European cups 2009/10

[RBKalle]

1st and 2nd rounds seem a piece of cake.

Then from 3rd onwards I'm more than worried... Although I'd really really love Genoa v RBK...

[2mas]

Noone has commented on the draw:

1st qual. round:
2/7 Rosenborg - NSI Runavik
9/7 NSI Runavik - Rosenborg

2nd qual. round:
16/7 Rosenborg - Qarabag
23/7 Qarabag - Rosenborg

Read more: Tobol get pot luck in UEFA Europa League

partizan.rs has revealed the prize money:

nagrada za šampiona države: 200.000 EUR
nagrada za nastup u 2. kolu kvalifikacija („C Q2“) za „UCL“: 130.000 EUR
nagrada za nastup u 3. kolu kvalifikacija („C Q3“) za „UCL“: 130.000 EUR
nagrada za nastup u 4. kolu kvalifikacija („C play off“) za „UCL“: 2.100.000 EUR
nagrada za plasman u „UCL“: 7.100.000 EUR
nagrada za svaku pobedu u „UCL“: 800.000 EUR (za svaki remi: 400.000 EUR)

nagrada za plasman u plej of „UEL“ (ispadanjem iz „C Q3“): 90.000 EUR
nagrada za plasman u „UEL“ (važi i ispadanjem iz „C play off“): 1.000.000 EUR
nagrada za svaku pobedu u „UEL“: 140.000 EUR (za svaki remi: 70.000 EUR)

Novčane nagrade UEFA za sezonu 2009/10

It has also been decided in the UEFA headquarters that the prize money for the lower-tier competition Europa League should be increased. Should the Serbian champions miss out on the opportunity to enter the Champions League group stage, their push as far as the play-off round would guarantee them a place in the Europa League, and with it further €1m. Every win in this competition will be worth €40,000, while teams will be awarded half as much for a draw. A place in the last 32 will be rewarded with €200,000. The teams that get past the first round of the spring season will get €300,000, those that reach the quarter-final will earn €400,000, while the four semi-finalists will get €700,000. A place in the final will bring €2m worth of prize money for the two teams, while the winner of the competition gets another million.

Read more: UEFA increases prize money-Partizan prepare for €7m hunt

In addition we will be awarded TV money for qualifying.

[Skotten]

Good draw!

[2mas]

Changed fixtures against NSI

Luckily I managed to rebook my flight tickets to Torshavn.

[Braga]

Hum... it was a very good draw, and Rosenborg is favourite. Still, the match is not won yet =\ I Really hope the game of the second round will be Rosenborg Vs Qarabag as announced in the website.

Anyway, both NSI and Qarabag are certainly good opponents to play against in these first rounds
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[Green Apes]

Champions league second qualifying round
Maccabi Haifa - Glentoran

http://news.bbc.co.uk/spo...112643.stm

Good luck RBK and Maccabi ofcourse
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~GA

[2mas]

The name may have been changed, the format might have been altered, but doubts still remain: can the Uefa Europa League again become a competition respected by Europe's top clubs?

(...)

The old, contrived group stage, consisting of five teams with three qualifying, has been superseded by a more competitive round of 12 four-team groups, with teams eliminated from the Champions League play-offs joining at this juncture.

But, by accommodating even more teams from its superior sibling – another eight Champions League sides drop down to its last 32 – the Europa League is still destined to be viewed as substandard by the heavyweights of Europe.

What else is to be expected when the highlight of next week's first round will be Rosenborg BK against NSI Runavik?

Read more: False dawn for Europe's lost cup

[RBKalle]

Oh boy...

It's the first preliminary round... what did they expect?

Should UEFA kick out all the teams that aren't "cool" enough, so the media can write interesting articles about Clash of Champions and so on?

Yeah, as if the concept of CHAMPIONS League hadn't been bastardized enough, with 3rd and 4th placed teams getting a bye, while league champions have to go through qualifiers.

If UEFA Cup (or Europa League) has become poor men's Champions League UEFA have just to blame themselves.

