Sarriegi hoping Greens' story has happy ending

Scoring Panathinaikos FC's Matchday 5 winner at FC Internazionale Milano was an electrifying experience for José Sarriegi, but the defender has told uefa.com he hopes lightning will not strike twice when Anorthosis Famagusta FC visit Athens on Tuesday.

Hero
Following their Matchday 1 defeat by Inter, Panathinaikos were then tripped up by Anorthosis as Sarriegi's own goal set the unheralded Cypriot club on their way to a famous 3-1 victory. The 29-year-old was to become his team's hero, however, when he scored the only goal of the game against Inter in Italy last time out to earn Panathinaikos a second successive group-stage win, and leave them merely needing to avoid defeat in the Greek capital to clinch a place in the first knockout round.

'Important goal'
"It was as if I had been hit by lightning," said Sarriegi of his strike in Milan, which gave Panathinaikos a first-ever win on Italian soil. "I was shouting, 'It's in, the ball is in!' I am not used to scoring and I don't know how to celebrate. I consider myself lucky to have scored that goal. It's the UEFA Champions League, a very tough match, in a legendary stadium, with one of Europe's biggest clubs as an opponent. That goal is important for the club and for the fans." Just how important, Sarriegi was able to guage for himself on his return to Athens. "It was crazy," he said. "I have to thank all those fans who came to the airport at six o'clock in the morning to greet us and celebrate with us. You don't see that every day and it was very pleasing."

Stark contrast
Sarriegi's emotions were in stark contrast to those he felt in Nicosia in early October, when his headed own goal gifted Anorthosis an eleventh-minute lead which they built on to claim all three points and leave Panathinaikos's hopes of reaching the next round in the balance. "I've got bad memories of that match," the former Athletic Club Bilbao defender admitted. "We had travelled to Cyprus in a very optimistic mood after playing well against Inter. But in Nicosia that early own goal was a big blow and we couldn't react to it. It wasn't like the defeat against Inter, where we felt that we had done a good job. When we lost to Anorthosis, we were very sad, very disappointed."

'Great feat'
The disappointment of that reverse will be a distant memory, however, should Henk ten Cate's men claim the point required to clinch their berth in the last 16. Sarriegi added that the squad's goal of pipping Anorthosis to a place in the hat for the first knockout round draw on 19 December would drive them on more than any desire for revenge. "More than making amends for our defeat there, we want to qualify, no matter who our rival is," he said. "We want to progress; that's the most important thing for us. We started this competition in July, went through two qualifying rounds to the group stage and we are on the verge of becoming one of Europe's best 16 teams. That would be a great feat."

Chygrynskiy excited by Camp Nou test

FC Shakhtar Donetsk may have little at stake in their final Group C fixture at FC Barcelona, but for defender Dmytro Chygrynskiy, just playing "in a stadium as legendary as Camp Nou" is enough to send a shiver down the spine.

Record win
The main business in Group C was completed on Matchday 5 when Barcelona clinched top spot with a 5-2 win at closest challengers Sporting Clube de Portugal, while Mircea Lucescu's side secured third place and a UEFA Cup spot by overwhelming FC Basel 1893 5-0, their record score in UEFA competition. Chygrynskiy missed that triumph because of a thigh injury, but he is doing all he can to ensure he is fit to face the Spanish Liga leaders.

'Mistakes'
"We played very well against them in Donetsk but our own stupid mistakes robbed us of a win," he told uefa.com. "Now we want to prove that defeat was not a fair reflection of the game." With the Ukrainian Premier League now in hibernation for the winter break, Chygrynskiy cannot think of a better place to round out Shakhtar's year. "I'm happy to finish the year with a game in a stadium as legendary as Camp Nou. There is no doubt both teams will play some spectacular football."

Good run
Shakhtar will be looking to end a punishing first half of the season on a high note. A run of five successive league wins, including the scalp of rivals FC Dynamo Kyiv, has improved the mood, though Shakhtar remain a distant 12 points behind Dynamo. Their UEFA Champions League form has also left much to be desired, with a pair of wins against Basel all they have to show from five matches so far.

Sporting defeats
Things might have been so different. Shakhtar led Barcelona 1-0 with three minutes remaining on Matchday 2, only for the visiting side to hit back with two Lionel Messi strikes to claim the points at the RSC Olympiyskiy Stadium. Messi's winner came four minutes into added time and seemed to knock the stuffing out of Shakhtar, who then lost back-to-back matches against Sporting to end their hopes of advancing.

'Deserved more'
"I think we deserved more than we got in the group," the 22-year-old said. "We should have been able to get the better of Sporting. I can't think of one reason why we failed to do so. We seemed to have enough experience as we were participating in the group stage for a third consecutive season. We have quality players and a famous coach, but we still can't reach the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League. It seems everyone didn't play to their best this autumn."

