FC Steaua Bucuresti V Real Betis Balompié PRESS KIT
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FC Steaua Bucuresti v Real Betis Balompié PRESS KIT Lia Manoliu, Bucharest Thursday, 9 March 2006 - 19:00 local time Round of 16 - Matchday 10 FC Steaua Bucuresti were undone by Spanish opposition at this stage of the UEFA Cup last season, but will be looking to avoid the same fate when they line up against Real Betis Balompié in the last 16. Almost 12 months ago to the day the Romanian side saw their hopes ended by Villarreal CF at El Madrigal as Argentinian playmaker Juan Román Riquelme led the home team to a 2-0 victory. •A 3-1 first-leg victory proved enough to see Steaua negotiate their way through their first knockout round tie against SC Heerenveen. Nicolae Dica, Dorin Goian and Sorin Paraschiv were all on target as Cosmin Olaroiu's team recovered from conceding an early Arnold Bruggink goal in the Netherlands and although Heerenveen pulled one goal back in Bucharest, it was Steaua that progressed. It was the continuation of some fine form in this competition by the former European champions, who breezed through the group stage after an unbeaten campaign that brought eight points, including comprehensive victories against RC Lens and Halmstads BK - both at home. •Betis were also indebted to a two-goal first-leg lead as they edged past AZ Alkmaar to secure a place in the last 32. Brazilian pair Diego Tardelli and Robert were both on target as late goals earned the side a significant advantage in Seville, which the Dutch team clawed back at the Alkmaarderhout to take the tie to extra time. Melli then struck to keep Lorenzo Serra Ferrer's side's European dream alive. Their campaign started in the UEFA Champions League, where a 1-0 win against Chelsea FC was the highlight as they finished third in Group G, earning a UEFA Cup berth. •Still relative novices on the European stage, Betis have only once before encountered Romanian opposition, when they were drawn with FC Universitatea Craiova in the first round of the 1984/85 UEFA Cup. José Carlos Suarez's late goal looked to have set the Spanish side on course for victory in the first leg but Sorin Cirtu forced extra time in the return, and Universitatae went on to triumph on penalties. •Steaua are old hands by comparison, and have encountered Spanish opposition on no fewer than 18 previous occasions. Ten have ended in defeat, but the Romanian side triumphed when it mattered most, beating FC Barcelona in the 1986 European Champions Clubs' Cup final in Betis' home town of Seville. The game remained scoreless after 120 minutes, and Barça could not find the net from the penalty spot as Marius Lacatus and Gavril Balint converted to send the cup to Eastern Europe for the first time, producing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history. •They have been disappointed against Spanish opposition since, however, picking up just a point in the 1998/99 UEFA Champions League group stage against Club Atlético de Madrid. Steaua met no less than three Spanish sides during their 2004/05 UEFA Cup run, starting with a loss to Athletic Club Bilbao in the group stages. They then edged past Valencia CF in the last 32, before seeing their hopes ended by another team uefa.com 1/14 FC Steaua Bucuresti v Real Betis Balompié PRESS KIT from the east coast of Spain, Villarreal. Club facts: Steaua •This is FC Steaua Bucuresti’s third consecutive appearance in UEFA club competition and their 20th appearance in UEFA club competition in the past 22 seasons having missed out in 2000/01 and 2002/03. •It is also their 36th overall appearance in UEFA club competition since debuting as CCA Bucuresti in the first round of the 1957/58 European Champion Clubs' Cup. •Steaua also featured in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup, advancing past the group stage before being eliminated in the Round of 16 by Villarreal CF 2-0 on aggregate. •The Romanian side’s greatest moment to date in UEFA club competition came on 7 May 1986 when they defeated FC Barcelona 2-0 on penalties after the sides remained scoreless during 120 minutes of the 1985/86 European Champion Clubs’ Cup final. For the record, Marius Lacatus and Gavril Pelé Balint were the only scorers in the shoot- out. •They would qualify once more for the final three years later but found AC Milan too strong as they were on the receiving end of a 4-0 defeat at Barcelona’s Camp Nou. 2005/06 season •UEFA Champions League qualifying: Having won last season’s Romanian Divizia A by a point from cross-city rivals FC Dinamo Bucuresti, Steaua took their place in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round