Guide to Everton’s opponents

Oct 10 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

AE LARISSA home October 25

Coach: Georgios Donis

Colours: Dark red

LARISSA have already caused a stir in this season’s UEFA Cup by eliminating Blackburn Rovers in the first round.

They qualified for the competition following a shock 2-1 win over Panathinaikos in the final of the Greek Cup last season.

It had been an otherwise disappointing season for Larissa as they finished just one point above the relegation zone in the Greek Super League.

As recently as 2003, they were in the third tier of competition after going bankrupt. But they then secured back-to-back promotions to return to the top flight.

Skippered by former Newcastle defender Nikos Dabizas, their most well-known player to Evertonians is striker Ibrahima Bakayoko, the Ivory Coast striker brought to Goodison by Walter Smith for £4.5million in 1998 only to be sold the following year after scoring just four times.

Larissa, managed by former Blackburn winger Georgios Donis, are currently in mid-table, although the start of the Greek domestic league was postponed for a month due to the summer fires in the country.

1.FC NURNBERG away November 8

Coach: Hans Meyer

Colours: Red and black

NURNBERG qualified for the UEFA Cup by virtue of lifting the German Cup, which ensured a first European campaign since 1988-89 and was complemented by a sixth place finish in the Bundesliga.

Nurnberg have won the German title nine times, but have been a perennial yo-yo club during the past 40 years and share the record for having been relegated from the Bundesliga the most times.

Nurnberg’s key players include Czech midfielder Tomas Galasek, Slovakian forwards Marek Mintal and Robert Vittek, and Greece striker Angelos Charisteas, who scored his country’s winner in the Euro 2004 final against Portugal.

Nurnberg’s 46,780-capacity easyCredit-Stadion was a venue at last year’s World Cup in Germany, England’s 2-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago one of five games held at the stadium.

Hans Meyer’s side are struggling in the Bundesliga this season and currently stand next to bottom with just one win in nine games.

ZENIT ST PETERSBERG home December 5

Coach: Dick Advocaat

Colours: Blue

THERE’S a Dutch connection to another of Everton’s group opponents, Zenit St Petersberg.

The appointment of Dick Advocaat in May 2006 ushered a new cosmopolitan era at the Russian side, with the Dutchman joined by players such as compatriot Fernando Ricksen, formerly of Rangers, and Turkey star Fatih Tekke.

Slovakia, Ukraine, Argentina, Croatia, Belgium, the Czech Republic and Norway are also represented in the squad, while Advocaat has also signed Kim Dong-Jin and Lee Ho from South Korea, the country he coached at last year’s World Cup.

Zenit’s best performance in Europe to date is a quarter-final appearance in the UEFA Cup in 2005-06, when they were beaten by eventual winners Sevilla.

Squad number 12 is reserved for the Zenit’s fanatical supporters, who are referred to as the 12th man.

Zenit finished third last year to qualify for the UEFA Cup. And with the Russian league operating outside the winter months, they currently head the table with just four games of the current season remaining.

AZ ALKMAAR away December 20

Coach: Louis van Gaal

Colours: Red and white

AZ qualified for the UEFA Cup by virtue of their third-place finish in Holland last season – but they’d be forgiven for not celebrating that fact.

Ahead of the Dutch Eredivisie on goal difference before the final round of fixtures last season, AZ lost on the last day of the season and PSV Eindhoven took the title.

That disappointment was compounded when Ajax won the play-off for the second Champions League spot.

AZ, led by former Barcelona coach Louis van Gaal for the past two seasons, reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup last season and the semi-finals in 2004-05.

Key players are Brazilian marksman Ari, Croatian goalkeeper Joey Didulica and highly-rated Italian striker Graziano Pelle.

However, AZ – who play at the 17,023-capacity DSB Stadion – have underwhelmed this season domestically and currently stand in mid-table.