2008–09 UEFA Cup qualifying rounds
The qualifying rounds for the 2008–09 UEFA Cup began on 17 July 2008. In total, there were two qualifying rounds which narrowed clubs down to 80 teams in preparation for the first round.
Times are CEST, as listed by UEFA.
First qualifying round
Summary
The draw for the first qualifying round took place on 1 July 2008. The first legs were played on 17 July 2008 and the second legs were played on 29 and 31 July 2008.
In each region of the draw for the first qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients. The lower pots contained unranked teams from associations 34–53, together with Vėtra of Lithuania. The higher pots contained teams from associations 1–32, together with Sūduva of Lithuania, and FH.
Three of the 37 ties were won by the team with the lower UEFA coefficient, all involving teams whose ranking was that of their association: WIT Georgia beat Spartak Trnava ; [KF KF Vllaznia Shkodër|Vllaznia Shkodër|Vllaznia] beat Koper ; and St Patrick's Athletic beat Olimps/ASK.
Southern region matches
Cherno More won 9–0 on aggregate.----
APOEL won 1–0 on aggregate.
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Zrinjski Mostar won 5–1 on aggregate.
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Široki Brijeg won 3–1 on aggregate.
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Ironi Kiryat Shmona won 4–1 on aggregate.
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Vllaznia won 2–1 on aggregate.
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Interblock won 2–1 on aggregate.
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Hapoel Tel Aviv won 5–0 on aggregate.
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Hajduk Split won 7–0 on aggregate.
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Omonia won 4–1 on aggregate.
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''Slaven Belupo won 8–0 on aggregate.''
Central–East region matches
Red Bull Salzburg won 10–0 on aggregate.----
Győri ETO won 3–2 on aggregate.
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Bellinzona won 4–1 on aggregate.
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Borac Čačak won 4–2 on aggregate.
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Austria Wien won 2–1 on aggregate.
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Hertha BSC won 8–1 on aggregate.
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Lech Poznań won 5–1 on aggregate.
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Legia Warsaw won 4–1 on aggregate.
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WIT Georgia won 3–2 on aggregate.
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Žilina won 3–2 on aggregate.
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Debrecen won 2–1 on aggregate.
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''Vojvodina won 2–1 on aggregate.''
Northern region matches
FH won 8–3 on aggregate.----
Viking won 2–1 on aggregate.
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Kalmar FF won 10–1 on aggregate.
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Honka won 4–2 on aggregate.
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Liepājas Metalurgs won 3–1 on aggregate.
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Brøndby won 3–0 on aggregate.
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Nordsjælland won 8–0 on aggregate.
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Manchester City won 4–0 on aggregate.
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St Patrick's Athletic won 3–0 on aggregate.
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2–2 on aggregate; Djurgårdens IF won on away goals.
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Sūduva won 2–0 on aggregate.
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Copenhagen won 11–0 on aggregate.
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Haka won 6–2 on aggregate.
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''Midtjylland won 10–1 on aggregate.''
Second qualifying round
Summary
The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 1 August 2008 in Nyon, Switzerland, and featured 16 teams entering directly at the second qualifying round, as well as the 37 winners from the previous round and the 11 third round winners of the UEFA Intertoto Cup. The first legs were played on 14 August 2008 and the second leg on 28 August 2008.
In each region of the draw for the second qualifying round, teams were divided into two pots, on the basis of UEFA coefficients. The higher pots contained teams with a ranking of 176 or higher, and unranked teams from associations ranked 1 to 15. As there were an odd number of teams in the Central and Northern groups in the 2nd qualifying round, UEFA moved Rennes from the Central-East group to the Northern group. Furthermore, Liepājas Metalurgs and Sūduva were moved from the Northern group to the Central-East group, and Vaslui and Interblock were moved from the Southern-Mediterranean group to the Central-East group.
12 of the 32 ties were won by the team with the lower UEFA coefficient. The 12 teams that lost to a lower team were: AEK Athens, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Aris, Red Star Belgrade, Grasshopper, Slovan Liberec, Viking, Lokomotiv Sofia, IF Elfsborg, Gent, Queen of the South and Debrecen. St Patrick's Athletic were the only team to beat a higher-seeded team in each of the two qualifying rounds.
Southern region matches
Beşiktaş won 6–1 on aggregate.----
Braga won 3–0 on aggregate.
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Borac Čačak won 2–1 on aggregate.
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Hapoel Tel Aviv won 3–0 on aggregate.
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Slaven Belupo won 2–1 on aggregate.
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Litex Lovech won 2–1 on aggregate.
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Deportivo La Coruña won 2–0 on aggregate.
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5–5 on aggregate; APOEL won on away goals.
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Napoli won 8–0 on aggregate.
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Cherno More won 3–1 on aggregate.
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''Omonia won 3–2 on aggregate.''
Central–East region matches
Vaslui won 5–1 on aggregate.----
2–2 on aggregate; Zürich won 4–2 on penalties.
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VfB Stuttgart won 6–2 on aggregate.
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Lech Poznań won 6–0 on aggregate.
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Žilina won 4–2 on aggregate.
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Austria Wien won 2–0 on aggregate.
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Young Boys won 7–3 on aggregate.
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FC Moscow won 4–1 on aggregate.
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4–4 on aggregate; Bellinzona won on away goals.
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Hertha BSC won 3–0 on aggregate.
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''Red Bull Salzburg won 4–2 on aggregate.''
Northern region matches
Rosenborg won 6–2 on aggregate.----
Nordsjælland won 4–2 on aggregate.
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Kalmar FF won 5–2 on aggregate.
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1–1 on aggregate; Manchester City won 4–2 on penalties.
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Honka won 2–1 on aggregate.
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Brøndby won 6–0 on aggregate.
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Rennes won 3–2 on aggregate.
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Copenhagen won 7–3 on aggregate.
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St Patrick's Athletic won 4–3 on aggregate.
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''Aston Villa won 5–2 on aggregate.''