Technical report 2018/19 CONTENTS OVERVIEW 4 6 16 Introduction Road The final to Baku 22 24 The winning Results coach ANALYSIS 28 32 34 Talking Goals of Squad of points the season the season STATISTICS 36 40 56 Number Team Roll of crunching profiles honour INTRODUCTION Group A Group B Bayer 04 FC Zürich AEK PFC Ludogorets FC Salzburg Celtic FC RB Leipzig Rosenborg BK Leverkusen (FCZ) Larnaca FC 1945 (SBG) (CEL) (LEI) (RBK) (BL) (LAR) (LUD) Group C Group D FC Zenit SK Slavia Praha FC Girondins FC København GNK Dinamo Fenerbahçe SK FC Spartak RSC Anderlecht (ZEN) (SLP) de Bordeaux (FCK) Zagreb (FEN) Trnava (AND) (BOR) (DZ) (TRN) Group E Group F (From left): Savvas Constantinou, Ghenadie Scurtul, Jarmo Matikainen, Stefan Majewski, Thomas Schaaf and Milenko Ačimovič from the UEFA Technical Observers Group, and Frank Ludolph, UEFA’s head of football education services, at the final Arsenal FC Sporting FC Vorskla Qarabağ FK Real Betis Olympiacos FC AC Milan F91 Dudelange (ARS) Clube de Portugal Poltava (QAR) Balompié (O LY ) (ACM) (DUD) (SCP) (VOR) (BTS) Association (CFA) and a member of the Jira Group G Group H Panel, provided detailed insight into how Chelsea and Arsenal had made it an all- OBSERVING English final, and Stefan Majewski, a former Poland international and current sport director of the Polish Football Association (PZPN), provided some equally illuminating Villarreal CF SK Rapid Wien Rangers FC FC Spartak Eintracht SS Lazio Apollon Olympique THE TACTICAL (VLR) (RPD) (RAN) Moskva Frankfurt (LAZ) Limassol FC de Marseille analysis of Slavia Praha’s captivating THE TACTICAL (SPM) (EIN) (APO) (OM) charge to the quarter-finals. Ghenadie Scurtul, technical consultant Group I Group J TRENDS to the Kazakhstan Football Federation TRENDS (KFF), highlighted key tactical influences in Chelsea’s final victory, while Jarmo UEFA’s Technical Observers Group met after Matikainen, head coach of the Estonia women’s national team and head of the final in Baku to analyse the season’s talking women’s football development in Estonia, supplied detailed analysis of how the KRC Genk Malmö FF Beşiktaş JK Sarpsborg 08 FF Sevilla FC FC Krasnodar R. Standard de Liège Akhisarspor points and key trends, with the aim of offering (GNK) (MAL) (BJK) (SAR) (SEV) (KRA) (STD) Belediyespor final was won, in addition to fascinating (AKH) insight to coaches across the continent observations regarding the tournament as a whole. The former Slovenia and Crvena Group K Group L This review of the 2018/19 UEFA Europa and their reports and reflections provided zvezda midfielder Milenko Ačimovič also League season serves as a record of a the substance for the discussion that took contributed intriguing perspectives on campaign that spanned 205 matches, place when they met together in Baku on another of the tournament revelations, involving 56 clubs from 27 nations, from the morning after the final between Chelsea Eintracht Frankfurt. the opening of the group stage in and Arsenal. Cristian Chivu, Jerzy Engel, Hans Leitert, September 2018 and concluding with Thomas Schaaf, who guided Werder Ginés Meléndez, Mixu Paatelainen and FC Dynamo Kyiv Stade FC Astana FK Jablonec Chelsea FC FC BATE Borisov Vidi FC PAOK FC the final at the Olympic Stadium in Baku Bremen to the final of the UEFA Cup in 2009, Willibald Ruttensteiner also observed (DK) Rennais FC (AST) (JAB) (CHE) (BTE) (VID) (PAO) (REN) on 29 May 2019. It is a report offering chaired the review panel and led productive individual matches and, while not present factual and statistical information about discussions with a group of experienced in Baku, their thoughts contributed to this Clubs joined from the UEFA Champions League the tenth edition of the UEFA Europa coaches on the trends observed over the report, which is intended to provide coaches League, with the aim of providing a deeper course of the tournament, analysing the across the continent with useful material analysis of the action on the field of play tactical approaches of the coaches and for their own development. It will be made through the interpretations of UEFA’s discussing the key moments on the road to available to members of the coaching family Technical Observers Group. Baku, and in the final. throughout Europe and, hopefully, will help This small group of coaches delivered Savvas Constantinou, the former Cyprus development coaches keep up to date with Club Brugge KV FC Internazionale SSC Napoli Galatasaray AŞ SL Benfica FC Shakhtar FC Viktoria Plzeň Valencia CF their observations and analysis on every international goalkeeper and current the prevailing styles and strategies at the (BRU) Milano (NAP) (GAL) (SLB) Donetsk (PLZ) (VAL) match from the round of 16 onwards technical director of the Cyprus Football top level of the club game. (INT) (SHK) 4 UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE