Champions League Preview

Otelul Galati. There's a name to conjure with.

A sizeable section of the footballing fraternity will not even know which country they play in, still less where it is. Are they from Otelul, or Galati?

Quick lesson. Otelul play in Galati, in Romania, not far from the border with Moldova.

They have featured in the Romanian top division for 13 seasons but won the title for the first time last term and thereby qualified straight into the Champions League.

If an English team were to draw them, you get there by flying to Bucharest before completing the remaining 200 kilometres by train or car.

Who says Europe's elite club competition is getting too stale?

There are other debutants too. Napoli, who last got in when the tournament was the European Cup, with Diego Maradona leading their attack, in 1990. And then there is Manchester City.

Roberto Mancini's men will be the most intriguing participants, a combination of wealth, novelty and seeding underlining their appeal.

Relative lack of European exposure down the years means that City will be amongst the third seeds when the draw is made in Monaco on August 25.

With Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal - if the Gunners qualify - all guaranteed top seedings and therefore unable to face their Premier League rivals in the group phase, it means City will get Porto, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or holders Barcelona.

In fact, one of those infernal groups of death could pitch City into combat with Barcelona, AC Milan and German champions Borussia Dortmund. What a prospect that would be.

Arsenal's participation is by no means guaranteed given the turbulence experienced at the north London outfit this summer, confidence hardly bolstered by their miserable end to last season.

As Dynamo Kiev and Udinese are potential qualifying round opponents, nothing can be taken for granted.

It would be a shattering blow for Arsene Wenger if they didn't make it. After all, his Gunners inflicted a defeat on Barca in the first leg of their last 16 encounter last season that would have become outright victory if Nicklas Bendtner had taken his later chance after Robin van Persie had been sent off in the return at the Nou Camp.

Barcelona's presence hangs like a cloud over everyone.

Real Madrid might believe they would have done better against the Catalans than Manchester United managed in the final.

But the pair squared up in three competitions last term and only in the Copa del Rey did Jose Mourinho come out on top.

Chelsea are still aggrieved at the manner with which they lost the 2009 semi-final to Barca, when it appeared the job was done. For Manchester United the wounds are still raw given the manner of Barca's triumph in the 2011 final at Wembley in May.

"Best club side ever," was the general cry, echoing comments made by Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp, whose side failed to qualify for this season's competition having reached the quarter-finals in 2010-11.

If Pep Guardiola's men maintain recent form, they will surely become the first team to retain the Champions League in its present form and secure their third title in four years, having reached the semi-final on the other occasion, losing to Mourinho's Inter Milan.

Those who crave greatness hope they achieve it. Thirty-one rivals, from Manchester to Galati, will try to stop them.