High stakes as AC Milan face a testing time in Istanbul

Euroscene: Football has a splendid habit of catapulting players, coaches and teams down the fast chute and straight into a head-on collision with their recent past. So it will be in Istanbul tomorrow night when the mighty AC Milan take on Fenerbahce in a Champions League tie which they probably have to win to stay on course for a second-round place.

Long before the violent scenes which marred Switzerland's World Cup qualification at the expense of Turkey in Fenerbahce's Sukru Saracoglu stadium last Wednesday, pundits had deemed Istanbul one of the "hottest" away trips in current European football.

No matter what the outcome to the Fifa disciplinary committee investigation into the kicking contest that erupted between Turkish and Swiss players and officials after the final whistle, Istanbul is certain to retain its infamous reputation as a "difficult" away venue.

Given, too, that one Swiss player, Stephane Grichting, was hospitalised after being kicked in the "groin", while others returned to Switzerland telling tales of a wholesale physical assault by Turkish players and officials, it was hardly surprising to learn that Milan were unsure whether to include their Swiss international Johan Vogel in their squad. In the end, Vogel is in the squad but he is unlikely to play.

Even leaving aside last week's events, AC Milan were never likely to relish a return to the city that saw them commit one of modern football's great hara-kiri acts when they threw away a seemingly unassailable 3-0 lead against Liverpool in last May's Champions League final. That tomorrow night's game is being played in a different stadium from that in which they lost the Champions final to Liverpool is likely to be of little comfort to Milan. As the Swiss discovered last week, Sukru Saracoglu can be intimidating enough.

Putting further pressure on Milan, too, is the fact they go into tomorrow night's game on the back of their first Serie A defeat in nine games following a 3-1 loss to by Fiorentina on Sunday.

Add to those thoughts the consideration that Milan will be without their two first choice right backs in suspended Dutchman Jaap Stam and injured Brazilian Cafu, and you would have to conclude that this is "do or die" time for last season's beaten finalists.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti tried to play down the Istanbul connection last Saturday, joking in questionable taste that he and his players "were not worried, we'll be taking our helmets with us".

His boss, managing director Adriano Galliani, seemed equally keen to cool matters, highlighting the good relations between the Milan owner, prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, and his Turkish opposite number, Recep Erdogan: "We travel to Istanbul without any worries, especially given the good relations between our prime minister and Erdogan and between both clubs. I'm sure we'll be well received.

"Of course, their fans will be very 'hot', but playing in that sort of fiery atmosphere is part of football."

For their part, Fenerbahce have been making diplomatic noises too, pointing out that the Turkish national team is one thing but that Fenerbahce is another. Murat Ozaydin, director of the club's football section, pointed out how the club enjoys especially good relations with Ancelotti since the current Milan coach at one point came close to joining them as coach, adding: "The things that happened after the game with Switzerland were deplorable, but we at Fenerbahce have never had problems of violence."

So then, it only remains to go and play.

Here, however, Milan face their problems, since their Champions League record so far this season is less than impressive: one win, two draws and one defeat for just five points.

They go into the game two points behind leaders PSV Eindhoven, on the same points as Schalke 04 and just one clear of Fenerbahce. Clearly, it does not require huge mathematical skills to conclude that all is still to play for in this group. A warm reception in Istanbul may be the least Milan can expect.

aleagnew@tin.it