All you need to know ahead of Everton FC's latest European adventureTime to dust off your passport, dig out the phrasebook and get ready to hit the road
How's your French?
What about your German, as well?
Oh, and do you know much Russian?
Evertonians are dusting off their passports, digging out their phrasebooks and getting themselves ready for another European adventure.
For the first time since 2010, the Blues are back playing on the continent as Roberto Martinez’s debut season in charge at Goodison Park has been rewarded with a place in the Europa League.
Labelling it as a ‘reward’ actually may be a little strong given the Blues have been drawn in Group H with Lille - who have dropped out of the Champions League – Wolfsburg and the unknown quantities of FC Krasnodar.
But little can dampen the hope, expectation and excitement of the Everton faithful because they are back in Europe – and let’s not forget that last time they went to the Czech Republic, Greece and Belarus in the group stage so this draw surely counts as an upgrade.
The Blues and their travelling band of supporters will clock up thousands of miles over the next few months but their Group H campaign kicks off at Goodison under the lights against Wolfsburg on September 18.
Next up is that long old trip to southern Russia to face Krasnodar on October 2 just three days before a trip to Old Trafford in the Premier League
Back-to-back games with Lille are followed up with trips to Burnley and Sunderland in the league. Everton then go to Germany in a week they face Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane before they round off their Group games by welcoming Krasnodar to Merseyside.
After that, who knows?
But it promises to be some journey on the march with Bobby’s Army.
WOLFSBURG
Everton kick off their European comeback on September 18 by welcoming Wolfsburg to Goodison.
The return game arrives on November 27.
WHO ARE THEY?
The German outfit plucked from Pot Two in Friday’s draw. Wolfsburg, like Everton, finished fifth in their domestic league last season to qualify for the Europa League.
ARE THEY ANY GOOD IN EUROPE?
They’ve not got a storied European history, that’s for sure.
Wolfsburg made it to the Europa League quarter-finals in 2010 after dropping out of the Champions League and can boast an Intertoto Cup final appearance in 2003.
HAVE EVERTON PLAYED THEM BEFORE?
Not in competitive action but the Blues have played them in a pre-season friendly.
WHO IS THEIR MANAGER?
A heck of fella called Dieter Hecking. A former goal-scoring midfielder in the divisions outside of the Bundesliga in Germany, Hecking moved into management in 2002 and worked his way up through the leagues. Hecking took charge of Wolfsburg in 2012.
HAVE THEY HAD ANY FORMER EVERTON PLAYERS?Brian McBride! The German side gave McBride his first opportunity in Europe between 1994-95.
McBride went on to spend a brief loan spell at Everton, playing eight times and scoring four goals.
WHICH PLAYERS SHOULD WE LOOK OUT FOR?
The mercurial Nicklas Bendtner signed on a free transfer after being released by Arsenal this summer. Sometimes good, sometimes rubbish Bendtner is unpredictable but one to keep an eye on.
Croatian winger Ivan Perišić (above) and international team-mate Ivica Olić could be real handfuls, as could Belgium international Kevin De Bruyne who signed from Chelsea for £18m last January.
De Bruyne scored for his country in the World Cup, slotting past an heroic Tim Howard in extra-time.
THE VOLKSWAGEN ARENA LOOKS SNAZZY DOESN’T IT?
It certainly does. Opened in 2002 and with a capacity of 30,000, the Arena has played host to all manner of events, including an Elton John concert.
There is room for eight thousand spectators to stand in the ground.
CAN THEY WIN THE TROPHY?
Wolfsburg’s limited record in Europe strongly suggests not but they have a talented forward line that has the ability to trouble any defence.
The current team is clearly not as good as the Edin Dzeko-led side that won the league title in 2009 under Felix Magath but they are talented nonetheless.
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT WOLFSBURG WE DON’T KNOW.
The club was born out of a sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city and is a owned by an arm of the car manufacturer.
SO, DO EVERTON HAVE A CHANCE?
The buzz at Goodison Park in just over two weeks’ time could prove an intimidating factor for the Germans and represents a great chance to catch them cold.
Everton will have little fear in travelling to Germany either.
The two games could prove decisive in the Blues’ Europa League fate.
LILLE
Belgium's Divock Origi will play against Everton while on loan at Lille
WHEN?
Everton go to the Stade Pierre Mauroy on October 23 with the French side heading to Goodison on November 6.
WHO ARE THEY?
The Ligue 1 outfit who finished third last season and so qualified for the preliminary rounds of the Champions League.
However that’s as far as it went as FC Porto defeated them over two legs in the final qualifying round to send Lille sliding into the second tier of European club competition.
ARE THEY ANY GOOD IN EUROPE?
