I CAN’T BE ON STEVIE’S SIDE
Liverpool and Slavia Prague legend Smicer admits he hopes friend Gerrard fails for once
HAD yesterday’s Europa League draw gone any other way, Vladimir Smicer would be willing Steven Gerrard to claim a place in the quarter-finals.
But Slavia Prague are simply too close to his heart. This will be a rare occasion when Smicer cannot support the man who captained their Liverpool side to that unforgettable Champions League success in 2005.
‘It’s a difficult one,’ Smicer told Sportsmail with a laugh.
‘Slavia Prague is my former team and I care about them a lot. Of course, I wish all the best for Stevie G. But, just this time, I will be on the other side. He will understand.’
The 47-year-old is now an ambassador for the club where he started and ended his career with Czech league titles. Slavia can be considered his footballing home.
Smicer’s joy at their outstanding 2-0 success over Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester City on Thursday evening was only deepened by yesterday’s pairing at UEFA HQ.
Sixteen years after the shared glory of Istanbul — and Smicer’s subsequent move from Liverpool to Bordeaux — he admits there will be an additional thrill in watching Gerrard lead Rangers into Sinobo Stadium for the March 11 first leg of the last 16 tie.
‘I’m really, really happy with this draw,’ enthused Smicer. ‘I look forward to welcoming Stevie G to Prague.
‘It’s a difficult time for everyone just now with coronavirus. Everything is closed, so it’s not the same as normal.
‘Even so, I’d be really happy to see him if possible. With all the restrictions, it can be difficult to even meet people just now, so we’ll see what happens.
‘He is doing a tremendous job for Rangers. They are on top of the league now and I think the club has really moved forward during Stevie’s time. To see him manage Rangers against Slavia will be great.
‘We have caught up when we’ve both been playing in the Legends games for Liverpool. We talk about life now and it’s always good to chat.
‘We also have a WhatsApp group for ex-Liverpool players. If you need something, you can ask the question and someone will help.
‘It’s not like we are in touch on a daily basis. But we both know that friendship is there whenever it’s needed.’
Smicer joined Liverpool in 1999, just as Gerrard had become established in the first team. Over the next six years, he watched the youngster grow into a legendary figure.
Like many, Smicer believes Gerrard is destined to one day return to Anfield as manager after establishing his reputation at Ibrox.
‘He was a great leader when he was playing, no doubt about that,’ said the former Czech international midfielder.
‘I’m happy that he chose to still be involved in football and move into management.
‘I definitely think he will have more success. You can see the way he has turned Rangers into a better team. It’s great for the club and for Stevie personally. It must give him the energy to really want to keep going as a manager.
‘Some day, Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool and I think Stevie has a good chance to replace him.
‘For anyone else, going after Klopp would be so difficult. There is only one person I think who could do it — and that’s Stevie G.’
Winners of the Czech league for the past two seasons, Slavia currently lead their domestic standings by eight points and are unbeaten after 20 games.
They have pedigree in Europe, too — reaching the Europa League quarter-finals in 2019.
This season, Jindrich Trpisovsky’s team recorded home wins over Bayer Leverkusen, Nice and Hapoel Be’er Sheva to finish as runners-up behind the Germans in Group C.
That set up a last-32 meeting with Leicester. After a stalemate in Prague, Slavia stunned Rodgers’ men with second leg goals from Lukas Provod and Abdallah Sima.
‘We knew we still had a chance after the first leg,’ reflected Smicer. ‘Leicester have to concentrate on the Premier League and maybe getting into the top four.
‘We felt that they might underestimate us a bit. Perhaps they thought it would be easier than it was, but our team showed its quality.
‘Slavia is doing well at the top of the Czech league just now and the
players have come back really strongly from a little break at Christmas time.
‘The form has been very good and they showed that in both games against Leicester.’
Sima, in particular, has caught the eye. The 19-year-old Senegalese forward tends to play off the right side and has 19 goals in 28 games. That form has already attracted interest from the likes of Arsenal and West Ham.
‘Overall, I think Slavia present themselves as a team, rather than individuals,’ argued Smicer.
‘But of course they have some important players. Sima is always a threat. He is really shining this season and producing goals. He is not a player who is always dominating a game but he arrives in the right moment to make a difference.
‘At the back, we have a really good goalkeeper in (Ondrej) Kolar and (Ondrej) Kudela at centre-back is a very experienced player. In each line of the team, Slavia have their strengths.’
As do Rangers. Smicer has been impressed by the fluent style of play Gerrard has introduced and believes the tie is too close to call.
‘Both teams have a really good chance,’ he added.
‘I think it will come down to little moments or who finds form on the night. To me, it looks quite evenly matched.
‘Rangers really surprised me with how many goals they scored against Antwerp. It’s something special to do that in the knockout stage of European competition.
‘There is now a great motivation for the two sets of players to go out and perform to reach the quarter-finals.
‘I know Stevie will make sure of that at Rangers.’