Before they expanded the CL format, UEFA Cup was regarded as an important trophy. Then every half-good team from Big Leagues got a pass to Champions League, and unsurprisingly UEFA Cup became some sort of second-rate competition, where average teams can shine, while the rest of the football world doesn't care.

Just scrap all the "best placed" nonsense from Champions League, and see the Europa League become a valuable trophy again

[Hvit mann som pusher 50]

Wasn't they more the less forced to expand the Champions' League because several high-profiled teams threatened to otherwise withdraw from UEFA altogether and start their own league?
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Du och vi, Alfred - du och vi

[Skotten]

Good result tonight, as expected.

[Fireman451]

Yes, 3-0. Should be another good result at home.
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www.chicago-fire.com
http://www.rbk.no/english/

[RBKalle]

I won't pass judgement before I've at least watched the highlights, but a 3-0 away win on Færøyene (and it was 1-0 around the hour mark...) doesn't sound to me like something to write home about...

Either the sheep-guys weren't THAT bad [i.e. Norwegian 2nd division level], or the guys kinda phoned it in.

Dunno... I think the win at Lerkendal outta be a little more "meaty" than that.

[Zbegra]

Not sure if this player works outside of norway but you can watch the entire match here:

http://webtv.tv2.no/webtv...gId=326728


Highlights only:

http://webtv.tv2.no/webtv...gId=326625

Goals only:

http://www.rbk.no/incomin...143869.ece
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Kvit og Svart, Alltid!

[RBKalle]

Thanks.

Well, it was a one-sided match as expected, but they just gave the impression of not going full-throttle.

Not quite a phoned in performance, more like a "why running if we can win jogging?"

Anyway, I still want a big fat win at Lerkendal

[2mas]

Highlights from tonight: Rosenborg - NSI 3-1

Our ten wins in a row nearly ended tonight, but Azerbaijan here we come! Pour some oil on me!

Check out their forum by the way.

[Fireman451]

[Skotten]

League run is intact and we're through to the next round in Europe.

Could we have asked for a better start to the season?

[Engelsk]

The season is going perfectly well so far.
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thecomplexii.com - Founded 2005

[2mas]

Possible draws on Friday:

winner of KR Reykjavik (ISL) - Larissa (GRE)
winner of Elfsborg (SWE) - Haladas (HUN)
Young Boys (SUI)
winner of Falkirk (SCO) - Vaduz (LIE)
winner of Flamurtari (ALB) - Motherwell (SCO)
winner of Tsjerno More Varna (BUL) - Iskra-Stali (MOL)
winner of Naftan (BLR) - Gent (BEL)
winner of Suduva (LIT) - Randers (DEN)
VÃ¥lerenga (NOR)
winner of Sigma Olomouc (CZE) - Fram Reykjavik (ISL)
Frederikstad (NOR)
winner of Legia Warszawa (POL) - Olimpi Rustavi (GEO)
winner of Sturm Graz (AUT) - Siroki Brijeg (BOS)
winner of Metalurgs Liepaja (LAT) - Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)
Vojvodina Novi Sad (SRB)
winner of Sevojno (SRB) - Kaunas (LIT)
winner of Sliema (MLT) - Maccabi Netanya (ISR)
winner of Bnei Yehuda (ISR) - Dinaburg (LAT)
APOP Kinyras (CYP)
winner of Omonia Nicosia (CYP) - HB Torshavn (FAE)
IFK Göteborg (SWE)
Kosice (SVK)
winner of FK Sarajevo (BOS) - Spartak Trnava (SVK)
winner of St. Patrick's (IRL) - Valletta (MLT)
winner of Skonto Riga (LAT) - Derry City (IRL)
winner of Gorica (SLO) - Lathi (FIN)
winner of Juvenes/Dogana (SMA) - Polonia Warszawa (POL)
Hajduk Split (CRO)
winner of Differdange (LUX) - Rijeka (CRO)
winner of Milano (MAC) - Slaven Belupo (CRO)
winner of Crusaders (NIR) - Rabotnicki Skopje (MAC)
winner of Vetra (LIT) - HJK Helsinki (FIN)
winner of Honka (FIN) - Bangor (WAL)
Interblock Ljubljana (SLO)
Honved Budapest (HUN)

