Europa League Preview: Aalesunds FK v Motherwell
Scottish Premier League (SPL) club Motherwell are set to take a step into the unknown when they face Norwegian side Aalesunds FK in the third qualifying round of this season’s Europa League on Thursday. The first leg takes place at Color Line Stadion in Ålesund before ‘Well host the return leg of the tie at Fir Park Stadium on Aug 5. The teams have never played each other but will each be hoping for the win that takes them to the play-off stage with the opportunity to play for a place in the important group stage.
Motherwell, also known as The Steelmen, gained entry to the Europa League qualifying stages by their fifth place finish in the SPL. Though European qualification is usually only available by finishing in the first four places, Motherwell were allowed to enter the competition as Dundee United finished third in the league and also won the Scottish Cup, where a Europa League spot is also awarded. The club has enjoyed domestic success in the past with a lone league win in 1931-32 and Scottish Cup triumphs in 1951-52 and 1990-91. However, they have never won a European competition. To get to this stage of the tournament, Motherwell defeated Breidablik of Iceland 2-0 on aggregate.
Turned fortunes around
Veteran boss Craig Brown took over first-team matters in December 2009 after Jim Gannon was sacked following a dispute with the club’s board members. Ex-Scotland manager Brown helped turn the team’s fortunes around and guided them to a top-six finish for the second year in succession.
Motherwell’s squad features a mix of youthful energy and experienced figures with captain Stephen Craigan orchestrating matters on the pitch. The 33-year-old Northern Irishman has a long association with The Steelmen, having first signed for the club in 1994 by then manager Alex McLeish. He only made 22 first-team appearances over five years and was released in 2000. After a three-year spell at Partick Thistle, he once more signed for Motherwell under the watch of Terry Butcher. The defender has played for his country 48 times, and has been a key figure in Motherwell’s campaigns in the Europa League and UEFA Cup over the last few years.
Aalesunds is perhaps most notable for being the first club of Roma player John Arne Riise, as well as his brother Bjørn Helge Riise, who plays for Fulham in the English Premier League (EPL). Their squad includes several internationalists, such as Norway right-back Ville Jalasto, Estonia defender Enar Jääger and Jamaica midfielder Demar Phillips, who previously played for EPL team Stoke City.
Their manager, Kjetil Rekdal, has been in command of the team since 2008 and is an experienced striker in his own right. He scored 17 goals in 83 games for his country, including a match-winning spot-kick against Brazil at the 1998 World Cup in France. The 41-year-old has led his team to challenging for honours.
The Norweigian club may hold an advantage over Motherwell, as they already well into their domestic campaign. The side have been battling towards the top end of the Tippeligaen table this season and will hold high hopes of once again obtaining European qualification. They gained entry to the Europa League qualifiers this year by winning the Norwegian Cup last season.
Brown had expressed concern over the “marathon trip” his team had faced ahead of the first-leg clash in Norway, telling BBC Radio Scotland: "My chairman told me about the route to Norway, we will be away for four or five days. We have to go on the Monday so we have the whole of Wednesday to prepare. We go via Aberdeen and Stavanger and all sorts of places so it is a very convoluted route to get there.” However, the club have since chartered a flight direct to Alesund from Scotland ahead of the clash.
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