They’re Europe’s boys from the backwaters but Santa Coloma, Llanelli and Murata will dream of rubbing shoulders with the continent’s superpowers when the Champions League gets under way today.
Less than two months after Manchester United beat Chelsea in the final in Moscow, it’s the turn of the minnows to grab the spotlight in the first qualifying round of the 2008/2009 competition.
It will likely be a quick return to the shadows for teams drawn from outposts such as Andorra, Wales and San Marino.
But Slovakia’s Artmedia, who will also line up in today’s opening round, have proved that it is possible to make an impression after going all the way to the group stages three years ago.
“It was a dream, a unique moment,” captain Jan Kozak told www.uefa.com.
Artmedia beat Kairat Almaty before stunning 1967 champions Celtic 5-0 in the first leg of the second qualifying round and went through to the final round despite slumping to a 4-0 defeat in the second leg in Glasgow.
Artmedia’s place in the group stages was secured when they put out FK Partizan.
The Slovakians then came agonisingly close to a place in the knockout round but were just edged out by 2004 champions Porto in a group which also included Inter Milan and Rangers.
Artmedia face Valletta of Malta today still buoyed by their run.
“It’s not every day you have the chance to do that. The hardest thing for us was to survive the qualifying rounds,” Kozak. said
“We had three dramatic ties against Kairat, Celtic and then the penalty drama with Partizan. But once we had survived and got to the group phase, it started to get much easier.”
Today’s Champions League, first qualifying round, first leg matches:
• Linfield (NIR) v D Zagreb (CRO)
• Valetta (MLT) v Artmedia (SVK)
• D Tbilisi (GEO) v Runavmk (FRO)
• Sta Coloma (AND) v Kaunus (LTU)
• Murata (SMR) v IFK Goteborg (SWE)
• Llanelli (WAL) v FK Ventspils (LAT)
• Anorthosis (CYP) v Pyunik (ARM)
• Inter Baki (AZE) v Rabotnicki (MKD)
• Tampere (FIN) v Podgorica (MNE)
• F91 Dudelange (LUX) v Domzale (SLO)
• D Tirana (ALB) v Modrica (BIH)
• Aktobe (KAZ) v FC Sheriff (MDA)
• Drogheda Utd (IRL) v Levadia Tallinn (EST)
• BATE Borisov (BLR) v Reykjavmk (ISL)
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