Blackburn Rovers

Mark Hughes believes Blackburn Rovers can lift the UEFA Cup because the Barclays Premiership is such a strong league.
They face their stiffest test to date on Wednesday when they face Bayer Leverkusen in the first leg of the round of 32 in Germany.

But Hughes is looking at the bigger picture - the final at Glasgow’s Hampden Park - and the Rovers boss has taken confidence from the way his side won their group without losing a game.

He said: “We feel we have a real opportunity to win the competition. This is a great chance for everyone here.

“You always need a bit of luck, but we have not faced anyone we’ve had a real problem with.

“That’s because of the quality and strength of the league we play in week in, week out.

“We have also grown from the experience of playing in the UEFA Cup, and our away form is good.”

Leverkusen are perhaps not showing the form that made them one of German football’s powerhouses, but Hughes is aware they will be dangerous opponents.

The Bundesliga side currently lie seventh in the table and finished third in the UEFA Cup group stages behind Tottenham Hotspur.

“They are a decent team and have some good individual talent," said Hughes. “We have had them watched four or five times, so we know what to expect.

“But we are a difficult side to beat. We can go there with a positive outlook because there will be opportunities to get a goal.”

Left-back Stephen Warnock is eligible for the match even though he played in the Champions League for Liverpool.

Stephane Henchoz could make his first appearance in the competition while David Dunn should be available despite suffering a dead leg in the defeat by Everton.

Blackburn Rovers have been handed a tough tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup.

The draw was made in Monaco earlier today at Rovers have been paired up with Austrian side FC Salzburg.

Salzburg are riding high at the moment, topping their league with four wins and two draws from their six games so far.

It promises to be a tough test for Mark Hughes' side who have not set the world alight with their start to the season.

Ties are expected to be played on the 14th & 28th of September.

There are more reports today linking Rovers with a move for PSV Eindoven defender Andre Ooijer

The central defender is said to be a target of manager Mark Hughes and he wants to team up the player with Ryan Nelson, who Portsmouth have been monitoring very closely.

Ooijer has made 18 appearances for the Dutch national side and was involved in this year's World Cup campaign.

The 22 year old will be seen as a cheaper alternative to Robert Huth who's asking price is a cool £5 million.

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Blackburn Rovers do not have any European Trophy in their collection , but they are going to
play in the European UEFA cup in the season of 2006-2007.

UEFA cup adventures

In 2001-02, the club marked their first season back in the Premiership with a tenth-place finish. More significantly, Blackburn won their first-ever League Cup by beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Blackburn's progress under Souness continued in 2002-03 when they finished sixth (on the last day) to qualify for the UEFA Cup for the second season running.

Return to Europe

Following a 1-0 victory over league champions Chelsea F.C., Blackburn secured the 6th place in the league and a spot in the UEFA Cup for the 2006-07 season - their third European qualification in five years, and their sixth foray into Europe since 1994. Fans will be hoping for this success to continue and for Blackburn to finally be a success in europe.