Milanic states ambition for Maribor

"WE MAY be young, but we are ambitious." That was the warning from Maribor coach Darko Milanic as he put the finishing touches to his side's preparations for tonight's Europa League encounter with Hibernian, the Slovenian team determined to make the most of the first leg of the third qualifying round taking place in their own Stadion Ljudski.

Milanic oversees a squad in which 27-year-old Tomislav Pavlicic is the oldest player, but the former Slovenian captain insisted that youth doesn't mask a desire to succeed both at club and international level.

Having lost out in the third qualifying round of last season's Champions League, surrendering a 3-2 lead gained in Switzerland by going down 3-0 at home to Zurich, Milanic and his players have a burning desire to atone for that aberration by making further progress at the expense of the Edinburgh club.

However, while collectively his players aim to mark Maribor's 50th anniversary by reaching the group stages of the Europa League at least, Milanic admitted they each have their own personal ambition fuelled by the participation of Slovenia, a country with a population of just two million, in this summer's World Cup in South Africa, Jermaine Defoe's goal for England ending a dream of playing in the "round of 16".

Milanic, captain of Slovenia at Euro 2000, said: "Our players are motivated because they have a great wish that they can also be in the international team. They also want to play abroad and at a higher level."

The Maribor coach, who will relax before tonight's match by taking his customary run - "not too far as I am not so young any more" - played the diplomatic game as far as his views on Hibs were concerned.

He said: "We will have two tough games. They are very dangerous and have some talented players."