Kevin LustigA surprising '08/'09 Champions League picture comes into focus (Pt. 2)
May 27th 2008 23:44
A couple of posts ago, I gave a rundown of the notable firsts (and a few notable seconds) for the big leagues' entrants into next season's Champions League. With the 2007/2008 season having come to a close, it's time to see who will be representing Europe's minnows on the CL stage.
First, we have three teams who have earned their countries' spots in the Second Qualifying Round. Brann earned the right to carry Norway's flag in the Champions League next season by winning the Norwegian league for the first time since 1963. Brann first played in the Champions League in 2001, a year in which Norway had two entrants in the tournament. They'll be hoping to improve on their performance in that season when they lost their qualifying round matches 1-1 to Levski Sofia on the away goals rule to crash out of the Champions League.
From Israel come Beitar Jerusalem for the second year running. After a topsy-turvy 1990s that saw them alternately in the bottom half of the table of Israel's top league and winning the title to take on the Champions League, Beitar Jerusalem's guns seemingly went quiet for the better part of the 2000s. However, with an influx of cash from Russian businessman and club owner Arcadi Gaydamak, Beitar have started to fire on all cylinders. They won the Israeli league last season and repeated again this year, and they will now set their sights on bettering their 2-1 loss to FC Copenhagen in last season's qualifying rounds.
Aalborg BK of Denmark have also made it into the second round, featuring in the Champions League for only the third time in their history and the first time in nine years. To reach this point, they took the Danish Superliga championship with a handy 9-point cushion. Aalborg were also a force in last season's UEFA Cup, dispatching Italian side Sampdoria to become the first Danish club to send an Italian squad packing in UEFA competition. They'll need more of the same giant-killing edge if they're to survive in the upcoming Champions League.
Next are a few teams who have earned the honor of Champions League play, but who will need a lot of determination to make it through qualifying. Here are the surprise names from the First Qualifying Round. For the Slovakians, Artmedia Petrzalka are hoping to repeat the great run they had during their first Champions League foray in 2005/2006. Not only did Artmedia make it past the qualifiers, but they also held their own in the group stage, almost finishing second in their group before drawing in their final game to slip to third behind Rangers. Second time may prove to be the charm for the Slovakian champions from Bratislava.
Ireland will be offering up Drogheda United to the European football gods next season. Drogheda have tasted European play before after multiple domestic cup wins in the past few years sent them into the UEFA Cup. However, they're now prepared to step up onto the big stage, having won Ireland's top flight for the first time.
Valur of Iceland, on the other hand, are no strangers to national championships, having won Iceland's football league 20 times. However, their last victory was in 1987. That is, their last victory before last season. Now Valur will try to rekindle history in the Champions League.
After starting the decade in Kazakhstan's First Division, FC Aktobe have steadily improved their results, earning a spot in the Champions League for the first time in the 2006/2007 season and again in next season's tournament. They demolished their Kazakh competition, finishing 8 points ahead of the second-placed team and 14 points out of third, and will hope to show the same prowess against foreign competition.
Wales' Llanelli AFC is yet another team that will be experiencing Champions League play for the first time. This achievement comes despite the team struggling to stay in Wales' highest league. They spent a couple of spells in the Welsh First Division before bouncing back into the Premier League in 2004/2005. They then propelled themselves in just three short years to the championship and the Champions League.
From the Faroe Islands, first-timers NSI Runavik will be trying their luck in the Champions League. It took Runavik a long time after their founding to make their way to the top of the Faroe Islands' football league. Exactly fifty years later, though, they became the first team to win the league from outside the Faroese capital, Torshavn, since 2000.
Finally, FK Buducnost Podgorica will be hoping to build on the success of their own first championship season in Montenegro's First League. Buducnost left the championship late, beating the second- and third-placed teams by the thin margin of three points in the end. However, even for first time winners, a championship is a championship, and a Champions League spot to boot.
