In Champions League playoffs draw Faeroe Islands club KI sees unlikely path to face soccer's elite

Mon, Aug 7, 2023
Soccer News (AP)

NYON, Switzerland (AP) - The unlikely path of KI Klaksvik from the Faeroe Islands toward the Champions League group stage would go through Galatasaray or Olimpija Ljubljana in the playoff round which was drawn Monday.

KI already eliminated Hungary's Ferencvaros and Hacken of Sweden to ensure it will play in one of the three men's club competition group stages that start next month - a first for a club from the Faeroes, an isolated archipelago of islands in the Atlantic Ocean with a total population of around 50,000.

On Tuesday, KI returns to action hosting Norwegian champion Molde in the first leg of the third qualifying round, which starts after the playoff round pairings were drawn.

Either KI or Molde will be at home in the first leg on Aug. 22 or 23 against Turkey's Galatasaray or Slovenia's Olimpija. The return game is on Aug. 29 or 30.

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At this stage of the qualifying rounds, losing teams move to the next tier down ensuring KI will eventually enter the group stage of either the Europa League or the third-tier Europa Conference League. Playoff round pairings in both those competitions were also being drawn Monday.

Six Champions League playoff pairings were drawn. The eventual winners will complete the lineup for the elite 32-team group stage that is drawn on Aug. 31 in Monaco.

In the section for teams that did not win their national title, Rangers and PSV Eindhoven were put on course for a repeat of their playoff one year ago that the Scottish club won.

Rangers faces Servette in the third qualifying round and the winner will advance to face PSV or Sturm Graz.

Marseille, the 1993 European champion, first plays Panathinaikos and the winner will advance to face Braga or Serbian debutant TSC Backa Topola.

Royal Antwerp, which won the Belgian title with a stoppage-time goal by Toby Alderweireld in the last game in June, enters in the playoff round and will face Dinamo Zagreb or AEK Athens.

Young Boys will face Maccabi Haifa or Slovan Bratislava. The winner of Aris Limassol against Rakow Czestochowa will play Sparta Prague or Copenhagen.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer