Adriaanse hope for Alkmaar

By Marcus Christenson

At the start of the 2004/05 season, few people would have predicted that AZ Alkmaar would have topped the Dutch Eredivisie at the winter break and gone into their game in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup as overwhelming favourites.

Winning formula
Yet here we are in February and Alkmaar coach Co Adriaanse is having to spend a considerable amount of his time explaining how he has catapulted the team from the Dutch west coast into the European limelight. "All you need is a clear philosophy and a clear vision," Adriaanse told uefa.com.

EURO example
"I think it is possible for small teams to be successful in Europe,” he added. “If you analyse the last [UEFA] European Championship you see that teams such as Spain, France, the Netherlands or England didn't win it. Greece won the tournament and it showed that the team is more important than anything. I feel that we have a chance to win the UEFA Cup. Why not?"

Work ethic
The 57-year-old former AFC Ajax coach, who announced that he is stepping down at the end of the season, has created a tremendous team spirit at Alkmaar and the fact that everyone is working hard for each other is a key concept. "It is quite easy with football," said Adriaanse. "If the club knows exactly what it wants and you have players who work hard for each other, then you can beat clubs who have far more money than you have."

Group winners
And during the 2004/05 season, Alkmaar have done just that. They started by beating Greek side FC PAOK in the UEFA Cup first round and then finished top of Group F ahead of AJ Auxerre, Grazer AK, Rangers FC and KS Amica Wronki to qualify for the last 32. Now they face German second division side TSV Alemannia Aachen and the fact that Alkmaar are second in the Eredivisie has seen them billed as favourites.

'A very strong team'
"That may not be a good position for us but I have already made it clear to my team that Aachen have a very good side," said Adriaanse. "I have watched some tapes of Aachen and they beat Roda [JC], who are a strong team in Holland, in a friendly. They play attacking football and have a strong, Dutch forward in Erik Meijer so I think they have a very, very strong team."

Little experience
Alkmaar start the tie away on Thursday with the return leg a week later. And in the meantime, Adriaanse and his team are trying to keep up with PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie. "It is easier to reach the top than to stay there," said Adriaanse. "Teams like PSV, Ajax and Feyenoord have a lot of players who are used to the pressure of being top of the league. We haven't and the coming months will be decisive.

Good atmosphere
"But we have a very good and very balanced team. And if one player is not on top form I have very good substitutes to choose from. We have a good atmosphere in the squad and a fixed idea of how to play," Adriaanse added. And with a group of players such as striker Danny Landzaat, veteran playmaker Barry van Galen and Danish striker Kenneth Perez, the Alkmaar fairytale could yet continue for some time.