Seeding in the UEFA Cup 2005/2006

UEFA European Cup Football
by Bert Kassies

Besides the division of teams into seeded and unseeded teams, the teams in the first and second qualifying round as well as the first round may be divided into a number of groups based on economic interests of the participating clubs. One of the goals of these groups is to avoid the pairing of teams from the same country. In the qualifying rounds groups will also be formed based on geographical criteria. Each group has the same number of seeded and unseeded teams, and a seeded team will always play against an unseeded team.

In the qualifying rounds the seeding system based on club coefficients ranking applies within each group. Compliance with the regions is implemented as far as possible. Exceptions may be necessary. The countries not shown do not appear in the qualifying groups: Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, England, and Netherlands. There are three regions:
Southern-Mediterranean Albania, Andorra, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Macedonia, Israel, Malta, Romania, San Marino, Serbia, Slovenia, and Turkey.
Central-East Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Czech Republic, Georgia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
Northern Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Northern Ireland, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, and Wales.

See UEFA Cup regions for a graphical presentation of the regions used in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Cup.

1st Qualifying Round (50 teams)

Northern region (22 teams): Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Viking Stavanger Nor 12.665 Cork City Irl 1.375 Esbjerg fB Den 6.676 TVMK Tallinn Est 0.825 FK Ventspils Lat 3.200 Flora Tallinn Est 0.825 Metalurgs Liepaja Lat 2.200 Portadown Nir 0.715 MyPa-47 Fin 2.158 Linfield Belfast Nir 0.715 Allianssi Vantaa Fin 2.158 Carmarthen Town Wal 0.605 Ekranas Panevezys Lit 1.760 Rhyl FC Wal 0.605 Atlantas Klaipeda Lit 1.760 CS Pétange Lux 0.550 IBK Keflavik Isl 1.595 Etzella Ettelbrück Lux 0.550 IBV Vestmannaeyjar Isl 1.595 B36 Torshavn Far 0.330 Longford Town Irl 1.375 NSI Runavik Far 0.330 Central-East region (14 teams): Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Ferencváros Hun 18.390 MTZ-Ripo Minsk Bls 1.347 FSV Mainz 05 Ger 16.166 BATE Borisov Bls 1.347 MSK Zilina Svk 3.850 FC Vaduz Lie 1.320 Nistru Otachi Mol 2.090 Banants Yerevan Arm 0.990 Dacia Chisinau Mol 2.090 Mika Ashtarak Arm 0.990 Lokomotivi Tbilisi Geo 2.035 Khazar Lenkoran Azb 0.440 Torpedo Kutaisi Geo 2.035 FK Baku Azb 0.440 Southern-Mediterranean region (14 teams): Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Rapid Bucuresti Rom 8.101 Birkirkara Mlt 1.990 APOEL Nicosia Cyp 5.695 Baskimi Kumanovo Mac 1.485 NK Domzale Slo 3.190 Hibernians FC Mlt 0.990 Omonia Nicosia Cyp 2.695 Teuta Durrës Alb 0.880 Vardar Skopje Mac 2.485 KS Elbasani Alb 0.880 Siroki Brijeg Bos 2.365 Sant Julià And 0.000 NK Zepce Bos 2.365 SP Domagnano Sma 0.000

Because there were an odd number of teams in the Northern and Soutern groups in 2nd qualifying round, UEFA decided to move the German team Mainz 05 to the Northern group, and Vaduz of Liechtenstein to the Southern group. See UC-QR2 2005 draw for details of the draw procedure.

2nd Qualifying Round (62 teams)

