the Intertoto
After the European Championship, UEFA competitions targate not go for holidays. Before you make room for the Champions League and UEFA Cup, will see the latest edition of the Intertoto Cup. After 13 editions, in fact, the stage of European football will say goodbye all'Intertoto, tradional summer tournament open to teams qualificatesi, in the championship, immediately after the positions that allow participation in the Uefa Cup. Since 1995, when he replaced the plan Rippan Cup, this tournament represented a chance for teams to take part in the average ranking of the UEFA Cup. The first edition was won by two French teams, it seems a paradox, but Uefa decided not to play the final between Strasbourg and the winner Blordeaux both teams. Last year, with the introduction of the new formula, the eleven teams that win in the third round of Intertoto pass to the second qualifying round of the Uefa Cup. So the winners of the summer tournament would be 11, but winning the Uefa said the team has come the farthest on the road in Uefa. According to this rule, Hamburg, arrived in the second round, won the tournament last year of former Plan Rippan. This year, as mentioned, will be the last edition because, after the decisions of the Uefa congress meeting 30 November 2007 which approved a reform of the cups Europe, the tournament will be sopressa. Before you think in the end, we focus on the 2008. As the last, there will be three rounds with races of return that will reward the team that scores the most goals. Appeal of the first round appear 28 teams from several European countries divided according to geographical location: Kavaje Besa (Albania), E. Achnas (Cyprus), Zenica Celik (Bosnia-Herzegovina), Grbalj (Montenegro), Rijeka (Croatia ) Renova (Macedonia), Hibernians (Malta), Gorica (Slovenia) to the south-Mediterranean Zhetysu (Kazakhstan), Honved (Hungary), Mika Ashtarak (Armenia), Tiraspol (Moldova), Neftchi (Azeirbaijan), Nitra (Slovakia) Ks Krakow (Poland), Shacktyor (Belarus), E. Ettelbruch (Luxembourg), Olimpi Rustavi (Georgia) for the region Central and Eastern Europe; Ekranas (Lithuania), Trans Narva (Estonia), Torshavn (Faroe Islands, the city that reminds the match played by Italy in Euro 2008 qualifying) Elsfborg (Sweden), Bohemian (Ireland) Rhyl (Wales), Lisburn Distillery (Northern Ireland), Turun Palloseura (Finland), Riga (Latvia), Fylkir (Iceland ) for the northern region. The away matches will be played on 21 and 22 June while the return will be held between May 28 and June 29 of that month.
The second round, with 5:06 gone back July 12 and 13 July, sees the presence of teams more famous or at least known in Europe as Rosenborg (the team that drew 1-1 with Chelsea in the Champions League last), Hibernian (Scotland) and Odense (Norway).
As for the Italians, from the third round there is the presence of Naples who chose to participate in European competition. Even last year there was an Italian team, it was Sampdoria's 2-0 defeat of the Bulgarians Cherno More. As many as four Italian clubs have won the Intertoto Cup: Bologna, Perugia, Juventus and Udinese. Returning to Naples, the Neapolitan face (round 19:20 July 26 and return July 27) the winner of the race in Group 2 between Panionios and OFK Belgrade, Serbia and Greece, respectively (a days you will find a tab on the two teams). In the third and final round are already assured of participation Deportivo La Coruna, Sporting Braga, Stuttgart, Vaslui, Rennes, NAC Breda and Aston Villa. Definitely follow the biggest races and / or those available in streaming, however you will find summaries with all other races.