UEFA Europa League: Valletta paired with Folgore (SMR), Floriana face Red Star and Balzan take on Videoton

Valletta will be facing S.S. Folgore Falciano of San Marino, Floriana take on FK Crvena zvezda (Red Star Belgrade) of Serbia while Balzan were paired with Videoton FC of Hungary in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League as the draws were held in Nyon on Monday.

The Citizens will play the first leg at home while Floriana and Balzan play their first leg away from home. First qualifying round matches are scheduled for 29 June and 6 July.

In the second qualifying round, should any of the Maltese teams qualify, Balzan would face Nõmme Kalju (EST) or B36 Tórshavn (FRO);
Valletta would face Utrecht (NED) while Floriana would face Irtysh Pavlodar (KAZ) or Dunav Ruse (BUL).

Valletta vs Folgore
S.S. Folgore Falciano Calcio are based in the village of Falciano in the castello of Serravalle, San Marino. The club was founded in 1972.

Last season, they placed third in Group B and made it to the fifth round of the play-offs, losing narrowly to eventual runners-up Tre Penne.

Folgore won the championship four times – 1996/97, 1997/98, 1999/2000 and 2014/15, the Coppa Titano in 2014/15 and the Trofeo Federale in 1997, 2000 and 2015.

They took part in the UEFA Cup for the first time in 2000/01, losing 1-12 on aggregate to FC Basel. In the last three years, they were eliminated by Buducnost Podgorica with a 1-5 aggregate score in the Europa League, 1-4 by Pyunik Yerevan in the Champions LEague and by AEK Larnaca 1-6 on aggregate in the Europa League last season.

This will be the third time Valletta are meeting a club from San Marino after eliminating Tre Fiori with a 5-1 aggregate score in the UEFA Champions League 2011/12 and La Fiorita with a 4-0 aggregate score in the UEFA Europa League 2013/14.

Crvena zvezda (SRB) vs Floriana
FK Crvena Zvezda, better known as Red Star Belgrade, won the championship a record 27 times – the Yugoslav championship 19 times, the First League of Serbia & Montenegro 5 times and the Serbian Super Liga three times. They won the cup a record 24 times – twelve Yugoslav Cups, nine Serbia & Montenegro Cups and three Serbian Cups. Red Star Belgrade. Last season, they finished second in the Super Liga and lost the Cup final to champions and eternal rivals Partizan.

They won the Champions Cup in 1991 after defeating Olympique Marseille on penalties. They also reached the semi-finals of the same competition in 1957 and 1971 but were eliminated by Fiorentina and Panathinaikos respectively. In 1979, they reached the final of the UEFA Cup but lost 1-2 on aggregate to Borussia Monchengladbach. In 1991, they won the Intercontinental Cup after defeating Colo Colo of Chile 3-0.

This will be Red Star Belgrade’s third visit to Malta for a clash in one of the European competitions as in 1982, they were paired with Hibernians in the first round of the Champions Cup, winning 2-1 in Malta and 8-1 in Belgrade while last year, they registered two identical 2-1 wins over Valletta in the UEFA Champions League.

Videoton vs Balzan
Videoton Football Club were founded in 1941 and are based in Székesfehérvár, in the west of Hungary. They won the Hungarian League twice in 2011 and 2015, Hungarian Cup once, the defunct Hungarian League Cup three times, and the Hungarian Super Cup twice. The most successful period in Videoton’s history came in the mid-1980s when Ferenc Kovács led the club to the final of the UEFA Cup in 1985. They won its first Hungarian League title in 2011 and managed to reach the group stages of the Europa League in the 2012/13 season.

First qualifying round draw

Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) v Tirana (ALB)
Kairat Almaty (KAZ) v Atlantas (LTU)
Beitar Jerusalem (ISR) v Vasas (HUN)
Ordabasy (KAZ) v Široki Brijeg (BIH)
Crvena zvezda (SRB) v Floriana (MLT)
Valletta (MLT) v Folgore (SMR)
Ventspils (LVA) v Valur Reykjavík (ISL)
St Johnstone (SCO) v Trakai (LTU)
Odd (NOR) v Ballymena United (NIR)
Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) v Sūduva (LTU)
Mladost Lučani (SRB) v İnter Bakı (AZE)
Chikhura Sachkhere (GEO) v Altach (AUT)
Fola Esch (LUX) v Milsami Orhei (MDA)
Partizani (ALB) v Botev Plovdiv (BUL)
UE Santa Coloma (AND) v Osijek (CRO)
Zaria Balti (MDA) v FK Sarajevo (BIH)
Bala Town (WAL) v Vaduz (LIE)
VPS Vaasa (FIN) v Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN)
Connah’s Quay Nomads (WAL) v HJK Helsinki (FIN)
SJK Seinäjoki (FIN) v KR Reykjavík (ISL)
Shirak (ARM) v Gorica (SVN)
Zirä (AZE) v Differdange (LUX)
Vojvodina (SRB) v Ružomberok (SVK)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) v Pyunik (ARM)
Rabotnicki (MKD) v Tre Penne (SMR)
Rangers (SCO) v Progrès Niederkorn (LUX)
Domžale (SVN) v Flora Tallinn (EST)
Crusaders (NIR) v Liepāja (LVA)
Nõmme Kalju (EST) v B36 Tórshavn (FRO)
Levadia Tallinn (EST) v Cork City (IRL)
Dacia Chisinau (MDA) v Shkëndija (MKD)
Levski Sofia (BUL) v Sutjeska (MNE)
Irtysh Pavlodar (KAZ) v Dunav Ruse (BUL)
Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) v Dinamo Batumi (GEO)
Željezničar (BIH) v Zeta (MNE)
AEK Larnaca (CYP) v Lincoln (GIB)
Midtjylland (DEN) v Derry City (IRL)
Dinamo Minsk (BLR) v NSÍ Runavík (FRO)
Ferencváros (HUN) v Jelgava (LVA)
Lyngby (DEN) v Bangor City (WAL)
Trenčín (SVK) v Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO)
Lech Poznań (POL) v Pelister (MKD)
Mladost Podgorica (MNE) v Gandzasar-Kapan (ARM)
Videoton (HUN) v Balzan (MLT)
AEL Limassol (CYP) v St Joseph’s (GIB)
Skënderbeu (ALB) v Sant Julià (AND)
Haugesund (NOR) v Coleraine (NIR)
Stjarnan (ISL) v Shamrock Rovers (IRL)
IFK Norrköping (SWE) v Prishtina (KOS)
AIK (SWE) v KÍ Klaksvík (FRO)

