Ajax drawn to take on Greece's PAOK
Source: Agencies |
July 17, 2010, Saturday
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FOUR-TIME European champion Ajax was drawn yesterday to play PAOK of Greece in the Champions League third qualifying round, in the likely competitive return to action of the Dutch side's captain Luis Suarez.
Uruguay forward Suarez, whose infamous handball at the World Cup helped his team oust Ghana in the quarterfinals, is scheduled to return to Amsterdam for the first-leg match on July 27 or 28.
"Absolutely he is coming back, we've already had contact with him several times," Ajax official Henri Van Der Aat said.
The draw sent Russia's Zenit St Petersburg to Romania first to face Unirea Urziceni, in a tie of two teams which reached last season's group stage.
"It's very important for us. One of our targets is to reach the group stage and go through it," said Zenit director Maxim Mitrofanov, whose club won the 2008 UEFA Cup.
Scotland's Celtic, the 1967 European champion, travels to play Champions League debutant Braga of Portugal. Another Champions League first-timer, Belgium's Ghent, goes on the road first to play Dynamo Kiev of Ukraine.
The draw paired 10 non-champions in five ties to decide who advances to a playoff round against non-champions from Europe's top five leagues.
Champions from smaller nations were drawn separately in 10 ties to determine their path to the playoff round.
Belgian champion Anderlecht will play away first against Bohemian of Ireland or The New Saints from Wales, which plays the return leg of a second qualifying round match next week.
Swiss champion FC Basel awaits the winner of a second qualifying round tie between Hungary's Debrecen, which played in the group stage last season, and Levadia Tallinn of Estonia.
Winners of the 10 ties enter the lucrative group stage with 22 pre-qualified teams, including defending champion Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United.
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