An 11-1 aggregate score is bound to attract attention, even when it takes place in early Europa League qualifying rounds between two teams that even the most dedicated observers are unfamiliar with. FC Zestaponi, the club that administered this beating to Northern Ireland’s Lisburn Distillery, definitely fits this description.

The amount of background available about the club is not very detailed; the club’s English language website and, of course, Wikipedia, appear to be the only sources of information. FC Zestaponi was founded in 2004 with the backing of the city’s Ferro-Alloy plant. As the city itself is home to a fairly large metal producing industry, during the Soviet era the city’s club was Metallurg, I assume that the plant counts as a major backer.

The official site touts the contribution of the club and owners towards Georgian football as a whole and its investment into the sporting infrastructure of the city, especially in regards to upgrading the stadium. This kind of local investment can only be a good thing. Readers of Jonathan Wilson’s Behind the Curtain will probably remember the story of WIT Georgia, who were forced to move a 2001 Intertoto tie against Austrian club SV Reid on the grounds that their home stadium did not actually constitute a stadium.

If recent history is any guide, Georgian teams have not fared well against more capable opposition, so Zestaponi, in all likelihood, face an uphill battle against Helsingborg in the next round.

Like so many great clubs throughout the world of football, Larisa was formed by the union of smaller clubs. In 1964, four clubs, Iraklis Larisas, Aris Larisas, Toxotis Larisas and Larisaikos, from the Thessaly region of Greece united to form a powerful new club that rose through the ranks and into the first division within a decade. They were champions of Greece in 1988, which led them to the European Cup. Their foray into Europe, though, was short-lived, and they were eliminated on penalties by Neuchâtel Xamax of Switzerland.

The late years of the twentieth century were not kind to Larisa and its fans, though. By 2000, they were languishing in the Third Division and had gone through bankruptcy. But they won the Third Division in 2004 and the Second in 2005 for a quick return to Greece’s top flight. 2007 saw their comeback completed as they took home the Greek Cup, their first domestic hardware in 22 years. With it came a berth in this year’s UEFA Cup, and a tough draw against Rovers.

So, what can Rovers expect from Larisa? Up front, the danger man is unquestionably Josef Kozlej, who opened the scoring in last year’s Cup win. Kozlej is a little inconsistent, but he has a tendency to surprise his opponents with sudden moves and a killer strike. The other attacking threat is Ibrahima Bakayoko, the Ivory Coast international with appearances and goals for Everton, Marseilles and Osasuna. He’s a recent acquisition, and has struggled for the past few seasons, but he may still have a few goals up his sleeve. On defense, Larisa has one of the best back lines in Greece, built around Nikos Dabizas and Stylianos Venetidis, both of which were on Greece’s Euro 2004-winning squad. The squad has also been strengthened lately by a few Argentinians in the midfield, so may well be faster than last year’s Cup team.

I don’t rate Larisa in the same league as Rovers, but Blackburn will have to be wary. As Panathaikos found out in last season’s Greek Cup, this is a team that can be very tough in a one-off, and will take advantage of mistakes. Rovers fans shouldn’t look for another 3-0 aggregate like they got against MyPa. I’d predict 1-0 to Rovers at home and 1-1 in Greece for a tough win.

This week’s ‘Know Your Minnows’ segment is all about Anorthosis Famagusta FC of Cyprus. As a football fan with a scientific background, how could I not have a special place in my heart for a club whose name sounds so much like a latin scientific name? But Anorthosis is more than just a great name.

AFFC is one of the most storied clubs in Cyprus, with a total of 63 matches in European competition. I was introduced to them in 2005 when they faced Rangers in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. They lost that tie, but even reaching that point was an accomplishment. To get there, they had registered perhaps the biggest win in their history, a 3-2 aggregate victory over Turkish side Trabzonspor. In all competitions, their European record is 15 wins, 10 draws, and 38 losses, which isn’t bad considering that Cyprus is the 41st-ranked of UEFA’s 53 member leagues.

Over the years, Anorthosis has had a number of memorable players, particularly strikers. Former Real Mallorca and Nigerian international team striker Micheal Obiku scored 33 goals in 69 appearances for the side. Former Crystal Palace, West Ham, and Sunderland forward Dave Swindlehurst also played here, however briefly, and Mario Jardel scored 3 goals in 7 matches for the club after an impressive career at Gremio and Porto.

AFFC plays today in the second leg of their UEFA Cup first qualifying round against Vardar Skopje of Macedonia. The first leg was a 1-0 away win for the Cypriots and they should be able to hold on at home and move into the next round, where bigger opponents await.

