Dundee United ace recalls tussle with Man City £50m man Tijjani Reijnders ahead of Euro return
Nothing can cushion the blow of a 7-0 defeat.
But perhaps a modicum of solace can be taken from the respective career paths of several stars within that AZ team.
Sibbald crossed swords with Tijjani Reijnders in the heart of midfield over the two legs – getting the better of him in the first game at Tannadice – while Milos Kerkez was a marauding presence down the left.
Vangelos Pavlidis scored twice in Alkmaar.
Pascal Janssen's classy outfit went on to reach the SEMI-FINAL of the Europa Conference League that season.
Reijnders this week put pen to paper on a £46.5 million deal to join Manchester City following a splendid couple of seasons with Milan. Kerkez will reportedly head for Liverpool, with a fee of £50 million mooted.
Pavlidis scored 29 goals for Benfica in all competitions last term – including a Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona.
In hindsight, United's last foray into continental competition saw them crash and burn against one of the most profitable squads AZ have ever assembled – and Sibbald looks back on the tie as a valuable learning curve.
'They had some top players – Tijjani Reijnders, Vangelis Pavlidis, Milos Kerkez and others – and they have all moved on to bigger clubs,' recalled Sibbald.
'Alkmaar were a really good side; they ended up in the semi-finals that season.
'But you need learn from playing against players of that standard and try to put those lessons into place when you get back there.
'That's the level you want to be playing at, no matter how tough it is, because it's some experience.'
Mercifully, United will not be paired against a side comparable to AZ when the Europa Conference League second qualifying round draw takes place in Nyon, Switzerland next Wednesday.
Due to their seeded status, they can expect an – on paper – winnable tie.
And Sibbald is determined to give the Arabs a continental adventure to savour this time.
Sibbald continued: 'I learned plenty from it – mainly that you can't switch off for a second against that standard of player in Europe.
'You saw what happened in Alkmaar; it went horribly wrong, and we were punished for every mistake. It was a shock at the time. A real shock to the system.
'I'd love the chance to put that right.'
He added: 'You know what it means to the fans, and they turn out in numbers on these European trips.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
14 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Jefte Rangers transfer exit confirmed as club bank profit
The transfer deal will see Rangers bank a significant profit on the £800k fee they paid to sign the defender from Fluminense. Palmeiras had identified Jefte as a key target, with talks kicked off last week over an agreement. The transfer deal also includes performance-related add-ons and a sell-on clause. A club statement confirmed: "Rangers Football Club can today confirm the departure of Jefté to Palmeiras for an undisclosed fee. "The 21-year-old, who joined the club in May 2024, made 56 appearances for Rangers during his time in Glasgow. "Everyone at Rangers thanks Jefté for his contribution while at the club, and we wish him well for his future career." Read more: "He was in yesterday morning and things have transpired that he's not here now, but we'll have to wait and see what happens over the next couple of days," Russell Martin told BBC Scotland of a deal for Jefte last week. "It's looking likely he will be on his way and if he goes, he goes with everyone's best wishes and if for whatever reason because this is football it doesn't happen, he'll be welcomed back. "We wouldn't let Jefte go if we didn't have plans to make sure we're not left short there." Rangers had moved quickly to sign Jayden Meghoma on loan from Brentford as Jefte headed for the exit. The full-back made his debut in the Champions League play-off round first leg defeat to Club Brugge on Tuesday.
