Shevchenko makes Champions League return

Posted Wednesday, September 16, 2009 by PA

Andriy Shevchenko is poised to return to the Champions League stage with Dynamo Kiev as the Ukrainian giants take on Rubin Kazan in their opening Group F match.

Shevchenko ranks among the most prolific strikers in the competition's history, having scored 47 goals in 94 matches, and his return to the Dynamo ranks has come as a timely boost to coach Valeri Gazzaev, who has prior experience of the Champions League group stages following three campaigns with CSKA Moscow.

"I'm not worried ahead of my first game at this level as Dynamo coach," said Gazzaev, who joined Dynamo over the summer.

"We all know the prestige of the competition and will do our best.

"We have strengthened this summer and are especially pleased with Andriy Shevchenko; he's improving every day."

Shevchenko hit four European goals during his disappointing spell at Chelsea before briefly returning to AC Milan on loan. However last month he returned to Dynamo, and he is poised to play a major role in their bid to reach the knockout stages.

Gazzaev, who succeeded Yuri Semin in the Dynamo hotseat, has known European club competition success, having led CSKA to the UEFA Cup title in 2005, and his present side have not been defeated at home since last November.

Russians Rubin Kazan are making their Champions League debut and since 2001 have been bossed by Kurban Berdyev, a former coach of Turkmenistan, who led them to the domestic league title last year.

Rubin have been handed a baptism of fire with Barcelona and Inter Milan also drawn in Group F, but Berdyev is excited by the challenge ahead.

He told www.uefa.com: "We're glad to find ourselves in the company of clubs as great as Dynamo Kiev, Inter and Barcelona. Most of our players and fans were happy with the draw.

"We don't have much experience but I expect a very close and interesting game. We know our opponents very well. The level of football played by Ukraine's leading sides - Dynamo and Shakhtar Donetsk - is really high.

"We are in good shape now, ready to do battle with the hosts."

Dynamo are missing several players, with Artem Kravets (thigh), Taras Mikhalik, Andriy Nesmachniy (both knee), Olexandr Aliyev, Olexandr Rybka and Badr El Kaddouri (all ankle) in the treatment room.

Rubin will be without Petr Bystrov due to a bout of heatstroke while Macbeth Sibaya is suspended.