UEFA Cup Final Preview

Something very odd has happened. Apparently I have been labouring under the misapprehension that the UEFA Cup was a dog's dinner of a tournament with countless preliminary rounds, a half-arsed group stage and populated by a load of clubs not good enough to get into the already bloated Champions League (not to mention Intertoto winners).

It seems I was wrong. It's actually a first-class competition that will single-handedly prove that Steve McLaren is a great coach (see http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=367469&root=europe&cc=5739) and takes Boro into the upper echelons of the sport (see any of the countless articles at the BBC's website -- start here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/middlesbrough/4978578.stm)

Call me a miserable cynic but could this newfound excitement be because an English club has made the final? Admittedly, the fourteenth best English team in the Premiership, but an English team nonetheless.

Their opponents are doing better in La Liga -- fifth place at the moment, and, with two games to play, there's an outside chance that Sevilla can make third place and qualify for the Champions League. Bad news -- those games are against Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Good news -- Real Madrid are misfiring badly and Barca will play the last game without their internationals (just about the Catalan's entire first XI).

Bad news again -- Sevilla's internationals will be missing as well.

Still, it's been a good season for the Andalucians and you have to fancy them to beat Boro on Wednesday. Their squad is full of quality -- English fans will recognise Fredi Kanoute (probably starting on the bench) while Brazilian right back Daniel Alves, Argentinean Javier Saviola and homegrown Jesus Navas will provide attacking spark and verve. Also look out for other youth-team graduates Kepa and Antonio Puerta.

Middlesbrough have their own batch of rather impressive youngsters of course, and nicest-chairman-in-football Steve Gibson couldn't be begrudged a European trophy to show for all the hard work he's put in establishing Boro as a force to be reckoned with.

While it would be foolish to write-off the Teesiders altogether, especially after their sensational comebacks against Basle and Steaua Bucharest earlier in the tournament, I reckon the Sevillistas will edge it.

It's still a crap competition, though. Rumours that the trophy has sprouted big round ears and can be seen welcoming you to Disneyland, however, are unfounded.