Contenders digest draw

uefa.com rounds up all the reaction to today's UEFA Champions League third qualifying round draw. This story will be regularly updated as more reaction flows in.

Grazer AK v Liverpool FC:

GAK coach Walter Schachner: "Liverpool are just one out of ten tough teams we could have faced. They are very strong, but we will have a real chance as we have nothing to lose against them, although I have to admit that I did not want to meet an English team, because their style does not suit us Austrians too well."

Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez: "Games like this are always difficult early in the season because you tend to find that sides such as Graz have been training longer than us. They have been in pre-season for three weeks more and it will not be easy. I know Graz won the double in Austria last season and that proves to me that they are a good team."

Juventus FC v Djurgårdens IF/FBK Kaunas

Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi: "It will be a tricky match regardless of which of the two teams we will have to face. They are both very strong from the physical point of view and we cannot vafford to undestimated them. This game is too important for us - we cannot make mistakes."

Kaunas head coach Šenderis Giršovičius: "It is difficult for me to imagine that we have a chance to play against famous Juventus. That would be a remarkable event for Lithuanian football."

KF Tirana/Ferencvárosi TC v APOEL FC/AC Sparta Praha

Rosenborg BK/FC Sheriff v Maccabi Haifa FC

Rosenborg sports director Rune Bratseth: "Maccabi Haifa are not the worst team we could have been drawn against, but I don't know much about them. I am sure that they are a good team - all the teams in this round are bound to be."

Bayer 04 Leverkusen v FC Baník Ostrava

Leverkusen coach Klaus Augenthaler: "I would rather have played away in the first leg. But this isn't a musical request programme. The Czechs are excellent footballers, and we remember the goals of Marek Heinz [at UEFA EURO 2004™] very well."

Baník coach František Komnacký: "I'm neither delighted, nor disappointed. I don't know enough about Leverkusen to say something about our chances. The only thing I know is that their coach is former national team sweeper Klaus Augenthaler. Our opponents are the favourites, though the current style of German football could suit us."

PFC Neftchi/PFC CSKA Moskva v Rangers FC

Neftchi press officer Sabukhi Safiyarly: "For now we can not think about our possible opponents in the next round. Our only concern is the second leg against CSKA in Moscow on 4 August. Before that day there is no such team as Rangers for us."

CSKA midfield player Jurijs Laizans: "First, we have to get past Neftchi. Last year we talked about playing Sparta [in the third qualifying round] but ended up being knocked out by [FK] Vardar. The draw is interesting. It is good that we got a British side rather than a Spanish one, for example. British teams are more strightforward and a bit easier to play against. Rangers are a very good team and I think our chances are 50/50.

Rangers coach Alex McLeish: "It could have been tougher, but it could also have been easier. It will be a hard tie and we have to respect whoever we get. We know what Russian teams can do. [FC] Lokomotiv Moskva did well in the Champions League last year. But we have a stronger, quicker and more physical team than we did last year."

FC Pyunik/FC Shakhtar Donetsk v Club Brugge KV/PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv

FC Dynamo Kyiv v Skonto FC/Trabzonspor

Dynamo president Ihor Surkis: "We are satisfied with the draw. We have enough strength to get an aggregate win against any of our possible opponents. However I would prefer to play Skonto. We know them better. We would have to do some research on Trabzonspor but we have enough power to overcome them as well."

Skonto captain Mihails Zemlinskis: "What a draw! My first thought is that we could meet [former Skonto, now Dynamo forward] Maris Verpakovskis again! But I'm not pleased with the draw, I think we have been unlucky."

BSC Young Boys/FK Crvena Zvezda v PSV Eindhoven

PSV goalkeeper Edwin Zoetebier: "We could have done worse, but Crvena Zvezda are obviously a big club. It does not really matter whether you play at home first. I expect that both teams will be careful in the first leg and that there will be more of a game in the second leg. We desperately need a win, so we must be sharp."

