Hodgson's Reds to enter Europa fray

Five-time European champions Liverpool FC and Turin behemoths Juventus are the biggest scalps on offer as the 35 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round ties kick off on Thursday.

Five-time European Champion Clubs' Cup winners Liverpool FC, twice European champions Juventus and continental competition debutants FC Sibir Novosibirsk and Jagiellonia Białystok all enter the UEFA Europa League when the third qualifying round begins this week.

The second phase concluded on Thursday with the 40 tie winners now joined by 30 new entrants as the race to reach the group stage steps up another notch. Liverpool, UEFA Champions League winners in 2005 and contenders in Europe's premier club competition for the past six seasons, begin their campaign against FK Rabotnicki in the Former Yugolsav Republic of Macedonia. It will be Roy Hodgson's first competitive game in charge of the Anfield club, coming less than three months after his Fulham FC side lost the 2009-10 UEFA Europa League final.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the position of Liverpool Football Club.