Valletta are flying the Maltese flag in this season’s Champions League. Photo: Darrin Zammit LupiValletta must overcome wealthy club Qarabag FK if they are to advance to the third qualifying round of the Champions League for the first time in their history after the draws for the initial rounds of Europe’s flagship competition pitted the Maltese champions against their counter-parts from Azerbaijan.
The Citizens, who captured their 22nd league title after a nailbiting 2-0 win over long-time leaders Birkirkara on the final day of the season, were among the unseeded teams for yesterday’s draw at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon.
“It’s a very tough draw,” Gilbert Agius, the Valletta coach, told Times of Malta.
“I have acquired detailed information about the Qarabag squad from someone who is very knowledgeable about football in Azerbaijan.
“Qarabag have a very strong team. Their aim is to get into the Europa League group stages. Last season, they came very close after reaching the play-offs.
“They have very good Brazilian and Albanian players.”
Although Qarabag are not a glamorous name in European football, they have made giant strides in recent years, spending heavily on players to strengthen their squad.
Their efforts paid off last season as Qarabag were crowned cham-pions of Azerbaijan for only the second time in their history. They topped the standings with 72 points, five ahead of Inter Baku.
Last season, Qarabag knocked out Macedonia’s Metalurg Skopje, Polish team Piast Gliwice and Gefle IF, of Sweden, in the Europa League but went down to Eintracht Frankfurt 4-1 on aggregate in the play-offs.
Agius is circumspect about Valletta’s chances of upsetting Qarabag.
“Our aim is to try and qualify but we have to be realistic,” Agius said.
“We are playing against a team who, on paper, are stronger than us.
“The first leg will be very important for us as we are playing at home.”
The first leg will take place at the National Stadium on July 15/16 with the second leg a week later.
Last season, Valletta had the better of San Marino’s La Fiorita in the initial round of the Europa League but bowed out of the competition after losing to FC Minsk, of Belarus, 3-1 on aggregate.
Valletta’s pairing with Qarabag means that the Malta players in the City squad are facing the prospect of two gruelling trips to Azerbaijan in less than a year.
Malta will travel to Azerbaijan for a Euro 2016 qualifier in March.
Squad changes
Valletta are currently engaged in the pre-season Euro Cup Friendly Tournament. They have four points from their opening two matches and meet Hibernians in their final game tomorrow.
Midfielder Edmond Agius’s move to Birkirkara and the imminent departures of Steve Borg and Hamza Barry have undermined Agius’s hopes of going into the Champions League commitments with a settled squad.
Borg is having a trial with a South African club and Tunisian team Esperance are close to agreeing a deal with Valletta to sign Gambian midfielder Barry.
Valletta have recruited three players, defender Ryan Camilleri, from Hibernians, Tarxien goalkeeper Nicky Vella and Adrian Zahra, a Maltese-Australian winger who last played for Perth Glory.
They are also in advanced discussions to sign an experienced Portuguese mid-fielder who has had spells in Cyprus and Greece.
Champions League draw
First qualifying round (July 1/2 – July 8/9)
Santa Coloma (Andorra) vs Banants (Armenia)
Lincoln (Gibraltar) vs HB Torshavn (Faroe Islands)
SP La Fiorita (San Marino) vs Levadia Tallinn (Estonia)
Second qualifying round (July 15/16 – July 22/23)
BATE Borisov (Belarus) vs KS Skenderbeu (Albania)
M. Tel-Aviv (Israel) vs S. Coloma (Andorra)/ Banants (Armenia)
Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) vs Aktobe (Kazakhstan)
HSK Zrinjski (Bosnia) vs Maribor (Slovenia)
Sheriff (Moldova) vs Sutjeska (Montenegro)
S. Prague (Czech Rep.) vs SP La Fiorita (San Marino)/L.Tallinn (Estonia)
Malmo FF (Sweden) vs FK Ventspils (Latvia)
S. Bratislava (Slovakia) vs The New Saints (Wales)
Celtic (Scotland) vs Reykjavik (Iceland)
Cliftonville (N. Ireland) v Debreceni (Hungary)
P. Belgrade (Serbia) vs Lincoln (Gibraltar)/HB Torshavn (Faroe Islands)
Legia Warsaw (Poland) vs St Patrick’s (Ireland)
Rabotnicki (Macedonia) vs HJK Helsinki (Finland)
Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) vs Zalgiris (Lithuania)
Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria) vs F91 Dudelange (Luxemburg)
Valletta (Malta) vs Qarabag FK (Azerbaijan)
Stromsgodset IF (Norway) vs Steaua Bucharest (Romania)