Juande Ramos is following the Jose Mourinho route to greatness, and the Seville boss can repeat the feat of the Special One by leading his team from Uefa Cup success to the ultimate prize in European club football. Porto did the European double between 2002 and 2004 and now is the time for Seville to add the Champions League crown to their Uefa Cups. They have everything needed to compete with the cream of the continent and odds of 22-1 underestimate Ramos and his vibrant team. The Andalucians don’t do Galacticos, but they are tactically astute, have depth tothe squad and possess genuine world-class players with immense talent rather than hyped-up perceived superstars. Daniel Alves is the best attacking full back on the planet, midfield anchor Christian Poulsen does a brilliant destroying job in front of the defence and Fredi Kanoute has finally found a manager who makes him tick. Antonio Puerta’s tragic death last month hit the club on a professional and personal level. He was a Spanish international and just 22, but the team must go on and this is an outfit which finished third in La Liga last term and was challenging for the title on the final day despite resting players for their Uefa Cup bid. This summer’s transfer policy was all about recruiting versatility and that is why Seydou Kieta, ArunaKone, Khalid Boulahrouz, Tom De Mul and Aquivaldo Mosquera were signed. Not massive names, but all of them internationals who will blend in with those who have helped Seville land five trophies in the past two years (two Uefa Cups, European Super Cup, Spanish Super Cup and Copa Del Rey). Some may question Seville’s pedigree, but they often rise to the occasion. They have beaten Real Madrid in four of their last five encounters and Valencia and Barcelona have lost on three of their last four battles against Seville. All things considered, the Spanish bid looks incredibly strong this time around, with Barcelona and Real Madrid both capable of going all the way to Moscow in May. Barca have solved most of their major weaknesses (apart from goalkeeper Victor Valdes) and La Liga champions Real Madrid have splashed out the best part of 130m in 2007 as they seek a tenth European Cup. However, it is worth looking down the lists for better value because once it gets to the knockout stages any team can get the better of any opposition. It is so tight and a refereeing decision, one moment of magic or a mistake can be the ingredient separating success and failure. Amazingly, only five of the 29 knockout matches in last season’s competition were won by more than one goal which highlights the fact luck is going to play an important role. Valencia did not have much fortune 12 months ago. They were decimated by injuries, yet still reached the quarter-finals before Chelsea edged them out and Quique Sanchez Flores’s team are too strong to ignore at 28-1. Joaquin and David Silva are still improving wide players and class act David Villa is a regular goalscorer for club and country. There are no obvious weakness and it is difficult tounderstand why their price is so much bigger than their major rivals. What of the English challenge? Manchester United and Chelsea both look too short. We have already seen there is little depth to the United forward line if Cristiano Ronaldo and/or Wayne Rooney are sidelined, while Mourinho’s side lack invention in the final third. Liverpool and Arsenal could go well at better prices. Talk of Arsenal’s demise appears to have been greatly exaggerated, although they do still concede silly goals, and the Merseysiders have to be respected after reaching two of the last three finals. However, Rafa Benitez has previously thrown all his eggs into the Champions League basket, yet this time around they have a real chanceof doing some damage in the Premier League and that will surely be his priority. The German teams look weak without Bayern Munich leading from the front, so it may pay to head to Italy for the final bet, particularly as Serie A has produced 11 finalists since 1992. Milan and Inter will have their supporters, but Roma are the value at 33-1. Luciano Spalletti’s team were knocked in the quarter-finals last term following a 7-1 drubbing at Old Trafford, but that was a freak result and should not deter punters. The Wolves have the right blend of youth with players such as midfielder Alberto Aquilani progressing nicely and plenty of experience to back up that raw potential. Roma, who finished second in Serie A last season, are inconsistent the defeat at United was proof of that but with Francesco Totti, Ludovic Giuly, Juan, Daniel De Rossi, Simone Perrotta, Cicinho, Philippe Mexes and Mancini in the side, they could be dangerous.
I heard yesterday your man Ramos is only on 280,000 a year. He must have some loyalty to Sevilla. :shock:
Was he not supposed to have used the fact Spurs were after him as a bargaining tool in contract negotiations there a few weeks ago?
I think so yeah. Fuck knows what he was on before that.
i backed seville this a.m at 22/1 in pp - great price
good price alright- god to see my beloved Roma mentioned as well