CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Dinamo Zagreb
EUROPA LEAGUE: Hajduk Split, RNK Split, NK Varazdin
Hard to believe but the first European draws of the season will take place on Monday June 20. Three of the four clubs (Dinamo, RNK Split, Varazdin) will know their opponents next week. Hajduk won't know their first opponents until July 15.
Croatia are coming off a decent season in Europe where the four clubs earned a coefficiant of 4.125. The 0.333 season has been erased and after this season the 1.000 season will be erased, meaning Croatia has a chance to actually crack the top 20. Making the top 20 doesn't change much in reality, but it will look better If there is one positive, Croatia are actually improving season by season, despite it not seeming like that. Last season they started at 27th I believe and now they are 22nd.
Unlike last season as well, the non-Dinamo/Hajduk teams aren't getting weaker. You might remember Cibalia and Sibenik basically selling half their squad. Well, RNK Split have kept their squad together and have made 2-3 signings so far. Varazdin surprisingly have kept their young players so far, but lets see if that stays. Also good is that most teams are already starting preparations, unlike the previous years where they start late June and have one week of training before European matches
Champions League: Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo start the season with a coefficiant of 20.224 and they begin in the second round qualifying (July 12/13 & July 19/20) where they will be seeded. These matches will both be before the HNL season starts. Dinamo will be seeded in every qualifying round of the CL, a real chance for them, but it doesn't help the past two seasons they haven't even made the playoff rounds.
Dinamo's potential second round qualifying opponents:
- Dacia (Moldova)
- Pyunik (Armenia)
- Borac Banja Luka (BiH)
- Mogren Budva (CG)
- Skonto Riga (Latvia)
- Fehervar (Hungary)
- Bangor City (Wales)
- HB Torshavn (Faroe Islands)
- Linfield (Northern Ireland)
- Tobol Kustani (Kazakhstan)
- F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg)
- Flora Tallinn (Estonia)
- Breidablik (Iceland)
- Valletta (Malta)
- Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan)
- Skhendija Tetovo (Macedonia)
- Skenderbeu (Albania)
In the third round things could get slightly tougher as Litex Lovech, Racing Genk, Maribor, Slovan Bratislava become unseeded. In the fourth round unseeded teams would potentially include Rosenborg, Partizan, Sturm Graz, APOEL and Wisla
Europa League: Hajduk Split, RNK Split, NK Varazdin
RNK Split and Varazdin will know their opponents on Monday June 20. Hajduk will wait until July 15. Varazdin enter the first round with a coefficiant of 3.224 which is good enough for a seed. Their matches will be played on June 30 and July 7. Both Varazdin and Split barely made the cut to be seeded in the second round.
Hajduk will be unseeded in the third round and their first matches will be played on July 28 and August 4
This site shows the potential clubs these teams can play
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2011.html
I am a little more optimistic about this season than last season. RNK Split and Varazdin so far have kept their players and RNK Split seems to be an ambitious side. I don't expect deep runs, but they should both make the third round. I'm afraid there won't be the same magic for Hajduk this season, just important to at least get a win so next season they will be seeded when they start.
With Dinamo, you never know, I guess you can say they got unlucky the past two seasons with the draws but this season they really don't have many excuses, they know they are seeded for every qualifying round. Though based on the past, it would be typical for them to get Racing Genk in the third round p
EUROPA LEAGUE: Hajduk Split, RNK Split, NK Varazdin
Hard to believe but the first European draws of the season will take place on Monday June 20. Three of the four clubs (Dinamo, RNK Split, Varazdin) will know their opponents next week. Hajduk won't know their first opponents until July 15.
Croatia are coming off a decent season in Europe where the four clubs earned a coefficiant of 4.125. The 0.333 season has been erased and after this season the 1.000 season will be erased, meaning Croatia has a chance to actually crack the top 20. Making the top 20 doesn't change much in reality, but it will look better If there is one positive, Croatia are actually improving season by season, despite it not seeming like that. Last season they started at 27th I believe and now they are 22nd.
Unlike last season as well, the non-Dinamo/Hajduk teams aren't getting weaker. You might remember Cibalia and Sibenik basically selling half their squad. Well, RNK Split have kept their squad together and have made 2-3 signings so far. Varazdin surprisingly have kept their young players so far, but lets see if that stays. Also good is that most teams are already starting preparations, unlike the previous years where they start late June and have one week of training before European matches
Champions League: Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo start the season with a coefficiant of 20.224 and they begin in the second round qualifying (July 12/13 & July 19/20) where they will be seeded. These matches will both be before the HNL season starts. Dinamo will be seeded in every qualifying round of the CL, a real chance for them, but it doesn't help the past two seasons they haven't even made the playoff rounds.
Dinamo's potential second round qualifying opponents:
- Dacia (Moldova)
- Pyunik (Armenia)
- Borac Banja Luka (BiH)
- Mogren Budva (CG)
- Skonto Riga (Latvia)
- Fehervar (Hungary)
- Bangor City (Wales)
- HB Torshavn (Faroe Islands)
- Linfield (Northern Ireland)
- Tobol Kustani (Kazakhstan)
- F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg)
- Flora Tallinn (Estonia)
- Breidablik (Iceland)
- Valletta (Malta)
- Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan)
- Skhendija Tetovo (Macedonia)
- Skenderbeu (Albania)
In the third round things could get slightly tougher as Litex Lovech, Racing Genk, Maribor, Slovan Bratislava become unseeded. In the fourth round unseeded teams would potentially include Rosenborg, Partizan, Sturm Graz, APOEL and Wisla
Europa League: Hajduk Split, RNK Split, NK Varazdin
RNK Split and Varazdin will know their opponents on Monday June 20. Hajduk will wait until July 15. Varazdin enter the first round with a coefficiant of 3.224 which is good enough for a seed. Their matches will be played on June 30 and July 7. Both Varazdin and Split barely made the cut to be seeded in the second round.
Hajduk will be unseeded in the third round and their first matches will be played on July 28 and August 4
This site shows the potential clubs these teams can play
http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2011.html
I am a little more optimistic about this season than last season. RNK Split and Varazdin so far have kept their players and RNK Split seems to be an ambitious side. I don't expect deep runs, but they should both make the third round. I'm afraid there won't be the same magic for Hajduk this season, just important to at least get a win so next season they will be seeded when they start.
With Dinamo, you never know, I guess you can say they got unlucky the past two seasons with the draws but this season they really don't have many excuses, they know they are seeded for every qualifying round. Though based on the past, it would be typical for them to get Racing Genk in the third round p