Former winners seek safe passage
Tuesday, August 26, 2003
Article summary
The holders Umeå IK and 2002 winners 1. FFC Frankfurt have been kept apart in the knockout draw.
Article body
The defending champions Umeå IK and 2001/02 winners 1. FFC Frankfurt could meet in the 3rd UEFA Women's Cup final after finding themselves in opposite sides of the knockout draw.
Revenge exacted
Frankfurt defeated the Swedish champions in the inaugural final of this competition, with Umeå exacting revenge in the semi-final last season. Richard Holmlund's side face Russian opposition in the quarter-finals in the shape of FC Energy Voronezh, while Frankfurt tackle Fulham LFC from England.
Scandinavian affair
Apart from the two former winners, the six remaining clubs have all reached this stage for the first time. That means there will be first-time semi-finalists as Brøndby IF of Denmark take on Azerbaijan's finest, Gömrükçü Baku, and Malmö FF face Kolbotn IL. Sweden were granted a second berth as Umeå are the champions.
Two-legged affairs
All games in the last eight, semi-finals and the final will be played over two legs on a home-and-away basis. The semi-final draw has also been made and can be seen below. The teams mentioned first will play the first leg of the tie at home, unless the two clubs, with the approval of the associations in question and UEFA, agree otherwise.
2003/04 UEFA Women's Cup semi-final draw
