Sport

Laursen: I'd pay to play for Villa
by Ben Blackmore, 05 July 2008

Laursen: I'd pay to play for Villa

Martin Laursen insists he will be treating the Intertoto Cup as seriously as any Champions League match he ever played for Milan.

The Aston Villa defender has vast experience in European football, having made over 20 appearances for Milan in the European Cup.

That will not dampen his desire to drag Villa through an arduous Intertoto campaign though, which offers a place in the Uefa Cup for the winner.

For some players the early start to the season might seem like a chore, but Laursen insists he would pay a lot of money to play in every game of the season – as he did last year.

"I played every game last season and I would pay a lot of money to do the same again this season. That was my big aim a year ago and it is still my big aim this time,” Laursen told Villa’s official website.

"I spent too long injured here and I just want to play football. I want to play games and I am doing everything that I can to stay fit and play as many games as possible.”

Turning his attentions to an Intertoto Cup meeting with either TPS Turku of Finland or Danish side Odense BK, Laursen revealed he cannot wait to get going.

“I haven't played European football for this club but I've been lucky enough to play European football for my previous club and it is special.

"Playing in The Premier League is a big, big thing and you play top sides and top quality players every week. But to play in European football means to play against other teams you're not used to playing against. It's something special, something new and interesting.

"It's a special feeling, like playing for your country and I think it will be a great experience for the players at Villa who have not yet played European football."

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Comments

VillasHardcore - 07 July 2008 18:59: Laursen was by far the best player of last season, a true professional who's loyalty these days is rare, UEFA Cup here we come; Report this to a moderator

BarryRafasbenchwarmer - 07 July 2008 09:58: I love Larson's attitude - along with Davies, he speaks to the press the way he plays football, with boyish enthusiasm and optimism and with 100% commitment. Maybe he and Davies could run a seminar for other players at Villa Park esp. you know who! about how to deal with the press!!!; Report this to a moderator

VillaYank - 07 July 2008 01:59: Laursen will make a great skipper. Works as hard as anyone, When healthy, top prem player. Type of player that will help Villa move on without Barry as long as MON gets 4-5 quality frontliners. We can't have Knight starting too often and Nelson won't be coming. MON better get going this week...; Report this to a moderator

Will - 07 July 2008 01:35: Because if uefa ratings Aston Villa enter the Intertoto in the 3rd round, so plays ONE 2-legged match to qualify into the 2nd qualifing round of the Uefa cup. 11 sucessful teams in the Intertoto then go into the 2nd qualifing of the Uefa cup and the team the reaching the furthest in the Uefa cup wins the intertoto. So for example, if an intertoto team was sucessfull and won the uefa cup the team would also win the intertoto ie the 2 european competitions. This is about the same entry point as Man City (via fair play) in the UEFA 1st qualifying round who have to beat a team from the Faroe Islands to reach the UEFA 2nd qualifing round. Once passed the UEFA 2nd qualifing round then Villa, ManC join Everton, Portsmouth Spurs in a further round before the group stages. Clubs used to decline the intertoto in the old format, but since 2007 Uefa has merged it into the Uefa cup structure to be in effect a UEFA 1st qualiifing round for clubs with higher UEFA ratings; Report this to a moderator

tmepol - 06 July 2008 17:49: I agree laursen would make an excellent captain as he and not greedy gareth was our best player last season.; Report this to a moderator

"?"... do your home work before you open your gob and start throwing insults. madladdy is correct. - 06 July 2008 09:51: baddaddy; Report this to a moderator

? - 06 July 2008 09:27: madladdy.. what do u mean ONE two-legged match? the intertoto cup is a competition u fool! if that was the case then about 10 teams would qualify for the uefa cup via the intertoto cup lol; Report this to a moderator

stanlaurel65 - 05 July 2008 18:07: We will make uefa proper this season,and Laursen will make a superb captain this year.; Report this to a moderator

schlomo - 05 July 2008 16:24: yeah i never really understand why clubs have a history of declining entry to the inter-toto cup.; Report this to a moderator

madladdy - 05 July 2008 16:07: "arduous Intertoto campaign" ?????????? Are you sure??? Villa have to play ONE two legged match - home and away. Win that and we're in the Uefa cup.. hardly arduous!!; Report this to a moderator

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