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Kanoute the key to Sevilla success, says Ramos
SEVILLE, Spain (AFP) - Sevilla coach Juande Ramos believes that Fredi Kanoute will get revenge over his old club Tottenham Hotspur when the two sides meet in the UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg on Thursday.
Kanoute failed to settle during his two seasons at White Hart Lane, and before that at West Ham, although the French-born Malian international striker did score 14 goals in 42 Premiership games during his stint with Spurs.
He moved to Sevilla at the start of last season and this year tops the Spanish first division scoring charts with 19 goals to his name.
"When I saw him playing in England I thought he could be a great player. I thought he would adapt quickly to Spanish football and the life that we have here," said Ramos at a press conference here on Wednesday.
Ramos added that he is expecting Kanoute to once again play through the pain barrier against his former club, blocking out the mild groin strain which has persisted since the start of the year.
Sevilla club medical officials said earlier on Wednesday that they thought Kanoute could survive until the end of the season without undergoing an operation.
"In Pamplona (the 0-0 draw at Osasuna on Sunday) he played 20 minutes and was in good condition after the game. A couple of days rest means that he should be healthy for tomorrow's game," added Ramos.
Sevilla are seeking to become only the second team to win back-to-back UEFA Cup competitions, after Real Madrid's successes in 1985 and 1986, but Ramos acknowledged that Tottenham pose the sternest threat to their defence so far.
"I think both teams in this fixture are equal. Maybe the advantage even lies with Tottenham because they are at home for the second leg so we are going to put in a tremendous effort here so that we have a chance of progressing."
Ramos revealed that he is a great fan of English football, although the admission will come as no surprise to neutrals in Spain who believe Sevilla are one of the most 'English-style' teams in La Liga in terms of their physical approach to games.
"I follow what goes on in the Premiership and I love its passion. I'd even like to coach in the Premiership one day although not just yet as I'm happy at Sevilla and want to stay here a lot longer."
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to line the streets watching the city's famous nightime religious holy week processions on Thursday, but Ramos is hoping that Sevilla fans will not abandon his side at the time of their greatest need.
"It's an uncomfortable date but against a tough rival (like Spurs) we need our fans behind us. Our fans can sometimes make opponents freeze and we don't want to lose that factor. At home our fans can be an added danger to the opposition," said Ramos.
The statistics endorse Ramos's point.
Sevilla have won 11 of their 13 La Liga matches at home this season and lost only once although they did also surprisingly lose 2-1 to Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the group stage of the UEFA Cup.
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