UEFA Champions League Preview: Brotherly pride at stake as B36 play TNS

The first round of UEFA Champions League qualifying will feature a sibling rivalry for Lukasz and Adrian Cieslewicz when B36 play The New Saints on Wednesday.

Cleaners have barely finished sweeping away the last of the ticker tape that marked Barcelona’s 3-1 victory over Juventus in the 2014-15 final earlier this month, but Europe’s premier club competition returns this week.

And there will be plenty of intrigue as Lukasz Cieslewicz lines up for Faroe Island champions B36 against Welsh domestic treble winners TNS, for whom Adrian Cieslewicz plays for.

“Mum doesn’t know which team to support,” Lukasz Cieslewicz told UEFA’s official website ahead of Wednesday’s first-round encounter at Torsvollur Stadium. 

“It’s going to be fun to play against him. Last year we played together on the same team for the first time and now for the first time we are going to play against each other. But, to be honest, I’m preparing the same way for that match as I would any other.”

Adrian, whose TNS side host the return leg at Park Hall on July 7, joined TNS from B36 ahead of the 2014-15 campaign and played with his brother in the first round of Europa League qualification against Linfield of Northern Ireland last season.

“It will be the first time that I have played against my brother in a competitive game. It’s a good draw, but it’s disappointing that one of us will be knocked out of the competition in the opening round,” Adrian Cieslewicz said.

Lincoln Red Imps made history last season as they became the first team from Gibraltar to enter the Champions League.

They ultimately failed to go beyond the first qualifying stage after losing 6-3 on aggregate to HB, but the Red Imps will have another crack at reaching the second qualifying stage and welcome FC Santa Coloma of Andorra to Victoria Stadium in Tuesday’s first leg.

FC Pyunik have never gone beyond the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The Armenian champions start their attempt to do so this time around against San Marino champions Folgore.

Also in action are Northern Ireland champions Crusaders, who host Levadia of Estonia at Seaview.