FAVOURITES
New Arsenal coach Unai Emery needs no instruction on bringing home the Europa League bacon. During his time in charge of Sevilla he steered the club to three consecutive EL titles – in 2014, 2015 and 2016 – and while a return to the Premier League top four will be his priority, he may well see European success as a distinct possibility.
The adventurous free-flowing football espoused by new Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri looks the ideal platform to unleash the likes of Eden Hazard, Willian, Pedro and Marcos Alonso. As long as the Blues take the competition seriously they will be in the springtime shake-up. A note of pessimism? Sarri’s poor record in Europe with Napoli, twice falling in the EL round of 32 and failing to progress from their Champions League group last season.
If ever there was a club with an incendiary passion for European fixtures, it is last term’s losing finalists Marseille. A midweek night at the Stade Velodrome is an intimidating experience for any visiting side and the team cleverly assembled by coach Rudi Garcia is equally menacing. Sturdy, rugged and committed, the two exceptions to the hard-labour rule are playmaker extraordinaire Dimitri Payet and right-winger Florian Thauvin.
Although Milan’s membership of football’s billionaire boys club has lapsed – their last Champions League title was way back in 2007 – it says much for the draw of the Rossoneri that they were still able to land a striker of the calibre of Argentinian international Gonzalo Higuain this summer.
The alliance of the former Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus goalgetter and the club’s slew of promising youngsters –
keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, defenders Alessio Romagnoli and Davide Calabria, and front-runner Patrick Cutrone – could be spectacular.
Negative, quick-fix coaches send for the dogs of war. Others, such as
Leverkusen boss Heiko Herrlich, prefer the fencer’s foil to a blunt instrument. He has at his disposal the sharpness in front of goal of Kevin Volland and Lucas Alario, the speed and skills out wide of Julian Brandt and Leon Bailey, and the creativity of Kai Havertz.
Few other UEFA competition participants have Sevilla’s consistent ability to bring their A-game. Their deep-seated belief is what makes them tick and it was no surprise at all to hear director of sport Joaquin Caparros confidently claim in pre-season that not only do they have the best squad in Spain, but also the most talented coach in ex-Girona boss Pablo Machin.
A new signing to watch out for in southern Spain? Perhaps Portuguese striker Andre Silva, who will be aiming to immediately bounce back after an under-par year with Milan.