UEFA Champions League, Europa League draws to be held this afternoon

The three clubs representing Malta in the UEFA competitions will know their opponents on Monday afternoon as the draws for the first two qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League will be held at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon at 12:00 and 13:00 respectively.

Malta will be represented by Birkirkara FC in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round and by Valletta and Sliema Wanderers in the UEFA Europa League – in the second qualifying round and first qualifying round respectively.

Thirty-six European domestic league winners are in the draws for the first two qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League.

Birkirkara are one of the two unseeded teams in the first qualifying round together with the champions of Montenegro, FK Rudar Pljevlja, who are taking part in European competitions for the first time. The two seeded teams in this round, and hence the two possible opponents for Birkirkara, are the champions of Andorra and San Marino, namely FC Santa Coloma and SP Tre Fiori.

First qualifying round ties take place on 29/30 June and 6/7 July. The winners make it to the second round which will be staged on 13/14 and 20/21 July.

UEFA Champions League first qualifying round
Position – Club – Coefficient
1 FC Santa Coloma (AND) 0.700
2 SP Tre Fiori (SMR) 0.650
3 Birkirkara FC (MLT) 0.433
4 FK Rudar Pljevlja (MNE) 0.425

UEFA Champions League second qualifying round
Position – Club – Coefficient
1 Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) 27.775
2 AC Sparta Praha (CZE) 27.395
3 Rosenborg BK (NOR) 23.980
4 FC Salzburg (AUT) 19.915
5 PFC Litex Lovech (BUL) 15.900
6 NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) 14.466
7 FK Partizan (SRB) 13.800
8 FC BATE Borisov (BLR) 13.308
9 Lech Pozna? (POL) 11.008
10 MŠK Žilina (SVK) 10.666
11 FC Sheriff (MDA) 5.458
12 Debreceni VSC (HUN) 5.350
13 AC Omonia (CYP) 4.599
14 AIK Solna (SWE) 3.838
15 Bohemian FC (IRL) 2.908
16 FK Ekranas (LTU) 2.683

17 HJK Helsinki (FIN) 2.399
18 FK Aktobe (KAZ) 2.399
19 FC Levadia Tallinn (EST) 2.374
20 SK Liep?jas Metalurgs (LVA) 2.149
21 FH Hafnarfjördur (ISL) 2.083
22 FK Željezni?ar (BIH) 1.749
23 FC Olimpi Rustavi (GEO) 1.649
24 FC Pyunik (ARM) 1.599
25 FC Koper (SVN) 1.391
26 FC Inter Bak? (AZE) 1.349
27 FK Renova (MKD) 1.316
28 KS Dinamo Tirana (ALB) 1.049
29 HB Tórshavn (FRO) 0.866
30 The New Saints FC (WAL) 0.766
31 Linfield FC (NIR) 0.574
32 AS Jeunesse Esch (LUX) 0.249

Meanwhile the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League first and second qualifying round draws involves 106 teams, including Valletta and Sliema Wanderers.

For the first qualifying round equal numbers of seeded and unseeded teams have been allocated to five groups in accordance with rankings established at the beginning of the season – four of ten teams and one of 12. For each group, balls containing seeded teams will be placed in one bowl and unseeded teams in another. A ball from each will be placed in a large empty bowl in the middle, and the first team drawn will play its first match at home. Clubs from the same association cannot be drawn against each other.

The possible opponents for Sliema are therefore Anorthosis Famagusta FC, Randers FC, Kalmar FF, Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv FC, FC Nitra, FK Rabotnicki, Myllykosken Pallo-47, Gefle IF, NK Zrinjski, FK Qaraba?, KS Ruch Chorzów, HNK Šibenik, FC Dnepr Mogilev, FC Torpedo Zhodino, NK Široki Brijeg, Skonto FC, FC Dinamo Tbilisi, KR Reykjavík, FC Dacia Chi?in?u, Dundalk FC, FC TPS Turku, KF Tirana, FK Tauras, FC Zestafoni, FC Olimpia B?l?i and FK Mogren.