Scotsman
14 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Brendan Rodgers addresses anti-Celtic board chants and why Adam Idah was subbed at half-time
Celtic boss admits squad depth is 'lightest' it has been Sign up to our Football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Brendan Rodgers has acknowledged the fans' unhappiness after Celtic's Champions League play-off clash with FC Kairat ended in a frustrating goalless draw at Parkhead. It means the Scottish champions' hopes of a place in the league stage and the estimated £40 million booty rests on a game played 3,500 miles away in Almaty. It might be just as well it's so far away as far as the Celtic hierarchy are concerned. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Chairman Peter Lawwell and chief executive Michael Nicholson were targeted during the game by the Green Brigade, who demanded the pair leave the club. 'Sack the board!' chants resounded round the ground. Supporters also protested at the front of the main stand afterwards. Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers (centre) during the goalless draw with Kairat Almaty at Cetic Park. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group Rodgers tried to make light of the discord at such a crucial period for his team but he knows there's been a dereliction of duty somewhere in the building. 'What I do know is, over many years 'sack the board' usually means 'sack the manager',' he said. 'It's normally the manager that goes when that starts to be sung! I can only really look at the players we have here, and the performance. We've known for a long time what we've needed as a squad, so I don't want to go into that.' He was asked again and again about the shortage of signings - or at least new players of the standard required to fill the gaps left by the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi and Nicolas Kuhn, as well as the injured Jota. Right-back Alistair Johnston has also joined Jota on the sidelines after sustaining a suspected hamstring strain in the first half. 'I haven't spoken to the medical guys yet, but it looks hamstring injury, which is disappointing,' said Rodgers. 'So I'll get more info on that.' On the issue of new signings, or the lack of them, he was asked why Celtic are in this position when they've had so long to prepare for the play-off round. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I can't answer that,' he said. 'Because it's not my decision in the end. I can prepare the team. The staff, the players that are here have been fantastic over pre-season. We're all clear on what we need to improve. And for whatever reason, we haven't been able to do that. So now we're in this position. 'And we have to accept it, and not dwell on it. And try and come through it for Saturday (v Livingston) and for Tuesday." Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers at full time after the goalless draw with Kairat Almaty. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group 'Can't afford to wait' He was asked whether he has enough game-changers to be confident of progression next week. "Whether I think it or not, we have to do it," he said. Adam Idah is not included among the game-changers on current form. The striker was taken off at half-time and has yet to score this season. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Rodgers accepted it's a tricky time for the struggling Irishman. 'There's no rocket science in it,' he said. 'It's all hard work. It's all preparation. That will obviously lead to confidence, and then you'll obviously succeed as a player from that. It didn't quite go for him in the first half. I wanted a little bit more activity in and around the box, because I felt we could get up there. 'Adam's a good boy. He's an honest boy. He hasn't quite started how he would have liked. But in games like these here, I can't afford to wait. And that's why I made the change at half time.' Celtic's Adam Idah was substituted at half-time during the Champions League play-off first leg against Kairat Almaty. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group) | SNS Group 'Lightest we've been' Rodgers admitted Celtic are as 'light' as he can remember when it comes to squad depth. He described the team's first-half performance as "passive" and lacking intent. He stressed that players are being forced to play out of position. 'I would say going into these sort of games, this is probably the lightest that we've been in certain key areas of the pitch,' he said. 'You can see over the course of the season so far we haven't given away a great deal. We've defended well, we've defended strong. Of course, goals win games, and that's the area of the pitch where we've been short in. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
The Herald Scotland
41 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Rodgers in telling response to 'sack the board' Celtic chant
Loud boos could be heard with chants of 'sack the board' echoing inside the stadium both during the match and after the final whistle. However, Rodgers suggested it's managers who pay the price rather than the board at any football club as he responded to the fan anger. Asked if he could understand the frustration from supporters, he told TNT Sports: "Yeah, absolutely. But I also understand when it's 'sack the board,' I don't know any board who gets sacked. Read more: "It's normally the manager at any club, it's the manager who gets the sack, not the board. "But listen we have to go away and analyse tonight and see where we could be better and like i said, the guys who are out there, they're giving their all and giving everything. "But like we've said many times, in order to progress at this level and into European football, we need to have more. It's as simple as that. "We won't have that for Tuesday, we get concentration now for Saturday, it's a big game against Livingston." On whether his squad has enough quality to compete in the Champions League, should they advance to the league phase, Rodgers said: "I've said it clear. I can't keep going on about it every press conference I have, it's so, so clear what this team needs. "Nights like that do (highlight it). "It's always going to, each level you go through - this is a good team that understands the game, they're talented players and they're used to winning. "We know what we have to improve."
