PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: APOEL V CHELSEA
Two thousand miles from home, Chelsea aim for the Champions League win that has been elusive outside of England. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton look closely at the match in the Med.
TALKING POINTS
Champions League novices APOEL have the task of facing a Chelsea side still stinging from domestic defeat at the hands of Wigan. The fact that the Nicosia side use the same formation as the Latics will give some indication as to whether Carlo Ancelotti's Christmas tree needs a few more bright lights to decorate it.
After the virus that laid him low last weekend, Joe Cole could provide one of them. Didier Drogba - arguably Chelsea's best performer on Saturday - serves the second of his three Uefa bans, José Bosingwa his second of two. With Ashley Cole and Mikel both limping away from the DW Stadium, the depleted Blues will be digging deep for victory in the Pancyprian Gymnastic Association Stadium again tonight, despite the more obvious importance of a home title tussle against Liverpool on Sunday.
KEY STAT
Chelsea are targeting a first away win in the Champions League group stage since 2007.
Greek Cypriots APOEL are making their home debut in the Champions League group stage. Arch-rivals Anorthosis Famagusta became the first side from the Mediterranean island to achieve that feat last season, but only managed one win (against Greek side Panathanaikos), three draws and two defeats.
Situated 44 miles south of Turkey and 500 miles off the coast of Greece, Cyprus is occupied by both Turkish and Greek Cypriots, often unhappy neighbours. APOEL are regarded as having nationalist supporters (which has spilled over into swastikas appearing in the home stands on occasion). The initials by which the club is known stand for Athletic Football Club of the Greeks of Nicosia. In fact political events have often accompanied on-field moments.
In mid-November 1963, APOEL recorded the worst defeat in the history of Uefa club competitions: 1-16 away to Sporting in Lisbon.
Two weeks later Greek Cypriot president Archbishop Makarios proposed changes to the island's young constitution that prompted minority Turkish Cypriot representatives to quit the government and usher in a period of dangerous uncertainty. This culminated in the Turkish invasion a decade later, and the division of the island into north and south. (Anorthosis had to relocate south to Larnaca in 1974.)
Tens of thousands of Cypriots were displaced and many sought refuge in London, the island having previously been occupied by the British. Naturally, there is a team called APOEL in north London's Cypriot Football League.
There was a more recent Chelsea export in the other direction: Portugal B international Nuno Morais joined APOEL in the summer of 2007 when his Chelsea contract had expired, having been with the Blues since 2004. His debut against Scunthorpe in the 2004/05 FA Cup at Stamford Bridge was his only start and he made a further eight appearances as a sub, including Bayern Munich away. The defender played for the Cypriots in their creditable 0-0 away draw with Atlético on Matchday One of this competition. He wears the same number as John Terry: 26.
In 1983 Turkish Cypriots set up a separate state in the north that was recognised only in Istanbul. Three years later the island's politics once again spilled into the sporting arena as APOEL were drawn against Turkish side Besiktas in the 1986/7 European Cup. The Greek Cypriot government forbade APOEL from playing Turkish opposition, and Uefa banned the club for a year as punishment.
APOEL competed in the European Cup in five seasons, failing to make it further than the first round. This is their fifth campaign in the Champions League.
Their form this season has been disastrous, with three league and Champions League defeats already - one fewer than the whole of last season. They are planted in mid-table of the Marfin Laiki Championship with five points from four matches, their worst start for 38 years.
However, a 3-0 win over struggling Doxa Katokopia at the GSP (pronounced Gah See Pee) stadium, with two goals from big summer signing from Murcia, Adrian Sikora, restored faith that their excellent home form will again underpin the quest for silverware.
Although APOEL's official colours are blue and yellow, most supporters have adopted a Petr Cech-style flaming orange. The stadium is a small open bowl, but the banked seats are close to the pitch and the passionate fans generate a considerable din.
Things can degenerate, however: their last home defeat was in May against fierce city rivals Omonia, a game abandoned at 2-0 to the visitors because of crowd trouble (one of five Cypriot matches to succumb to such trouble last season). The Cyprus FA ruled that the result should stand but no points be allocated.
Less violent spirit on and off the pitch saw APOEL through a tough assignment against Copenhagen in the final qualifying round for the group stage. They trailed 0-1 from the away leg, but triumphed 3-1 in Nicosia.
Following APOEL's draw in Madrid, doubts must have arisen in Atlético's minds that they can progress from the group. Their visit to Porto, impressive at the Bridge two weeks back, takes on renewed importance for both teams.
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