Clean sheets
Speculation surrounding Lucescu's future has not helped matters, but Chygrynskiy, who played in every minute of Shakhtar's league campaign prior to his recent injury, jumped to the coach's defence. "This season we have been paying much more attention to defending collectively," he said. "Yes, we conceded too many goals at the beginning of the season but since then we have defended much better and have kept four successive clean sheets in the league, as well as one in the game against Basel."

High ambitions
Chygrynskiy, capped 13 times by Ukraine, came through the youth ranks under Lucescu at Shakhtar. His career has been on a constant upward curve and he is ambitious for more, including greater exposure to the continental stage although he feels it is too early to discuss club president Rinat Akhmetov's target of winning a European trophy. "I hope we do well in Barcelona and later on in the UEFA Cup. We must only think about winning our next fixture and, if we do that, success will follow. The president, coach, players and fans are all dreaming of that."

Ronaldo gets hands on Ballon d'Or

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo was handed the prestigious European Player of the Year award in a televised ceremony on Sunday.

Accompanied to Paris by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo collected the Ballon d'Or - golden ball - trophy from France Football magazine.

"I've been playing for Manchester for five years - I feel at home," said the 23-year-old Ronaldo.

"I'm happy at Manchester and want to stay."

During the summer Ronaldo was linked with a move to Real Madrid after a season in which he scored 42 goals for United as Ferguson's side won the Premier League and the Champions League.

"I'm an ambitious person. I don't want it to stop here," said Ronaldo reflecting on his success. "I think we have to keep trying to win trophies, collectively and individually. I'm on the right track.

It's always special to reach this level, the important thing is to stay there. The idea is to keep progressing, collectively and individually as well.

"Without my team I couldn't have won it, and I have to thank them also."

Ronaldo was the first United player to win the award since George Best in 1968 and Ferguson predicted the best was yet to come from the Portuguese forward.

"It's a long time since we won one, 40 years ago," said Ferguson. "Of course, he's only 23. He's only just beginning. When players get to 26 they start to mature."

Ferguson unsure over Keane return

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson is uncertain whether Roy Keane will return to football management.

Keane resigned as Sunderland manager on Thursday after 27 months in charge of the Black Cats and his future in the game remains unclear.

"It is difficult to say whether he will be back," said Ferguson.

"He is an incredibly controversial character. Every week he always had something to say about the game. He was the same as a player."

Ferguson, who Keane played under at Manchester United, added: "He is such an interesting character and did a decent job up there."

Keane, who had spent more than £70m on 33 players since 2006, guided the club into the Premier League during his first season as manager before keeping them there last term.

And despite recent results, which have seen Sunderland win just one of their past seven games, the Black Cats are still in a better position this year than they were at the same stage at last season.

Former team-mate and now Manchester City boss Mark Hughes believes Keane's exit may have come as a result of not taking a decent break between finishing his playing career and taking over as manager at a club.

The 37-year-old Irishman went to Sunderland in August 2006 almost immediately after injury finished his playing career at Celtic in June of the same year.

Hughes also began his managerial career immediately but believes he was helped by the fact that his first role was as Wales boss, with the intermittent nature of the international calendar giving him time away from the game.

"You sensed in recent weeks that maybe there was a point where he was going to consider his future and walk away," said Hughes.

"He is still young and still has a future in the game, if he wants to return there is plenty of time for him to do so.

"Maybe he went from being a player to a manager too quickly.

"I think it is important to have a bit of breathing space once you stop playing and although I went straight into management it was with Wales so I still had a bit of time off. I don't think Roy had that benefit.

"He needs to take a step back, learn from the experience and go again."

However, Ferguson believes the problem is more deep rooted than that, with the pressures of management taking a greater toll than ever.

"There are very few managers that last more than three to four years at a club nowadays and the lifespan of a manager at a club is getting shorter and shorter," he said.

"They can move on to different challenges, but it's a very precarious industry nowadays and a very emotional game.

"A couple of years ago, people were saying that I should have gone four years earlier - the black flags were out!

"Football people like myself are fortunate to have been at a club for so long, though. I haven't had to go through that emotional situation."

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger expressed his surprise at Keane's resignation but believes he will make a return to management.

"It is a surprise, but I can understand it," said Wenger. "He is a passionate man, and I regret he leaves the job.

"When you are passionate, especially at the start of this career, you suffer immensely physically. Also, because he is a passionate man, there is no other way for him to be in the job.

"When you are passionate about the game, you go out of it and then come back into it because there is no other way to be happy. That is why I believe he will be back."

