Champions route: team profiles
Friday, August 8, 2014
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Two former European Cup winners and three possible group-stage debutants are among the tensides involved in the champions route of the play-off draw.
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Former European Cup winners FC Steaua Bucureşti and Celtic FC, and three potential UEFA Champions League group-stage debutants are among the sides in the pots for the champions route of the play-off draw streamed live on UEFA.com from 12.00CET on Friday. UEFA.com profiles the ten contenders.
Seeded: FC Salzburg (AUT), FC Steaua Bucureşti (ROU), APOEL FC (CYP), Celtic FC (SCO), FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
Unseeded: PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL), NK Maribor (SVN), ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK), Malmö FF (SWE), Aalborg BK (DEN)
Our live coverage begins at 10.00CET in the revamped UEFA.com DrawCentre.
Draw procedure
Balls containing the seeded teams will be placed in one bowl, with balls for the unseeded clubs positioned in another. A ball will be taken from each bowl and placed in a large empty bowl in the middle, where they will be shuffled. The first team drawn will play their first match at home, against the second side drawn.
The ten winners of the play-off round ties join 22 automatic entrants in the group stage draw in Monaco on 28 August.
SEEDED
FC Salzburg (AUT)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 46
• Entered competition: third qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 1 (last appearance: 1994/95)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League third qualifying round/UEFA Europa League round of 16
• Best European Cup performance: group stage (1994/95)
European record against potential opponents:
• Ludogorets never met
• Maribor never met
• Slovan P2 W2 D0 L0 F6 A2
• Malmö never met
• AaB never met
FC Steaua Bucureşti (ROU)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 56
• Entered competition: second qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 7 (last appearance: 2013/14)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage
• Best European Cup performance: winners (1985/86)
European record against potential opponents:
• Ludogorets never met
• Maribor never met
• Slovan never met
• Malmö never met
• AaB never met
APOEL FC (CYP)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 61
• Entered competition: third qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 2 (last appearance: 2011/12)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League third qualifying round/UEFA Europa League group stage
• Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (2011/12)
European record against potential opponents:
• Ludogorets P4 W1 D2 L1 F6 A5
• Maribor P4 W1 D2 L1 F6 A5
• Slovan P2 W1 D1 L0 F2 A0
• Malmö never met
• AaB never met
Celtic FC (SCO)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 62
• Entered competition: second qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 8 (last appearance: 2013/14)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League group stage
• Best European Cup performance: winners (1966/67)
European record against potential opponents:
• Ludogorets never met
• Maribor never met
• Slovan P2 W2 D0 L0 F2 A0
• Malmö never met
• AaB P2 W0 D1 L1 F1 A2
FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 65
• Entered competition: second qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 3 (last appearance: 2012/13)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round
• Best European Cup performance: UEFA Champions League group stage (2008/09, 2011/12, 2012/13)
European record against potential opponents:
• Ludogorets never met
• Maribor never met
• Slovan never met
• Malmö never met
• AaB never met
UNSEEDED
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 104
• Entered competition: second qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 0
• Last season: UEFA Champions League play-off/UEFA Europa League group stage
• Best European Cup performance: play-offs (2013/14)
European record against potential opponents:
• Salzburg never met
• Steaua never met
• APOEL never met
• Celtic never met
• BATE never met
NK Maribor (SVN)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 120
• Entered competition: second qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 1 (last appearance: 1999/2000)
• Last season: UEFA Champions League play-off/UEFA Europa League round of 32
• Best European Cup performance: UEFA Champions League group stage (1999/2000)
European record against potential opponents:
• Salzburg never met
• Steaua never met
• APOEL P4 W1 D2 L1 F5 A6
• Celtic never met
• BATE never met
ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 182
• Entered competition: second qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 0
• Last season: UEFA Champions League second qualifying round
• Best European Cup performance: second round (1970/71, 1992/93)
European record against potential opponents:
• Salzburg P2 W0 D0 L2 F2 A6
• Steaua never met
• APOEL P2 W0 D1 L1 F0 A2
• Celtic P2 W0 D0 L2 F0 A2
• BATE never met
Malmö FF (SWE)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 233
• Entered competition: second qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 0
• Last season: UEFA Europa League third qualifying round
• Best European Cup performance: runners-up (1978/79)
European record against potential opponents:
• Salzburg never met
• Steaua never met
• APOEL never met
• Celtic never met
• BATE never met
Aalborg BK (DEN)
• UEFA coefficient ranking: 249
• Entered competition: third qualifying round
• Group stage campaigns: 2 (last appearance: 2008/09)
• Last season: UEFA Europa League second qualifying round
• Best European Cup performance: group stage (1995/96, 2008/09)
European record against potential opponents:
• Salzburg never met
• Steaua never met
• APOEL never met
• Celtic P2 W1 D1 L0 F2 A1
• BATE never met