After the usual interminable nonsense at UEFA HQ, Arsenal have
been drawn against Fenerbahce for their Champions League qualification
double-header.
The games will be played on 20/21 and 27/28 August with the Gunners at home in the second leg.
Fenerbahce finished second behind Galatasary in last year’s Turkish
Super Lig and have already overcome Austrian side Salzburg to reach this
stage of the UCL qualification process. Their squad has an
international flavour with familiar names such as Joseph Yobo, Dirk
Kuyt, Bruno Alves and Raul Meireles regular starters.
It’s also worth noting that Fenerbahce are embroiled in controversy
right now with UEFA recently meeting out a 24-month European football ban
for their part in the Turkish match-fixing and corruption scandal.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport has since suspended the ban
allowing them to take part in the UCL preliminary rounds but they could
yet be barred from the competition. We’re not quite sure what that would
mean for us if they won at our expense…it’s one for Dick Law. Perhaps
better not to think about it.
Arsenal’s record at this formative stage of the competition is
unblemished with the likes of Dynamo Zagreb, Celtic and Udinese seen off
in recent years. After the swashbuckling run at the end of last season
it’s now time to finish the job.