It appears from UEFA.com that we will be drawn against one of these sides:-

NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
FC Artmedia (SVK)
Iraklis FC (GRE)
IK Start (NOR)
FCS Pasching (AUT)

Some great sounding names of which I know little although didn't FC Artmedia cause a few upsets last season though by knocking Celtic out of the CL?

IK Start sounds as though it could be a nice little trip.

All I know of IK Start is that AZ beat them in the first round of the European Cup in season 81/82.

Artmedia: 5:0 home win v Celtic .... 0:4 defeat in Glasgow ... also, shock 3:2 win at Porto last season.

Pasching: certain they eliminated Bremen from uefa cup a couple of seasons back. We don't seem to do to well v's Austrian clubs .... 4 games I recall v's FK Austria And Salzburg harvested zero wins.

Iraklis ...should be Aveslackers domain.

Zagreb? ... well we screwed up against them a few seasons back ... 0:1 in Amsterdam.

Would prefer to play Artmedia or Start.

and its ajax v start of norway

Scandenavian club again :nooo:

Here's a news report slash club profile on IK Start...

http://www.ajax-usa.com/news/2006-2007/ ... round.html

K.

I hope that I won't forecast this situation, but take a look... UEFA Cup is not as great as Champions League and it won't be great feeling for our players to play there. So it could happen that we'll see crappy games instead of good ones. UEFA Cup is a cup that managers use to dismiss (especially when we're talking about big clubs), so it's possible that we'll be out of it soon. Maybe not after the games against Start, but I don't except a final game with Ajax.

Don't shout at me! It doesn't mean that I don't want to see Ajax in the final. Of course I want, but - as I wrote earlier - players could don't have a motivation to play in this cup. For a clubs like Start it is big competition, but for Ajax it's rather the punishment, not a prize...

If Ajax don't understand the feeling their fans had to endure the past three years, and don't take the UEFA Cup seriously, then I will stop supporting them. No I don't expect them to win, but at least effort and passion.

IK Start are not a top side in Norway this season. After 18 games they're struggling, halfway down the table, and today they suffered another heavy defeat: 4-0 at Fredrikstad.

K.

A nice comment i agree with u !! I'll support u haha. NED in World Cup 2006 and Ajax's performances in recent 3 or 4 years are so *** . Ajax is losing their positions in their fans' hearts by time . They need to do all their best in the UEFA CUP this year

Given the ridiculous format of the competition, it will take time before we get a thrilling game. Not before the CL group stage is over I would say.
:sleepey:
Group stage
The format was changed in 2004/05, however, when for the first time a group stage was introduced. Two qualifying rounds produce a first round of 80 teams who play over two legs to find the 40 clubs that make up the group stage. This phase comprises eight groups of five, with each side playing four games, two at home and two away. The winners, runners-up and third-placed teams from each section advance to the last 32 where they are joined by the eight third-placed clubs from the UEFA Champions League. Here, the traditional two-match knockout format resumes, until the final.

Radio said something about likes of Osasuna and Ajax with the possibility to profit from a slight "scandal" in the Portuguese football Assc., so their CL clubs looks to be hurt.

Yup, thats very true, aparently Pourtoughese team Gil Vicente got relegated after lining up Angolan international Mateus in most of last years games, it seems that this player came to Gil Vicente via an invalid transfer. Because of this Gil Vecente have been relegated by the pourtoghese federation, but it doesent end there, here comes the good part, Gil Vecnte have apealed the ruling in a CIVIL COURT!!! we all no that is a big big no no :nooo: in organized football. Uefa and Fifa ruling have strict rules about this, if all of this is found true then all portugal clubs in uefa competition will be automatically kicked out, their places will be taken by the teams with the higher uefa coeficient thus Ajax would be one of them. The desicion will be taken in the next 48 hours and according too some sources they say it does not look good for the pourtoughese teams.
Since this is only a club team matter PORTUGALS NATIONAL TEAM WILL NOT BE AFECTED BY THIS.

Here's a link in spanish if you are interested: http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=476263

PD: something tells me this is not going to happen, i really would not want to enter the champions league trough the back door. On the other hand financially this would be great. Im kind of split really but i still dont think it will happen, lets wait and see.

Well I still think it's unlikely, probably 5% chance, but it's still a chance.

If it does happen I would perfer Ajax take benfica's place, as it avoids East European trips, and can ask for revenge against Copenhagen.

You know what they say..prayers move mountains....so everyone from north america to south america to western europe to eastern europe from the UK to south east asia to Austrailia to Israel...lets all get down on our knees and PRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :worshippy:

we should know what happens before next weeks uefa cup match ;) just dont get overexcited about this, it's just a small ray of light in an otherwise very dark tunnel.

Anybody know anything new about this "very-unlikely-Portuguese-ban-so-we-get-into-the-Champs-League-through-the-back-door" story.

Just vaguely curious......

All I know is that Gil Vicente will decide on thursday whether they will take the case to court or not.

Believe me those people are under some serious pressure from the F.A. and the big clubs at the moment...

K.

since they accepted ac Milan in the CL, in spite of all the cheating, I lost the little faith I had left in the UEFA

According to AT5 Text the UEFA will come to a verdict in the 'Gil Vicente case' on 14 September, ironically the day of IK Start vs Ajax.

K.

Yeah, it said that on the BBC too (here http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 309910.stm).

I suppose that means that there will be a decision before we start against Start (evening kick-off - this should come during the day).

Personally, apart from the financial bit which would be good, I'm quite "happy" in the UEFA Cup this year and wouldn't want to get in the CL by the back door (which we've already done once anyway....)

("happy" is the wrong word, but still the most appropriate)

According to media here, UEFA has said that Benfica - FCK will be played no matter what happens in Portugal. I can't quite see how they can make such a statement at this time and Im pretty sure some reporter is just trying to beaf up his newspaper, but that's the word non the less.

I'll pray , the financial end of a CL place is too much to sneeze at , but I'll be in complete shock if Ajax gets a second chance. It seems UEFA guaranteed no change in Ajax status by scheduling decision day for 14 September.

According to the latest rumours (someone on Ajax Netwerk who received a phonecall from a friend in Portugal) Gil Vicente have decided to not go to court.

Meanwhile, a UEFA spokesman said that - even if Gil Vicente do go to court and the Portugese sides are banned from UEFA competition - it is a very serious option to let the Champions League groups of the Portugese clubs carry on with only three teams in them.

In other words: forget it, this ain't gonna happen (and I don't even think it should).

K.

Yeah, I'd not heard that but it seems most likely. Quite apart from the percieved injustice of letting teams already knocked out back in (based on what exactly? - UEFA rankings? A bit different to actual performance in the qualifying rounds....and not exactly fair given the funds at stake apart from any footballing reasons), this would play havoc with the UEFA Cup if they did it. If they put Ajax back in the CL for example, what would happen, would Start get a bye to the next round or what?

I think the three team group is much more likely (and more desirable - like I said, I certainly don't want to enter the CL through the backdoor twice in one year!).