Foda relishes favourites tag

Posted Thursday, September 17, 2009 by PA

Eight years have passed since Sturm Graz made their biggest splash in European football by reaching the second group phase of the Champions League, and their ambitions this year are more modest.

After several seasons of treading water and even flirting with relegation in the Austrian top flight, the once-mighty Sturm are showing signs of recovery, and they return to Europe on Thursday with a home fixture against Dinamo Bucharest in Group F of the Europa League.

Sturm's German manager Franco Foda is confident of victory, and getting out of the group would be a major plus for the club, who must also face Galatasaray and Panathinaikos.

"We not only have a chance of winning, we're favourites," Foda said.

Foda explained: "We must show patience and pay attention to our opponents' dangerous counter-attack and the few chances that will come about.

"All the Romanian teams are strong. They have the former centre-back Dario Bonetti and are therefore well organised in defence and strong collectively."

Sturm are unlikely to make many changes to the team that drew 3-3 against LASK Linz at the weekend, despite Foda's side throwing away a 3-0 lead. However new recruit striker Klemen Lavric, the Slovenia international, may come into contention.

With all tickets sold out, Sturm are eager not to disappoint, however Foda has picked Dinamo's former Inverness striker Marius Nicolae as a threat.

Sturm chairman Hans Rinner is hoping for a positive start to the campaign, saying: "With a good start there should be something in it for us in Group F. We should not forget that Sturm have beaten such teams in the Champions League."