The atmosphere in Ljudski vrt was great already during the qualification matches against Maccabi and Celtic, and it only improved for the first Champions League match – a match the fans have been waiting for for 15 years. Sporting can't compare with Schalke and Chelsea, yet the Portuguese players have excellent technical skills, and the success they had in European competitions (UEFA Cup finals in 2005) in the last decade speaks for itself.

Maribor players were given wings by their fans. Even 30,000 tickets could have been easily sold; there was not a single empty place in the stadium. It really is a shame the capacity of the stadium isn't larger. Especially the old and worn out west stand does not do honour to the most successful team of Slovenia which has risen, under the leadership of Zlatko Zahovič, as phoenix from dust during the last seven years, and has improved in all areas.

Handanović: The motivation should be extended into the state championship
The victory for Styria was assured by the son of Maribor Sport Manager. Luka resembles his father in all aspects. The teenager has an excellent instinct for scoring, and he anticipated the big mistake made by defender Mauricio in the 92nd minute, and scored for the golden point. Zahović was the youngest player of the home team, only 18 years old, and the oldest was goalkeeper Jasmin Handanović, whose excellent performance prevented Maribor's defeat.

"It seemed the situation was desperate, but some changes we made gave us new momentum. In Champions League desire, motive, and tactical preparations play an extremely important role. All that should be applied into the state championship as well, but it won't be easy," explained 36 year old goalkeeper who praises his cooperation with the goalkeepers coach. "Mitja Pirih introduced a lot of good things. Football is advancing, there are no more easy shots, speed is increasing. On Thursday we will watch the recording of the game, and make analysis. It would have been difficult to stop Nani's shot, he had an open shot and it was hard to anticipate his intention."

Mertelj is confident of a victory…
"We really wished to start the group part with a good result. It is the highest level, you simply can't get higher in football. We deserved the point we got, and after the end of the match the explosion of feelings was a normal consequence. Draw with Sporting is not a trivial thing. If we wish to spend the winter in Europe, we need to get as many points in home matches as possible. The group we are in is quite well matched, and I believe we are capable of winning a match," believes Aleš Mertelj.

"The first 15 minutes were very difficult; we struggled to reach this high level. No rest was allowed, not even for a second. Afterwards we improved our performance, and caught the rhythm. The Portuguese pass the ball on the ground, and don't rely on high passes. It is very difficult for their opponent if they keep the ball; it is rather difficult to keep the ball in your possession. But, the green-whites can't win in Ljudski vrt" added 27-year-old player from Kranj.

Rajčević had already seen the ball in the goal…
Two minutes before the break Aleksander Rajčević shook the goalpost with a header. "In the beginning we started rather timidly, as the stake was huge. But later we had quite a number of opportunities. We were very motivated, as we have been wishing to participate in Champions League for several years. As I hit the ball with my head I already saw it in the goal… The shot was good, but I wanted it to go into the net, and not into the goalpost… Sporting is a very strong team, and in the final minutes we ran out of strength for the finish. But God sees everything, and he rewarded us for our relentlessness until the last minute," said the former defender of Koper.

Vršič: It is a perfect result
Last year Austria from Vienna played in Champions League, but Dare Vršič was not in its first team. Now he has finally gotten to join the European club elite. "It is a perfect score. This point really means a lot to us. A defeat would bring negative energy before the second match. We were lucky that the ball hit Luka Zahović's head and allowed him to score for this dream point. We keep faith until the last minute, when such fortunate situations occur. We can compete with the best teams from our group," explained the 29-year-old midfielder.

Tavares was not satisfied with refereeing
Captain Marcos Tavares was a bit angry with the French referee Clement Turpin: "Referees always protect large clubs, a couple of times his decisions were suspiciously in favour of Sporting. But Maribor proved that its quality is adequate for Champions League. In our group Chelsea is the favourite. But first we will travel to Gelsenkirchen, and we would like to win points there as well."

The next spectacle in Ljudski vrt will take place only in seven weeks. Chelsea is coming on November 5, but in the meantime the Violets would like to collect more points. Although it won't be an easy feat, neither at Veltins Arena nor at Stamford Bridge.

A. G., translated by G. K.

Photo: Sandi Fišer