Fuente : UEFA
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UEFA Champions League: Big names on their marks

/noticias.info/ While Liverpool FC naturally attracted most attention today, fellow former European champions Celtic FC and FC Steaua Bucuresti were among the other big names involved in the UEFA Champions League draws in Nyon.

Ready to go
Celtic, winners in 1967, and Steaua, who claimed the famous trophy in 1986, will not know who they will play in the second qualifying round until the completion of the first. Representatives of both clubs were eager for the action to begin, as uefa.com rounds up the draw reaction.

Long-haul possibility
Celtic will face either FC Artmedia Bratislava of Slovakia or a long trip to FC Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan. Regarding the possible trip to the competition's most easterly outpost, Ronnie Hawthorn, the Scottish club's head of operations, said: "We are happy to play where the draw takes us. We will address this professionally and we look forward to wherever we go, although we will need to do our homework in terms of logistics."

Strachan looks forward
Celtic manager Gordon Strachan added: "I didn't have any massive preference beforehand, so I can't say I'm too disappointed we haven't drawn a team a little closer to home. I'm just looking forward to the European games, full stop."

Beware 'sharks'
Steaua goalkeeper Martin Tudor said the Romanian club should be too strong for either of their potential opponents, Glentoran FC of Northern Ireland or Shelbourne FC from the Republic. He said: "We will be expected to go through but it is important not to underestimate them. After that the sharks come in, but we have to believe in ourselves."

Fitness edge
Shelbourne coach Pat Fenlon believes his team "have a good chance" of meeting Steaua. He said: "Glentoran will only be back in training after their end-of-season break while we will have played around 15 competitive games, so we should have the edge."

'Good spirits'
Also confident are Glentoran, with club secretary Alex McWilliams claiming: "We are very pleased with today's draw. We look forward to the match and hopefully we will take on Steaua in the next round."

Negative response
FC Thun sporting director Werner Gerber was gloomy about the Swiss side being paired with the mighty FC Dynamo Kyiv in the second qualifying round. He said: "I have to say that we aren't really happy. We will face a really tough rival."

Respect paid
In contrast, RSC Anderlecht general manager Herman Van Holsbeeck knew little about his team's possible opponents after they were pitted against either PFC Neftchi of Azerbaijan or FH Hafnarfjördur of Iceland. He said: "I don't know either. Nevertheless, we have to be respectful."

Optmistic tone
Elsewhere in the first qualifying round, Armenia's FC Pyunik will tackle FC Haka from Finland. Pyunik coach Henk Wisman hopes his charges "will make the fans happy" while his Haka counterpart, Olli Huttunen, is relishing "a good contest". Both sides are targeting a tie against Norway's Vålerenga IF.

Lokomotiv threat
Less upbeat was Skonto FC general manager Gennadijs Karavajevs, who said "the draw has not been kind to us" after the Latvian team were paired with FK Rabotnicki of F.Y.R. Macedonia for the right to play FC Lokomotiv Moskva, with the Russian champions' coach Vladimir Eshtrekov insisting "both teams are beatable".

Mouth-watering prospect
The potential of a meeting with Trabzonspor of Turkey has fired the imagination of Andreas Pantelis, the chairman of Cypriot club FC Anorthosis Famagusta, but first they must overcome Belarus side FC Dinamo Minsk. He said: "If we qualify, then that will be a very unique occasion for the club." Trabzonspor defender Emrah Eren said: "We are stronger than both so hopefully we will advance."

Partizan confident
Vladimir Vermezovic, coach of Serbo-Montengrin side FK Partizan, was unworried about facing either Sliema Wanderers FC of Malta or Moldova's FC Sheriff. He said: "I think we will be in the third round."

Rapid ready
A similar view was taken Austria's SK Rapid Wien will meet either F91 Dudelange of Luxembourg of NK Zrinjski of Bosnia-Herzegovina with sport director Peter Schöttel expecting his side to be "the favourites" regardless. Of his side's chances of facing Rapid, Zrinjski coach Franjo Dzidic said: "Our advantage is we are playing the first match away."

Cautious tone
PFC CSKA Sofia coach Miodrag Jesic warned "there are no more weak sides in Europe" as he contemplated facing either Slovenia's NK Gorica or Albania's KF Tirana. "The draw could have been worse but could have also been better," he concluded. notas_de_prensa_archivo