Luis Fabiano fired up for Stuttgart 'final'

Sevilla FC striker Luis Fabiano said tonight's Group G game against VfB Stuttgart was "some sort of a final" as the Spanish side aim to go far in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Decisive encounter
The 28-year-old has scored in both of Sevilla's wins against FC Unirea Urziceni and Rangers FC, and with Stuttgart, their nearest rivals in the section, already four points behind, Luis Fabiano believes victory would go a long way to confirming a place in the first knockout round. "We have to show great intelligence in the way we play, but we have definitely come here to win and want to continue our good run," said Luis Fabiano, who leads the UEFA Champions League with three assists this season. "It is some sort of a final as we know we are pretty much through to the next round with a win. We know what we're capable of."

Transfer speculation
The whole of Europe now knows what Luis Fabiano is capable of, thanks to his record of 49 goals in 110 Liga games. AC Milan made a formal offer for him in the summer, which was refused. "I am happy to be at Sevilla," he said. "It's not my fault people start rumours. If the club want to talk about a contract extension, I am ready to listen. My family are at home here too, so there are enough good reasons." Speculation over the player's future is likely to intensify further following his inclusion on the 30-man short list for this season's Ballon d'Or. "That was a nice surprise and it is good for me and good for Sevilla," he said. "It would be a dream to finish in the top five, but that will be really difficult as there are a lot of big players on the list with many more titles than me."

Semi-final target
His coach Manuel Jiménez has no doubt that Luis Fabiano deserves his place among the top players in the world. "He is one of the top three players in Europe, that's definite," insisted the 45-year-old. "He is already an experienced player and has achieved quite a lot so far. He is a caring person who is the total embodiment of the team." To date, Luis Fabiano has netted two UEFA Cups, one UEFA Super Cup and the 2007 Copa del Rey with Sevilla, and UEFA Champions League success could yet be within his grasp. "We have a great team, strong players and play well," he said. "We can go far this year, but we know it will be very difficult later in the competition, because many strong teams will be there. Reaching the semis would be a huge success."