UEFA Cup final

Bundesliga side Werder Bremen are likely to finish the season in tenth place. This is a huge disappointment for the northern German team that's qualified for the Champions League for five consecutive years.

But Werder are still on course for a cup double, having advanced to the final of the German Cup on May 30 against Bayer Leverkusen. But the highlight will be Wednesday's UEFA Cup final in Istanbul where they will be facing Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine.

The only damper on Wednesday's soccer fest is the absence of superstar Diego, who was barred from playing in the final for picking up a controversial yellow card during the all-German semi-final against arch-rivals Hamburg.

If they win tonight, Bremen would be the first German team to raise a European trophy for eight years.

"This is a very special game. Reaching the final is already something special but of course now we want the trophy," said Bremen manager Thomas Schaaf. "Missing Diego, Mertesecker and Almeida hurts but we want to use all of our squad."

Diego misses out on last chance for Bremen glory

Bremen's Sport Director Klaus Allofs agreed that the missing Diego had cast a shadow over a special moment for the club. "I think it's a catastrophe for die Mannschaft as well as the player, to be get a yellow card in this manner and then miss the final because of a suspension."

The Brazilian midfielder will accompany his Werder teammates to the final. After three seasons in Bremen, Diego will be leaving the Bundesliga to play for Juventus Turin and fulfill a boyhood dream.

Bremen's goalkeeper Tim Wiese, who's been tipped for a budding career in the national team, told journalists that Diego will be sorely missed.

"There's no doubt he's a very important part of the team. But we've come so far and we're going to win this thing, with or without Diego."

"You can forget the Bundesliga. We're in two finals and we're incredibly proud," said Per Mertesacker, who misses the game due to an injury.

Bremen's last international title was won 17 years ago, when they beat Lisbon in the European Cupwinners' Cup in 1992.

Bremen's opponents, Shakhtar Donetsk, are sponsored by multimillionaire Rinat Achmetow. It's thanks to him that the stars like captain Dario Srna from Croatia or Brazilians Jadson and Fernandinho are in the team, which is coached by Romanian Mircea Lucescu.

The UEFA Cup final will be getting a facelift after Wednesday's final, which will be played in Turkish club Fenebache's stadium. In future the European soccer competition will be known as the Europa League.

nrt/dpa/Reuters
Editor: Nick Amies