UEFA Cup | SK Brann - Deportivo | 18 September 2008 | 19:00 | Pre-Match thread

[Feliuk]

Ok as the title says our next UEFA opponents

[baKe]

finnaly topic!
Lets go 4 win!

[deporik]

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!

I just spent ages going through the Post Match Comments thread and moving all the UEFA talk to the UEFA thread and now this thread appeared lol.

Back to the UEFA thread for me then lol.

This post will self destruct in 5 minutes.

[Feliuk]

LOL I was just about to do that.

I must admit I think that once again we have got the most difficult team in our draw!!
Saying that once again we should be good enough to win.

[The DK Blanquiazul]

Doh, I was halfway through opening a thread. Oh well.

Brann's coach, Mons Ivar Mjelde, has already given an interview about the tie.

He says that he preferred to play us over both Aston Villa and Schalke, but that Heerenveen and Austria Wien would have been even better. He also says that Deportivo is a good team, that didn't do well last season. (eh, maybe not really well informed)
If they are well organised, he thinks that they can turn the game into their favor. They are positive about the game, and hope that a full stadium the 18th can be the 12th man for them and lead them to another European adventure. Then he says that he don't know anything about our team before he has seen us play, and that the Spanish league is a good one.

Basically what I got from the interview here:
http://www.brann.no/index.php?valg=nyhet&nyhet=6801

Only minor details missing, will post a more detailed translation later.

[Feliuk]

Nice that he doesn't know anything about us.......He must live in a cave

[Elgreco]

brann...not the most difficult rival that we could meet..we can pass!!!!

[Michał]

Originally Posted by Elgreco

brann...not the most difficult rival that we could meet..we can pass!!!!

Believe me, Lech is much stronger

[deporik]

Flying to Bergen isn't cheap dammit. £194 return is the cheapest I've seen.

However, you can fly to Haugesund which is south of Bergen for just £26 return with Ryanair (probably double that by the time you add on all their hidden extras, but it's still cheaper)

Haugesund is approximately 3 and a half hours by coach from Bergen but the problem is, you either have to fly in on match day or a few days earlier. Flying in earlier means more money on hotels and flying in on the day leaves you desperately hoping there are no delays. The flight lands at 13.40 I think and then you've got to sort out your 3 and a half hour journey from Haugesund.

[Martin]

IS the match confirmed for the 18th Sep?

Originally Posted by deporik

However, you can fly to Haugesund which is south of Bergen for just £26 return with Ryanair (probably double that by the time you add on all their hidden extras, but it's still cheaper)

Haugesund is approximately 3 and a half hours by coach from Bergen but the problem is, you either have to fly in on match day or a few days earlier. Flying in earlier means more money on hotels and flying in on the day leaves you desperately hoping there are no delays. The flight lands at 13.40 I think and then you've got to sort out your 3 and a half hour journey from Haugesund.

Arriving at 13.40 should give you plenty of time to get to the stadium for kick of. However the return flight I looked at was on the Sunday. I can't find a flight on the Friday.

The first option of flying with SAS to Bergen would end up being the cheapest, however I would wait till the week of the match as last minute may reduce the price as they did for the Coppenhagen which I ended up missing.

[deporik]

Originally Posted by Martin

IS the match confirmed for the 18th Sep?

I haven't seen the dates confirmed just yet but I think they're only allowed to move games forward if there are other games going on in the same city. Not to mention the fact, that Depor has the exclusive rights in screwing it's fans by changing dates after they already made them official . Fortunately for us, this game is in Norway, so I'd expect confirmation of it being the 18th, sometime in the next 24-48 hours.

[The DK Blanquiazul]

Translated it all:

"We knew which five teams we could meet. I thought that it would be great to avoid both Aston Villa and Schalke. Personally, I wanted to go to Wien and meet Austria. It would've been a manageable task. Heerenveen is a team we also should be able to compare ourselves to," says the earlier Østerrike-professional and Brann-coach Mons Ivar Mjelde.

But well, it became Spanish Deportivo La Coruna.

"Deportivo is a good team. we know that they weren't very sharp last year and that their league hasn't begun yet. It's maybe like the type of opposition we met in France. If we're well organised, then we can turn the game into our favor," continues Mjelde.

"We're positive. This is a big challenge and an opportunity on the international arena. The importance can not be underestimated. (Not sure about that sentence). I hope we fill the stadion at home and that the 12th man can help us towards a new European adventure," he says.

'What can you say about Deportivo?'

"I don't know that until I've seen them. But both Spanish and French football are among the big nations. Both teams and the indvidual players have got a high level. For instance we know that Marseille paid 100 million kroner for Hatem Ben Arfa. Those are dimensions(sums) we can't deal with."

"But the key will no matter what be to get a better result at home than against Marseille. Just 0-0 would've helped, as we saw the game in Marseille develop," says Mjelde

"A tough draw. If we don't succeed, we don't succeed. Austria Wien would maybe on the paper have been an easier task than Deportivo. But we'll see, if we can't take a Spanish scalp," says sporting leader Roald Bruun-Hanssen

"A Spanish one," counters(can't find the right word for that one) Mjelde with a smile.

I don't think I'll go for this game. But I hope we are well represented up there.

[Feliuk]

Brann are currently 9th in Norwegian league, so that does not sound like they are a world class club!!!

The have played 18 games w6 d6 l6 scored 26 let in 25

I take nothing for granted but we should beat them

[SK Brann]

Originally Posted by Elgreco

brann...not the most difficult rival that we could meet..we can pass!!!!

Hehe i woudnt underestimated us. We are had a though season this year after we won the Norwegian leauge last season. We were unlucky against Marseille when we lost 3-1.

We are extremly good in Europe and we went to the last 32 in the uefa cup last season. We may shock you

[Lebn8r]

Originally Posted by SK Brann

Hehe i woudnt underestimated us. We are had a though season this year after we won the Norwegian leauge last season. We were unlucky against Marseille when we lost 3-1.

We are extremly good in Europe and we went to the last 32 in the uefa cup last season. We may shock you

Welcome to the Forum buddy. It will be a interesting challenge, enjoy your stay at the forum and good luck!