Roma boss Rudi Garcia says reaching the last 16 of the Champions League is one of his top priorities this season - even though he acknowledges that the Giallorossi have a "scarecrow" for company in Group E, Barcelona.
Last term, Garcia's men suffered the misfortune of being drawn in the same pool as Bayern Munich and Manchester City and subsequently failed to advance to the knockout stages, with the latter pipping the club from the Italian capital to second place on the final matchday.
This time around, Roma must take on defending champions Barcelona, whom they host at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, but with Bayer Leverkusen and BATE Borisov also in Group E, Garcia is more optimistic about his team's hopes of progressing.
Last term, Garcia's men suffered the misfortune of being drawn in the same pool as Bayern Munich and Manchester City and subsequently failed to advance to the knockout stages, with the latter pipping the club from the Italian capital to second place on the final matchday.
This time around, Roma must take on defending champions Barcelona, whom they host at the Stadio Olimpico on Wednesday, but with Bayer Leverkusen and BATE Borisov also in Group E, Garcia is more optimistic about his team's hopes of progressing.
He said: The goal in the Champions League is to reach the last 16. We have a scarecrow in our group: Barca.
"We are honoured to play them next week, but we want to reach the last 16. Last year we did not manage to do it.
"I think everyone will back Barca to beat us - they are a great machine - but we will do everything to try to reverse the predictions."
Garcia has been touted as a future France boss, having won the league-and-cup double with Lille in his homeland before taking over Roma, though he insists that he isn't considering a move into the international arena just yet.
"Will I coach France in the future? My dream is to win titles with Roma and I have never had a career plan," he continued.
"I'm not too aware of the situation in France because I'm away but the team is fortunate to already have a coach of highest level. For now, I'm sure they'll be fine as they are."
Roma have made a fine start to their season in the league, having beaten Juventus last time out, and Garcia admitted that victory over the Scudetto holders has given his side a boost.
"The success against Juventus raised our spirits," he added. "We deserved to win, but we must stay focused and do not believe that we will automatically win every game.
"We recruited well in the summer and bought quality. We have a small group but if we stay clear of injuries then we will be competitive this season."
No comments:
Post a Comment