Soccer

Talk of Celtic unavoidable as Linfield face San Marino champs

David Healy found it hard to avoid talk of Celtic as he faced the press ahead of tonight's Champions League clash with La Fiorita
David Healy found it hard to avoid talk of Celtic as he faced the press ahead of tonight's Champions League clash with La Fiorita David Healy found it hard to avoid talk of Celtic as he faced the press ahead of tonight's Champions League clash with La Fiorita

UEFA Champions League first qualifying round, first leg: Linfield v La Fiorita (today, 7.45pm, National Stadium)

THE prize is no secret. It’s potentially huge for Linfield, in terms of profile and finance. But all the best-laid plans will be laid to waste if their eyes are off the ball.

When David Healy speaks of needing to give full respect to ‘San Marino’, as he refers to La Fiorita as repeatedly throughout yesterday’s press conference, you sense the element of danger.

Has any Irish League champion ever gone into a Champions League qualifier with such a sense of frivolous expectation hanging over them? It’s highly doubtful given the woeful record in the competition.

The Blues have come closest on a couple of occasions to clambering through a round of Europe’s premier competition but still no club from the north has won a two-legged tie in the Champions League era.

The IFA’s strategic plan, which was revealed on Monday, is set to work towards improving that record by suggesting a move towards summer football.

That was one element of the European success enjoyed by Dundalk last year, as well as Cork City’s win over Linfield in a Europa League qualifier, but it’s about more than just playing through summer.

“It’s a wee bit harder from where we are as a club, because we aren’t full-time professionals, we don’t have the players four or five days a week like Dundalk did.

“I understand people talking about we should be doing this or that, but there has to be a realisation of where we’re actually at. We’re in part-time football.

“Expectation levels can be driven by other people asking questions about should Linfield be here or there, should Crusaders have been.

“Dundalk and Shamrock Rovers is two out of 50 or 60 tries, and they’ve been full-time. You see a lot of clubs nearly going bust by pursuing and trying to get into the future rounds of the European Cups.”

The Sanmarinese champions, winners of their domestic title for the fourth time in their 50-year history, have scored one goal in their ten previous European outings, all of which they have lost.

Title winning coach Luigi Bizzotto has been replaced by Nicola Berardi and the Sanmarinese amateurs will be without captain Andy Selva, who is ruled out of both legs with an Achilles injury.

Linfield will be without centre-half Jimmy Callacher, whose hip injury would rule him out of the potential tie with Celtic should they qualify.

There could be debuts for Andy Mitchell and Jordan Stewart, while Robert Garrett could also be involved following his return from Portadown.

Healy’s part-timers have had to cut short their summer holiday, which in a way has worked out for them.

They were back on duty as of June 12, just over six weeks post their Irish Cup final win over Coleraine that sealed what looked earlier in the season like the most unlikely of domestic doubles.

”Boys came in to pre-season and the fitness results they’d left with last season have improved.

“We’ve come back with the shorter break and it didn’t give them too long to get out of shape or lacking in fitness. They’ve come back and been sharp and ready.”

Inevitably, Celtic were on the agenda for the assembled press and while he didn’t reference them by name, Healy admitted his players would only be human if they were excited by the prospect.

“On the training pitch, we’ve talked about doing our job. Our job is the San Marino champions. That’s all we’ve spoken about.

“People wouldn’t be human if they don’t read papers or talk about it to their friends. But one thing we won’t do is disrespect the San Marino champions by talking about this and that.”

Linfield simply cannot afford to slip up, in either the financial or the footballing sense. They really shouldn't.