Believe it or not, they just made the first qualifying draw for next year's Champions League. The first round starts next Tuesday; UEFA has to get through four qualifying rounds by the group stage draw on August 25.
As always, the Champions League qualifying format is split into two separate silos. The "Champions Route" consists only of league champions, allowing those clubs to avoid the likes of Man City, Roma, Porto, Villarreal, Gladbach, etc. The "League Route" consists of only non-champions who didn't qualify directly for the group stage -- 4th place teams from the top three leagues. 3rd place teams from the next tier, and 2nd place teams from leagues in UEFA's middle class like Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Netherlands, Czech Republic, etc.
Both routes yield five qualifiers; the League Route is definitely tougher, but the Champions Route exists as a concession to Europe's smaller and less wealthy leagues.
Kosovar clubs became eligible to play in the CL, but last year's champion couldn't meet licensing or stadium requirements.
*Seeded teams are starred
First Round
*Flora Tallinn (EST) vs. Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)
*The New Saints (WAL) vs. Tre Penne (SMR)
*Valletta (MLT) vs. B36 Tórshavn (FAR)
*FC Santa Coloma (AND) vs. Alashkert (ARM)
Second Round
*Qarabağ (AZE) vs. F91 Dudelange (LUX)
Hapoel Be'er Sheva (ISR) vs. *Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SLO) vs. *Trenčín (SVK)
*Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) vs. Liepāja (LAT)
Vardar (MKD) vs. *Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
TNS/Tre Penne vs. *APOEL (CYP)
Zrinjski Mostar (BIH) vs. *Legia Warsaw (POL)
*Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs. Mladost Podgorica (MNE)
*Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) vs. Santa Coloma/Alashkert
Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) vs. *Astana (KAZ)
*Skënderbeu Korçë (ALB) vs. Ferencváros (HUN)
*BATE Borisov (BLR) vs. SJK (FIN)
Valletta/B36 vs. *Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
*Rosenborg (NOR) vs. IFK Nörrkoping (SWE)
Dundalk (IRL) vs. *FH (ISL)
Flora/Lincoln vs. *Celtic (SCO)
Crusaders (NIR) vs. *Copenhagen (DEN)
Only Olympiacos (GRE), Viktoria Plzeň (CZE), and Astra Giurgiu (ROU) join in the third round, so at least two of the clubs in the second round will make it to the group stage. The League Route starts in the third round.
As always, the Champions League qualifying format is split into two separate silos. The "Champions Route" consists only of league champions, allowing those clubs to avoid the likes of Man City, Roma, Porto, Villarreal, Gladbach, etc. The "League Route" consists of only non-champions who didn't qualify directly for the group stage -- 4th place teams from the top three leagues. 3rd place teams from the next tier, and 2nd place teams from leagues in UEFA's middle class like Turkey, Greece, Switzerland, Netherlands, Czech Republic, etc.
Both routes yield five qualifiers; the League Route is definitely tougher, but the Champions Route exists as a concession to Europe's smaller and less wealthy leagues.
Kosovar clubs became eligible to play in the CL, but last year's champion couldn't meet licensing or stadium requirements.
*Seeded teams are starred
First Round
*Flora Tallinn (EST) vs. Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)
*The New Saints (WAL) vs. Tre Penne (SMR)
*Valletta (MLT) vs. B36 Tórshavn (FAR)
*FC Santa Coloma (AND) vs. Alashkert (ARM)
Second Round
*Qarabağ (AZE) vs. F91 Dudelange (LUX)
Hapoel Be'er Sheva (ISR) vs. *Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SLO) vs. *Trenčín (SVK)
*Red Bull Salzburg (AUT) vs. Liepāja (LAT)
Vardar (MKD) vs. *Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
TNS/Tre Penne vs. *APOEL (CYP)
Zrinjski Mostar (BIH) vs. *Legia Warsaw (POL)
*Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL) vs. Mladost Podgorica (MNE)
*Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) vs. Santa Coloma/Alashkert
Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) vs. *Astana (KAZ)
*Skënderbeu Korçë (ALB) vs. Ferencváros (HUN)
*BATE Borisov (BLR) vs. SJK (FIN)
Valletta/B36 vs. *Red Star Belgrade (SRB)
*Rosenborg (NOR) vs. IFK Nörrkoping (SWE)
Dundalk (IRL) vs. *FH (ISL)
Flora/Lincoln vs. *Celtic (SCO)
Crusaders (NIR) vs. *Copenhagen (DEN)
Only Olympiacos (GRE), Viktoria Plzeň (CZE), and Astra Giurgiu (ROU) join in the third round, so at least two of the clubs in the second round will make it to the group stage. The League Route starts in the third round.