Northern region (20 teams): Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Racing Genk Bel 19.476 Tromsø IL Nor 6.665 FSV Mainz 05 * Ger 16.166 Metalurgs Liepaja * Lat 2.200 FC København Den 15.676 MyPa-47 * Fin 2.158 Halmstads BK Swe 13.076 Allianssi Vantaa * Fin 2.158 Viking Stavanger * Nor 12.665 IBK Keflavik * Isl 1.595 Dundee United Sco 10.476 Cork City * Irl 1.375 Djurgårdens IF Swe 10.076 Linfield Belfast * Nir 0.715 FC Midtjylland Den 8.676 Rhyl FC * Wal 0.605 SK Brann Bergen Nor 7.665 Carmarthen Town * Wal 0.605 Esbjerg fB * Den 6.676 B36 Torshavn * Far 0.330 Central-East region (20 teams): Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Austria Wien Aut 27.208 SV Pasching Aut 8.208 Grazer AK Aut 25.208 Wisla Plock Pol 6.929 Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk Ukr 24.200 FC Zürich Sui 6.887 Grasshopper-Club Zürich Sui 18.887 FC Sopron Hun 5.390 Zenit St. Petersburg Rus 18.469 MSK Zilina * Svk 3.850 FK Teplice Cze 18.223 Dukla Banska Bystrica Svk 3.850 Legia Warsaw Pol 16.929 Nistru Otachi * Mol 2.090 Groclin Grodzisk Pol 11.929 BATE Borisov * Bls 1.347 Metalurg Donetsk Ukr 10.200 MTZ-Ripo Minsk * Bls 1.347 Krylia Sovetov Samara Rus 8.469 Banants Yerevan * Arm 0.990 Southern-Mediterranean region (22 teams): Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Besiktas Tur 37.872 NK Rijeka Cro 6.980 Red Star Belgrade Srb 21.012 Lokomotiv Plovdiv Bul 6.118 Maccabi Tel-Aviv Isr 19.218 Inter Zapresic Cro 5.980 Levski Sofia Bul 18.118 APOEL Nicosia * Cyp 5.695 FC Lovech Bul 14.118 Publikum Celje Slo 4.190 Dinamo Bucuresti Rom 12.101 NK Domzale * Slo 3.190 Maccabi Petah-Tikva Isr 7.218 Omonia Nicosia * Cyp 2.695 MS Ashdod Isr 7.218 Vardar Skopje * Mac 2.485 Rapid Bucuresti * Rom 8.101 Siroki Brijeg * Bos 2.365 Zeta Golubovci Srb 7.012 Baskimi Kumanovo * Mac 1.485 OFK Belgrade Srb 7.012 FC Vaduz * Lie 1.320

For the draw of the 1st round the 80 teams will be divided into 8 groups of 10 teams. Each group consists of 5 seeded and 5 unseeded teams.

Round 1 (80 teams)

Seeded teams coef. Unseeded teams coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- CSKA Moscow (TH) Rus 34.469 Zenit St. Petersburg ** Rus 18.469 AS Roma Ita 73.191 FK Teplice ** Cze 18.223 Bayer Leverkusen Ger 65.166 Levski Sofia ** Bul 18.118 Feyenoord Ned 62.145 RC Strasbourg Fra 17.324 VfB Stuttgart Ger 58.166 Stade Rennais Fra 16.324 Sporting CP Lisbon *** Por 55.739 FSV Mainz 05 * Ger 16.166 AS Monaco *** Fra 53.324 Sporting Braga Por 15.739 AJ Auxerre Fra 51.324 Aris Thessaloniki Gre 15.715 Galatasaray Tur 50.872 FC København ** Den 15.676 AEK Athens Gre 47.715 CSKA Sofia *** Bul 15.118 Hertha BSC Ger 46.166 Vitória Setúbal Por 14.739 Lokomotiv Moscow *** Rus 38.469 Vitória Guimarães Por 14.739 Besiktas ** Tur 37.872 DVSC Debrecen *** Hun 14.390 AZ Alkmaar Ned 37.145 FC Lovech ** Bul 14.118 Sevilla Esp 36.326 Willem II Tilburg Ned 13.145 Olympique Marseille @ Fra 36.324 Halmstads BK ** Swe 13.076 PAOK Thessaloniki Gre 35.715 Xanthi FC Gre 12.715 Slavia Praha *** Cze 35.223 Viking Stavanger * Nor 12.665 FC Basel *** Sui 33.887 Hibernian Sco 12.476 Wisla Kraków *** Pol 32.929 Dinamo Bucuresti ** Rom 12.101 Middlesbrough Eng 32.864 Groclin Grodzisk ** Pol 11.929 Partizan Belgrade *** Srb 30.012 Vålerengen IF *** Nor 11.665 Espanyol Esp 29.326 Germinal Beerschot Bel 10.476 RC Lens @ Fra 29.324 Baník Ostrava Cze 10.223 Shakhtar Donetsk *** Ukr 28.200 Metalurg Donetsk ** Ukr 10.200 Austria Wien ** Aut 27.208 FC Midtjylland ** Den 8.676 Heerenveen Ned 26.145 Krylia Sovetov Samara ** Rus 8.469 Grazer AK ** Aut 25.208 Rapid Bucuresti * Rom 8.101 CA Osasuna Esp 24.326 SK Brann Bergen ** Nor 7.665 Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk ** Ukr 24.200 Maccabi Petah-Tikva ** Isr 7.218 Hamburger SV @ Ger 24.166 FC Zürich ** Sui 6.887 Red Star Belgrade ** Srb 21.012 Tromsø IL ** Nor 6.665 Everton *** Eng 20.864 Lokomotiv Plovdiv ** Bul 6.118 Bolton Wanderers Eng 20.864 APOEL Nicosia * Cyp 5.695 Sampdoria Ita 20.191 Malmö FF *** Swe 5.076 Palermo Ita 20.191 Anorthosis Famagusta *** Cyp 4.695 Steaua Bucuresti *** Rom 20.101 NK Domzale * Slo 3.190 Brøndby IF *** Den 19.676 Siroki Brijeg * Bos 2.365 Racing Genk ** Bel 19.476 MyPa-47 * Fin 2.158 Grasshopper-Club Zürich**Sui 18.887 Cork City * Irl 1.375

Once the first round has been completed, the 40 remaining clubs are drawn into 8 groups of 5 teams in accordance with the seeding principles, based on the UEFA list of club coefficients. The 40 teams will be allocated to five pots. Pot 1 will comprise the top eight clubs in the club coefficient rankings, Pot 2 the following eight clubs in the rankings, and so on for pots 3, 4 and 5. Clubs from the same association will not be drawn into the same group.