Kind of, but not really. Winners of the snazzy Intertoto Cup in 2004, Lille can also lay claim to having lifted the exotically named Latin Cup in 1951. Their best European run of recent times came in 2010 when they reached the last 16 of the Europa League but they did qualifiy for the Champions League in 2010/11 and 2011/12.
HAVE EVERTON PLAYED THEM BEFORE?
No.
WHO IS THEIR MANAGER?
The big cheese at the French club is René Girard. The 60-year-old was a France international as a player and went on to manage the national under-16, u-19 and u-21 teams in between spells at clubs.
But Girard’s greatest triumph as a boss is without doubt the Ligue 1 title he brought to unfancied Montpellier in 2012.
“We’re a club of mates,” he said after the title win.
HAVE THEY HAD ANY FORMER EVERTON PLAYERS?
They once had a current Blue in their ranks: Kevin Mirallas played for Les Dogues from 2005-2009 after joining as a teenager. Mirallas made just over 40 appearances for Lille before moving on to St Etienne.
WHICH PLAYERS SHOULD WE LOOK OUT FOR?
Their Liverpool player!
Divock Origi after signing for LiverpoolDivock Origi after signing for Liverpool
Belgium forward Divock Origi (above) put pen to paper on a £10m deal with the Reds this summer and then was immediately loaned back to the side that had sold him.
Lille also boast former Chelsea attacker Solomon Kalou in their ranks and he was the side’s top scorer last season with 16.
Marcos Lopes, the gifted Portuguese youngster, is on loan from Manchester City.
THE STADE PIERRE IS LOVELY ISN’T IT?
It certainly looks it.
Lille’s new home - the Stade Pierre-Mauroy - was opened in 2012 and replaced the Stadium Lille Metropole.
The ground is said to hold around 50,000 with the French side regularly drawing crowds of around 30-40,000.
CAN THEY WIN THE TROPHY?As one of the teams to be drawn from Pot One on Friday, they should start as one of the favourites but their European pedigree suggests they may fall short.
TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT LILLE WE DON’T KNOW
The club was only founded in 1944 following the merger of Olympique Lillois and SC Fives.
SO DO EVERTON HAVE A CHANCE?
Lille’s heaviest home defeat in the competition is only by one goal so they appear a tough cookie on French soil.
They have also made it out of the group stage the last two times they have been in the Europa League so know their way around.
A draw in France could prove a very useful result for Everton.
FC KRASNODAR
WHEN?
Everton make the long old trip to southern Russia on matchday two on October 2 before rounding off their Group H campaign with a home game against them on December 11.
WHO ARE THEY?
Good question.
People are lying (or just play Football Manager loads) if they say they know plenty about FC Krasnodar.
The Russian Premier League side was only formed six years ago and only made it into the domestic top flight in 2011.
Krasnodar is located on the Kuban River and lies northeast of the Black Sea.
ARE THEY ANY GOOD IN EUROPE?
We’ll soon find out as this is their first season of European competition.
Although it must be said they have momentum after storming through three stages of qualifying to reach the group stage.
Goals for: 20. Goals against: 2.
HAVE EVERTON PLAYED THEM BEFORE?
No. This is new ground for the Blues. Very cold, new ground.
WHO IS THEIR MANAGER?
Aleh Konanaw. A former Belarus Player of the Year, Konanaw moved into management in Moldova, Ukraine and then into his Russian homeland.
He guided Karpaty Lviv into the Europa League group stages in 2010-11.
HAVE THEY HAD ANY FORMER EVERTON PLAYERS?
Not any we could spot.
WHICH PLAYERS SHOULD WE LOOK OUT FOR?
A question Roberto Martinez and his backroom staff are probably asking themselves right now.
For the past two seasons, midfielder Wanderson has been the side’s top scorer although fellow Brazilian Ari has bagged four goals in five Europa League appearances so far.
THE KUBAN STADIUM IS LOVELY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, RIGHT?
Hopefully.
The near 32,000 capacity stadium is shared by FC Krasnodar and FC Kuban Krasnodar. It was first opened in 1960.
CAN THEY WIN THE TROPHY?
The Echo is going to stick its neck out and say ‘no’. But be sure that sides will come unstuck at Krasnodar and must repsect them after they dumped Real Sociedad out in the final qualifying round.
TELL US SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT KRASNODAR?
You mean you knew all that already? Ok...they are nickmaned The Bulls.
SO, DO EVERTON HAVE A CHANCE?
At home, the Blues will be confident of victory.
But travelling thousands of miles into unknown territory against largely unknown opposition will put the management and squad to the test.
Could be tricky.
A positive result there in October would be a real statement of intent from the Blues.
Source: Echo