I’ve taken a look at a lot of Intertoto Cup sides, looking for interesting teams to profile in this column. What drew me to Rubin Kazan is the team’s international flavor. By far the most diverse side in Russian football, Rubin’s first team includes members from 14 different countries, including four Brazilians and a South Korean. It must be an interesting job for manager Kurban Berdyyev, considering that most of these players do not speak fluent Russian. But Berdyyev has managed to do quite well in his time at Rubin, bringing the team to the top flight for the first time in 2003 and since then finishing as high as third. Based in the relatively small city of Kazan, this is a remarkable feat, since the Russian league is dominated by strong teams from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Rubin Kazan’s European experience is limited, having only recently been promoted to the top flight, but they have had some success. Their first trip to the UEFA Cup was in 2004, and they met none other than their likely Intertoto opponents, Rapid Vienna. Vienna won 3-2 on aggregate, a tough loss that the Russian side will remember well this season. They were more successful last season, when they beat BATE (Belarus) 5-0 to advance in the UEFA Cup for the first time. They then faced a tough draw against Parma, who beat them 2-0 on two close 1-0 matches. They’re a tough side that will not give up against a better opponent, and are unwilling to relent against a weaker one.

This year’s team is a tough one to make predictions on. Assuming that both Rapid Vienna and Rubin Kazan hold on to their second round leads and face each other in the third round, it will be a very tough one to call. It’ll be a great tie.

The story of Rubin Kazan has a sadder side to it as well. Defender Lenar Gilmullin, an extremely talented young fullback, was injured in a motorcycle accident in June. After slipping into a coma, he died on June 22nd. The team has pledged to play this season in Lenar’s honor, and that extra motivation, to play for their fallen friend, may just push them through.

Here’s a nice little goal for Rubin Kazan in a 1-0 win over Zenit St. Petersburg:

…and a look at stately Central Stadium in Kazan, with the lovely city behind:

Rapid Vienna, as it is mostly known outside of Austria, is the most decorated club in Austrian football history, with 31 league championships, 14 Cups, and two runner-up finishes in the dearly missed Cup Winner’s Cup. Their most recent effort in Europe was a notable one, in the 2005-06 Champions League, when they progressed from the Second Qualifying Round to the Group Stage, only to lose all their group matches. Despite the disappointing end to that campaign, they were one of three group stage sides to come from such an early start in the tournament, and they represented Austria well.

This year’s Intertoto Cup is their first, having spent much of the past decade either in higher tournaments or out of qualifying altogether. Although they have history on their side, Rapid now competes with several sides backed by foreign investment, most notably Red Bull Salzburg. Rapid has the largest fan base in the country, but has struggled to maintain quality in an increasingly expensive transfer market. Their investment in young home-grown talent, though, bodes well for their future. There are three Rapid players on Austria’s U-20 World Cup team, including Erwin “Jimmy” Hoffer, who has probably the best mafia-reference-nickname in the history of football, as well as a wicked strike. Also sharing club and national duties is Veli Kavlak, one of the youngest professionals in Austrian history when he signed his contract at 16.

My Prediction: I expect Rapid will have a hard fight from their second-round opponent, ŠK Slovan Bratislava of Slovakia, who dominated their first-round tie. But, I expect Rapid to move on and beat Rubin Kazan of Russia to reach the UEFA Cup.

Cork City Football Club is a relative newcomer in Irish football. Although there’s been football in Cork since the 1930s, the current club was only founded in 1984. In that time, they have had some impressive seasons, both domestically and in Europe. They have been champions of Ireland twice, in 1993 and 2005, setting the record for league points (74) in the latter. Both of these championships led to first-round entries in the Champions League. In both years, they won their first-round matches, only to lose in the second. In fact, Cork City has competed in one of the European tournaments (CL, UEFA Cup, Intertoto Cup or Cup Winner’s Cup [RIP]) in 13 of its 23 years. Their most impressive season in Europe was probably 2005-2006, when City progressed through three rounds in the UEFA Cup, eventually losing just short of the group stage to Slavia Praha from the Czech Republic.

This season, Cork City finds themselves in their 4th Intertoto Cup campaign. They’ve started strong with a 2-0 away win at Valur of Iceland, and if they progress through this round, they enter the only one of the 14 second-round ties without a seeded opponent. They’ll face either Hammarby of Sweden or Ki Klaksvik of the Faroe Islands. If they can take advantage of that relatively friendly assignment, they’ll face FC Utrecht from the Dutch Eredivisie. Though City fell off of their impressive championship form this past season, they are still one of my favorite first round teams to make an impact this season, and I think they could very well make the UEFA Cup. They have one of the easier roads in front of them – Utrecht is a respectable team, but they are not Hamburg, Lens or Blackburn – and time will tell if they’ll be able to take advantage of it.

My prediction: Cork City will progress through the Intertoto Cup to the third round, but fall just short of beating Utrecht for the UEFA Cup spot.

Links: CCFC Official Website, Supporters Club