Team builders lay final plans

Had Valencia manager Hector Cuper been around to hear his rival Ottmar Hitzfeld talk about having to cope without the resources available to managers in England or Spain, the rather austere Argentinian might have allowed himself a rare smile.

Bayern Munich boss Hitzfeld's achievements are beyond question and he may not have paid any more than £5 million for any one of his formidable squad, but the club certainly know how to write a hefty wage cheque when it comes to keeping their biggest stars shining brightly.

Valencia, by comparison, are the budget airline of the high flyers, guided to dizzying heights by the South American who, in common with Hitzfeld, tends to be regarded by those with first hand experience of the man as the best in the business.

In his seven years as a coach Cuper has made a habit of getting more than might reasonably have been expected from his players and has always achieved more than any of his four clubs could have hoped. This evening's will be the 45year-old's third consecutive European final. Prior to last year's 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League decider, he guided Mallorca to the Cup Winners' Cup final and, when asked about Bayern feeling they are owed a European title given their dramatic defeat to Manchester United two years ago, he quipped that they should be patient - he is owed two.

His success has been based on a remarkable mastery of tactics and unrivalled motivational skills rather than an ability to wield a fat cheque book. However, having already confirmed that he will leave Valencia in a couple of weeks (ostensibly because he feels the fans get on his back too much), he looks set to add that third string to his bow as clubs like Barcelona and Inter Milan are said to be competing for his services.

Hitzfeld also knows a thing or two about team-building. The former mathematics teacher made his name in Switzerland before realising his potential at Borussia Dortmund, who he guided to Champions League success four years ago with a 3-1 victory over Juventus.

Hitzfeld has since managed to weld his side's notoriously difficult stars into a unit which is more cohesive than any Bayern have produced since the great team of the 1970s. The result has been the most sustained period of success at the club since that era, with three league and cup doubles as well, of course, as two appearances in the final of the Champions League.

Like Cuper, Hitzfeld has an uncanny ability to get the best out of his men and he is not afraid to change either players or formations to achieve a particular goal.

The similarities don't end there for, like his opponent this evening, Hitzfeld could have his choice of jobs across Europe. The German, though, has signalled his intention to stay with Munich until 2004 after which, it is said, he fancies leading his national team to the World Cup, which will be played on home soil two years later.

The way things are going the move probably can't happen soon enough for an association that has had its share of troubles with national coaches in recent times.