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| Sunday, August 25, 2002 15:46 EST |
Inter plays Sporting Lisbon on Tuesday
[Reuters]
LONDON -- Inter Milan will try to put the Ronaldo transfer saga behind them on Tuesday and concentrate on securing an even more lucrative arrangement -- qualifying for the Champions League.
The Italians seemed set to unload the Brazilian to Real Madrid last week only for the deal to collapse, leaving Inter's fans feeling betrayed by a player who has spent most of his three years with them on the treatment table.
Inter plays Sporting Lisbon the second leg of their third qualifying round at the San Siro on Tuesday, having drawn 0-0 in Portugal two weeks ago.
Whether Ronaldo will be in any state -- mentally or physically -- to play a part in the game remains to be seen.
"Over the next days Ronaldo will undergo fitness training to ensure he is in a condition to work with the group as soon as possible," Inter said on Saturday after the striker returned from playing 33 minutes of Brazil's friendly defeat by Paraguay.
Play or not, Ronaldo faces a huge job in winning over Inter's fans, around 100 of whom gathered at the airport on Saturday to "greet" the Brazilian World Cup hero, one carrying a banner demanding an apology and others more forthright in their
condemnation.
With, or more probably without, him Inter will expect to produce the victory necessary to put them into the group stage for the first time in four seasons.
Sporting got the defense of its Portuguese league title off to a solid start on Saturday with a 2-0 away win over Academica.
Inter's last Champions League bid in 1999 was ended in the quarterfinals by eventual winners Manchester United but Alex Ferguson's team are by no means assured of even making the group stage this time after losing the first leg of their qualifier
1-0 away to Hungarian side Zalaegerszeg.
Since then United has started its Premier League campaign with a scrambled 1-0 win over promoted West Bromwich Albion and a 2-2 draw at Chelsea on Friday.
The Hungarians proved a tough nut to crack in the first leg, though United did miss several good chances, and are likely to pack their defense again on Tuesday at Old Trafford -- also the venue for this season's final.
"They won't be different but we will," said United manager Alex Ferguson. "We will score at home."
Rio Ferdinand could be fit for his competitive debut and he and his fellow defenders must ensure the Hungarians do not steal what could prove an immensely costly away goal.
AC Milan also face an awkward game as they take a 1-0 lead to Czech champions Slovan Liberec.
New signing Rivaldo missed the first leg but could make his competitive debut on Wednesday. Definitely missing, however, is fellow-striker Andriy Shevchenko, who damaged knee ligaments in the first leg and will be out of action until October.
Maccabi Haifa are on the verge of becoming the first Israeli club to make the group stages as they take a 2-0 lead to Austria's Sturm Graz on Wednesday.
Should they make it they are likely to play their home matches in Cyprus, as UEFA have ruled that the unstable political situation in Israel makes it unsuitable for soccer.
Three former winners -- Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Celtic, also look well-placed to advance after solid first-leg wins.
Bayern is at home to Partizan Belgrade with a comfortable 3-0 lead, Barcelona leads by the same score as it travels to Legia Warsaw and Celtic carry a 3-1 advantage to Basel.
Feyenoord, also former European Champions, have a far more difficult task as it seeks to defend a 1-0 lead at Turkey's Fenerbahce.
The winners of the 16 ties -- five on Tuesday and 11 on Wednesday --- advance to the group stage of the Champions League, along with the 16 teams automatically qualified, while the losers go into the first round of the UEFA Cup.
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