John Byrne's EL focus CCFC -v- Malmo
With Euro 2004 concentrating the minds of many, it could easily be forgotten that the new European club campaign starts this week.
Okay, there's no Manchester United, AC Milan or Real Madrid, and the Champions League and UEFA Cup are still far away on the horizon - but the InterToto Cup is still a serious competition, as some of the continent's bigger clubs have used it as a backdoor to Euro success.
For eircom League clubs, it offers the opportunity to play foreign opposition, gain valuable experience and give their fans a few great memories, if recent seasons are anything to go by.
This Saturday Cork City face formidable opposition in the shape of Swedish side Malmo - a club with an impressive European pedigree, including an appearance in the European Cup final (now the Champions League).
And although it's a daunting task - in recent years, Irish clubs have been well beaten by Swedish opponents - our clubs' recent form in this competition would suggest that City have everything to play for at Turner's Cross on Saturday.
In last year's competition, Shamrock Rovers won home and away against Polish side Odra Wodzislaw - a fantastic achievement put in context when Manchester City subsequently lost to similar opposition in the UEFA Cup - before bowing out to imposing Czechs, Slovan Liberec.
The previous year, St Patrick's Athletic beat a Croatian side before losing agonisingly on away goals to Belgian opposition.
Saturday's game should also be a colourful affair as the City fans behind the FourFiveOne fanzine are organising an ultras-style display. The Turner's Cross Shed will be awash with 1,000 green, white and red flags, plus their usual tifo flags, etc., which is sure to create a great atmosphere for both sets of players and supporters Leeside.
For Cork City fans this is the real Euro deal: their heroes aren't Zidane or Totti, but O'Flynn and O'Callaghan.
We wish them well. This week we're all Cork Citizens.
from www.aertel.ie