When the draw concludes and there are 8 groups of 5 teams, a computer draw will take place to determine the fixture schedule with factors such as stadium clashes and climatic conditions (it is not possible to play in some northern countries in mid-December) taken into account. Each club plays home and away alternately in its group. The following match sequence applies:

1st match day: D v B       C not playing
               E v A

2nd match day: B v E       A not playing
               C v D

3rd match day: A v B       D not playing
               E v C

4th match day: C v A       B not playing
               D v E

5th match day: A v D       E not playing
               B v C

Group stage (40 teams)

Pot 1 coef. Pot 2 coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- CSKA Moscow (TH) Rus 34.469 Sevilla Esp 36.326 AS Roma Ita 73.191 Olympique Marseille @ Fra 36.324 VfB Stuttgart Ger 58.166 PAOK Thessaloniki Gre 35.715 AS Monaco *** Fra 53.324 Slavia Praha *** Cze 35.223 Hertha BSC Ger 46.166 FC Basel *** Sui 33.887 Lokomotiv Moscow *** Rus 38.469 Middlesbrough Eng 32.864 Besiktas ** Tur 37.872 Espanyol Esp 29.326 AZ Alkmaar Ned 37.145 RC Lens @ Fra 29.324 Pot 3 coef. Pot 4 coef. ------------------------ --- ------- ------------------------ --- ------- Shakhtar Donetsk *** Ukr 28.200 Steaua Bucuresti *** Rom 20.101 Heerenveen Ned 26.145 Brøndby IF *** Den 19.676 Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk ** Ukr 24.200 Grasshopper-Club Zürich**Sui 18.887 Hamburger SV @ Ger 24.166 Zenit St. Petersburg ** Rus 18.469 Red Star Belgrade ** Srb 21.012 Levski Sofia ** Bul 18.118 Bolton Wanderers Eng 20.864 RC Strasbourg Fra 17.324 Sampdoria Ita 20.191 Stade Rennais Fra 16.324 Palermo Ita 20.191 CSKA Sofia *** Bul 15.118 Pot 5 coef. ------------------------ --- ------- Vitória Guimarães Por 14.739 FC Lovech ** Bul 14.118 Halmstads BK ** Swe 13.076 Viking Stavanger * Nor 12.665 Dinamo Bucuresti ** Rom 12.101 Rapid Bucuresti * Rom 8.101 Maccabi Petah-Tikva ** Isr 7.218 Tromsø IL ** Nor 6.665

The 24 clubs qualified from the group stage will be joined by the eight clubs that finish the group stage of the UEFA Champions League in third position. The round of 32 pairings are determined by means of a draw according to the following principles:

1. Clubs from the same association shall not be drawn against each other.
2. The group-winners of a given group shall be drawn against one of the third-placed teams from another group.
3. The runners-up of a given group shall be drawn against one of the eight clubs joining the competition from the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
4. Group-winners and runners-up shall play the return leg at home.

Round 3 (32 teams)

1st in UC group 3rd in UC group ------------------------ --- ------------------------ --- AS Monaco *** Fra Slavia Praha *** Cze Palermo Ita Lokomotiv Moscow *** Rus Steaua Bucuresti *** Rom Hertha BSC Ger Middlesbrough Eng FC Lovech ** Bul RC Strasbourg Fra FC Basel *** Sui Olympique Marseille @ Fra Heerenveen Ned Rapid Bucuresti * Rom VfB Stuttgart Ger Sevilla Esp Bolton Wanderers Eng 2nd in UC group 3rd in CL group ------------------------ --- ------------------------ --- Hamburger SV @ Ger Club Brugge # Bel Espanyol Esp FC Thun # Sui RC Lens @ Fra Udinese # Ita AZ Alkmaar Ned Lille OSC # Fra AS Roma Ita Schalke '04 # Ger Levski Sofia ** Bul Rosenborg BK # Nor Shakhtar Donetsk *** Ukr Real Betis # Esp Zenit St. Petersburg ** Rus FC Petrzalka # Svk

For the draw of the 4th round, quarter-finals and semi-finals no clubs will be seeded.

KEY:
*   = team started in 1st qualification round
**  = team started in 2nd qualification round
*** = team eliminated in 3rd qualification round Champions League
@   = qualified through Intertoto Cup
#   = qualified for round 3 from group stage of the Champions League

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