Source: Northern_Echo
McClaren: Our European heroics were overlooked because we were Middlesbrough
STEVE McClaren has reflected on Middlesbrough's unforgettable UEFA Cup run and claimed: "If we had been based anywhere else in the country, it would still be celebrated as the greatest footballing achievement of the decade."[LNB] This year marks the fifth anniversary of Boro's journey to the UEFA Cup final in Eindhoven, a run that saw a self-styled 'Small Town in Europe' rub shoulders with the continental elite.[LNB] In memorable matches against Basle and Steaua Bucharest, the Teessiders twice clawed back three-goal deficits in the space of less than an hour.[LNB] Today's Northern Echo includes the first of a two-part series in which McClaren shares his memories of the UEFA Cup campaign.[LNB] And while Middlesbrough supporters will never forget the highs and lows of the 2005-06 season, the former Boro boss claims others have been rather too quick to forget.[LNB] "When you look back on what happened, and try to take stock of it, it's really incredible," said McClaren, who left his post at the Riverside shortly after the UEFA Cup final to take charge of the England national team. "What the team did is simply not normal.[LNB] "We were a group of wide-eyed innocents, some youngsters and some older players who hadn't really much European experience, but we made it all the way to the final and were involved in two of the greatest European games of all time.[LNB] "If this had happened anywhere else in the country, it would still be celebrated as the greatest footballing achievement of the decade. Instead, because we were Middlesbrough, it's already been forgotten about.[LNB] "If we had been Newcastle, or any of the teams in London, the interest and exposure for what we achieved would still be massive. I wouldn't say it upsets me, but I don't think it's fair on either the club or the group of players that achieved so much."[LNB] Five years on from Boro's European heroics, and the club is languishing in the lower reaches of the Championship, with current boss Tony Mowbray having to operate within a series of strict financial controls.[LNB] Watching Boro struggle to avoid the drop to League One, it is hard to imagine that a European trophy was in touching distance five seasons ago.[LNB] Even at the time, though, McClaren accepts that the club and its supporters did not really realise just how good they had it.[LNB] "I don't think any of us really thought about what we had achieved," he said. "We'd had a couple of good seasons building up to the UEFA Cup run, and I guess we all kind of assumed it would last forever.[LNB] "Sadly, that hasn't been the case, and maybe the struggles of the last few seasons have just underlined what a great achievement we all contributed to.[LNB] "I remember it really hitting home when I spoke to my sister, who was living out in Italy. It was the morning after the Roma home game, and she said there were pictures of Middlesbrough splashed all over the front page of the Gazetta Della Sport.[LNB] "The inside pages were about AC Milan in the Champions League - the front page was all about Middlesbrough. It's incredible when you think about it."[LNB] While Boro's fortunes have dipped in the wake of their European success, McClaren's stock has gone up and down in the last five seasons.[LNB] He was dismissed as England manager after failing to qualify for Euro 2008, but enjoyed considerable success at Dutch side FC Twente, who he guided to the Eredivisie title.[LNB] He became the first Englishman to manage in the Bundesliga when he took over at Wolfsburg last summer, but was sacked at the turn of the year and, after a brief hiatus, is hoping to secure a return to English football.[LNB] "It was obviously disappointing the way it all finished in Germany," said McClaren. "But it's been nice to come back to England and catch up with family and friends.[LNB] "I'd been away for the best part of two years, so it's been nice to be back. But I'm still really passionate about management and, if the right job came along, I'd like to get back involved.[LNB] "Ideally, I'd like to stay in England because, in my mind, the Premier League is still the greatest league in the world. It commands the biggest headlines and the greatest attention - it's still the league everybody else looks up to.[LNB] "If I could be part of that league again, it would be great. But if not, there's plenty other opportunities and challenges that would interest me."[LNB]
