Ajax face FC Copenhagen or MyPa-47 in CL qualifiers
28 July: Ajax will play either FC København
(Denmark) or MyPa-47 (Finland) in the third preliminary round
of the Champions League. This was the outcome of today's draw
at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. 'FCK' and
MyPa played the first leg of their second round encounter
in Copenhagen this week. The Danes booked a 2-0 win and seem to
be on their way to a confrontation with Ajax, who will start
with the away leg on Tuesday 08 or Wednesday 09 August. The
return leg at the Amsterdam ArenA is two weeks later on Tuesday
22 or Wednesday 23 August (exact dates t.b.c.).
Ajax have unpleasant memories of reigning Danish champions
FC København. The Amsterdammers played them in the fall
of 2001, in the second round of the UEFA Cup, and crashed out
in painful fashion: after a 0-0 draw at Copenhagen's
wonderful Parken stadium, Niclas Jensen scored a late, decisive
winner at the Amsterdam ArenA in the return leg two weeks
later. The elimination was part of a string of poor
results that would cost Ajax head-coach Co Adriaanse his
job.
Almost five years later, Ajax look a stronger and more
mature side than in 2001, but so do 'FCK', who
have more esteemed, experienced players than they had at the
time: former Ajacieden André Bergdølmo and Jesper
Grønkjær play for FC Købnhaven these days,
and so do Swedish veterans Tobias Linderoth and Markus
Allbäck, who spent several years in the Eredivisie at SC
Heerenveen.
FC København, who play their home games in all white,
is a young club. Founded in 1992, FCK is a merger of two
illustrious Copenhagen sides: B 1903 (7 Danish championships)
and BK (15 Danish championships and the oldest football
club on mainland Europe, founded 1876). Both clubs still exist
as amateur clubs, developing young talent for FCK.
The 1992 merger had the intention to lift FCK to
the level of city rivals such as Brøndby IF. FCK
won the Danish championship in their first season of
existence (1993), disappeared from the top for a few
years, but returned after the club was
listed at the stock exchange in 1997
and purchased the national stadium, Parken (formerly
Idraetsparken), as its home ground. FCK won the Danish
championships of 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2006, the Danish Cup in
2004 and the 'Champions League of Scandinavia' (the Royal
League) in 2005 and 2006.
Let's not forget that FC København are not quite
there yet, though: the return leg against Finnish champions
MyPa-47 still lies ahead, in the second preliminary round. FCK
won the
first leg in Copenhagen (2-0), but it wasn't an easy
win. André Bergdølmo scored FCK's first from
the penalty spot. A 1-0 defeat would not have been a bad result
for the well organized Finns, but Michael Gravgaard's
goal in stoppage time was a painful blow: 2-0.
Myllykosken Pallo 1947, as the club is officially
called, was the club that sold young Jari Litmanen to Ajax in
the summer of 1992. Litmanen spent only half a season at MyPa,
playing 18 league games for them in which he netted seven
times. Ajax never played MyPa-47 in UEFA competition, but did
meet the Finns in a friendly in Lahti, Finland, on 23 July 1993
(1-1).
Against FC København, MyPa's chances seem rather
small. It looks like Ajax will face Danish opposition in their
Champions League qualifiers for the second year in a row: last
year Ajax advanced to the group stage by eliminationg FCK's
arch-enemies and city rivals Brøndby IF (
2-2 in Denmark, followed by a
3-1 win in Amsterdam. (MP)
Source: Ajax.nl, UEFA.com
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