MŠK Žilina/FC Dinamo Bucuresti v Manchester United FC

Dinamo coach Ioan Andone: "United are one of the most successful teams of the last few years and one of the top three teams in Europe. What can I say after such a draw? Only that we shall do our best."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson: "Bucharest is only two-and-a-half hours away, so we do not have the length of travel that we might have got. And when you look at the draw and see Benfica playing against Anderlecht, that is something else we are glad to have avoided. But we know about the history of Dinamo and we are aware this could be a tricky tie."

FC Basel v FC Internazionale

Basel president Gigi Oeri: "We have drawn very difficult opponents and it would have been easier if we played the second leg at home. However it is to our advantage that the Swiss league has already started and that Inter are still in pre-season.We have a chance and we will try to grab it."

Inter president Giacinto Facchetti: "Basel deserve our respect. They won the Swiss league and are more prepared than us from the physical point of view as their league has already started. They are surely one of the most difficult opponents we could have faced."

Inter midfield player Dejan Stankovic: "Basel are a good team but I would prefer to face them than Sparta or Benfica. I'm sure we are the favourites to progress to the group stage and I believe we will manage it."

SL Benfica v RSC Anderlecht

Benfica managing director José Veiga: "All matches in European competitions are difficult and we will not have an easy time. Benfica have reinforced ahead of the new season as our goal is to stay in this competition as long as possible. I hope that we will play in the group stage."

Anderlecht general manager Herman van Holsbeeck: "Benfica and Anderlecht have played great matches in the past and they were always very exciting and compepitive games. We have to get past Benfica if we want to advance. We have kept basically the same team as we had last season, and even refused transfers of some players to English clubs. Recently we brought in two new magnificent players and have stabilised the team."

RC Deportivo La Coruña v HNK Hajduk Split/Shelbourne FC

Deportivo board member Jesús Rebollo: "Deportivo are favourites in such matches and it is likely that we will cause our opponents more problems than they can cause us. We would prefer to play Shelbourne because we are more familiar with Irish football and it suits our game better. Hajduk would be a very tough nut to crack."

Hajduk coach Ivan Katalinic: "Of course, we still have our task to do against Shelbourne next week but if get to the next round, the pressure will be off us against the favourites from Spain. They are among the best clubs in Spain but we will have a chance because their championship has not started yet and we will have played four or five games before our match against Deportivo."

Shelbourne captain Owen Heary: "Deportivo would be a great draw for us, if we can beat Hajduk. We never get to test ourselves against a Spanish club. It would be a very tough tie, but we can't look too far ahead."

PAOK FC v HJK Helsinki/Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC

PAOK goalkeeper Elias Atmatsidis: "We were lucky to avoid difficult teams like Benfica or Basel. That doesn't mean that HJK or Maccabi are easy opponents, but we can qualify if we are serious and focused during the two legs. We must be at our best, because participating in the Champions League group stage would be one of the greatest challenges of our careers."

HJK head coach Keith Armstrong: "Usually one hopes for easier opponents or alternatively an attractive large club, which will draw a good crowd to the terraces. PAOK are somewhere in between. The draw could definitely have been tougher. It is clear now that either PAOK, Maccabi or HJK will play in Champions League group stage. At the moment we are fully focused on next Wednesday's away match against Maccabi. It is too early to think about PAOK."

NK Gorica/FC København v AS Monaco FC

FCK president Flemming Østergaard: "This is a super draw. Although they have won a lot of cups and trophies during the last few years, Monaco are team we can beat - all teams can be beaten!"

Monaco coach Didier Deschamps: "I don't know these teams. FCK are the biggest side in Denmark these days. We will have to be wary of them. The draw could have been worse - we could have been paired with one of the big guns. But it is only a good draw after you have knocked your opponent out."

FC WIT Georgia/Wisla Kraków v Real Madrid CF

Wisla goalkeeper Radoslaw Majdan: "Wisla are a strong team because we have bought Poland's best players but Real Madrid are stronger because they have bought world's best players. But in every game - even against Real Madrid - we play to win. UEFA EURO 2004™ has shown that no result is impossible. This is football."