' Shaktar Donetsk tal-Ukraina, Braga tal-Portugall u Partizan Belgrade tas-Serbja.
Mal-ewwel daqqa t'ghajn dan jidher grupp relattivamet hafif ghall-Gunners izda r-realta' tista' tkun differenti. Arsenal ghandhom kwalita teknika li tisboq lil dik tat-timijiet l-ohra fil-grupp izda l-aggressivita fl-istil ta' Partizan u Shaktar u l-ambjent difficli li jista' jinholoq ghand dawn iz-zewg timijiet jaghmlu l-grupp ta' Arsenal wiehed ferm 'il boghod minn passiggata.

F'dan il-grupp Braga huwa l-aktar tim li jipprova jilghab il-loghoba bhal Arsenal u hekk, bl-istess stil ta' loghob, it-tim ta' Arsene Wenger ghandu jkun superjuri. Izda z-zewg loghobiet l-ohra, partikolarment barra minn Londra, jistghu joffru problemi ghal Arsenal u ma jhallux ir-rebh tal-grupp konkluzjoni assigurata.

Matul is-sajf Arsenal sahhew id-difiza taghhom b'Laurent Koscielni u Sebastian Squillaci filwaqt li fl-attakk ziedu lil Mourane Chamakh izda xorta jittammaw li l-pedini taghhom Cesc Fabregas u Robin Van Persie b'dan tal-ahhar diga' jinsab imwegga'.

Fi Grupp E il-finalisti tac-Champions League tal-istagun li ghadda Bayern Munich tal-Germanja flimkien mat-Taljani ta' Roma m'ghandhomx ifallu l-passagg ghat-tieni fazi meta jridu jiffaccjaw lil Basel tal-Isvizzera u Cluj tar-Rumanija.

Dawn l-ahhar zewg timijiet gieli offrew sorprizi izda issa l-avversarji taghhom mhux se jwettqu l-izbalji li twettqu qabel u l-element tas-sorpriza mhux se jibqa' daqshekk importanti. Bayern jibdew favoriti li jirbhu dan il-grupp b'Roma, issa msahha fost l-ohrajn mill-attakkanti Adriano u Boriello, ghandhom jassiguraw almenu t-tieni post b' Basel u Cluj jikkompetu ghal-post fl-Europa League.

Is-semifinalisti Barcelona, imdghajjfa mit-tluq ta' Zlatan Ibrahimovic izda msahha minn akkwisti bhal David Villa u Javier Mascherano, jibdew favoriti netti li jirbhu Grupp D li jinkludi wkoll lil Panathinaikos tal-Grecja, Copenhagen tad-Danimarkau Rubin Kazan tar-Russja.

Panathinaikos f'darhom jistghu ikunu forza filwaqt li l-istagun li ghadda Rubin Kazan urew loghob ta' kwalita teknika gholja. Minhabba f'hekk dawn it-tnejn mistennija jikkontestaw it-tieni post tal-grupp b'Copenhagen jidhru l-aktar tim dghajjef.

Fl-ahhar nett naraw li t-timijiet li jiffurmaw Grupp B huma Lyon ta' Franza, Benfica tal-Portugall, Schalke tal-Germanja u Hapoel tal-Izrael. Dan jidher li jista' jkun grupp interessanti hafna fejn fuq il-karta Lyon, Benfica u Schalke, imsahha mill-akkwist ta' Huntelaar minghand

Milan, jidhru bejn wiehed w iehor tal-istess livell. Dawn it-timijiet kollha jistghu jiehdu l-punti lil xulxin u ghalhekk il-grupp mistenni jkun wiehed incert.
Min-naha l-ohra Hapoel, ghalkemm jidhru l-aktar tim dghajjef, jistghu jaghtu joffru oppozizzjoni f'sahhitha lil kulhadd u ma tkunx sporpriza jekk jirnexxielhom itellfu l-punti lit-timijiet akjtar rinomati specjalment fl-Izrael.

Dawn huma l-aqwa 32 tim tal-Ewropa. F'nofs dan ix-xahar nitilqu maghhom ghal vjagg twil mimli emozzjonijiet, ferh, dizappunti, kontroversja u diskussjoni. Vjagg li matulu naraw lill-aqwa klabbs Ewropej jikkompetu bejniethom ghall-aktar unur prestiggjuz li joffri l-futbol Ewropew. Vjagg li jwassalna fit-tempju tal-futbol Wembley Stadium fejn hemmekk, fil-monarkija li tatna l-futbol, naraw tigi nkurunata lir-regina tal-futbol Ewropew.