All eyes will be on Nyon on Monday where the draws for the UEFA Champions League first and second qualifying rounds and the UEFA Europa League first and second qualifying rounds will be held at the UEFA Headquarters. Representing Malta are BOV Premier League champions Birkirkara, U*BET FA Trophy winners Hibernians, Valletta and Sliema Wanderers.
Unlike recent years, Malta’s representative in the UEFA Champions League will start in the second qualifying round and not the first round as Malta climbed to 45th in the UEFA coefficient ranking, which is calculated over a five-year basis.
EB/Streymur (FRO), SP Tre Penne (SMR), FC Lusitans (AND) and FC Shirak (ARM) will therefore play in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round.
The two winners of the first qualifying round ties join the thirty-two teams in the second qualifying round.
With a ranking of 2.541, Birkirkara are one of the unseeded teams along with
FK Željezničar (BIH), FH Hafnarfjördur (ISL), Győri ETO FC (HUN), The New Saints FC (WAL), PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL), Sligo Rovers FC (IRL), FC Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ), KS Skënderbeu (ALB), FK Vardar (MKD), Cliftonville FC (NIR), FC Daugava Daugavpils (LVA), FK Sutjeska (MNE), JK Nõmme Kalju (EST) and CS Fola Esch (LUX)
The seeded teams and hence possible opponents for Birkirkara are
FC BATE Borisov (BLR), Celtic FC (SCO), FC Steaua Bucureşti (ROU), FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), FK Partizan (SRB), Legia Warszawa (POL), FC Sheriff (MDA), NK Maribor (SVN), ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK), IF Elfsborg (SWE), Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR), Molde FK (NOR), HJK Helsinki (FIN), FK Ekranas (LTU), Neftçi PFK (AZE) and FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)
Games will be played over two legs on 16/17 and 23/24 July.
In the UEFA Europa League, one hundred and eighteen teams enter the draws for the first and second qualifying rounds.
Valletta, with a ranking of 3.791, are seeded while Sliema Wanderers and Hibernians (both on 1.541) are not.
The seeded teams (possible opponents for Sliema and Hibs) are:
Rosenborg BK (NOR), MŠK Žilina (SVK), PFC Levski Sofia (BUL), PFC CSKA Sofia (BUL), Videoton FC (HUN), FK Ventspils (LVA), Tromsø IL (NOR), FC Aktobe (KAZ), FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR), Saint Patrick’s Athletic FC (IRL), Qarabağ FK (AZE), FK Vojvodina (SRB), Malmö FF (SWE), FK Sarajevo (BIH), FC Astra Ploieşti (ROU), KR Reykjavík (ISL), F91 Dudelange (LUX), FC Inter Turku (FIN), FC Dacia Chisinau (MDA), FC Levadia Tallinn (EST), Linfield FC (NIR), Budapest Honvéd FC (HUN), Valletta FC (MLT), FC Differdange 03 (LUX), SK Liepājas Metalurgs (LVA), Gefle IF (SWE), FC Pyunik (ARM), HŠK Zrinjski (BIH), İnter Bakı PİK (AZE), Skonto FC (LVA), FK Sūduva (LTU), FC Vaduz (LIE), FC Flora Tallinn (EST), Xäzär Länkäran FK (AZE), HB Tórshavn (FRO), FK Rudar Pljevlja (MNE), TPS Turku (FIN) and Breidablik (ISL)
The unseeded teams (possible opponents for Valletta) are
NK Domžale (SVN), Glentoran FC (NIR), FK Metalurg Skopje (MKD), FC Milsami Orhei (MDA), NK Celje (SVN), FC Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO), FK Teteks (MKD), FC Irtysh Pavlodar (KAZ), AS Jeunesse Esch (LUX), Crusaders FC (NIR), FC Santa Coloma (AND), FC Chikhura Sachkhere (GEO), VMFD Žalgiris (LTU), IFK Mariehamn (FIN), FC Mika (ARM), ÍBV Vestmannaeyjar (ISL), FK Čelik Nikšić (MNE), Sliema Wanderers FC (MLT), Hibernians FC (MLT), FC Tiraspol (MDA), Drogheda United FC (IRL), JK Trans Narva (EST), FC Gandzasar (ARM), FK Kruoja (LTU), FC Astana (KAZ), KF Laçi (ALB), KS Teuta (ALB), Víkingur (FRO), FK Mladost Podgorica (MNE), FK Turnovo (MKD), UE Santa Coloma (AND), FK Kukësi (ALB), ÍF Fuglafjørdur (FRO), Bala Town FC (WAL), Broughton FC (WAL), Prestatyn Town FC (WAL), SP La Fiorita (SMR) and AC Libertas (SMR)
.