Hibernians to face Montenegro champs

Hibernians face an uphill struggle to advance to the second qualifying round of the Champions League after being drawn against Montenegro's FK Mogren in the first qualifying round.

Billed as the strongest of the four sides in the first qualifying stage of the Champions League, Mogren were seeded along with Andorra's Sant Julia in yesterday's draw.

Hibs, who were unseeded along with San Marino's SP Tre Flori, craved a meeting with the less powerful Sant Julia but their prayers went unanswered.

Mogren clinched the title last season after finishing four points clear of FK Buducnost Podgorica in the Montenegro league.

The Maltese champions will play Mogren at the Centenary Stadium in the first leg on July 1. The second leg will take place in Budva on July 8.

The winner of the Hibs-FK Mogren tie will set up a clash against Danish champions FC Copenhagen in the second qualifying round of the Champions League.

The draw for the first two qualifying rounds of the 2009-2010 Europa League was also made in Nyon yesterday.

Valletta, Premier League runners-up last season, were paired with Iceland's Keflavik while Birkirkara will play Croatia's Slaven Belupo in the first qualifying round.

Slaven will be making their second trip to Malta in the space of 12 months after they trounced Marsaxlokk 8-0 on aggregate in the first qualifying round of last season's UEFA Cup.

The first leg between Marsaxlokk and Slaven last summer made headlines for the wrong reasons after an attempt to rig the result of the match was uncovered by the Malta FA.

Last season, Slaven finished fourth in the Croatian league.

Keflavik, Valletta's opponents, booked a place in the Europa League thanks to the runners-up spot in Iceland's top division, only one point behind champions FH Hafnarfjordur.

Valletta will have home advantage in the first leg on July 2. The return will be played a week later.

Birkirkara will travel to Koprivnica for the first leg of their tie with Slaven.

FK Milano, of Macedonia, await the winner of the Birkirkara-Slaven match. Valletta and Keflavik will by vying for a second round meeting with Ireland's St Patrick's.

As winners of the FA Trophy, Sliema Wanderers will enter the fray in the second qualifying round of the Europa League.

The Blues have been paired with Israel's Maccabi Netanya and will play the first leg, on July 16, at home. The second leg is scheduled for July 23.

No Maltese team managed to progress beyond the first qualifying round of European competitions last season.

Valletta bowed out to Slovakia's FC Artmedia in the Champions League after a 3-0 aggregate defeat.

Birkirkara were no match for Croatia's Hajduk Split, losing 7-0 on aggregate, and Marsaxlokk suffered the same fate against Slaven who won 8-0.

Hibs went down to Slovenia's NK Gorica, 3-0 on aggregate, in the first round of the now-defunct Intertoto Cup last season.

Champions League

First qualifying round (June 30/July 1 and July 7/8)

1. Sant Julia vs Tre Fiori;

2. Hibernians vs Mogren.

Second qualifying round (July 14/15 and 21/22)

Tirana vs Stabaek; WIT vs Maribor; Streymur vs Apoel; FC Copenhagen vs Winner match 2; Debreceni vs Kalmar; FKM Skopje vs B. Borisov; Hafnarfjordur vs Aktobe; Pyunik vs D. Zagreb; Ventspils vs Dudelange; Ekranas vs Baku;

Salzburg vs Bohemian; Zrinjski vs S. Bratislava; Inter Turku vs Sheriff; Rhyl vs Partizan; W. Krakow vs L. Tallinn; L. Sofia vs Winner match 1; M. Haifa vs Glentoran.

Europa League

First qualifying round (July 2 and 9)

MTZ Minsk vs Sutjeska; Lahti vs D. Tirana; FK Vetra vs Grevenmacher; Rosenborg vs Runavik; Haladas vs Irtysh Pavlodar;

Sligo Rovers vs Vllaznia; O. Rustavi vs B36 Torshavn; A. Famagusta vs UN Kaerjeng; Slaven Koprivnica vs Birkirkara; Z. Chisinau vs Okzheptes Kokshetau; L. Distillery vs FC Zestafoni; Helsingborgs vs FC Mika;

Valletta vs Keflavik; Dinaburg vs JK Nomme Kalju; B. Podgorica vs P. Warsaw; R. Velenje vs JK Trans Narva; Motherwell vs Llanelli; Siroki Brijeg vs Banants; S. Trnava vs FC Inter Baki;

D. Minsk vs FK Renova; Randers FC vs Linfield; Simurq vs B. Yehuda Tel-Aviv; TNS vs F. Reykjavik.