De Boer promises improvement

By Iain Spragg

Frank de Boer admits Galatasaray SK are desperate to make amends for a bitterly disappointing domestic and European campaign last season as they prepare to launch their UEFA Champions League Group D bid against Juventus FC in Turin's Delle Alpi stadium on Wednesday night.

Broken dreams
The Turkish giants finished bottom of Group H in the first stage last year behind De Boer's former club FC Barcelona, FC Lokomotiv Moskva and Club Brugge KV and also surrendered their Turkish title to Besiktas JK. In truth, it was a season of high expectation in Istanbul that ended with a whimper rather than a bang.

Weight of expectation
"I have learnt about the high standards this club sets itself since I signed and those standards were not met last season," De Boer told uefa.com. "The fans and the players were very disappointed and there is a resolve to put things right and show people this club can be strong in Europe again. The team is anxious not to make the same mistakes again.

Tough group
"We know it will be no easier to achieve these aims this season than it was last because we are in a difficult group with Juventus, Real Sociedad [de Fútbol] and Olympiacos [CFP] but we are not intimidated by this. The club has a good record in Europe over the last few years and has proved it can compete and it is our job to live up to those expectations."

Famous victory
Those expectations were lifted sky high in 2000 when Galatasaray became the first Turkish club to win a European trophy following their UEFA Cup final triumph over Arsenal FC on penalties. They were raised higher still the following season when the team were only denied a place in the last four of the Champions League by the might of Real Madrid CF.

New reality
However, the Turkish giants were brought back down to earth with a bump in their 2001/02 campaign when they finished bottom of their second group stage section behind FC Barcelona, Liverpool FC and AS Roma. De Boer acknowledges the club's recent successes have been hard to emulate but insists he would not have it any other way.

Reaching high
"The only way you can improve as a club and move permanently to a new level is to have big ambitions," the 33-year-old said. "Galatasaray's ambitions grew with their success in Europe and it would be wrong for anyone here not to aim so high. The biggest mistake would be to lose that ambition but that has not happened.

Good start
"Of course, Juventus in Italy is a huge challenge but we should not feel inferior. I know Juventus will be favourites but we have begun the season reasonably well and we shall see what happens. We are desperate to reach the knockout stages and a point or more from a game with Juventus in Italy would be a big step towards achieving that."

Personal mission
Wednesday night's clash in Turin also represents an early opportunity for De Boer to avenge his own Champions League elimination last season when Barcelona fell at the quarter-final stage to Juventus after a dramatic extra-time winner from Marcelo Zalayeta. "It was a horrible way to go out of the competition," De Boer said. "Although we were struggling in the league we knew we were playing well in Europe and everyone at the club had a feeling it could be our year to lift the trophy."