Ties to be played on 29 June and 6 July

Second qualifying round draw (matches 13 & 20 July)

Partizani (ALB) or Botev Plovdiv (BUL) v Beitar Jerusalem (ISR) or Vasas (HUN)
Željezničar (BIH) or Zeta (MNE) v AIK (SWE) or KÍ Klaksvík (FRO)
Haugesund (NOR) or Coleraine (NIR) v Lech Poznań (POL) or Pelister (MKD)
Apollon Limassol (CYP) v Zaria Balti (MDA) or FK Sarajevo (BIH)
AEK Larnaca (CYP) or Lincoln (GIB) v Levadia Tallinn (EST) or Cork City (IRL)
Brøndby (DEN) v VPS Vaasa (FIN) or Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN)
Rabotnicki (MKD) or Tre Penne (SMR) v Dinamo Minsk (BLR) or NSÍ Runavík (FRO)
Kairat Almaty (KAZ) or Atlantas (LTU) v Skënderbeu (ALB) or Sant Julià (AND)
IFK Norrköping (SWE) or Prishtina (KOS) v St Johnstone (SCO) or Trakai (LTU)
Slovan Bratislava (SVK) or Pyunik (ARM) v Lyngby (DEN) or Bangor City (WAL)

Panionios (GRE) v Shirak (ARM) or Gorica (SVN)
Hajduk Split (CRO) v Levski Sofia (BUL) or Sutjeska (MNE)
Stjarnan (ISL) or Shamrock Rovers (IRL) v Mladá Boleslav (CZE)
Zirä (AZE) or Differdange (LUX) v Astra Giurgiu (ROU)
Nõmme Kalju (EST) or B36 Tórshavn (FRO) v Videoton (HUN) or Balzan (MLT)
Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) or Tirana (ALB) v SJK Seinäjoki (FIN) or KR Reykjavík (ISL)
Chikhura Sachkhere (GEO) or Altach (AUT) v Dinamo Brest (BLR)
Aberdeen (SCO) v Ordabasy (KAZ) or Široki Brijeg (BIH)
Valletta (MLT) or Folgore (SMR) v Utrecht (NED)
Östersund (SWE) v Galatasaray (TUR)

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Ferencváros (HUN) or Jelgava (LVA) v Midtjylland (DEN) or Derry City (IRL)
Vojvodina (SRB) or Ružomberok (SVK) v Brann (NOR)
Mladost Lučani (SRB) or İnter Bakı (AZE) v Fola Esch (LUX) or Milsami Orhei (MDA)
Sturm Graz (AUT) v Mladost Podgorica (MNE) or Gandzasar-Kapan (ARM)
Crusaders (NIR) or Liepāja (LVA) v Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) or Sūduva (LTU)
Bala Town (WAL) or Vaduz (LIE) v Odd (NOR) or Ballymena United (NIR)
Dacia Chisinau (MDA) or Shkëndija (MKD) v Connah’s Quay Nomads (WAL) or HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Gabala (AZE) v Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) or Dinamo Batumi (GEO)
Ventspils (LVA) or Valur Reykjavík (ISL) v Domžale (SVN) or Flora Tallinn (EST)
Trenčín (SVK) or Torpedo Kutaisi (GEO) v Bnei Yehuda Tel-Aviv (ISR)

Rangers (SCO) or Progrès Niederkorn (LUX) v AEL Limassol (CYP) or St Joseph’s (GIB)
Irtysh Pavlodar (KAZ) or Dunav Ruse (BUL) v Crvena zvezda (SRB) or Floriana (MLT)
UE Santa Coloma (AND) or Osijek (CRO) v Luzern (SUI)