Source: Team_Talk
Riise is Ful of Euro vision
John Arne Riise has dismissed the Europa League naysayers and believes Fulham can achieve something special in this year's competition.[LNB] The west Londoners gained a place in the competition through the Fair Play league, which resulted in their season starting on June 30 against NSI Runavik.[LNB]Having seen off the Faroese minnows with relative ease, Fulham face Northern Ireland part-timers Crusaders tonight with a 3-1 lead from the first leg of their second qualifying round clash.[LNB]Fulham have a special relationship with the competition after finishing as runner-up in 2010 and former Champions League winner Riise is gunning for further success.[LNB]"You can see by the team the manager puts out that we're taking this competition seriously," he said. "He wants to play to win and I think we are in this competition because it is great to be in Europe.[LNB]"And like I said to you, getting to the final was a great achievement for the club and if we can do something similar this year it is going to be awesome.[LNB]"But I think we'll have to take it one game at a time and see where we go."[LNB]Riise is set to make his Fulham debut after joining from Serie A outfit Roma.[LNB]The former Liverpool man's transfer ends a three-year absence from English football and sees him link up with his brother Bjorn Helge in west London.[LNB]While admitting he is delighted to be able to play alongside his brother, Riise insists there are plenty of other reasons behind his move.[LNB]"I've settled in very well," he said. "I knew some things about the club before I came here through my brother.[LNB]"I'm really enjoying it and training has been really good.[LNB]"Bjorn obviously knows the club well from the inside.[LNB]"He knows the players, the staff, and the way the team trains and how the club takes care of their players.[LNB]"It's a big issue that my brother is here the main thing is I know it is a good squad that works hard.[LNB]"I like the manager and how he thinks about football, how the chairman runs the club, so there were a lot of factors involved in my decision to come to come back.[LNB]"And obviously being able to play in the Premier League was a big, big thing."