I expect UEFA to split the 70 clubs into 7 pots before the draw. RBK ranked 12th should be placed in pot 5:

05. Fenerbahce (TUR)
12. winner of Rosenborg (NOR) - Qarabag (AZB)
19. Odense (DEN)
26. winner of Brøndby (DEN) - Flora Tallinn (EST)
33. winner of Rapid Wien (AUT) - Vllaznia (ALB)
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40. winner of Flamurtari (ALB) - Motherwell (SCO)
47. winner of Legia Warszawa (POL) - Olimpi Rustavi (GEO)
54. APOP Kinyras (CYP)
61. winner of Gorica (SLO) - Lathi (FIN)
68. winner of Honka (FIN) - Bangor (WAL)

Neither Motherwell nor Legia will be walkovers, so I am not too happy. The three latter however should be copeable.

However this pot is highly unofficial. The 7 official pots will be published Friday morning.

[2mas]

Rosenborg's pot is instead said to be this:

03. Hamburg (GER)
12. winner of Rosenborg (NOR) - Qarabag (AZB)
17. Fulham (ENG)
26. winner of Brøndby (DEN) - Flora Tallinn (EST)
31. winner of MSK Zilina (SVK) - Dacia Chisinau (MOL)
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40. winner of Flamurtari Vlorë (ALB) - Motherwell (SCO)
45. winner of Sigma Olomouc (CZE) - Fram Reykjavik (ISL)
54. APOP Kinyras Peyias (CYP)
59. winner of St. Patrick's (IRL) - Valletta (MLT)
68. winner of Honka (FIN) - Bangor (WAL)

Vadim Demidov injured his calf on today's training and will most likely miss both games against Qarabag. Marek Sapara will not play because Besiktas is said to be preparing a bid, and one minute against Qarabag will ruin his chances of playing Champions League this autumn.

Several players were rested in the two 1st round matches against NSI Runavik, but this time Rosenborg will play their best available starting eleven; no league match on Sunday so resting anyone is not necessary.

Expected Rosenborg line-up:

Rune Jarstein

Mikael Lustig - Kris Stadsgaard - Alejandro Lago - Mikael Dorsin

Anthony Annan - Alexander Tettey
Per Ciljan Skjelbred - Steffen Iversen - Trond Olsen

Rade Prica

[Green Apes]

Haifa hit Glentoran for six


new uniform, is the CL logo going to be on them?

http://www.uefa.com/compe...rt=rp.html

Tomorrows the third qualifying round draw
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~GA

[2mas]

The draw live at 13:30

We have been putted in pot 3:

Hamburger SV (GER)
winner of Rosenborg BK (NOR) - FK Qarabağ (AZE) [0-0]
FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)
PFC Krylya Sovetov Samara (RUS)
winner of SK Rapid Wien (AUT) - KS Vllaznia (ALB) [5-0]
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winner of Falkirk FC (SCO) - FC Vaduz (LIE) [1-0]
winner of FK Suduva (LIT) - Randers FC (DEN) [0-1]
APOP/Kinyras Peyias FC (CYP)
winner of Saint Patrick's Athletic FC (IRL) - Valletta FC (MLT) [1-1]
winner of FC Honka Espoo (FIN) - Bangor City FC (WAL) [2-0]

Read more: Familiar faces await Europa League draw

I think this pot is very good. Falkirk and Randers should be the hardest opponents, but nevertheless possible to beat.

But first we have to at least get 1-1 in Baku next week. 0-0 at home against Qarabag was a real disappointment, but Qarabag did not scare me and we should be able to score at away. If so, Qarabag will have big problems winning.

[2mas]

Winner of Honka - Bangor (2-0) was a fair draw, but first we have to knock out Qarabag.

[Engelsk]

How did Rosenborg not beat Qarabag?!
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thecomplexii.com - Founded 2005

[2mas]

Please take a look.