NYON, Switzerland (AP) -Five-time European Cup winner Liverpool
must beat Belgian champion Standard Liege in the final qualifying
round to reach the Champions League's lucrative group stage.
FC Barcelona, which won the tournament in 2006, was drawn at
home against the winner between Beitar Jerusalem of Israel and
Poland's Wisla Krakow.
Other former champions in the third qualifying round draw
included Juventus, which will face Finnish side Tampere or Artmedia
of Slovakia. Steaua Bucharest, which won the European Cup in 1986,
will face Galatasaray away in the first leg.
Arsenal will face Dutch side FC Twente, which is now managed by
former England coach Steve McClaren.
Winners of the 16 ties drawn Friday go into the group stage
alongside the 16 clubs that qualified directly because they
finished as champion or runner-up in one of Europe's biggest
leagues.
The home-and-away ties are played on Aug. 12-13 and Aug. 26-27,
with the winners guaranteed at least at least ?6 million
(US$9.4million) in prize money and television revenues during the
group stage.
"We don't have to go too far which is good news, especially when
you look at some of the teams we could have drawn,'' Liverpool
manager Rafa Benitez said of the trip to Belgium. "People may say
it's a kind draw for us but we will treat them with respect. We
know some things about their team already but we will now watch
more videos and get reports from our scouts before the first
game.''
A club like Barcelona isn't used to being in the qualifying
rounds, and football director Txiki Begiristain said both the fans
and players see Champions League play as a requirement.
"Yes, we have to be in the group stage but we have to fight for
it,'' Begiristain told The Associated Press. "We will be in Krakow
watching the second leg of the (Wisla vs. Beitar) game and we will
know a little more about the teams. We must give all respect to
both teams.''
Twente's matchup with Arsenal will see McClaren return to
England for one of his first matches since being fired as national
team coach last November after failing to qualify for the European
Championships.
"It is a good opportunity to show his quality,'' Arsenal manager
Arsene Wenger said. "He is at the period where he can show he will
bounce back and he can show his qualities - and I'm sure he has
plenty.
"Steve McClaren will get his team well organized and make it
difficult for us ... we will be favorites and of course it will be
important for us to be at the top of our concentration to go
through.''
McClaren joined Twente in June and will lead the club in its
first Champions League venture.
"I expected one of the English teams, fate deals us certain
cards and it has dealt us this card,'' McClaren told Sky Sports
News. "On the one hand it's tough and we know that, but on the
other hand it's very exciting.''
The second qualifying round in the UEFA Cup was also drawn
Friday, with Red Star Belgrade facing Apoel of Cyprus, and former
Italian champion Napoli playing Vllaznia of Albania.
Two of the smallest clubs - Swiss side Bellinzona and Queen of
the South from Scotland - play in their country's second-tier
league but qualified as beaten cup finalists.
Bellinzona, from the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, will
meet Ukraine's Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk.
"It is like a dream for us,'' general manager Marco De Gennaro
said. "We are very curious to see this new land for us, it will be
a good adventure.''
Bellinzona was promoted in May and now plays in the Swiss top
division, but its stadium does not meet UEFA standards. The Aug. 28
second leg against Dnipro will be played at nearby Lugano.
Queen of the South must also play away from its Dumfries home.
It will welcome Danish opponents Nordsjaelland 80 miles away at
Airdrie, near Glasgow, for the first leg on Aug. 14.
"I would expect a full house and all Queen of the South fans
will want to be there,'' chairman David Rae said. "We have a great
chance to progress.
"It is unreal to be here today. You are rubbing shoulders with
some of the biggest clubs in Europe.''
The format of the UEFA Cup sees the 32 winners in second
qualifying round join 32 automatic entrants in the first round,
along with the 16 teams eliminated in the Champions League third
qualifying round. The 40 winners of those ties will then play in a
group stage of eight five-team pools.