Debutants take a bow

The UEFA Cup qualifying round takes centre stage tonight with a number of clubs making their first ever appearance in European competition.

Tall order
Zlatko Krmpotic, coach of European competition debutants FC Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan, will be plotting the downfall of the club where he spent seven years as a player, FK Crvena Zvezda. Krmpotic, who played right-back for the Yugoslavian club between 1978 and 1985, knows it is a tall order but is looking forward to the encounter nevertheless.

'Club of my life'
"Zvezda are the club of my life, but I will now try to surprise them. Our chances to win are more theoretical than real. Still we will give our best and try to stay undefeated at home," Krmpotic said.

'I won't change anything'
Zvezda, the 1991 European champions, travel to Kazakhstan weakened by injuries to captain Nenad Laltovic, midfield players Marjan Markovic and Radovan Krivokapic, and striker Mihailo Pjanovic. Yet despite missing such key players they are still confident of scoring an away goal. "I will not change anything technically," said Zvezda coach Zoran Filipovic. "We will play our normal 4-4-2 and the aim is to score at least one goal. The Kazaks will play defensively with a strong midfield. This is their debut in European competitions and their motivation will be high."

Slow Sartid
Yugoslavia's FK Sartid play their first ever match in the UEFA Cup against the Welsh side Bangor City FC. Sartid have yet to hit their stride in the league, recording a disappointing 2-2 home draw against FK Cukaricki at the weekend.

'Play with their hearts'
"I do not know much about our opponents," said Sartid coach Jovica Skoro. "I know that like us they are not highly rated in Europe but they will play with their hearts in front of a full stadium and we will have to answer that smartly and be tactically superior. We will play to win, but a draw would be sufficient for us to be relaxed in two weeks in Smederevo."

First day
Macedonia's FK Belasica GK are also making their UEFA Cup bow against the Portuguese club Leixões SC. Meanwhile, former UEFA Cup winners Ipswich Town FC, who were relegated from the English FA Premiership but who qualified for the competition via UEFA's Fair Play system, travel to FC Avenir Beggen of Luxembourg.

Previous winners
With 40 ties across Europe, Ipswich are not the only previous winners in action tonight. Sweden's IFK Göteborg visit FC Zimbru Chisinau while the 1965 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup winners Ferencvárosi TC meet AEL Limassol FC.