Friday December 15, 2006
Staff and agencies, Guardian Unlimited

Blackburn head to Germany, Newcastle are Belgium-bound and Rangers must go to Israel

The away leg of Tottenham's Uefa Cup tie against Feyenoord could be played behind closed doors because of possible disciplinary action against the Dutch club, it emerged today.

Uefa has appealed against their independent disciplinary tribunal's sentence of a suspended two-match stadium ban for Feyenoord, which was imposed after rioting fans caused their game at Nancy to be held up for 30 minutes.

"We have appealed before on a number of occasions," the Uefa communications director, William Gaillard, said. "In this case, the prosecutor considers the sentence is not severe enough. The reasoning is that there have been so many previous incidents [involving Feyenoord]."

Mr Gaillard said Uefa is asking the disciplinary commission to reconsider the matter, with potential more severe penalties including the sentence not being suspended. The appeal will be heard early next month.
Spurs and Feyenoord have met four times in European competition, with two wins each. Tottenham supporters rioted after the 1974 Uefa Cup final second leg in Rotterdam following the Dutch club's 4-2 aggregate victory.

The last 32 tie marks a managerial return to the Netherlands for the Tottenham boss Martin Jol, who spent six years with RKC Waalwijk. The north Londoners – who last night beat Dinamo Bucharest 3-1 to secure their fourth straight Uefa Cup group victory – will play the first leg away from home on February 14 or 15, with the return at White Hart Lane on February 21 or 22.

"It will be a very competitive tie and very interesting – it's a difficult place to play," the Tottenham sporting director, Damien Comolli, said. "For Martin [Jol], it will be even more interesting, because he is going back home. That's an advantage because he knows all their players and he knows the way they play, but we will need character and quality to go through."

Blackburn Rovers face a tricky tie against Germans Bayer Leverkusen, and will be looking to make the most of home advantage in the first leg.

Meanwhile, Newcastle's reward for topping Group H is a two-legged match against the little-known Belgian side Zulte Waregem, while Rangers have been drawn against Hapoel Tel Aviv. Both Newcastle and Rangers will play their away ties first. The four British clubs remaining in the competition today also discovered which teams they could face if they make it through to the last 16.

Spurs would face the winners of the tie between Braga and Parma, Newcastle would tackle Fenerbahce or AZ Alkmaar, Blackburn would take on Lens or Panathinaikos, and Rangers would play either Bordeaux or Osasuna.

The cup holders, Sevilla, face a difficult test against Steaua Bucharest, who finished third in their Champions League group.

The last 16 ties will be played on March 8 and March 14 or 15.

The full draw for the Uefa Cup last 32:

Zulte Waregem v Newcastle
Braga v Parma
Lens v Panathinaikos
Leverkusen v Blackburn
Hapoel Tel Aviv v Rangers
Livorno v Espanyol
Feyenoord v Tottenham
Fenrbahce v AZ Alkmaar
Werder Bremen v Ajax
Spartak Moscow v Celta Vigo
CSKA Moscow v Maccabi Haifa
AEK Athens v PSG
Benfica v Dinamo Bucharest
Steaua Bucharest v Sevilla
Shakhtar v Nancy
Bordeaux v Osasuna

The draw for the Uefa Cup last 16:

Zulte Waregem or Newcastle v Fenerbahce or AZ Alkmaar
CSKA Moscow or Maccabi Haifa v Livorno or Espanyol
Hapoel Tel Aviv or Rangers v Bordeaux or Osasuna
Braga or Parma v Feyenoord or Tottenham
Steaua Bucharest or Sevilla v Shakhtar or Nancy
Lens or Panathinaikos v Leverkusen or Blackburn
AEK Athens or PSG v Benfica or Dinamo Bucharest
Spartak Moscow or Celta Vigo v Werder Bremen or Ajax

First leg matches are due to be played on March 8, with the second leg fixtures being played on March 14 and 15.