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sportinglife - Osasuna president Patxi Izco
has urged his players have to put their Champions League disappointments
behind them and train their sights on getting a good start to the Primera
Liga season with a win over Getafe on Sunday.
The Navarrans failed to make the Champions League group stages in their
first sortie into Europe's elite competition after being knocked out by
Hamburg on the away goals rule following a 1-1 draw this week.
But Izco believes a place in the UEFA Cup is more than a consolation for a
side more used to worrying about relegation every season.
"We went out with our heads held high, playing good football, and we should
be pleased with what we achieved. Sixteen other Spanish teams would gladly
swap places with us," Izco said.
"It is the second consecutive year we have played in the UEFA Cup, which is
important for us for the experience it gives us on the sporting side and for
the money we generate from it."
The team from Pamplona were one of the surprise packages last season as they
finished an impressive fourth in the league behind the more familiar names
of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia.
But as so often happens with modest teams, success attracted the interest of
the big boys and Mexican coach Javier Aguirre was lured away to Atletico
Madrid.
Aguirre was replaced by the untried Jose Angel Ziganda, while playing
reinforcements have been difficult to come by.
Iran midfielder Javad Nakouman has been brought in along with young Real
Madrid striker Roberto Soldado, of whom much is expected.
"We have a better team than last year and I am sure they are going to give
us much to cheer about this season," Izco added.
"The league starts again on Sunday and we need to focus ourselves once more
on the demands that that presents, which is at the end of the day our main
concern."
Whereas Osasuna have made few changes to their squad, Sunday's visitors to
the Reyno de Navarra stadium, Getafe, have undergone a major overhaul of
their side.
Despite achieving a respectable ninth place finish in only their second
season in the top flight, German coach Bernd Schuster has set about
reconstructing the side and raising expectations that they could aspire to
the European places.
But Getafe's Romanian defender Cosmin Contra recognises that a trip to face
his former club is no easy start for the side, if they want to try and
repeat last year's feats.
"They will be looking to bounce back after their exit from the Champions
League, so it will be important for us to not let them play the way they
want to play at home," Contra said.
"A win would settle us all and allow us to approach the upcoming games in a
more relaxed atmosphere."
Argentina goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri will probably make his debut
between the posts but compatriot Luis Angel Albin is sidelined with a knee
injury. Midfielder Angel Vivar Dorado is an injury doubt.
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