TECHNICAL REPORT 2018/19 5 XXXXXXXXSEASON OVERVIEW Teams from 27 nations took part from the THE ROAD TO group stage onwards, GROUP STAGE Eintracht Frankfurt were back in the UEFA to make it through, but an 81st-minute but only one was Europa League for the first time since penalty from Olympiacos captain Kostas represented in the final reaching the last 32 in 2013/14, but the Fortounis proved decisive as Milan dropped 9 draw did not appear favourable to their to third, ahead of the first Luxembourgish Nine clubs made as two London rivals new coach Adi Hütter, who had arrived after club in the group stage, F91 Dudelange. their group stage advanced to the shores leading Young Boys to their first Swiss title Arsenal made it through Group E debut, with F91 BAKU in 32 years. A trip to the Stade Vélodrome, unbeaten, winning five and drawing Dudelange the first of the Caspian Sea BAKU the home of 2018 runners-up Marseille, was only once, 0-0 at home to Sporting CP, from Luxembourg a tricky first test for the Bundesliga side, but who joined them in the knockout stages. one that they passed with flying colours, Together with Betis, the Gunners conceded a late 2-1 win with only ten men setting a fewer than any other side in the group positive tone for their campaign. Five more stage, their respective goals breached only victories followed – including home and away twice. London neighbours Chelsea shipped wins against Lazio – as the German side flew only one more, their record of five wins and 5 into the last 32. Joining them with a 100% a draw securing first place in Group L ahead Salzburg won their record were Salzburg, who topped Group of BATE Borisov, ensuring both English group for a fifth B ahead of Celtic, Leipzig and Rosenborg, clubs successfully cleared the first hurdle of time, on their eighth appearance scoring the same number of goals as what would prove to be five as they would – both records Frankfurt – 17 – and conceding only six. ultimately progress together to Baku. It was also a successful group stage Elsewhere, Dynamo Kyiv edged out for the Spanish contingent, with all three Rennes in Group K and Dinamo Zagreb finishing first in their sections. Sevilla dropped just four points, finishing ahead turned on the style in their 6-0 competition of Fenerbahçe in Group D in spite of a record-equalling win over Akhisar, Roque 1-0 defeat to Slovakian side Spartak Mesa’s opening goal the perfect conclusion Trnava on the final day that condemned to a slick exchange of passes. Though winless Anderlecht to bottom spot. they were beaten by Standard Liège and Genk kept the flag flying for Belgian Krasnodar, they topped their group on goal football by topping Group I ahead of difference ahead of the Russian club and Malmö, while Zenit emerged triumphant scored more goals than any other side in Group C, Slavia Praha’s closing win with 18. Both Villarreal and Real Betis came over the already-qualified Russian side through tough sections without losing, ensuring they pipped Bordeaux to second. with AC Milan the eminent victims in Betis’ Bayer Leverkusen flexed their muscles group as Olympiacos snatched second to lead Zürich through from Group A. place thanks to a dramatic 3-1 matchday six win at the Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis. The Rossoneri needed to avoid defeat in Rennes and Dynamo Piraeus by more than a one-goal margin Kyiv took the top two spots in Group K Antonio Sanabria of Real Betis (centre left) celebrates scoring against Dudelange; Genk winger Leandro Trossard on the ball against Malmö (above) 6 UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE TECHNICAL REPORT 2018/19 7 SEASON OVERVIEW ROUND OF 32 Eight sides moved across from the UEFA Champions League to join the 24 clubs qualifying from the group stage in February’s round of 32. Intriguing ties were provided by the draw with Lazio facing Sevilla and Frankfurt paired with Shakhtar Donetsk, who had already beaten their Bundesliga rivals Hoffenheim in the UEFA Champions League group stage. A 2-2 draw in Ukraine was the first time Frankfurt had failed to win all season in the UEFA Europa League, but with their unbeaten record still intact, their attacking triumvirate of Sébastien Haller, Luka Jović and Ante Rebić were all on target in a convincing 4-1 second-leg success. The participation of Frankfurt’s Bundesliga fellows Bayer Leverkusen ended with a 1-1 draw at home to Krasnodar, the Russian side prevailing on away goals thanks to a late free-kick from 19-year-old Magomed Suleymanov. Internazionale eased past Rapid Wien 5-0 on aggregate to extend their unbeaten home record against Austrian opponents to eight matches, and they were joined in the last 16 by Napoli, who completed a 5-1 aggregate win over Zürich with goals from Simone Verdi and Adam Ounas in Naples.