Valletta were drawn with SP La Fiorita of San Marino while Hibernians and Sliema Wanderers go East as they were paired with FK Vojvodina of Serbia and FC Khazar Lankaran of Azerbaijan respectively in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League. The draws were held at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon on Monday by UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino and UEFA competitions director Giorgio Marchetti.
First qualifying round ties will be played on 4 and 11 July with the reward for the winners being a place in the second qualifying round on 18 and 25 July.
Valletta play the first leg away from home but Hibernians and Sliema will be playing the first leg at home. One of the latter matches will probably be moved to July 2.
In the second qualifying round, the winner of Sliema vs Khazar will face Maccabi Haifa of Israel – first leg in Israel;
the winner of Hibernians vs Vojvodina will face the winner of the clash between FK Čelik Nikšić (MNE) and Budapest Honvéd FC (HUN);
the winner of the clash between La Fiorita and Valletta take on FC Minsk of Belarus.
Khazar Lankaran FK are based in Lankaran, who play in the Azerbaijan Premier League. Khazar Lankaran have won the Premier league title only once, and the Azerbaijan Cup three times.
Last season, they finished third in the Relegation Pool but qualified for the UEFA Europa League as losing finalist of the Azerbaijan Cup following a 0-1 defeat to champions Neftçi Baku.
Khazar has been taking part in European competitions since 2005 but it was only last season, that they managed to reach a second round. In fact, they reached the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League after eliminating Kalju Nomme of Estonia but were then eliminated by Lech Poznan of Poland.
This will be the first time, clubs from Malta and Azerbaijan are facing each other.
This will be the second time, Hibernians face FK Vojvodina. In fact in the UEFA Europa League 2007/08, Vojvodina defeated Hibs 5-1 at home and 2-0 in Malta.
Fudbalski klub Vojvodina was one of the most successful clubs in the former Yugoslavia, winning two championships in 1966 and 1989, ending as runners-up three times – in 1957, 1962 and 1975. They won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1976 and the Mitropa Cup in 1977. Vojvodia were runners-up of the Serbian SuperLiga in 2009 and finished in 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013. In fact, last year, they finished third one point behind Red Star Belgrade and twelve behind champions Partizan Belgrade. They lost the Serbian Cup final, losing 0-1 to FK Jagodina.
Vojvodina’s best run in Europe took place in season 1967/68 when they reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.
For SP La Fiorita, this will only be their second participation in a UEFA competition. Last year, they were eliminated from the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa league by Metalurgs Liepaja of Latvia.
They won the championship twice – 1986/87 and 1989/90 and the Coppa Titano three times – 1985/86, 2011/12, 2012/13. In fact, they defeated San Giovanni 1-0 in the final. In the play-offs for the championship, they were eliminated in the pen-ultimate round, losing 0-1 to champions Tre Penne.
This will be the second time, the Citizens will be playing in San Marino. In 2011/12, Valletta eliminated SP Tre Fiori with a 3-0 win in San Marino and a 2-1 win at the Hibernians Stadium.
First qualifying round draw
Víkingur (FRO) v FC Inter Turku (FIN)
VMFD Žalgiris (LTU) v Saint Patrick’s Athletic FC (IRL)
AUK Broughton FC (WAL) v FK Ventspils (LVA)
JK Trans Narva (EST) v Gefle IF (SWE)
KR Reykjavík (ISL) v Glentoran FC (NIR)
FC Chikhura Sachkhere (GEO) v FC Vaduz (LIE)
FC Milsami Orhei (MDA) v F91 Dudelange (LUX)
FK Metalurg Skopje (MKD) v Qarabağ FK (AZE)
FK Mladost Podgorica (MNE) v Videoton FC (HUN)
FC Flora Tallinn (EST) v FK Kukësi (ALB)
FK Teteks (MKD) v FC Pyunik (ARM)
KS Teuta (ALB) v FC Dacia Chişinău (MDA)
AC Libertas (SMR) v FK Sarajevo (BIH)
Sliema Wanderers FC (MLT) v FC Khazar Lankaran (AZE)
PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) v FC Irtysh Pavlodar (KAZ)
Hibernians FC (MLT) v FK Vojvodina (SRB)
FC Astana (KAZ) v N3* (BUL)
UE Santa Coloma (AND) v HŠK Zrinjski Mostar (BIH)
NK Domžale (SVN) v FC Astra Ploieşti (ROU)
FK Rudar Pljevlja (MNE) v FC Mika (ARM)
FC Santa Coloma (AND) v Breidablik (ISL)
Drogheda United FC (IRL) v Malmö FF (SWE)
IFK Mariehamn (FIN) v FC İnter Bakı (AZE)
ÍF Fuglafjørdur (FRO) v Linfield FC (NIR)
Prestatyn Town FC (WAL) v SK Liepājas Metalurgs (LVA)
NK Celje (SVN) v Tromsø IL (NOR)
FC Tiraspol (MDA) v Skonto FC (LVA)
Crusaders FC (NIR) v Rosenborg BK (NOR)
ÍBV (ISL) v HB Tórshavn (FRO)
AS Jeunesse Esch (LUX) v TPS Turku (FIN)
Bala Town FC (WAL) v FC Levadia Tallinn (EST)
FK Kruoja (LTU) v FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
SP La Fiorita (SMR) v Valletta FC (MLT)
KF Laçi (ALB) v FC Differdange 03 (LUX)
FC Gandzasar Kapan (ARM) v FC Aktobe (KAZ)
FK Čelik Nikšić (MNE) v Budapest Honvéd FC (HUN)
FC Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO) v MŠK Žilina (SVK)
FK Turnovo (MKD) v FK Sūduva (LTU)*Club to be confirmed
Second qualifying round draw (18 and 25 July)
BK Häcken (SWE) v AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
AC Libertas (SMR) / FK Sarajevo (BIH) v FC Flora Tallinn (EST) / FK Kukësi (ALB)
FC Thun (SUI) v FC Chikhura Sachkhere (GEO) / FC Vaduz (LIE)
Xanthi FC (GRE) v ÍF Fuglafjørdur (FRO) / Linfield FC (NIR)
IL Hødd (NOR) v FC Gandzasar Kapan (ARM) / FC Aktobe (KAZ)
FC Dila Gori (GEO) v Aalborg BK (DEN)
Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR) v Sliema Wanderers FC (MLT) / FC Khazar Lankaran (AZE)
HNK Hajduk Split (CRO) v FK Turnovo (MKD) / FK Sūduva (LTU)
AUK Broughton FC (WAL) / FK Ventspils (LVA) v AS Jeunesse Esch (LUX) / TPS Turku (FIN)
NK Domžale (SVN) / FC Astra Ploieşti (ROU) v AC Omonia (CYP)
FC Tiraspol (MDA) / Skonto FC (LVA) v FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)
CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu (ROU) v Bala Town FC (WAL) / FC Levadia Tallinn (EST)
WKS Śląsk Wrocław (POL) v FK Rudar Pljevlja (MNE) / FC Mika (ARM)
Drogheda United FC (IRL) / Malmö FF (SWE) v Hibernian FC (SCO)
FC Jagodina (SRB) v FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)
Strømsgodset IF (NOR) v Debreceni VSC (HUN)
FC Petrolul Ploieşti (ROU) v Víkingur (FRO) / FC Inter Turku (FIN)
HNK Rijeka (CRO) v Prestatyn Town FC (WAL) / SK Liepājas Metalurgs (LVA)
VMFD Žalgiris (LTU) / Saint Patrick’s Athletic FC (IRL) v FK Teteks (MKD) / FC Pyunik (ARM)
PFC Beroe Stara Zagora (BUL) v Hapoel Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
FC Honka Espoo (FIN) v KKS Lech Poznań (POL)
FK Crvena zvezda (SRB) v ÍBV (ISL) / HB Tórshavn (FRO)
FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) v FC Milsami Orhei (MDA) / F91 Dudelange (LUX)
Hibernians FC (MLT) / FK Vojvodina (SRB) v FK Čelik Nikšić (MNE) / Budapest Honvéd FC (HUN)
NK Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) v FC Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO) / MŠK Žilina (SVK)
IFK Mariehamn (FIN) / FC İnter Bakı (AZE) v NK Celje (SVN) / Tromsø IL (NOR)
FC Chornomorets Odesa (UKR) v KS Teuta (ALB) / FC Dacia Chişinău (MDA)
IFK Göteborg (SWE) v FK AS Trenčín (SVK)
FK Kruoja (LTU) / FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) v NK Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)
KR (ISL) / Glentoran FC (NIR) v R. Standard de Liège (BEL)
UE Santa Coloma (AND) / HŠK Zrinjski Mostar (BIH) v FC Astana (KAZ) / N3* (BUL)
FK Metalurg Skopje (MKD) / Qarabağ FK (AZE) v GKS Piast Gliwice (POL)
Crusaders FC (NIR) / Rosenborg BK (NOR) v Saint Johnstone FC (SCO)
Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR) v Derry City FC (IRL)
SP La Fiorita (SMR) / Valletta FC (MLT) v FC Minsk (BLR)
FK Senica (SVK) v FK Mladost Podgorica (MNE) / Videoton FC (HUN)
Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP) v JK Trans Narva (EST) / Gefle IF (SWE)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT) v FC Santa Coloma (AND) / Breidablik (ISL)
PFC Levski Sofia (BUL) / FC Irtysh Pavlodar (KAZ) v NK Široki Brijeg (BIH)
KF Laçi (ALB) / FC Differdange 03 (LUX) v FC Utrecht (NED)