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Hammer draw for FC Twente: Arsenal
Friday, 1 August 2008
Steve McClaren will make an early
return to English football when his new side, FC Twente,
take on English giants Arsenal in the third qualifying
round of the Champions League. McClaren only took the
reins at Twente – who finished fourth in the Dutch
league last season - in June, and the tie will be a
glorious chance to prove his many and varied critics
wrong.
"It was strange, because as soon as I joined [Twente]
I knew we had the draw coming up," said McClaren.
"I expected one of the English teams. I think fate
deals you certain cards and it has dealt us this draw.
On one hand it's very, very tough for us but on the
other it is very exciting.
"I think of all the teams we could have had, that
is the toughest - or one of the toughest. Obviously
we looked at Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus, Schalke and
we got one of the most difficult. In one respect it's
a tough draw for us; on the other it's now an opponent
we know very well, not just myself, everyone in Holland
knows the Premier League well so Arsenal will be no
strangers to us. This is a reward for a great achievement
last season in reaching this stage, to get one of the
big teams. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience
that doesn't come along that often. I'm sure the fans
will be delighted."
Arsenal's company secretary David
Miles admitted that the club were happy with the draw:
"Logistically Holland isn't too far and it will
give our fans the opportunity to see the game."
Miles said McClaren might have been hoping for an easier
draw. "I'm assuming people will say Arsenal are
one of the strongest seeded teams and he might have
been hoping for someone else, but that's what the draw
brought us and we get on with it."
Twente-chairman Joop Munsterman
had mixed emotions about the draw: "For FC Twente
this is a wonderful game. They are of course a potential
winner of this competition. On the other hand it will
be extremely difficult to reach the group stages of
the Champions League. That is reality."
Arguably the best tie of the round
is the match-up between Atlético Madrid and Schalke,
in which Dutchmen Fred Rutten and Orlando Engelaar (Schalke)
will meet with John Heitinga.
The first-leg ties will be played
on August 12/13 with the return match taking place a
fortnight later.
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