Intertoto incentive proves alluring

Göteborg bid
In the first round, two-time UEFA Cup winners IFK Göteborg will begin what they hope will be a marathon bid to regain that trophy with a two-legged tie against Luxembourg's FC Victoria Rosport. In all there are 21 ties at this stage, played on 18/19 and 25/26 June.

Hamburg reward
The prize at stake for FK Smederevo of Serbia and Montenegro and F.Y.R. Macedonia's FK Pobeda, is a second-round match against 1983 European Champion Clubs' Cup winners Hamburger SV, who reached the Intertoto Cup final in 1999 only to lose on penalties to Montpellier Hérault SC. Other luminaries entering at this point are UEFA Champions League perennials RC Deportivo La Coruña, who will play Valletta FC or FK Buducnost Podgorica, and VFL Wolfsburg, hoping to go one better than their 2003 Intertoto Cup final defeat, starting against either Andorra's FC Ranger's or SK Sturm Graz of Austria on 2/3 July and 9/10 July.

Big names enter
Then, on 16/17 July and 23 July, comes the entry of the six teams seeded to the third round, after which follow the semi-finals and the finals offering three UEFA Cup berths. Among this sextet are two clubs to have triumphed in the Champions League, Olympique de Marseille and BV Borussia Dortmund, as well as 2004 UEFA Cup winners Valencia CF, the last UEFA Cup Winners' Cup holders in 1999, S.S. Lazio, and 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup victors Newcastle United FC.

Class of 2004 graduate
While no former Intertoto Cup winners are in the draw, two other beaten finalists are among this third set of teams - Newcastle from 2001 and UD Leiria, pipped last season by LOSC Lille Métropole who joined Villarreal CF and FC Schalke 04 in the 2004/05 UEFA Cup first round. Just to show that an early start to the season need not necessarily hinder a side's campaign, those three winners have now earned Champions League places for 2005/06.

Semi-final and final draw in Nyon on 11 July.