Regime changes leave their mark

Monday, 5 February 2007
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Two clubs with new coaches, Rangers FC and Paris Saint-Germain FC, were among the busier sides during the transfer window as uefa.com rounds up the deals involving the UEFA Cup contenders.

Changing policy
Paul Le Guen's French revolution at Rangers may have taken the Glasgow club through the UEFA Cup group stage, but failures at home led to the coach's dismissal with Scotland manager Walter Smith returning to take charge at Ibrox. Smith brought swift changes with the signings of veteran defenders Ugo Ehiogu and David Weir, and the €3m arrival of Hibernian FC midfielder Kevin Thomson symbolising the latest change of regime. Should Smith's changes prove successful, Rangers would face a remarkably short trip to the final at Glasgow's Hampden Park.

PSG remodelled
Le Guen was not to remain unemployed for long, taking up the post at PSG left vacant by Guy Lacombe's departure. Jérémy Clément, one of the players he took to Rangers, was among his first signings, with his former Olympique Lyonnais charge Péguy Luyindula adding to the attacking armoury on transfer deadline day. In big moves elsewhere Derlei returned from FC Dinamo Moskva to join SL Benfica and UEFA Cup holders Sevilla FC snared Aleksandr Kerzhakov from FC Zenit St. Petersburg in a €5m deal.

Sad tales
Finally, spare a thought for two players whose careers with their new clubs got off to a bad start. Freshly arrived from Figuerense FC, goalkeeper Andrey Nazário Afonso was ruled out of FC Steaua Bucuresti's Round of 32 match against Sevilla after damaging his left knee during his first training session in Romania. In Israel, meanwhile, Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC's Chilean striker Manuel Alejandro Neira was ruled out for the season just three minutes into his first appearance in a friendly game for the club after sustaining a double fracture of his ankle. "Poor Neira is crying his eyes out," said team captain Josef Abukasis. "He only landed here four or five days ago and now his season is over."

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