Uefa Cup:Drogheda United's reward for a convincing 3-0 home win over Libertas in the Uefa Cup on Thursday night is a meeting with Helsingborgs and the man who would undoubtedly win any poll to find Ireland's favourite Swedish footballer, Henrik Larsson, in the next round.
The Swedes earned their place in the second qualifying round with a 9-0 thumping over two legs of Narva Trans with Larsson scoring twice in the 6-0 home win before missing the trip to Estonia for the second leg.
The 35-year-old striker's involvement in the forthcoming games against Drogheda will generate considerable interest, with the first leg due to be staged at Dalymount Park on Thursday, August 18th.
"I think any of the teams we could have been drawn against would have been tough," said Paul Doolin yesterday. "But we're happy with what we've been given. I know their manager, Stuart Baxter, going back 20 years to when he was in charge of Halmstad and he tried to sign me and the fact Larsson's there will certainly create an extra bit of a buzz."
The record of Irish clubs against Swedish sides in European competition has improved dramatically recently, although Cork City, who beat Malmo and Djugardens in recent seasons, lost to Hammarby in the Intertoto Cup earlier in the summer.
"Some of the results other clubs have managed have been encouraging for the game here and I think we showed last year we're a decent side who can hold out own against strong opposition," says Doolin. "What we have to do now is to find out as much as we can about Helsingborgs . . . and prepare as well as we can. It's not going to be easy but I don't think they'll be taking anything for granted either. If we can perform well we'll be in with a shout."
The Swedes play next Tuesday at Malmo and then the following Sunday in Gothenburg and Doolin hopes to take in at least one game. "Tuesday might be difficult because we play on Monday and then Friday but the Sunday seems like a good time to have a look at them," he says.
Stephen Kenny's Dunfermline Athletic, who qualified for the competition by reaching the final of the Scottish Cup, will also face Swedish opposition in Hacken.
The Dubliner guided Derry City to the first round proper of the competition last year and eliminated IFK Gothenburg along the way. They were eventually beaten by PSG.
UEFA CUP DRAW
Second qualifying round
Otelul Galati (Romania) v Lokomotiv Sofia (Bulgaria); CFR Cluj (Romania) v Anorthosis (Cyprus); Rabotnicki (Macedonia) v Partizan Belgrade (Serbia)/Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia)*; Slaven (Croatia) v Galatasaray (Turkey); Uniao Leiria (Portugal) v Maccabi Netanya (Israel); Hajduk Split (Croatia) v Sampdoria (Italy); Besa Kavaje (Albania) v Litex Lovech (Bulgaria); Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) v Kayserispor (Turkey); Atletico Madrid (Spain) v Vojvodina (Serbia); Siroki Brijeg (Bosnia) v Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel); Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus) v CSKA Sofia (Bulgaria); Basel (Switzerland) v Mattersburg (Austria); Ried (Austria) v FC Sion (Switzerland); MIKA (Armenia) v Artmedia (Slovakia); Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine) v Belchatow (Poland); Honved (Hungary) v Hamburg SV (Germany); Young Boys (Switzerland) v Racing Lens (France); Tobol Kostanai (Kazakhstan) v Groclin (Poland); Austria Vienna (Austria) v Jablonc (Czech Republic); Zlate Moravce (Slovakia) v Zenit St Petersburg (Russia); Rapid Vienna (Austria) v Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia); MyPa Myllykoski (Finland) v Blackburn Rovers; Drogheda Unitedv Helsingborgs (Sweden); Metalurgs (Latvia) v AIK (Sweden); HJK Helsinki (Finland) v AaB Aalborg (Denmark); Ekranas (Lithuania) v Valerenga (Norway); Dunfermline v Haecken (Sweden); Brann Bergen (Norway) v Suduva (Lithuania); Haka Valkeakoski (Finland) v Midtjylland (Denmark); Dinamo Minsk (Belarus) v Odense (Denmark); Kaerjeng (Luxembourg) v Standard Liege (Belgium); Fredrikstad FK (Norway) v Hammarby (Sweden).
First leg ties to be played August 16th, second legs on August 30th.
* Partizan won first-round qualifying tie 11-1 on aggregate but are appealing against a one-year-ban imposed after a fan riot during the first leg. If the appeal fails, Zrinjski Mostar will progress.