Alex eyes UEFA Cup spot in Kiev

Fenerbahçe SK midfielder Alex took a break from preparations for his team's UEFA Champions League tie at FC Dynamo Kyiv on Wednesday to come into the Talk Football chatroom and answer questions put to him by uefa.com users from around the globe. The Brazilian emphasised the importance of the match in Ukraine, which will see his side clinch a place in the UEFA Cup Round of 32 should they win, while also giving an insight into his life in Turkey.

Final reckoning for group stage rivals

The curtain falls on the UEFA Champions League group stage next week, with just three places up for grabs in the last 16 but a whole host of issues yet to be resolved in terms of who will advance as section winners and who will collect the consolation of a UEFA Cup berth.

Group A
Two points separate the top three sides, with only CFR 1907 Cluj out of contention and certain of finishing bottom. The Romanian club will have just pride to play for at Chelsea FC on Tuesday, while their opponents will be certain of progress with a win. The English outfit can even go through with a defeat, providing FC Girondins de Bordeaux do not triumph away against leaders AS Roma. The Serie A side can also lose and go through if Chelsea fail to prevail, while Bordeaux need all three points to advance.

Group B
Already qualified, frontrunners FC Internazionale Milano will look to seal top spot by winning away against fourth-placed Werder Bremen, who need victory to have any hopes of claiming the UEFA Cup berth. Even that would be denied them if Anorthosis Famagusta FC come out on top at Panathinaikos FC, a result that would take the Cypriot side through to the last 16 in their debut campaign. A draw would qualify the hosts, on the other hand, but they need to win to have any chance of finishing first.

Group C
All placings have been resolved in Group C, with FC Barcelona confirmed as group winners and looking to extend their tally to 16 points at home against FC Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday. The Ukrainian side clinched third spot and a place in the UEFA Cup by overcoming basement side FC Basel 1893 5-0 last time out, and the Swiss titleholders will now be hoping to post their first win of the campaign at home against second-placed Sporting Clube de Portugal.

Group D
Club Atlético de Madrid and Liverpool FC are certain of advancing, but who goes through as section winners remains to be seen. With both sides boasting eleven points apiece, the Spanish outfit currently lead the way with a goal difference superior by just one goal, and they will look to press home that advantage away against Olympique de Marseille, for whom victory would confirm a UEFA Cup place. Liverpool visit PSV Eindhoven, meanwhile, with the Dutch club needing to better Marseille's result to finish third.

Group E
European champions Manchester United FC hold the whip hand in the section, having already sealed their progress and leading fellow qualified side Villarreal CF on goal difference. United host UEFA Cup-bound Aalborg BK on Wednesday, knowing victory would move them forward as section winners unless Villarreal can win at fourth-placed Celtic FC by two goals more than the holders.

Group F
Olympique Lyonnais and FC Bayern München may already be looking forward to launching their assaults on the knockout phase, but the matter of who will progress in first place needs to be settled in France on Wednesday. Victory for the hosts or a goalless draw would keep Lyon on top, while any other scoreline would send Bayern through as section winners. Further back, FC Steaua Bucureşti must see off visitors ACF Fiorentina to deny the Italian side their grip on the UEFA Cup spot.

Group G
Leaders Arsenal FC travel to FC Porto in pursuit of the point that would keep them ahead of their Portuguese rivals in the standings, with both sides already through whatever happens. Meanwhile, basement outfit Fenerbahçe SK need to triumph at FC Dynamo Kyiv to earn a transfer to the UEFA Cup.

Group H
Leaders Juventus enjoy a two-point advantage over Real Madrid CF in addition to a superior head-to-head record, meaning they need only draw with visitors FC BATE Borisov to secure top spot at the expense of the Spanish champions. Madrid must overcome visitors FC Zenit St. Petersburg to have any chance of leapfrogging Juve, while their opponents travel safe in the knowledge they are assured a berth in the UEFA Cup – the competition they won last term.

Bordeaux Coach Blanc: Totti Is Roma

The Bordeaux coach has picked out the player he wishes to shackle in next week's game: Totti. Stop him, and the French side could qualify...

Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc has quickly turned his attentions to the game against Roma on Tuesday night, warning his side to pay special attention to Francesco Totti.

The French side have a chance of qualifying for the next round of the Champions League and, thus, they have everything to play for against a Giallorossi side who are in good form.

Roma can finish the group in top spot with a win. Blanc, though, is hoping his side do the business in Rome. Still, he knows it will not be easy, especially with Totti around.

"We are going to the Olimpico to try and go further in the Champions League," said Blanc.

"We cannot attack them with our heads down or this will be like suicide. We know Roma are back playing good football.

"Totti will also be there. He is not just a great player, but he is also Roma's talisman."

The Giallorossi beat Bordeaux 3-1 in the reverse fixture. With everything in Group A still up in the air, however, it will not be an easy game for Luciano Spalletti's men, who first take on Chievo Verona later tonight.