Terriers’ Wag tale
EVERTON have not progressed past the last 16 in Europe since they won the old Cup Winners’ Cup in 1985. A first top-four Premier League finish saw Everton into a Champions League qualifier but the outcome still rankles to this day.
Referee Pierluigi Collina controversially ruled out Duncan Ferguson’s header which could have taken the second leg to extratime, and they crashed out 4-2 to Villarreal. Everton won their group outright following just three matches after wins over Larissa, Nurnberg, Zenit St Petersburg and AZ Alkmaar, and they swept aside Brann Bergen in the first knockout round.
Fiorentina won the last-16 first leg 2-0 but Goodison goals from Andy Johnson and Mikel Arteta took the second leg to penalties, which the Italians won 4-2. Having come through a group which included Sigma Olomouc, AEK Athens, BATE Borisov and Benfica, the Toffees faced more formidable Portuguese opposition in Sporting Lisbon in the last 32.
Steven Pienaar and Sylvain Distin gave them a 2-1 first-leg lead but they lost 3-0 in Portugal, and 4-2 on aggregate. FROM BACK PAGE following their fairytale promotion to the Premier League.
“There’s been a lot of interest in the off-season and a lot of people in German football sent congratulations for what we’ve done,” said Wagner.
“Especially in Germany, Huddersfield Town is now a name in football.
“I think it wasn’t a name 18 months ago because even I didn’t know anything about Huddersfield when I first got in contact.
“Maybe after the top six in English football, it is now one of the biggest and most-known names and football clubs in Germany.”