Newcastle manager Graeme Souness was cautiously optimistic about Wednesday’s Uefa Cup match at home to Olympiakos, especially as his side have not lost a single match in Europe this season.
And midfielder Hugo Viana, on loan from Newcastle to Sporting Lisbon, would love a Magpies victory with the hope of a Sporting/Newcastle final on May 18 in the Portuguese club’s Jose Alvalade stadium.
Following the 3-1, last 16, first-leg win, Souness said: ”I have been in professional football 37 years and nothing is over until it is over. But I am extremely proud as they’ve not lost at home in Europe this season.
”We had to be disciplined and we could not be as aggressive as we would normally be because we were thinking we could also end up down to nine men.”
Olympiakos coach Dusan Bajevic admitted his side will face a tough task on Tyneside, despite Souness’s caution.
He said: ”I respect my colleague’s comment that it is not over until it is over — but I am not sure whether he really believes it.
”But we are not going to England just for a trip; we have the prestige and the history of the club at stake and we will do the best we can in the return game.”
Meanwhile, Viana is to make a personal plea to Newcastle chairperson Freddy Shepherd to allow him to play in the final if he gets his wish of a dream showdown against the Magpies. Sporting host Middlesbrough on Thursday with a 3-2 lead.
”I would love to be in the final with Sporting, and if somebody asked me the team I would like to see them play, I would say Newcastle,” confirmed Viana.
”I have an agreement with Newcastle that says I cannot play against them if we meet in the Uefa Cup.
”But if we reached the final and we played against Newcastle, then we [Sporting] would ask the chairman [Shepherd] if I could play because everyone wants to play in the final.
”Anyway, Newcastle don’t pay my salary. Sporting pay all my salary and that’s why I would ask to play because I am no longer a Newcastle player.
”We have directors who would handle this situation, but if they need me to speak to the chairman personally, then I would be available.”
Viana, who cost Newcastle £8,5-million when he moved to Tyneside from Sporting in the summer of 2002, is hopeful he can remain with his boyhood club when his loan expires at the end of the season. — Sapa-AFP