UEFA Europa League first qualifying round
Position – Club – Coefficient
1 Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP) 13.099
2 Randers FC (DEN) [FP] 6.470
3 Kalmar FF (SWE) 5.838
4 Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) [CF] 5.275
5 FC Nitra (SVK) 3.166
6 FK Rabotnicki (MKD) 3.066
7 Myllykosken Pallo-47 (FIN) [FP] 2.899
8 Gefle IF (SWE) [FP] 2.838
9 NK Zrinjski (BIH) 2.749
10 FK Qaraba? (AZE) 2.599
11 KS Ruch Chorzów (POL) 2.508
12 HNK Šibenik (CRO) 2.466
13 FC Dnepr Mogilev (BLR) 2.308
14 FC Torpedo Zhodino (BLR) [CF] 2.308
15 NK Široki Brijeg (BIH) 2.249
16 Skonto FC (LVA) 2.149
17 FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) 2.149
18 KR Reykjavík (ISL) 2.083
19 FC Dacia Chi?in?u (MDA) [CF] 1.958
20 Dundalk FC (IRL) 1.908
21 FC TPS Turku (FIN) 1.899
22 KF Tirana (ALB) 1.799
23 FK Tauras (LTU) 1.683
24 FC Zestafoni (GEO) 1.649
25 FC Olimpia B?l?i (MDA) 1.458
26 FK Mogren (MNE) 1.425
27 FC Tobol Kostanay (KAZ) 1.399
28 NK Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) 1.391
29 FC Flora (EST) [CF] 1.374
30 EB/Streymur (FRO) 1.366
31 Gy?ri ETO FC (HUN) 1.350
32 Zalaegerszegi TE (HUN) [CF] 1.350
33 Glentoran FC (NIR) 1.324
34 F91 Dudelange (LUX) 1.249
35 JK Trans Narva (EST) 1.124
36 FK Khazar Lankaran (AZE) 1.099
37 Fylkir (ISL) 1.083
38 FK Metalurg Skopje (MKD) 1.066
39 FC Shakhtyor Karagandy (KAZ) 0.899
40 FC Banants (ARM) [CF] 0.849
41 KF Laçi (ALB) 0.799
42 Llanelli AFC (WAL) 0.766
43 Sliema Wanderers FC (MLT) 0.683
44 NSÍ Runavík (FRO) 0.616
45 FC Ulysses (ARM) 0.599
46 Port Talbot Town FC (WAL) 0.516
47 CS Grevenmacher (LUX) 0.499
48 FK Zeta (MNE) 0.425
49 Portadown FC (NIR) [CF] 0.324
50 UE Santa Coloma (AND) 0.200
51 FC Lusitans (AND) 0.200
52 SC Faetano (SMR) 0.150

The 80 teams involved in the second qualifying round are divided into eight groups of ten, each containing five seeded and five unseeded teams. The draw follows the same procedure as the first qualifying round.

Valletta could meet one of the winners of the first qualifying round ties or one of the top seeds in the second qualifying round.

UEFA Europa League second qualifying round
Position – Club – Coefficient
1 Olympiacos FC (GRE) 54.979
2 Be?ikta? JK (TUR) 33.890
3 FC Dinamo 1948 Bucure?ti (ROU) 28.898
4 PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) 25.400
5 FK Austria Wien (AUT) 16.915
6 Brøndby IF (DEN) 12.970
7 SK Rapid Wien (AUT) 11.915
8 APOEL FC (CYP) 11.599
9 Wis?a Kraków (POL) 8.508
10 FC Karpaty Lviv (UKR) 7.910
11 CS Marítimo (POR) 7.659
12 FC Baník Ostrava (CZE) 7.395
13 IF Elfsborg (SWE) 7.338
14 FC Utrecht (NED) 7.309
15 Motherwell FC (SCO) 6.158
16 FC Lausanne-Sport (SUI) [CF] 5.675
17 Cercle Brugge KSV (BEL) [CF] 5.580
18 Stabæk IF (NOR) 4.980
19 FK Ventspils (LVA) 4.649
20 Molde FK (NOR) 4.480
21 Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) 3.775
22 FK Dukla Banská Bystrica (SVK) 3.166
23 FC Honka Espoo (FIN) 2.899
24 NK Maribor (SVN) [CW] 2.891
25 FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) 2.808
26 OFK Beograd (SRB) 2.800
27 FK Spartak Zlatibor Voda (SRB) 2.800
28 FK Bak? (AZE) [CW] 2.599
29 HNK Cibalia (CRO) 2.466
30 FK S?duva (LTU) 2.183
31 FC WIT Georgia (GEO) [CW] 2.149
32 FC Iskra-Stali (MDA) 1.958
33 Sporting Fingal FC (IRL) [CW] 1.908
34 Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL) 1.908
35 FC Vaduz (LIE) [CW] 1.900
36 ND Gorica (SVN) 1.891
37 FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH) [CW] 1.749
38 KFK Šiauliai (LTU) 1.683
39 FK Jelgava (LVA) [CW] 1.649
40 FC Videoton (HUN) 1.350
41 UE Sant Julià (AND) [CW] 1.200
42 Breidablik (ISL) [CW] 1.083
43 FK Teteks (MKD) [CW] 1.066
44 Bangor City FC (WAL) [CW] 1.016
45 FK Atyrau (KAZ) [CW] 0.899
46 JK Sillamäe Kalev (EST) 0.874
47 FC Mika (ARM) 0.849
48 KS Besa (ALB) [CW] 0.799
49 FC Differdange 03 (LUX) [CW] 0.749
50 Valletta FC (MLT) [CW] 0.683
51 FK Budu?nost Podgorica (MNE) 0.675
52 Vikingur (FRO) [CW] 0.366
53 Cliftonville FC (NIR) 0.324
54 SP Tre Penne (SMR) 0.150

[CW] – Cup winners; [CF] – Losing cup finalists; [FP] – Fair Play winners