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Liverpool seeded for Champions League openers
NYON, Switzerland - Liverpool face the possibility of a trip to Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan or Armenia when they start the defence of their Champions League crown next month. UEFA changed their rules to allow Liverpool to defend the trophy following their astonishing win over AC Milan in the Istanbul final in May, despite finishing outside the top-four qualifying places in the English Premiership. In return, they must start their campaign in the first qualifying round for which they have been seeded. The 12 potential opponents for Liverpool are FK Rabotnicki (Macedonia), Dinamo Minsk (Belarus), Pyunik (Armenia), Sliema Wanderers (Malta), KF Tirana (Albania), Levadia Tallinn (Estonia), Glentoran (Northern Ireland), Total Network Solutions (Wales), F91 Dudelange (Luxembourg), PFC Neftchi (Azerbaijan), HB Torshavn (Faroe Islands) and FC Kairat Almaty (Kazhakstan). The draw is made at UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Friday. The first leg is now just three weeks away, with the competition getting under way on July 12 and 13, with the second leg a week later. If Liverpool progress, they will also be seeded for the second qualifying round, so avoiding the likes of Celtic, Anderlecht, Dinamo Kiev and Lokomotiv Moscow, with the games to be played on July 26/27 and August 2/3. The draw for the third qualifying round will be made on July 29. The final will be played on May 17 2006 at the Stade de France in Paris. First qualifying round Seeded: Liverpool (ENG), Artmedia Bratislava (SVK), Anorthosis Famagusta (CYP), NK Gorica (SLO), Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO), Haka (FIN), Hafnarfjordur (ISL), Shelbourne (IRL), Zrinjski (BIH), Skonto (LAT), Sheriff (MDA), FBK Kaunas (LIT) Unseeded: Rabotnicki (MKD), Dinamo Minsk (BLR), Pyunik (ARM), Sliema Wanderers (MLT), Tirana (ALB), Levadia Tallinn (EST), Glentoran (NIR), Total Network Solutions (WAL), F91 Dudelange (LUX), PFC Neftchi (AZE), HB Torshavn (FAR), FC Kairat Almaty (KAZ) Second qualifying round Seeded: Winners of Liverpool match, Celtic (SCO),RSC Anderlecht (BEL), Dynamo Kiev (UKR), Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS), Partizan Belgrade (SCG), Maccabi Haifa (ISR), Steaua Bucharest (ROM), Brondby IF (DEN), Rapid Vienna (AUT), CSKA Sofia (BUL), Debreceni VSC (HUN), Trabzonspor (TUR), Valerenga IF (NOR) Unseeded: HNK Hajduk Split (CRO), FC Thun (SUI), Malmo FF (SWE) and rest of 1st Rd winners
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