Wicky anchors Hamburg ambitions

Monaco match
Hamburg top Group A having won their opening two matches, and if midfielder Wicky can help them to victory at AS Monaco FC's Stade Louis II tonight, their place in the UEFA Cup knockout rounds will be an odds-on certainty.

German comeback
Having already played in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen, Wicky joined Hamburg in the 2001/02 campaign from Spanish side Club Atlético de Madrid. He had teething problems but eventually became established in the starting lineup and has subsequently grown in stature.

Coach's praise
"If Raphael is fit, he is in the team," explained coach Thomas Doll, underlining how Wicky has cemented his position, edging Guy Demel out of the midfield four as he provides the defensive platform for the more attack-minded Rafael van der Vaart and Stefan Beinlich.

Industrious talent
In a side boasting plenty of brash characters - Van der Vaart, Sergej Barbarez, Daniel Van Buyten and Beinlich - Wicky is something of an unheralded talent, going about his work quietly but effectively to give the northern German club a steely core.

Creative potential
His main strength is his man-to-man marking and tackling but he has impressive technique and is able to play a creative role too, allowing the ball to move briskly through midfield, and using his excellent reading of the game to supply the right pass when the opportunity arises.

Praise for Hamburg
Hamburg have clearly warmed to Wicky, and the player is enjoying his stay there. "For some time now the club have established a strong team with the right tactics," he told uefa.com. "The players who join us fit into the team and this is the reason for our success."

European prestige
Having signed a contract until 2008, Wicky is an integral part of Hamburg's plans to challenge the top sides in Germany and regain the sort of European prestige which brought them the 1976/77 UEFA Cup and the 1982/83 European Champion Clubs' Cup. Only time will tell how far they can go.