UEFA Europa League preliminary round draws to be held on Tuesday

Birkirkara and Gzira United will know their opponents in the UEFA Europa League preliminary round as the draws will be held on Tuesday in Nyon.

The Stripes and the Maroons are both seeded in this new preliminary round. In fact the fourteen teams in this round were ranked according to their coefficient and split into two pots of seven: seeded and unseeded.

Also seeded apart from Birkirkara and Gzira United are Trakai (LTU), Europa (GIB), B36 Tórshavn (FRO), Folgore (SMR) and Bala Town (WAL).

The unseeded teams, and hence the possible opponents for the two Maltese teams, are Cefn Druids (WAL), Sant Julià (AND), KÍ Klaksvík (FRO),
St Joseph’s (GIB), Engordany (AND), Prishtina (KOS) and Tre Fiori (SMR).

Preliminary Round matches will be played on 28 June and 5 July.

The teams which qualify move on to the First Qualifying Round which will feature 94 teams, including Balzan.

Meanwhile champions Valletta enter the UEFA Champions League in the First Qualifying Round and therefore avoid the Preliminary Round which will be played as a mini-tournament between four clubs.