Swiss challenge for Crvena Zvezda

Friday, June 25, 2004

The draw for the first and second qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League has been made.

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.

UEFA Champions League first qualifying round draw First-leg matches: 14 July 2004 Second-leg matches: 21 July 2004
Match
1	KR Reykjavík (ISL) v Shelbourne FC (IRL)
2	Skonto FC (LAT) v Rhyl FC (WAL)
3	FC Flora (EST) v NK Gorica (SLO)
4	HJK Helsinki (FIN) v Linfield FC (NIR)
5*	FK Pobeda (MKD) v FC Pyunik (ARM)
6	FC Sheriff (MOL) v AS Jeunesse Esch (LUX)
7	FC WIT Georgia (GEO) v HB Tórshavn (FAR)
8*	Sliema Wanderers FC (MLT) v FBK Kaunas (LIT)
9*	NK Široki Brijeg (BHZ) v PFC Neftchi (AZE)
10	FC Gomel (BLR) v KF Tirana (ALB)

* First-leg matches 5,8 and 9 to be played on 13 July

UEFA Champions League second qualifying round draw
First-leg matches: 28 July 2004
Second-leg matches: 4 August 2004

Winners match 5 v FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)**

APOEL FC (CYP) v AC Sparta Praha (CZE)

Rosenborg BK (NOR) v Winners match 6

BSC Young Boys (SUI) v FK Crvena Zvezda (SCG)

Winners match 3 v FC København (DEN)

Winners match 9 v PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS)

MŠK Žilina (SVK) v FC Dinamo Bucuresti (ROM)

Winners match 4 v Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)

Winners match 2 v Trabzonspor (TUR)

Club Brugge KV v PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv (BUL)

Winners match 10 v Ferencvárosi TC (HUN)

HNK Hajduk Split (CRO) v Winners match 1

Djurgårdens IF (SWE) v Winners match 8

Winners match 7 v Wisla Kraków (POL)

** First-leg match to be played on 27 July

Swiss challenge for Crvena Zvezda

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