2007: Tobol among Intertoto pioneers
Monday 28 July 2008
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Ruslan Baltiev helped Tobol achieve a notable first (©Timur Kamashev)
In the second season since the UEFA Intertoto Cup expanded to offer eleven rather than three places in the UEFA Cup, new clubs and fresh nations again took their chance to gain kudos in the summer competition.
Maiden victories
FC Tobol Kostanay progressed all the way from the first of the three rounds to give Kazakhstan its first European honour while Sweden's Hammarby, who also entered at the initial stage, UD Leiria of Portugal and Romanian team FC Otelul Galati all became their countries' inaugural Intertoto victors. Meanwhile, of the other seven teams to taste success only 2005 winners Hamburger SV and RC Lens had previously joined the roll of honour, which now also contains the names of Club Atlético de Madrid, UC Sampdoria and three clubs previously without European silverware, Aalborg BK, Blackburn Rovers FC and SK Rapid Wien.
Opening round
The pick of the 14 first round ties was between Lithuania's FK Vėtra and Llanelli AFC of Wales. Vėtra won the first leg 3-1 but although Llanelli had to play the return at Carmarthen and trailed 6-3 overall at the break, Ryan Griffiths struck a second-half hat-trick to level the aggregate score – only for his team to exit on away goals. The first round victors were joined by 14 new entrants in the second round, among them Rapid, who pipped ŠK Slovan Bratislava 3-2 on aggregate, while Trabzonspor saw off Albania's KS Vllaznia 10-0 overall. Five first round survivors did progress further – CF Gloria 1922 Bistrita, FC Dacia Chisinau, Hammarby, Tobol and Vėtra, who were awarded their tie against Legia Warszawa by default due to trouble involving away supporters in the first leg in Lithuania.
Top seeds
The eight top seeds now entered the fray, as eleven UEFA Cup second qualifying round berths were decided. Former European champions Hamburg were held 1-1 at Dacia before a 4-0 home win, their aggregate score only topped by Blackburn, who totalled six goals without reply against Vėtra. Atlético lost 2-1 at Gloria Bistrita but Diego Forlán's early second-leg strike took them through on away goals. Hammarby progressed in the same fashion after two draws with FC Utrecht. Otelul moved on thanks to a pair of 2-1 victories against Trabzonspor while Ruslan Baltiev's goal gave Tobol Kostanay a 1-0 first-leg win at home to OFI Crete FC and they held on in the return before Andrei Kharabara put the result beyond doubt late on. RC Lens defeated FC Chernomorets Odesa 3-1 overall in the highlight of Guy Roux's brief reign.
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