Today was Champions League Qualifier draw day

Today was Champions League Qualifier draw day

The 2012-13 Champions League kicked off today, though I’m sure you hadn’t heard. If you are an American, you likely didn’t care, and if you aren’t an American, or an American who follows soccer, you are likely more focused on the Euro, rather than a club event that is still in the qualifying phases.

The smallest associations in Europe were involved in this morning’s draw. Essentially, the champions of all the national associations get into the Champions League (as well as some top finishers in the better leagues) and the qualifiers involve the champions of the smaller leagues. It ensures that the best of the best make the final tournament, while giving everyone a chance. Could you imagine? Whittling hundreds of teams down to one champion, while every team on the entire continent has a theoretical chance to win said championship? Europe can do it, but apparently the NCAA can’t figure out how to do it with fewer teams in college football.

The actual game action will begin next week with 3 games involving teams from Luxembourg, the Faroe Islands, Northern Ireland, San Marino, Andorra and Malta. Surely, none of these teams will win the Champions League, but at least they get a chance to try.

Additionally, the Europa League drew today. The Europa League is like the NIT of European football, and features a lot more teams, placed lower in their league, or the winners of domestic tournaments. This is where Rosenborg will play this season, and they are going to start in the first round with a tie with Crusaders FC, a team from Belfast. I wrote about the blending of storied and smaller clubs in that tournament, when Fulham of the EPL drew NSI Runavik of the Faroe Islands. Today, I started getting hits on that post because I pictured the stadium Runavik plays at. This year, Runavik are playing FC Differdange from Luxembourg in the opening round of the Europa League. That is a somewhat more manageable affair for the Faroese. But hey, thanks to the fans from Luxembourg checking out this site, even if it is to scout Runavik.

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