DELIGHTED chairman Steve Gibson touched down in the Czech Republic yesterday desperate for Middlesbrough to make a bigger name for themselves on the European stage.

Gibson has been the driving force behind the club's rise and rise from liquidation in 1986 to UEFA Cup hopefuls in 2004.

The Riverside chief admits watching Boro take on Banik Ostrava on foreign soil tonight will be another step up the ladder, as he aims to eventually bring Champions League football to Teesside.

And Gibson admits he considered the prospect of David Beckham and his Real Madrid teammates visiting the region for a second on Tuesday night - when the Spanish giants trailed to Roma before bouncing back to win 4-2.

"The other night at about 8.45pm I saw that Real Madrid were 2-0 down to Roma. I thought to myself wouldn't that be nice, Real Madrid in the last 32," said Gibson. "I'm jumping ahead of myself there a bit. But those sort of nights would be fantastic and that's what we have got to aim for.

"Hopefully we can get through to the group stage and we will be seeded quite highly, I'm sure. At the moment people might wonder who are Middlesbrough.

"Winning the Carling Cup helped and so does playing Banik Ostrava, but reaching the group stage would take us on again."