Schalke seek to extend Fradi misery

FC Schalke 04 will be hoping to extend Ferencvárosi TE's poor sequence of results on their travels to Germany when the two sides meet on the third matchday of the 2004/05 UEFA Cup group stage.

Unbeaten start
Schalke, the 1997 UEFA Cup winners, began the group stage with a 1-1 draw at home against FC Basel 1893 on the opening matchday, but then secured their first win with a 1-0 win at Heart of Midlothian FC, and now meet Hungarian opposition in UEFA club competitions for the first time.

One draw from five
Ferencváros, after being exempt in the first round of games, then held Feyenoord to a home 1-1 draw in their opening game, and travel to Schalke looking for their first win on German soil. Their best return came in their first visit, with a 1-1 draw at TSV Eintracht Braunschweig in the third round of the 1971/72 UEFA Cup, and an eventual win on aggregate by 6-3 as the Hungarians went through the semi-finals. Fradi have subsequently made four trips to Germany and lost on each occasion. In the second round of 1976/77 European Champion Clubs’ Cup, they lost 4-0 at 1. FC Dynamo Dresden as they exited the competition 4-1 on aggregate. Two years later, the Hungarians again visited the former German Democratic Republic, where they were beaten 1-0 by 1. FC Magdeburg. Although the Budapest side won the return leg 2-1, they were eliminated from the competition on away goals. 

Bremen victorious
In more recent times, Ferencváros were drawn against Werder Bremen in the second round of the 1991/92 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and lost 3-2 away and 1-0 at home as Bremen went onto win the Cup. Finally, in the second round of the 2002/03 UEFA Cup, following a 0-0 draw at Budapest against VfB Stuttgart, the Hungarians lost the return leg 2-0. The result brought the tally to four defeats and a draw in their five previous visits to Germany.