Malta champions Birkirkara have lofty ambitions of advancing to the second qualifying round of the Champions League after being handed a negotiable two-legged tie against B36 Torshavn of the Faroe Islands yesterday.
The draw, in Nyon, threw up a further incentive for Birkirkara what with Turkish giants Fenerbahce awaiting the winners of their two-legged tie with the Faorese champions.
Birkirkara's good omens, however, did not extend to the other two Maltese clubs in the UEFA Cup. Sliema Wanderers, the league runners-up, and FA Trophy winners Hibs were paired with rivals Rapid and Dinamo Bucharest respectively.
In all, 22 clubs were in the pot for the Champions League first qualifying draw. The UEFA Cup draw featured 70 clubs with ties to be played over two legs on July 13 and 27.
Birkirkara were justifiably satisfied with the outcome.
"It's a favourable draw for us," Victor Zammit, the Birkirkara chairman, told The Times. "I'm not saying that Birkirkara are favourites but we feel that B36 Torshavn are within our reach."
Zammit reckoned that the prospect of a match against Fenerbahce will galvanise Birkirkara's determination to give their all against Torshavn.
"A meeting with Fenerbahce is a great attraction, in terms of prestige as well as financially," Zammit added.
While Birkirkara are still in the initial phase of their pre-season preparations, B36 Torshavn already have 13 league matches under their belt. They are fifth in the standings, four points behind leaders EB/Streymur.
Birkirkara's assault for a prized spot in the second qualifying round kicks off at Ta' Qali on July 12. The second leg will be played on July 19.
The scenario looming over Malta's two representatives in the UEFA Cup at last year's draw repeated itself yesterday. Last summer, Birkirkara and Hibs were handed ties against Apoel and Omonia Nicosia of Cyprus whereas this time round, the opposition will come from two Romanian clubs.
Sliema will cross swords with a Rapid Bucharest side who made it all the way to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup last season where they lost to city rivals Steaua Bucharest.
Yesterday evening, Rapid announced that coach Razvan Lucescu decided to stay at the club just days after he agreed to take over Politehcnica Timisoara.
"We always speak of tough matches but this year it's even more difficult than usual for us," Jeffrey Farrugia, the Sliema official who attended yesterday's draw, said.
"We know that our chances are very remote but hopefully we'll give it our best shot."
It will not be the first time that Rapid, runners-up to Steaua in the league and winners of the cup competition, have met a Maltese club in the UEFA Cup as in 1994 they ousted Valletta 7-3.
The same goes for Dinamo, Hibs' opponents in the first qualifying round. In 1964, they easily disposed of Sliema 7-0 in the Champions Cup.
Edward Aquilina, the current Sliema coach, was in the Wanderers' team that bowed to Dinamo Bucharest in the sixties.
Dinamo Bucharest secured a berth in the UEFA Cup after finishing third in the league.
Jesmond Abela, the Hibs official in Nyon yesterday, echoed Farrugia's views on the draw.
"It's a very hard draw for us," Abela said. "Romanian teams are strong, especially those who like Dinamo regularly figure in the top positions.
"The Dinamo officials here told me that they will be flying to Malta from France where they will be having a training camp next month. Five days before the home leg on July 13, Dinamo will play a friendly match against Marseille."
Earlier this month, Dinamo named Mircea Rednic as their coach. Last year, Dinamo knocked out Cyprus's Omonia Nicosia 4-3 in the second qualifying round. In the previous round, Omonia had racked up a 6-0 aggregate win over Hibs.
The first legs on July 13 will see Hibs hosting Dinamo Bucharest at the National Stadium and Sliema facing Rapid in Romania. The roles will be reversed for the second legs on July 27.
Champions League
First qualifying round
1. KS Elbasani (Albania) vs FK Ekranas (Lithuania)
2. FC Tallinn (Estonia) vs Hafnarfjordur (Iceland)
3. Liepajas Metalurgs (Latvia) vs FK Aktobe (Kazakhstan)
4. Myllykosken Pallo-47 (Finland) vs New Saints (Wales)
5. Cork City (Ireland) vs Apollon Limassol (Cyprus)
6. Sioni Bonisi (Georgia) vs FK Baku (Azerbaijan)
7. F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg) vs Rabotnicki (Macedonia)
8. Shakhtyor Soligorsk (Belarus) vs NK Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia) 9. Birkirkara (Malta) vs B36 Torshavn (Faroe Islands) 10. Linfield (N. Ireland) vs NK Gorica (Slovenia)
11. PC Pyunik (Armenia) vs FC Sheriff (Moldova)
First leg: July 11/12. Second leg: July 18/19.
Second qualifying round Draw
Winners match 10 vs Steaua Bucharest (Romania)
Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) vs Winners match 6
FC Zurich (Switzerland) vs Austria Salzburg (Austria)
Djurgardens (Sweden) vs Ruzomberok (Slovakia)
Debreceni (Hungary) vs Winners match 7
Winners match 5 vs Red Star Belgrade (Serbia)
Fenerbahce (Turkey) vs Winners match 9
Mlada Boleslav (Czech Republic) vs Valerenga (Norway)
Winners match 11 vs Spartak Moscow (Russia)
Winners match 3 vs FC Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)
Winners match 2 vs Legia Warsaw (Poland)
FC Copenhagen (Denmark) vs Winners match 4
Winners match 1 vs Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia)
Hearts (Scotland) vs Winners match 8
First leg: July 25/26. Second leg: August 1/2.
UEFA Cup - S. Mediterranean region
First qualifying round
KF Tirana (Albania) vs NK Varteks (Croatia)
Dinamo Tirana (Albania) vs CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria)
FC Koper (Slovenia) vs Litex Lovech (Bulgaria)
Sarajevo (Bosnia) vs FC Ranger's (Andorra)
NK Domzale (Slovenia) vs NK Orasje (Bosnia)
Hibernians (Malta) vs Dinamo Bucharest (Romania)
APOEL (Cyprus) vs SS Murata (San Marino)
Rijeka (Croatia) vs AC Omonia (Cyprus)
Lokomotiv Sofia (Bulgaria) vs FK Skopje (Macedonia)
FK Vardar (Macedonia) vs Roeselare (Belgium)
Rapid Bucharest (Romania) vs Sliema Wanderers (Malta)
First leg: July 13. Second leg: July 27.