where they overcame Dublin-based Shelbourne FC 4-1 on aggregate. All of the goals came in the second leg in the Romanian capital which also witnessed three red cards being issued. Steaua broke the deadlock after 18 minutes through Banel Nicolita before adding a second nine minutes later from Victoras Iacob. Although Jason Byrne reduced the deficit after 38 minutes, second-half substitute Laurentiu Dinita put the game beyond the Irish side after 61 minutes before he was sent off in the last minute. With nine playing ten, Steaua still added to their tally as Daniel Oprita scored from the penalty spot four minutes into stoppage time. •Next up were Norway’s champions, Rosenborg BK, in the third qualifying round. The two sides shared a 1-1 draw in Bucharest with Constantin Iacob putting the home side ahead after 30 minutes only for Norwegian international striker Thorstein Helstad to equalise five minutes from time. Rosenborg took control in the return leg in Trondheim as they raced to a three-goal lead thanks to the efforts of Jan Gunnar Solli (38), Alexander Ødegaard (57) and the misfortune of Mirel Radoi (60) who put through his own net. But Radoi (74) atoned for his error and when Iacob (76) added a second for the visitors, Rosenborg had to dig deep to keep the hopes of taking a group stage berth alive. But deep they dug to advance to the group stage while Steaua consoled themselves with a place in the UEFA Cup first round. •UEFA Cup first round: Steaua faced Norwegian opposition once more as Vålerenga uefa.com 2/14 FC Steaua Bucuresti v Real Betis Balompié PRESS KIT IF, the team that had finished second on goal difference to Rosenborg in the 2004 Tippeligaen, attempted to block their passage to the group stage. The Romanian side returned to Norway for the first leg and effectively put the tie beyond doubt with a 3-0 win thanks to goals from Mirel Radoi (24), Iacob (35) and Dorin Goian (74). The return leg was equally one-sided as Steaua once more scored three through Nicolae Dica (30), Gabriel Bostina (41) and Iacob (48) before Vålerenga grabbed a consolation goal from Bernt Hulsker (55). •UEFA Cup group stage: Steaua opened the group campaign in positive fashion with a 4-0 defeat of French side RC Lens in the Romanian capital. Dica (43, 63) scored in either half, although the initial strikes were provided by Iacob (13) and Goian (16). The last time Steaua won by four goals or more at home in a European club competition came in the 1992/93 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup first round when Irish side Bohemian FC were on the receiving end of a 4-0 defeat. •The Romanian side retained top spot following a 0-0 draw away to UC Sampdoria in Genoa on Matchday 2. Steaua dominated the first half and though the home side eventually asserted themselves during the second 45 minutes, neither side could fashion a goal. •Steaua progressed to the knockout stages with consummate ease after inflicting a fourth consecutive UEFA Cup Group C defeat on Halmstads BK at the Ghencea stadium on Matchday 4. Goals from Radoi (11), Goian (63) and Iacob (71) did the damage in a game that the Romanian side dominated. •Hertha BSC Berlin and Steaua then settled for a scoreless draw in the German capital on Matchday 5, as the Bundesliga outfit joined the visitors in the knockout stages of the UEFA Cup. •Steaua advanced to the last 16 of the competition by defeating Dutch side, SC Heerenveen, 3-2 on aggregate. The seeds of Steaua's success were sewn in the Netherlands where they recorded a 3-1 win in the opening leg thanks to goals from Dica (29), Goian (76) and Sorin Paraschiv (78). Arnold Bruggink scored in both legs for Heerenveen but Steaua prevailed. Key facts •To date, Steaua have played 183 matches in UEFA club competition, with 69 wins, 51 draws and 63 defeats. In that time, the Romanian side have scored 258 times with 240 goals conceded. Club facts: Betis •Since the start of the UEFA Champions League in the 1992/93 season, Betis's participation in UEFA club competition has involved three seasons in the UEFA Cup and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup campaign. •Their best performance in that spell came with qualification to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup as their exploits in the UEFA Cup each season ended at the uefa.com 3/14 FC Steaua Bucuresti v Real Betis Balompié PRESS KIT third round stage. •In the quarter-finals of the 1997/98 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, Betis overcame Budapesti VSC and FC København before losing 5-2 on aggregate to the eventual winners of the competition, Chelsea.