thejollyrodger
31/07/2005, 7:33 AM
Shelbourne’s unholy battle
The Times
The Irish champions travel to Steaua Bucharest needing to defy rank, history and a president who marks a win by building a church. By Michael Foley
AFTER the draw for the second round of Champions’ League qualifiers, Steaua Bucharest’s club president Gigi Becali called their draw against Shelbourne proof of the good fortune that would underpin their European campaign, reckoning they were already “90% qualified for round three”.
He is a man few might care to argue with. Less than 15 years ago, Becali made his living as a shepherd before making his fortune in property. A year ago he ran as a Romanian presidential candidate, his election slogan echoing an old motto traditionally associated with the old fascist parties of pre-war Romania, eventually trailing in with less than two per cent of the vote behind the Christian Democratic National Peasant Party candidate but narrowly ahead of a selection of independents.
Under his reign, few clubs across Europe have attracted notoriety and soap opera storylines like Steaua. Last April, both Steaua and rivals Rapid Bucharest were fined €700 and ordered to play their next games behind doors having taunted each other with racist chants instigated by the stadium announcer. The announcer was suspended for six months, while Becali refused to pay the fine, describing the sentiments expressed not as racist but as “metaphoric”.
He hasn’t been averse to punching members of the media, once proferring the opinion that all journalists deserve to be killed, and has maintained an aggressive feud with the football governing bodies in Romania and the national team.
Slipping up against Shelbourne on Wednesday is not an avenue his new coach Oleg Protasov might wish to go down. After a difficult evening in Tolka Park, he already has questions to answer. In conceding so much respect, Shelbourne might have allowed what opportunity they had to slip away. For an hour, Steaua passed the ball poorly, struggled to compete effectively in midfield and provided little attacking threat.
In contrast, Shelbourne looked compact. Comfortable. Only when their legs began to wilt and Steaua started to find the measure of their passes in the final quarter did we see the kind of trends unfold that Steaua expected.
Aside from one glorious chance near the end Shelbourne might have ended the game two, possibly three down despite a fine defensive display. Their tactical system, with Jason Byrne supplementing midfield while providing a link to Glenn Crowe up front, looked infinitely more suited to playing away from home but Shelbourne’s ambitions were wrapped up in safety.
When Byrne was substituted late on, Shelbourne opted for Curtis Fleming, exchanging an attacking conduit for a defensive buffer. This tactic kept their European ties alive into the second leg last year, but against a side of Steaua’s potential, they might regret not cutting loose at home.
Last year they went to La Coruna with a scoreless draw, and kept them in touch for a long spell before they eventually gave way. It is hard to expect any different this time.
With Steaua’s legs loosened and a little more time for Protasov to gauge the ability of his players, those in Bucharest will expect a rout. Over the years, 20 churches have been built across Romania by Becali to commemorate Steaua’s victories. In the context of his ambition, victory on Wednesday might merely inspire him to invest in a shiny new tabernacle.
Steaua Bucharest v Shelbourne, Wednesday, RTE2, 6pm, kick-off 6.30pm
The Times
The Irish champions travel to Steaua Bucharest needing to defy rank, history and a president who marks a win by building a church. By Michael Foley
AFTER the draw for the second round of Champions’ League qualifiers, Steaua Bucharest’s club president Gigi Becali called their draw against Shelbourne proof of the good fortune that would underpin their European campaign, reckoning they were already “90% qualified for round three”.
He is a man few might care to argue with. Less than 15 years ago, Becali made his living as a shepherd before making his fortune in property. A year ago he ran as a Romanian presidential candidate, his election slogan echoing an old motto traditionally associated with the old fascist parties of pre-war Romania, eventually trailing in with less than two per cent of the vote behind the Christian Democratic National Peasant Party candidate but narrowly ahead of a selection of independents.
Under his reign, few clubs across Europe have attracted notoriety and soap opera storylines like Steaua. Last April, both Steaua and rivals Rapid Bucharest were fined €700 and ordered to play their next games behind doors having taunted each other with racist chants instigated by the stadium announcer. The announcer was suspended for six months, while Becali refused to pay the fine, describing the sentiments expressed not as racist but as “metaphoric”.
He hasn’t been averse to punching members of the media, once proferring the opinion that all journalists deserve to be killed, and has maintained an aggressive feud with the football governing bodies in Romania and the national team.
Slipping up against Shelbourne on Wednesday is not an avenue his new coach Oleg Protasov might wish to go down. After a difficult evening in Tolka Park, he already has questions to answer. In conceding so much respect, Shelbourne might have allowed what opportunity they had to slip away. For an hour, Steaua passed the ball poorly, struggled to compete effectively in midfield and provided little attacking threat.
In contrast, Shelbourne looked compact. Comfortable. Only when their legs began to wilt and Steaua started to find the measure of their passes in the final quarter did we see the kind of trends unfold that Steaua expected.
Aside from one glorious chance near the end Shelbourne might have ended the game two, possibly three down despite a fine defensive display. Their tactical system, with Jason Byrne supplementing midfield while providing a link to Glenn Crowe up front, looked infinitely more suited to playing away from home but Shelbourne’s ambitions were wrapped up in safety.
When Byrne was substituted late on, Shelbourne opted for Curtis Fleming, exchanging an attacking conduit for a defensive buffer. This tactic kept their European ties alive into the second leg last year, but against a side of Steaua’s potential, they might regret not cutting loose at home.
Last year they went to La Coruna with a scoreless draw, and kept them in touch for a long spell before they eventually gave way. It is hard to expect any different this time.
With Steaua’s legs loosened and a little more time for Protasov to gauge the ability of his players, those in Bucharest will expect a rout. Over the years, 20 churches have been built across Romania by Becali to commemorate Steaua’s victories. In the context of his ambition, victory on Wednesday might merely inspire him to invest in a shiny new tabernacle.
Steaua Bucharest v Shelbourne, Wednesday, RTE2, 6pm, kick-off 6.30pm