Vfb Stuttgart Nk Dinamo Zagreb
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PRESS KITS Group stage - Group G - Matchday 5 Wednesday, 15 December 2004 - 20:45 (local time) Gottlieb-Daimler - Stuttgart VFB STUTTGART NK DINAMO ZAGREB MATCH OFFICIALS Referee Eduardo Iturralde Gonzalez (ESP) Assistant referees Rafael Guerrero Alonso (ESP), Carlos Lopez Villate (ESP) Fourth official Javier Turienzo Alvarez (ESP) UEFA delegate Eduard Dervishi (ESP) MATCH BACKGROUND All to play for in Stuttgart Two sides on the cusp of qualifying for the knockout stage meet at the Gottlieb-Daimler stadium as VfB Stuttgart host NK Dinamo Zagreb for the second time in UEFA club competitions. Stuttgart success The clubs were paired together in the second round of the 1989/90 UEFA Cup, and Stuttgart took the lead at Zagreb with a 3-1 win thanks to goals from current German national coach Jürgen Klinsmann, Fritz Walter and Michael Schröder, who took them to a 3-0 lead before home forward Drazen Bezek grabbed a consolation. In the return leg, Radmilo Mihajlovic closed the gap even further with a 62nd minute goal before Walter eased Stuttgart worries with an equaliser six minutes later, as Stuttgart advanced 4-2 on aggregate. The Germans reached the final where they lost to Diego Maradona’s SSC Napoli 5-4 on aggregate. Mixed fortunes Stuttgart have played two other Croatian teams in UEFA club competitions. In 1981/82 the Germans were eliminated by HNK Hajduk Split from the UEFA Cup at the first round stage by 5-2 on aggregate, while in 2002, Stuttgart advanced to the finals of the UEFA Intertoto Cup after winning both games against FK Slaven Koprivnica in the semi-final. Two goals from Thomas Schneider gave Stuttgart a 2-1 home win, and Sean Dundee scored the only goal of the return leg, as Stuttgart went on to beat LOSC Lille Métropole in their final. The German side defend an unbeaten home record of one win and two draws against Croatian clubs, and an overall record of three wins, two draws and one loss in their six previous games. Dinamo defeats But Dinamo have yet to beat a German club in UEFA club competitions. The Croatians have lost their three previous ties, where the six games have produced two draws and four defeats. Besides the games with Stuttgart, Dinamo lost both legs to FC Schalke 04 by 3-1 and 1-0 in the quarter-finals of the 1969/70 UEFA Cup, while their other meeting was with a club then based in the German Democratic Republic, namely 1. FC Magdeburg. The two sides met in the second round of the 1976/77 UEFA Cup, and after losing the first leg 2-0 in Magdeburg, the Croatians were held 2-2 at home despite two goals from Zlatko Kranjcar. The former striker is now the Croatian national team coach, while his son is the current Dinamo captain. State of play: Group G SL Benfica have qualified and VfB Stuttgart will follow them through if they avoid defeat at home to NK Dinamo Zagreb. The German side could lose and still advance if SC Heerenveen fail to win at home to KSK Beveren, who are already out. Dinamo are ahead of Heerenveen on goal difference and are sure to qualify if they match the Dutch club's result against Beveren. A draw will take Heerenveen through should Dinamo lose. 1/9 1:20:48 uefa.com Matchday 5 - Group G - Wednesday, 15 December 2004 - PRESS KITS STUTTGART-DINAMO ZAGREB PLAYERS PROFILES VfB Stuttgart Goalkeepers No Name Nat. DoB 1 Timo Hildebrand GER 05.04.1979 Part of the German squad at UEFA EURO 2004™ finals...has one cap...has come through from the club’s youth academy...outstanding reflexes...no goals conceded in opening eight league games last season. 23 Dirk Heinen GER 03.12.1970 Former No1 for Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Turkish club Denizlispor...won DFB-Pokal medal with Leverkusen in 1993, fractured skull in 1994...is nine years older than Hildebrand. 31 Diego Benaglio SUI 08.09.1983 Swiss U21 goalkeeper who has played over 50 times for Switzerland at various age-group levels...joined from Grasshopper-Club in summer 2002. Defenders No Name Nat. DoB 2 Andreas Hinkel GER 26.03.1982 Part of the German squad at EURO 2004™ finals...has been an international since spring 2003...from the club’s youth academy, sixth season in first-team squad. 