The UEFA Cup may be European football's No. 2 trophy. Don't tell that to fans of Sevilla.
"We can't wait for Thursday to arrive," Sevilla president Jose Maria del Nido said, looking forward to the first-leg semifinal in Gelsenkirchen against Schalke. In the other semifinal, Middlesbrough plays at Steaua Bucharest.
"Not just me, but all Sevilla fans are nervous because we have never faced such an important game," del Nido said.
Sevilla is trying to win its first trophy of any kind since 1948, with 3,100 fans making the trip to Germany. Unlike Schalke, which has won only one of its last seven, Sevilla is in sixth place in the Spanish league and is unbeaten in eight of its last nine games.
"Schalke is a team with a lot of European experience," Italian midfielder Enzo Maresca said. "They have played several years in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup although that doesn't mean anything. In soccer there are always surprises and we hope we can pull one off too."
Striker Frederic Kanoute and midfielder Antonio Puerta are back from injuries, but striker Kepa Blanco is suspended. Defender Ivica Dragutinovic and midfielder Jordi Lopez are doubtful with injuries.
Schalke is winless in four straight games, including Saturday's 1-1 draw with Cologne. Fans jeered the club off the field after the match.
Coach Mirko Slomka, who was promoted from assistant to head coach in mid-season, has been given a one-year extension despite failing to qualifying for the Champions League.
Slomka's team is creating few chances and converting even fewer, with striker Kevin Kuranyi going through a slump. Kuranyi could lose his spot in Germany's World Cup squad because of his current form.
In Bucharest, officials are bracing for trouble. About 2,000 fans of Middlesbrough are expected to be in town with about 3,000 police on duty for the game. Three helicopters and a rapid intervention force will also monitor events surrounding the match. Alcohol sales are also banned near the stadium.
The city hopes to impress UEFA officials to support its application to host the 2009 UEFA Cup final.
Steaua Bucharest owner Gigi Becali, a multimillionaire politician, has promised 100,000 euros (US$120,000) to each player if Steaua reaches the final.
The amount is high for Romania. One newspaper noted that Middlesbrough striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink earns more money than the entire Steaua team.
"They are relying on individual stars, while we rely on the team as a whole," Steaua coach Cosmin Olaroiu said.
Wigan 3, Aston Villa 2
Henri Camara scored two goals in five minutes on Tuesday to help Wigan beat Aston Villa 3-2 in the English Premier League.
Wigan, which won at home for the first time since Dec. 26, got its first goal in the 25th minute when Jimmy Bullard scored. Juan Pablo Angel equalized for the visitors in the 53rd.
Camara scored his goals in the 56th and 60th minutes. The first came from Reto Ziegler's cross, and the second was after Camara took advantage of a poor clearance from Villa's Gary Cahill.
Liam Ridgewell scored in the 67th to give Villa its second goal.
Wigan is in eighth place in the league with 51 points, while Villa is 15th with 39 points. It was Wigan's second win over Aston Villa this season.
"I was delighted," Wigan manager Paul Jewell said.
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