Now I don’t think anybody will under-estimate us again.”The challenge presented by Grazer is just what McClaren wants. The team was experienced and ready to handle it, but for the club and the supporters it was a new experience. Maybe the L-plates were there because Middlesbrough had never been in Europe before but when you reel off the names of the players we have in our team, they have European experience and arrived expecting to play in Europe.”So there were no L-plates on them. But we got through that and went into the group stage, and to finish top of that was a magnificent achievement.”A lot of people under-estimated us, but we made a bit of a reputation for ourselves in Europe. Although it is the club’s first season in Europe, Steve McClaren feels Middlesbrough must no longer be treated as underdogs as they make their return to the competition tonight.
Following a winter hiatus, Middlesbrough face the Austrian champions, Grazer AK, at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Stadium in the first leg of the Uefa Cup third round and will start as favourites to reach the next round, where they would face Feyenoord or Sporting Lisbon.In disposing of Banik Ostrava, Lazio and Partizan Belgrade, Middlesbrough have made their mark on the competition but, for their manager, McClaren, this is where the competition “gets serious”.McClaren said: “When we set out on this adventure, a lot of people were happy for us to play Ostrava, and enjoy the experience. I am certain that Mourinho had something to do with them not coming.”A spokesman for Chelsea replied: “Didier Drogba was requested but he has been out injured for a few weeks and was pulled out of the game on that basis. Frank Lampard was then requested but he picked up an injury at Everton last weekend and Fifa were informed as soon as possible of his unavailability.”Lampard is expected to be fit for Sunday’s game at St James’ Park, while Drogba has been hoping to make a comeback soon from his groin problem..
They end the week with the Carling Cup final against Liverpool.The Portugal international, who took part in the friendly, declared: “All the players really wanted to play. The London club face Newcastle in the FA Cup on Sunday, before their Champions’ League tie with Barcelona next Wednesday. The Barcelona midfielder Deco has questioned Jose Mourinho’s caution in withdrawing Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard from the tsunami appeal match – just a week before Chelsea’s Champions’ League visit to the Nou Camp.
Drogba and Lampard did not take part in the fund-raising match in the Nou Camp on Tuesday night after Chelsea informed the sport’s world governing body, Fifa, they were both injured.Deco, who won last season’s Champions’ League trophy at Porto under Mourinho, seemed to imply his former manager had been protecting his players’ fitness. They have also staged concerts at the ground which will see the bands Oasis and U2 visit this summer, and will host the rugby league Tri-Nations match between Great Britain and Australia.FOOTBALL’S TOP TABLE: UNITED AND CHELSEA CASH INThe Deloitte Football Money League for the 2003-2004 season: Position (prior year’s pos) Income (£m) 1 (1) Manchester United 171.5 2 (4) Real Madrid 156.3 3(3) Milan 147.2 4(10)Chelsea 143.7 5 (2) Juventus 142.4 6 (7) Arsenal 115.0 7 (13)Barcelona 112.0 8 (6) Internazionale 110.3 9 (5) Bayern Munich 110.1 10 (8) Liverpool 92.3 11 (9) Newcastle United 90.5 12(11)Roma 72.0 13(18)Celtic 69.0 14(16)Tottenham Hotspur 66.3 15(15)Lazio 65.8 16(n/a)Manchester City 61.9 17(14)Schalke 04 60.5 18(n/a)Marseilles58.3 19(n/a)Rangers57.1 20(n/a)Aston Villa55.9. City have 34,500 season ticket holders and a further 100,000 smart-card holders – a membership scheme.
Despite having debts of around £62m, the club have generated a turnover of £61.9m.The City chief executive, Alistair Mackintosh, at 34 the youngest in the Premiership, has increased the turnover from £49m in the previous year despite the club finishing 16th last season. The United chief executive, David Gill, has presided over a new Vodafone sponsorship deal – £36m over four years – to accompany their record-breaking £303m, 13-year kit deal with Nike.One of the most remarkable aspects of the table, however, was the inclusion for the first time of United’s neighbours, Manchester City, who make their first appearance in 16th place. The club make around £60m in both match-day and television revenues, and around £50m in commercial activities.Unlike Real and Chelsea, however, United is a plc and the club’s value, according to yesterday’s share price of 272p, was around £707m. The rise of Real shows the effect of David Beckham’s signing on the merchandising initiative launched by president Florentino Perez.At their last AGM, United warned that players could have to take pay-cuts on new contracts after profits were predicted to fall next year by around £14m because of reduced earnings from the Champions’ League and Premiership. We believe we have identified upward trends in football-related revenues which has substantially increased our turnover.”As well as United and Chelsea, there are six further Premiership clubs, more than any other nation, in the top 20 – Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Aston Villa – as well as Rangers and Celtic. The combined turnover of the world’s top 20 richest clubs is set to break the £2bn mark in 2005.United’s turnover of £171.5m – calculated over the season 2003-2004 – is higher than Real Madrid on £156.3m, but the Spanish club have cut the wealth gap between the two sides by half in the space of a year.
A spokesman for Chelsea said: “The amount of money we have spent on players has been well documented. Chelsea’s place among the ?te of European football was consolidated last night when the Premiership leaders were named as the game’s fastest-developing club after they passed rivals such as Juventus, Internazionale and Arsenal to leap from 10th place to fourth in the world rich list. England’s coach, Sven Goran Eriksson, has, in the past, suggested support for quotas.. Dein’s position has been criticised by Gordon Taylor of the Professional Footballers’ Association.The FA’s chairman, Geoff Thompson, has also lobbied for the Premier League but he and the FA’s new chief executive, Brian Barwick, have both been mute on the issue this week. “Any such move is debatably legally questionable,” a spokesman said.The FA is in an embarrassing position because Dein is lobbying, on Arsenal’s behalf, against moves that are designed to benefit the England team. Yesterday Uefa said any team failing to abide by the quotas would have their squads cut in size.