Aek Athens Fc Losc Lille Métropole
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PRESS KITS Group stage - Group H - Matchday 3 Thursday, 25 November 2004 - 21:00 (local time) Spyros Louis - Athens (Maroussi) AEK ATHENS FC LOSC LILLE MÉTROPOLE MATCH OFFICIALS Referee Bernhard Brugger (AUT) Assistant referees Norbert Schwab (AUT), Andreas Lambert (AUT) Fourth official Louis Hofmann (AUT) UEFA delegate Sándor Berzi (HUN) MATCH BACKGROUND AEK hope for victory at 13th time of asking AEK Athens FC are looking to break an extraordinary sequence of results against French clubs in UEFA club competitions. Thirteenth time lucky? Before this game, AEK had played twelve games against French clubs and so far have managed to draw six and lose six games. So will the elusive first win arrive at the 13th hurdle? AS Monaco FC have been involved in the curious statistic on four occasions – in the 1963/64 European Champion Clubs’ Cup, the 1999/2000 UEFA Cup, and in the UEFA Champions League games of 1993/94 and of last season. Olympique de Marseille provided the opposition in the 1989/90 Champion Clubs’ Cup and Paris Saint- Germain FC played AEK in the 1996/97 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. Intertoto winners LOSC Lille Métropole, who along with FC Schalke 04 and Villarreal CF, qualified for the UEFA Cup via the UEFA Intertoto Cup, have met Greek opposition before in their 2001/02 UEFA Champions League campaign when they faced Olympiacos CFP twice in the group stage. Both teams won their home games, with Lille winning 3-1 in France, as goals from Dagui Bakari (33 minutes), Bruno Cheyrou (44) and Grégory Tafforeau (79) put them in control before Stylianos Giannakopoulos (90) scored Olympiacos' consolation. However, they lost 2-1 in Greece even though Salaheddine Baddir (38) put Lille ahead only for Alexios Alexandris (53) and Andreas Niniadis (64) to fight back for the home side. Both teams trailed RC Deportivo La Coruña and Manchester United FC who both advanced to the second group stage. Third season This is their third season of UEFA club competitions, and their progress in this season’s UEFA Cup stalled in their opening group game with a 1-0 defeat at TSV Alemannia Aachen, but recovered lost ground with the home 2-1 success over Zenit. There may be pressure on Lille to maintain the unbeaten record of French clubs against AEK, though they will also aim to be the first French club to win at the home of the Athens club. 1/11 16:32:50 uefa.com Matchday 3 - Group H - Thursday, 25 November 2004 - PRESS KITS AEK-LILLE PLAYERS PROFILES AEK Athens FC Goalkeepers No Name Nat. DoB 1 Chrisostomos Mihailidis GRE 15.01.1975 Has been with AEK Athens FC since 1997, and was on loan at Ethnikos Asteras FC in 2001/02...upon return he has held down the first team role at AEK for the past season. 12 Ioannis Arabatzis GRE 28.05.1984 Signed in summer 2002 from amateur club EAP Makrohoriou...No 3 goalkeeper at AEK Athens FC. 22 Dionisios Chiotis GRE 04.06.1977 Was No 1 goalkeeper at AEK Athens FC from 2001-03 and was in the national squad and capped under national coach Otto Rehhagel...but now lost his place to Chrisostomos Mihailidis. Defenders No Name Nat. DoB 2 Efstathios Kappos GRE 31.07.1979 4 Bruno Alves POR 27.11.1981 On loan from FC Porto for the season...U21 international, and represented Portugal at 2004 Olympics at Athens...Porto signed him from Guimarães-based Vitória SC. 5 Nikolaos Kostenoglou GRE 03.10.1970 Ten years with AEK Athens FC and has played three seasons of UEFA Champions League football...signed from Xanthi FC...has won four Greek Cup medals and capped once in 1996 versus Israel. 14 Stavros Giorgiopoulos GRE 15.08.1978 16 Nikolaos Georgeas GRE 27.12.1976 18 Evangelos Moras GRE 26.08.1981 Greek U21 international who can play in defence or midfield...joined AEK Athens FC in summer 2003 from Proodeftiki FC...played well in last season’s UEFA Champions League. 24 Christos Kontis GRE 13.05.1975 Joined AEK Athens FC, the club he supported as a boy, in summer 2004 after playing for Ethnikos Asteras FC, Olympiacos CFP and Panionios NFC...won two Greek championships with Olympiacos in 2001 and 2002. 25 Kofi Amponsah GHA 23.04.1978 Ghanaian international who has been playing in Greece since 1998...signed for AEK Athens FC in summer 2003...played for Olympiacos CFP during the 1999/2000 season and then followed coach Dusan Bajevic to FC PAOK Thessaloniki. 