Every successful campaign begins with meticulous preparation. Meet MTA's potential rivals in the Champions League 2nd round qualifiers
On Monday at 1pm at their headquarters in the Swiss town of Nyon, UEFA will hold the annual draw for the first two qualifying rounds of the Champions League, and representatives of Maccabi Tel Aviv will be among the attendees. In round two 34 clubs, including the three survivors of round one, will compete for a place in round three, and on Monday Maccabi Tel Aviv will be among the 17 seeds to discover which unseeded club with a lower UEFA coefficient will be their opponents. The first leg will be played either Tuesday July 15th or Wednesday the 16th, with the return leg a week later on the opposite day. On the morning of the draw seeds and non-seeds alike will be divided into smaller groups, reducing considerably the field of Maccabi's potential rivals. But until that time all 17 non-seeds are in the mix, so let's take a brief look at what clubs our beloved lads in yellow might be facing come mid-July.
FC Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia)
Current European ranking: 221
Highest European achievement: Cup Winners Cup 1980/81
Tourist tips: Khachapuri (cheese bread) and Khinkali (dumplings). #thefatterthebetter
Malmo FF (Sweden)
Current European ranking: 233
Highest European achievement: finalists 1978/79 European Cup
Tourist tips: It may be on the coast, but a swimming suit just might be overdoing it. #bluelips
KR Reykjavik (Iceland)
Current European ranking: 247
Highest European achievement: third round Champions League qualifying round 2009/10 and 2011/12
Tourist tips: You thought winter matches in Jerusalem were cold? Double that. #threebelowzero
F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg)
Current European ranking: 259
Highest European achievement: Europa League play-off round 2012/13
Tourist tips: No need for a car. #crosscountryinanhour
Stromsgodset IF (Norway)
Current European ranking: 263
Highest European achievement: Europa League third qualifying round 2011/12
Tourist tips: the local Marienlyst Stadion holds 2,000 spectators. #orderticketsinadvance
The New Saints FC (Wales)
Current European ranking: 265
Highest European achievement: Europa League play-off round 2010/11
Tourist tips: Wales has the fastest zip line in the world, only it will take you a bit longer to get there. #longandwindingroad
Saint Patrick's Athletic FC (Ireland)
Current European ranking: 269
Highest European achievement: Europa League play-off round 2009/10
Tourist tips: to be quite honest, it's all a bit vague now. #guinness
KS Skenderbeu Korce (Albania)
Current European ranking: 276
Highest European achievement: Champions League third round qualifying round 2013/14
Tourist tips: most of the roads in town are unpaved. #takeataxi
FK Rabotnicki Skopje (FYR Macedonia)
Current European ranking: 278
Highest European achievement: Europa League play-off round 2011/12
Tourist tips: Skopje is the birthplace of Mother Teresa. #i'mnosaint
Valletta FC (Malta)
Current European ranking: 280
Highest European achievement: Champions League second round qualifying round five times, four of them in consecutive seasons from 2009
Tourist tips: The Maltese love meat. #nofishsuppers
HSK Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia-Herzegovina)
Current European ranking: 301
Highest European achievement: Europa League third qualifying round 2011/12
Tourist tips: A small country with a history of conflict. #justlikehome
Cliftonville FC (Northern Ireland)
Current European ranking : 336
Highest European achievement: Intertoto Cup group stage 1996
Tourist tips: Another small country with a history of conflict. #alsojustlikehome
VMFD Zalgiris Vilnius (Lithuania)
Current European ranking: 343
Highest European achievement: VMFD Zalgiris was established in 2009 by team players, coaches and fans after original club was left inoperative and the owners refused to sell. Last season they were knocked out of the Europa League in the play-off round by FC Red Bull Zalzburg.
Tourist tips: In the 18th century, Vilnius was a world centre for the study of the Torah, widely known as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania". #butnobeitar
FK Sutjeska Niksic (Montenegro)
Current European ranking: 372
Highest European achievement: Champions League second round qualifying round 2013/14
Tourist tips: Montenegro is beautiful, Niksic isn't. #headforthehills
Three more teams will reach the second qualifying round by way of the first
Seeds: FC Levadia Tallinn (Estonia), HB Torshavn (Faroe Islands), FC Santa Coloma (Andorra)
Non-seeds: FC Banants (Armenia), SP La Fiorita (San Marino), Lincoln Red Imps FC (Gibralter)
#morenewstofollow
Photograph courtesy of the official UEFA website uefa.com
