FC Porto and Deportivo de La Coruna may be among the smaller clubs in this season’s Champions League but they have hit the big time by reaching the tournament’s semifinals.
Tucked down in the southwestern corner of Europe and located just 200km apart, the two clubs can’t boast any international soccer celebrities or bulging bank accounts.
After Porto downed mighty Manchester United and Deportivo knocked out illustrious AC Milan in earlier rounds, though, they can bask in some rare limelight.
”Of course we’re not a Real Madrid or a Milan, but all Europe knows us now and is starting to respect us,” said FC Porto’s South African striker, Benni McCarthy.
”This is one of the most important weeks in the history of our club,” said Deportivo’s Brazilian captain, Mauro Silva.
The first-leg encounter on Wednesday at Porto’s new Stadium of the Dragon, one of the venues for the European Championship that Portugal is hosting from June, hung heavy over last weekend’s league games when both teams were held to draws. Both coaches rested their top players.
Defending Portuguese champion Porto need just one more victory to clinch their seventh domestic title in 10 years.
Porto are the only club in the semifinals to have won the competition before, in 1987.
They last reached the semifinals 10 years ago when current coach Jose Mourinho was assistant to Bobby Robson, now at Newcastle.
Mourinho led Porto to the Uefa Cup title last season.
Deportivo, meanwhile, lie fourth in La Liga, have no European silverware and have never come this far in the competition.
Even so, Mourinho reckons his team will be the underdog.
”Coruna is on a bit higher level than us because it provides half the Spanish national team,” he said. ”They came back from 4-1 down to beat AC Milan. That shows you how good they are. It won’t be a cakewalk.”
Lithuanian international Edgaras Jankauskas is Mourinho’s only injury worry. The striker has a sprained left ankle and sat out the weekend league game but he is expected to recover.
Brazilian teenager Carlos Alberto also missed that game as punishment for arriving late at a training session and arguing with the coach, but he should be on the roster.
Deportivo coach Javier Iruerta’s only doubt is defender Lionel Scaloni, who will undergo a late fitness test on a groin strain.
Deportivo central defender Jorge Andrade is a former Porto player and knows how hard it will be to overcome the Portuguese side.
”The Porto team is very consistent and motivated and united,” Andrade said. ”They will come out fighting and try to build up a big scoring lead for the second leg.”
Iruerta senses that, after years in the shadow of big Spanish clubs such as Real Madrid and Barcelona, the Galician city is close to stamping its mark on European soccer.
”It’s a historic opportunity to get to the final,” he said. ”I hope we can get a good result in the first leg.” — Sapa-AP