3 Martin Stranzl AUT 16.06.1980 20 caps for Austria...joined in summer 2004 from relegated TSV 1860 München...fifth Bundesliga season, and been an international since 2000...replaced Brazilian Marcelo José Bordon in the team. 4 Boris Zivkovic CRO 15.11.1975 5 Markus Babbel GER 08.09.1972 Recovered from serious illness when at Liverpool FC...EURO '96™ winner, and has UEFA Cup medals with FC Bayern München in 1996 and Liverpool in 2001...won three Bundesliga titles with Bayern and also played for Blackburn Rovers FC and Hamburger SV. 6 Fernando Meira POR 05.06.1978 Defender, who is now being groomed to take over in midfield from Zvonimir Soldo...signed from SL Benfica in summer 2001...has 21 caps and was in the 2004 Olympic squad...but not at UEFA EURO 2004™ finals. 12 Heiko Gerber GER 11.07.1972 180 Bundesliga games for VfB Stuttgart and previously with DSC Arminia Bielefeld and 1. FC Nurnberg...two caps for Germany...is mainly a cover now for the younger Philipp Lahm and Aleksandr Gleb...at Stuttgart since 1999. 17 Mathieu Delpierre FRA 26.04.1981 21 Philipp Lahm GER 11.11.1983 Has made the German national team after being at VfB Stuttgart on loan from FC Bayern München, where he returns in summer 2005...one of the German hopes for the future, he has 12 caps. 25 Heiko Butscher GER 28.07.1980 29 Steffen Dangelmayr GER 09.09.1978 35 Steffen Kocholl GER 10.05.1983 Midfielders No Name Nat. DoB 7 Silvio Meissner GER 19.01.1973 Consistent midfielder who is close to 200 Bundesliga games...fifth season at club, signed from DSC Arminia Bielefeld...key midfielder due to his experience...former B international. 8 Jurica Vranješ CRO 31.01.1980 In the UEFA Champions League final squad with Bayer 04 Leverkusen in 2002...second season with VfB Stuttgart...has enjoyed a successful 2004/05 campaign to date after seasons of injuries and loss of form...15 caps. 10 Aliaksandr Hleb BLS 01.05.1981 Replaced Bulgarian Krassimir Balakov in the VfB Stuttgart line-up...12 caps and from the club’s youth academy after signing from FC Dinamo Minsk...one of best creative players already in the Bundesliga. 11 Hakan Yakin SUI 22.02.1977 13 Christian Tiffert GER 18.02.1982 Another of the young German prospects at the club...U21 international...has played more than 80 Bundesliga 2/9 1:20:48 uefa.com Matchday 5 - Group G - Wednesday, 15 December 2004 - PRESS KITS STUTTGART-DINAMO ZAGREB games, and is standby for Silvio Meissner in the starting eleven. 14 Emanuel Centurión ARG 25.08.1982 16 Horst Heldt GER 09.12.1969 Around 350 Bundesliga games, and capped twice by Germany...joined the club in January 2003 after spells with TSV 1860 München, Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FC Köln and a loan spell with SK Sturm Graz...left-footed midfielder. 20 Zvonimir Soldo CRO 02.11.1967 Club captain and former international (61 caps), played over 250 Bundesliga games...ninth season since signing from NK Dinamo Zagreb...has signed in 2004 for another season...very influential at the club. 26 Marco Caligiuri GER 14.04.1984 30 Denis Berger AUT 14.04.1983 37 Ivan Stoianov BUL 24.07.1983 Forwards No Name Nat. DoB 9 Marco Streller SUI 18.06.1981 Swiss international, who joined from FC Basel 1893 in January 2004 but injured soon after his arrival...1.95 tall, and has three caps...recovering full fitness. 18 Cacau BRA 27.03.1981 Top scorer for club in Bundesliga so far this season (six goals) and scored two goals in 5-1 win at KSK Beveren in first group game...joined from 1. FC Nürnberg who spotted him in a swimming-bath kick around in Munich. 19 Imre Szabics HUN 22.03.1981 2003 signing from Austrian club SK Sturm Graz...2003 Hungarian Footballer of the Year...one of four players challenging as Kevin Kuranyi’s strike partner...home club was Ferencvárosi TE. 22 Kevin Kuranyi GER 02.03.1982 German international, born at Rio de Janeiro, who could have also played for Brazil and Panama...came to Germany from Rio aged 15 in order to join the club’s youth team...18 caps. 33 Mario Gómez GER 10.07.1985 Latest of VfB Stuttgart's young talents, recently made Bundesliga debut...is from the youth academy and is of Spanish origin...played 50 times for Germany at various age-group levels. Coach No Name Nat. DoB Matthias Sammer GER 05.09.1967 NK Dinamo Zagreb Goalkeepers No Name Nat. DoB 1 Ivan Turina CRO 03.10.1980 20 Vladimir Vasilj CRO 06.07.1975 28 Marko Šarlija CRO 31.01.1982 30 Mario Jozic CRO 21.06.1972 Defenders No Name Nat. DoB 2 Marijan Buljat CRO 12.09.1981 4 Damir Milinovic CRO 15.10.1972 5 Andre Mijatovic CRO 03.12.1979 6 Vedran Ješe CRO 03.02.1981 14 Mario Lucic CRO 29.04.1981 18 Danijel Hrman CRO 07.08.1975 26 Dino Drpic CRO 26.05.1981 3/9 1:20:48 uefa.com Matchday 5 - Group G - Wednesday, 15 December 2004 - PRESS KITS STUTTGART-DINAMO ZAGREB Midfielders No Name Nat.