UEFA (English)

June 23 2006

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Contenders ponder luck of the draw

Norway and Sweden’s UEFA Champions League contenders are getting
ready to face European debutants from the Czech Republic and Slovakia
after today’s draw.

Scandinavia’s finest
Norwegian champions Vålerenga IF will travel to 2005/06 Czech league
runners-up FK Mladá Boleslav for their second qualifying round first
leg, while Swedish title-holders Djurgårdens IF take on Slovakian
counterparts MFK Ru~^omberok, who have admitted they have very little
idea of what might lie ahead.

Ru~^omberok befuddled
Ru~^omberok coach Franti~Zek Komňacký said: "We are ready to
represent Slovakian football as well as we can. Our international
experience is nil – we have only played Slovakian teams and have no
concrete idea what to expect. The Swedish league is athletic as far I
know, similar to the English Premiership."

Uncertain position
Aside from Austro-Swiss neighbours FC Zürich and SV Austria Salzburg,
the other second qualifying round challengers are even less sure of
where they stand, since they face the winners of first qualifying
round ties. Ukraine’s FC Dynamo Kyiv, however, know they will
encounter the champions of another former Soviet republic having been
drawn against the winners of Latvian champions FHK Liepajas
Metalurgs’ game against Kazakhstani title-holders FK Aktobe.

Metalurgs edgy
"To be honest, we’re not overjoyed," said Metalurgs coach Benjaminas
Zelkevicius. "It looks more like a match in the Commonwealth Cup [the
annual Moscow tournament for former Soviet champions] than a UEFA
Champions League tie. In Moscow we played Aktobe and won 3-0. I
wouldn’t mind this result again in the first leg."

Demianenko confident
Dynamo coach Anatoli Demianenko, meanwhile, was feeling determined.
"We respect all opponents but a club like ours should beat anyone in
the second qualifying round," he said, adding: "I can’t tell who’s
the stronger of Metalurgs and Aktobe. We will know more after we see
them in action, but for both those clubs, matches against us will be
a matter of pride."

Common goal
Serbian standard-bearers FK Crvena Zvezda are, alongside FC Steaua
Bucuresti from Romania, one of two former European champions awaiting
in the second round. They will have an assignment against either Cork
City FC or Apollon Limassol FC, from the Republic of Ireland and
Cyprus respectively. Crvena Zvezda coach Du~Zan Bajević said: "On
paper, Apollon are a tougher opponent than Cork, but every country
wants to have a Champions League participant and we share that
dream."

Major challenge
Former Soviet republics will also meet in the first qualifying round
as Armenia’s FC Pyunik and Moldova’s FC Sheriff contest a second
qualifying round tie against Russia’s FC Spartak Moskva. For Pyunik
captain Sargis Hovsepyan, it represents a major hurdle. "We’re up
against one of the best teams in the round," he said. "They are a
very mobile and strong team whom we saw at the Commonwealth Cup.
Sheriff have played Armenian champions before at this stage and won.
Although we will do all we can to advance, it’s going to be very
difficult."

Smaller nations
Elsewhere, at least one of UEFA’s smallest nations will be
represented in the second round after Maltese champions Birkirkara FC
were pitted against Faroese equivalents B36 Tórshavn. The winners
will be rewarded by playing Turkish giants Fenerbahçe SK in the
second qualifying round. Birkirkara coach Stephen Azzopardi told
uefa.com: "Everyone at the club, including myself, feels we can make
it to the next round. Whoever gets through will play Fenerbahçe so
both teams will be doing their utmost to qualify."

–Boundary_(ID_JbQMqp09b+2imL05fla nPQ)–