96-97 Competitors in EC1, EC2 & EC3

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Entrants by country

Who's playing in what next year? Who knows! But here's a stab! None of this is definite but based on my paltry knowledge, the tables below are my guess as to what will happen. Details will fill in gradually as domestic competitions finish and UEFA make up their minds how they're going to arrange the competitions. If you can fill in any information or if you spot any errors, please mail me at oriain@cs.rochester.edu. Most of the links to countries are for my own information - so I know where to look for the information as time progresses. You'll notice that a few of these links are to the RSSSF Archive - thank you people!

European Champions Cup (EC1)

Who takes part in EC1 in 96-97 is dependent on the UEFA coefficients for 91-96. As champions, Juventus join Milan to give Italy 2 representatives in the League Stage. This means that, like last year (when Ajax pushed Anderlecht out), the Belgian champions, despite their country's 8th position in the rankings, do not automatically get a place in the Champions League. The champions of all UEFA countries not included in this table will participate in the UEFA Cup but see here for changes to this arrangement in 1997-98.

The stars indicate that those countries' champions will be seeded in the draw for the qualifying round. For the first time, teams who lose in the qualifying round will have their names entered in the draw for the 1st Round of the UEFA Cup as consolation. The draw for the qualifying round of the Champions' League will take place in Geneva on July 6. The draw for the League itself will take place on August 23.

Champion League Qualifiers Qualifying Round
Juventus (Champions) Panathinaikos (Greece)* Glasgow Rangers (Scotland)
Milan (Italy) Alaniya(Russia)* Rosenborg (Norway)
Auxerre (France) Fenerbahçe (Turkey)* (Ukraine)
Atletico Madrid (Spain) Brøndby (Denmark)* (Hungary)
Borussia Dortmund (Germany) Rapid Wien (Austria)* Steaua Bucuresti (Romania)
Ajax Amsterdam (Netherlands) IFK Göteborg (Sweden)* Widzew Lodz (Poland)
Porto (Portugal) Grasshoppers Zurich (Switzerland)* Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
Manchester United (England) Club Brugge (Belgium)* Slavia Praha (Czech Republic)

European Cup Winners Cup (EC2)

This competition is open to the cup champions of all 48 member nations. Since Paris St.Germain, as defenders are also eligible to play, this creates a problem for scheduling - 49 is not a nice number with which to schedule a knock-out competition! Last year, two teams (PAOK Thessaloniki and Croatia Zagreb) served a 1 year ban from European competitions and so UEFA solved the problem by having no Croatian representative (Apollon replaced PAOK). Who knows what they'll do this year - maybe some qualifier will also be banned this year. If not, UEFA may perhaps get the Azerbaijani and Estonian cup champions to playoff for a place in the preliminary round (as my table suggest below). The draw for the qualifying round of the Cup Winners Cup will take place in Geneva on July 6 while the draw for the first round proper will be on August 23.

1st Round Qualifiers Qualifying Round
Paris St.Germain (Champions) Sparta Praha * (Czech Republic)* (Finland)
Fiorentina *(Italy) Hearts (Scotland)* Slavia (Bulgaria)
Nimes(France) Brann (Norway)* (Belarus)
Barcelona (Spain) (Ukraine)* (Northern Ireland)
Kaiserslautern (Germany) (Hungary 20/6?)* (FYROM)
PSV * (Netherlands) Gloria Bistrita (Romania)* (Moldova)
Benfica (Portugal) (Poland)* Shelbourne (Ireland)
Liverpool (England) Ironi Rishon Lezion (Israel)* Valletta (Malta)
Cercle Brugge (Belgium) (Cyprus)* (Lithuania)
AEK (Greece) Croatia (Croatia)* (Albania)
Lokomotiv Moscow(Russia) (Latvia)* (Luxembourg)
Galatasaray (Turkey) (Slovakia)* (Faroe Islands)
AGF (Denmark) (Slovenia)* (Liechtenstein)
Sturm Graz (Austria) (Georgia)* Llansantffraid (Wales)
AIK Solna(Sweden) Crvena Zvezda (Yugoslavia)* (Armenia)
Sion (Switzerland) (Iceland)* (Estonia/Azerbaidjan)

UEFA Cup (EC3)

This is the most complicated of competitions and in a constant state of flux - especially these days. Who takes part in EC3 in 96-97, is dependent on the UEFA coefficients, not from 91-96, but from 90-95 - as each country must know how many places will go to their clubs before their domestic season begins. The format is ridiculously unclear - the only definite change from last year's competition is that the losers of the preliminary round of EC1 will get places in the 1st Round as compensation.

France Football claims that changes are afoot and that EC3 will an extra qualifying round. It looks like the champions of countries who do not enter EC1, in order to make room for more teams from the top 8 countries, will have to play in the Preliminary round of EC3 , which, in my view, is grossly unfair.

Some teams are already certain of playing in this competition but until things get a bit more definite regarding the competition's structure, I won't post any more information. When I have time, I'll make a page similar to last year's to show what teams will represent their countries in each competition.

The draw for the preliminary round of the UEFA Cup will take place in Geneva on July 6, the draw for the qualifying round on July 26 while the draw for the first round proper will be on August 23.

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Colm Ó Riain