39 Grigorios Toskas GRE 08.01.1983 Another AEK Athens FC player at home in defence or midfield...is from the AEK youth academy...father played for AEK in the 1970s. Midfielders No Name Nat. DoB 8 Ivan Rusev BUL 10.05.1979 Left-sided midfielder and former Bulgarian U21 international..has been in Greece since 2000 and signed for AEK Athens FC in 2003..free-kick expert. 9 Milen Petkov BUL 12.01.1974 Career lately undermined by injuries...44 caps for Bulgaria and played twice at UEFA EURO 2004™ finals...signed for AEK Athens FC in 2000, and has won two Greek Cup medals in 2000 and 2002. 10 Sotirios Konstantinidis GRE 19.04.1977 Progressed from the team that reached the final of the UEFA European U21 Championship in 1998 to winning three full caps...has been with AEK Athens FC since 1999 when he signed from Iraklis FC...has degree in dentistry. 15 Dimitrios Koutsikos GRE 01.01.1984 First season in first team squad...from the AEK Athens FC youth academy. 21 Konstantinos Katsouranis GRE 21.06.1979 Started in five of the six games in the Greek success at UEFA EURO 2004™, and was sub in the other game...16 caps...joined the club in 2002 from Panahaiki FC to replace Akis Zikos who moved to AS Monaco FC. 30 Asimakis Krassas CYP 10.07.1982 Joined AEK Athens FC in summer 2004 from Cypriot club AEL Limassol FC in prefernce to Panathinaikos FC...U21 2/11 16:32:50 uefa.com Matchday 3 - Group H - Thursday, 25 November 2004 - PRESS KITS AEK-LILLE international for Cyprus who has just made the full national team. 32 Christos Tzevas GRE 08.06.1985 Attacking midfielder, who made his league debut last season...graduated from the AEK Athens FC youth academy. 77 Paulo Assunção BRA 25.01.1980 Like Bruno Alves, he is on loan from FC Porto for the season, after Porto’s coaching changes...signed by the UEFA Champions League winners during the 2004 off-season from CD Nacional, and immediately loaned out. Forwards No Name Nat. DoB 7 Alessandro Soares BRA 05.02.1973 Has played in Greece since summer 1997, and joined AEK Athens FC from OFI Crete FC in summer 2004…was at Kalamata FC from 1997-2001 and OFI from 2001-04 and has played over 150 league games. 11 Leonidas Kampantais GRE 08.03.1982 Signed in summer 2004 from Aris Thessaloniki FC after 16 league games and three goals for the northern Greek club...league debut in December 2002. 20 Elias Solakis GRE 15.12.1974 Much travelled forward who has been playing league football since 1994...joined from Panionios NFC in 2003...played for APOEL FC in the Cypriot league in 2001/02 scoring 15 goals...has had five loan spells in Greece. 28 Christos Bourmpos GRE 01.06.1983 33 Nikos Lyberopoulos GRE 04.08.1975 Full international with 39 caps but not part of coach Otto Rehhagel’s current plans...ten years in Greek league, he signed for AEK Athens FC from Panathinaikos FC in 2003...Hellenic National League top scorer in 2002/03 with 16 goals. Coach No Name Nat. DoB Fernando Santos POR 10.10.1954 LOSC Lille Métropole Goalkeepers No Name Nat. DoB 1 Tony Sylva SEN 17.05.1975 Signed from AS Monaco FC in summer 2004, he was part of the Monaco title win of 2000 under current coach Claude Puel...Senegal keeper at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and 2004 African Nations Cup though a reserve at Monaco. 16 Grégory Malicki FRA 23.11.1973 Signed in 2001 from Ligue 2 club US Créteil...reserve to Grégory Wimbée and now to Sylva...25 Ligue 1 games...Lille is his sixth club. 30 Laurent Pichon FRA 08.03.1981 Born in Calais, and from the LOSC Lille Métropole youth academy...untested at senior level. Defenders No Name Nat. DoB 4 Efstathios Tavlaridis GRE 25.01.1980 First season at LOSC Lille Métropole, former Arsenal FC (one game) and Portsmouth FC defender...played recently for Iraklis FC during possible national service. 5 Rafael Schmitz BRA 17.12.1980 Has played in UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup for LOSC Lille Métropole...Brazilian defender who first joined in 2001...returned after a spell with Santos FC in 2004. 6 Danté Bonfim BRA 18.10.1983 19 Peter Franquart FRA 04.01.1985 20 Grégory Tafforeau FRA 29.09.1976 Fourth season at club, joined from SM Caen, and has reached 100 Ligue 1 games...was captain after goalkeeper Grégory Wimbée left the club, now handed over role to Philippe Brunel. 3/11 16:32:50 uefa.com Matchday 3 - Group H - Thursday, 25 November 2004 - PRESS KITS AEK-LILLE 22 Milivoje Vitakic YUG 16.05.1977 International defender, who joined in summer 2004 from FK Crvena Zvezda on a three-year contract...also spent time in Russia with FC Dinamo Moskva. 25 Nicolas Plestan FRA 02.06.1981 Another who came under the coaching of Claude Puel at AS Monaco FC...joined LOSC Lille Métropole in 2003 and has been an integral part of the squad this season.