Swiss challenge for Crvena Zvezda
Friday, June 25, 2004
Article summary
The draw for the first and second qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League has been made.
Article body
Welsh test
There are several intriguing first-round contests, including a meeting between Skonto FC, who have won 13 successive league titles in Latvia, and Rhyl FC of Wales. Skonto are coached by Aleksandrs Starkovs, who led Latvia into the finals of UEFA EURO 2004™.
Swiss challenge
Among the big guns in the second qualifying round, former European champions FK Crvena Zvezda will face Swiss side BSC Young Boys, while MŠK Žilina of Slovakia will take on Romania's FC Dinamo Bucuresti. The other confirmed second-round ties are APOEL FC of Cyprus versus AC Sparta Praha from Czech Republic, and Belgian side Club Brugge KV against Bulgaria's PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv.
No previous meetings
None of the sides in the ten first qualifying round ties and the four second qualifying round ties that do not involve winners of first qualifying round matches have met in European competition before. Any fixture reversals following this morning's draws at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland will be confirmed at 15.30CET.
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* First-leg matches 5,8 and 9 to be played on 13 July
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** First-leg match to be played on 27 July