City handed Faroese test in Uefa Cup qualifying
Tuesday, 01 Jul 2008 15:44
Mark Hughes' first match as Manchester City boss will be against Faroese side EB/Streymur in the Uefa Cup
Premier League side
Manchester City have been drawn against EB/Streymur of the Faroe Islands in the first qualifying round of the 2008/09 Uefa Cup.
Mark Hughes' side will be away in the first leg, which will take place on July 17th, before the home tie a fortnight later.
This match - Hughes' first competitive fixture on UK soil since quitting
Blackburn Rovers for the Eastlands outfit – will be played at Barnsley's Oakwell ground, due to the pitch being re-laid at City's home stadium.
City qualified for the competition courtesy of the Uefa Fair Play League after finishing top of the table among English top-flight teams who had failed to qualify for continental competitions through traditional means.
As a result of their passage into the competition, City must start in the very first round of the competition alongside relative minnows.
However, there are still one or two recognisable names in the draw, including Danish sides Brondby, who play Faroese side B36 Torshavn, and Copenhagen, who play Cliftonville of Northern Ireland.
Compatriots Glentoran will also be involved in the competition at this early stage, having been drawn against Liepajas Metalurgs of Latvia.
Welsh sides The New Saints and Bangor City play FK Suduva of Lithuania and FC Midtjylland of Denmark, respectively.
And the two Irish clubs involved, Saint Patrick's Athletic and Cork City, face JFK Olimps of Latvia and FC Haka of Finland.