UEFA CUP final in 2010 triggered downward spiral for Fulham – South London News

BY ALESSANDRO SCHIAVONE

Brede Hangeland reckons that Fulham’s descent to relegation inferno in 2014 started after the membership made an unprecedented UEFA Cup remaining look 4 years earlier.

The Norwegian spent six years at Craven Cottage and was a part of the Fulham aspect that left Bundesliga sides VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburg HSV and file Serie A winners Juventus of their wake earlier than they got here up brief within the remaining towards Atletico Madrid.

Former defender Hangeland, who retired in 2016 following a two-year spell at Crystal Palace, emphasised that reaching the ultimate gave Fulham a false sense of safety as he laid naked the membership’s errors and lack of ability to construct on that success.

The 39-year outdated, who’s a revered pundit nowadays and at the moment covers the Premier League for Norwegian channel TV2 in his homeland, mirrored on his time in SW6 and pinpointed the explanations for the membership’s fall from grace within the house of 4 seasons.

He stated: “There was plenty of errors. We didn’t carry out effectively sufficient on the pitch and the membership progressively bought weaker because the European Cup remaining. Lots of people made massive errors.

“The relegation in 2014 was very unhappy and the darkest reminiscence not solely in Fulham however in my soccer profession. The best way it ended after we bought relegated after many good years was a darkish second.

“In 2010 we went to the European Cup remaining however we misplaced that, in order that wasn’t too good. The entire journey as much as that remaining was good however my greatest reminiscence is definitely my first 12 months after we nearly bought relegated. We needed to win at Portsmouth on the final day and we did that, in order that was essential for me and essential for the membership. That’s the very best reminiscence I’ve from Fulham.”

On their option to the UEFA Cup remaining Fulham had inflicted a shock 4-1 defeat on Juventus after falling behind to an early David Trezeguet objective.

It’s truthful to say that in these days it wasn’t the identical dominant Juve aspect of at this time because the Previous Woman had simply begun their resurgence from the bottom level of their historical past, the Serie B, earlier than they went on to reclaim their standing as the very best Italian group.

Solely three years earlier than that eventful tie Juve had nonetheless discovered themselves within the second tier of Italian soccer with the wonderful Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri years, the arrival of superstars akin to Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Cristiano Ronaldo and Matthijs De Ligt, the 9 consecutive Scudetti and the 2 Champions League finals nonetheless mendacity in wait.

However for Hangeland that doesn’t take the gloss off their heroic achievement as he nonetheless dines out on what he and his fellow Cottagers pulled off on that memorable night time.

“Our 4-1 win over Juventus is the best sport I’ve ever performed in. We had been 1-0 down, so 4-1 on mixture down after 5 minutes of the second leg and after that it was simply an journey and a fairytale for the remainder of the sport.”

Hangeland has delved into the explanations for why his former Fulham team-mate Adel Taarabt hasn’t fairly managed to hit the heights everybody anticipated earlier in his profession.

“He was a bit too relaxed in coaching however he was a pleasant man who had implausible potential on the ball. Once I see him I at all times urge him to work a bit tougher in coaching as a result of he may very well be an unbelievable participant.”

However at AC Milan, the place he spent the second a part of the 2013-2014 season on mortgage, he discovered one other gear and Hangeland admits that no eyebrows had been raised his finish after witnessing how the Moroccan set Serie A alight with the Rossoneri.

“I wasn’t actually [surprised] after I noticed him flourish at AC Milan as a result of it’s a really totally different kind of soccer in Italy and his ability, like I say, is implausible so I can see why it was a great fir for him again then.”

Hangeland recalled the dispiriting expertise of going head-to-head with prime Didier Drogba when the west London derbies between Chelsea and Fulham took centre stage.

“The primary Didier Drogba was the hardest opponent within the Premier League. In his early years at Chelsea in 2008, 2009, 2010 he was superb, the toughest participant I confronted, it was robust towards him.”

At weekends Hangeland locked horns with a few of the world’s greatest gamers in entrance of giant crowds, whereas after coaching throughout the week he typically took the prepare again residence like all bizarre particular person.

Whether or not that was at Motspur Park whereas at Fulham or in Beckenham, Hangeland was typically seen strolling to the station to catch the prepare residence.

This clearly stood in stark distinction to the standard picture of most Premier League footballers’s behavior of going to coaching with a flashy automotive however Hangeland didn’t care what others did.

“It was the straightforward cause that it was faster”, Hangeland chuckled.

“ I don’t care about picture or something like that. I simply wished to get residence the quickest manner after coaching and driving in London is a nightmare. Typically I bought recognised nevertheless it was not an issue as a result of folks in London had been at all times good to me.”

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