Well our Eurpean journey starts tomorrow, when we find out who we will be playing in our first qualifying game. Would like to keep it here for are full journey in the Europa League, it could be long, or very short… Depends on the draw after tomorrow’s I think, which could be really tough.
Here are the teams that are already in the draw, including the mighty Saints.
13.00CET, 17 July, Nyon
Entries
• Twenty-five clubs have a bye to this stage and will be joined by the winners of the 33 second qualifying round ties, which conclude on 23 July.
Seedings
• In the seeding pots released on the morning of the draw, the teams are ranked by their coefficient or, in the case of clubs emerging from the second qualifying round ties, by the higher of the two coefficients involved – with 29 sides classified as seeded.
• The teams are further split into five groups containing an equal number of seeded and unseeded contenders. Each seeded club will meet an unseeded opponent from within the same group.
Entrants
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)
Athletic Club (ESP)
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
R. Standard de Liège (BEL)
FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA)
UC Sampdoria (ITA)
Vitória SC (POR)
AS Saint-Étienne (FRA)
FC Zürich (SUI)
FC Slovan Liberec (CZE) Southampton FC (ENG)
FC Krasnodar (RUS)
CS Os Belenenses (POR)
FC Vorksla Poltava (UKR)
Atromitos FC (GRE)
FC Zorya Luhansk (UKR)
Vitesse (NED)
FK Jablonec (CZE)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT)
AEK Larnaca FC (CYP)
Hapoel Kiryat Shmona FC (ISR)
İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR)
ASA Târgu Mureş (ROU)
SCR Altach (AUT)
33 second qualifying round winners tbc, still have to play their secon legs next week!
Second qualifying round ties (16 & 23 July)
FK Kukësi (ALB) v FK Mladost Podgorica (MNE)
PFC Beroe Stara Zagora (BUL) v Brøndby IF (DEN)
Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL) v Odds BK (NOR)
NK Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) v PAOK FC (GRE)
KR Reykjavík (ISL) v Rosenborg BK (NOR)
Hapoel Beer Sheva FC (ISR) v FC Thun (SUI)
ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) v University College Dublin AFC (IRL)
AIK Solna (SWE) v FC Shirak (ARM)
FC Kairat Almaty (KAZ) v Alashkert FC (ARM)
Ferencvárosi TC (HUN) v FK Željezničar (BIH)
Legia Warszawa (POL) v FC Botoşani (ROU)
FK Vojvodina (SRB) v FK Spartaks Jūrmala (LVA)
FC Vaduz (LIE) v Nõmme Kalju FC (EST)
FC Dacia Chisinau (MDA) v MŠK Žilina (SVK)
Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) v AC Omonia (CYP)
FK Jelgava (LVA) v FK Rabotnicki (MKD)
FK Mladá Boleslav (CZE) v Strømsgodset IF (NOR)
FH Hafnarfjördur (ISL) v İnter Bakı PİK (AZE)
FK Čukarički (SRB) v Qäbälä FK (AZE)
PFC Cherno More Varna (BUL) v FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (SCO) v FC Astra Giurgiu (ROU)
FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) v Wolfsberger AC (AUT)
HNK Rijeka (CRO) v Aberdeen FC (SCO)
FC Spartak Trnava (SVK) v Linfield FC (NIR)
Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR) v FC Differdange 03 (LUX)
West Ham United FC (ENG) v Birkirkara FC (MLT)
FC København (DEN) v Newtown AFC (WAL)
R. Charleroi SC (BEL) v Beitar Jerusalem FC (ISL)
Apollon Limassol FC (CYP) v FK Trakai (LTU)
WKS Śląsk Wrocław (POL) v IFK Göteborg (SWE)
Randers FC (DEN) v IF Elfsborg (SWE)
NK Koper (SVN) v HNK Hajduk Split (CRO)
Skonto FC (LVA) v Debreceni VSC (HUN)
anyone that you fancy in this lot (if they can beat their oppo?
It is all getting very real and exciting now. Even though I am in Morroco for the 3rd qualifying, I am hoping we get through to the play off and I can go to this either 20th or 27th August!
What a very exciting way to be starting a pre-season. Very pleased that Arsenal did us the favour of winning the FA Cup, and thankful to be the first English beneficiary of the rule change. I think the board are correctly seeing this for the opportunity it is. A chance to fight on another front, more game time to bring the academy kids into the first team, and let’s not forget, another chance to get into the Champions League.
The worry is that we’re so very green. Europe is not a consideration that has troubled us often, and I’m not sure that we know how to plan for it. Realistically, we should view this as an opportunity to provide the team with much needed continental experience. However, if Fulham can get to a final, then there’s no reason why we can’t do well in the competition.
Although I think it’s a great opportunity to give game time to some up and coming players, I think it’s crucial we aren’t complacent in the qualifying stages, and that we play our strongest team to give us the best chance of reaching the Group stage. I see West Ham only scraped a last minute home win in their home leg last night . Playing our strongest team in the first couple of games would also give the new players more time to gel ready for the first League game. Get to the Group stages and we can mix it about a bit, especially for the away games in order to give us the best chance of backing up in the following weekends league fixtures.
ok I’m going for FK Spartaka Jumala, so that we can have references to the Latvian connenction of Marian Pahars, even though he has nothing to do with that specific team
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| Full name | Stichting Betaald Voetbal Vitesse |
| Nickname(s) | Vitas FC Hollywood aan de Rijn (FC Hollywood on the Rhine) |
| Founded | 14 May 1892; 123 years ago |
| Ground | GelreDome Arnhem |
| Capacity | 25,500 |
| Owner | Aleksandr Chigirinski |
| Chairman | Bert Roetert |
| Manager | Peter Bosz |
| League | Eredivisie |
| 2014–15 | Eredivisie, 5th |
| Website | Club home page |
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I hope the organised flights aren’t going to end in a parachute drop into Arnhem. Fortunately my dad was transferred out of the Parachute Regiment just before the airbourne assault.
One would hope that with the combined playing and managerial staff we have drawn from the Eredivisie, we’ll be well prepared for this. However, recent friendlies haven’t augured well. Let’s hope we have our shit together by then.
How did we end up with a team that were through, rather than one of the others from the 2nd qualifying? Bloody hell! I have to say I am a bit peed off, as a) I would have gone to this away game b) I do feel that getting through is going to be tough. Might have to go to the home game!