We've all seen Chelsea and Manchester United battle it out with all the other big names of European football. Now turn your attention to these Davids among Goliaths. They'll be eager to provide fans across the continent, and around the world, with gutsy displays and surprising upsets. Tune in to a match featuring one of these clubs when next year's Champions League qualifiers begin and you'll get a glimpse of what UEFA's top competition is all about.
First, we have three teams who have earned their countries' spots in the Second Qualifying Round. Brann earned the right to carry Norway's flag in the Champions League next season by winning the Norwegian league for the first time since 1963. Brann first played in the Champions League in 2001, a year in which Norway had two entrants in the tournament. They'll be hoping to improve on their performance in that season when they lost their qualifying round matches 1-1 to Levski Sofia on the away goals rule to crash out of the Champions League.
From Israel come Beitar Jerusalem for the second year running. After a topsy-turvy 1990s that saw them alternately in the bottom half of the table of Israel's top league and winning the title to take on the Champions League, Beitar Jerusalem's guns seemingly went quiet for the better part of the 2000s. However, with an influx of cash from Russian businessman and club owner Arcadi Gaydamak, Beitar have started to fire on all cylinders. They won the Israeli league last season and repeated again this year, and they will now set their sights on bettering their 2-1 loss to FC Copenhagen in last season's qualifying rounds.
Aalborg BK of Denmark have also made it into the second round, featuring in the Champions League for only the third time in their history and the first time in nine years. To reach this point, they took the Danish Superliga championship with a handy 9-point cushion. Aalborg were also a force in last season's UEFA Cup, dispatching Italian side Sampdoria to become the first Danish club to send an Italian squad packing in UEFA competition. They'll need more of the same giant-killing edge if they're to survive in the upcoming Champions League.
Next are a few teams who have earned the honor of Champions League play, but who will need a lot of determination to make it through qualifying. Here are the surprise names from the First Qualifying Round. For the Slovakians, Artmedia Petrzalka are hoping to repeat the great run they had during their first Champions League foray in 2005/2006. Not only did Artmedia make it past the qualifiers, but they also held their own in the group stage, almost finishing second in their group before drawing in their final game to slip to third behind Rangers. Second time may prove to be the charm for the Slovakian champions from Bratislava.
Ireland will be offering up Drogheda United to the European football gods next season. Drogheda have tasted European play before after multiple domestic cup wins in the past few years sent them into the UEFA Cup. However, they're now prepared to step up onto the big stage, having won Ireland's top flight for the first time.
Valur of Iceland, on the other hand, are no strangers to national championships, having won Iceland's football league 20 times. However, their last victory was in 1987. That is, their last victory before last season. Now Valur will try to rekindle history in the Champions League.
After starting the decade in Kazakhstan's First Division, FC Aktobe have steadily improved their results, earning a spot in the Champions League for the first time in the 2006/2007 season and again in next season's tournament. They demolished their Kazakh competition, finishing 8 points ahead of the second-placed team and 14 points out of third, and will hope to show the same prowess against foreign competition.
Wales' Llanelli AFC is yet another team that will be experiencing Champions League play for the first time. This achievement comes despite the team struggling to stay in Wales' highest league. They spent a couple of spells in the Welsh First Division before bouncing back into the Premier League in 2004/2005. They then propelled themselves in just three short years to the championship and the Champions League.
From the Faroe Islands, first-timers NSI Runavik will be trying their luck in the Champions League. It took Runavik a long time after their founding to make their way to the top of the Faroe Islands' football league. Exactly fifty years later, though, they became the first team to win the league from outside the Faroese capital, Torshavn, since 2000.
Finally, FK Buducnost Podgorica will be hoping to build on the success of their own first championship season in Montenegro's First League. Buducnost left the championship late, beating the second- and third-placed teams by the thin margin of three points in the end. However, even for first time winners, a championship is a championship, and a Champions League spot to boot.
We've all seen Chelsea and Manchester United battle it out with all the other big names of European football. Now turn your attention to these Davids among Goliaths. They'll be eager to provide fans across the continent, and around the world, with gutsy displays and surprising upsets. Tune in to a match featuring one of these clubs when next year's Champions League qualifiers begin and you'll get a glimpse of what UEFA's top competition is all about.
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