Steve McClaren poses in the Enschede stadium. Photograph: Vincent Jannink/AFP/Getty Images

Steve McClaren will make an early return to English football when his new side, FC Twente, take on Arsenal in the third qualifying round of the Champions League. McClaren only took the reins at Twente – who finished fourth in the Dutch league last season - in June, and the tie will be a glorious chance to prove his many and varied critics wrong.

“It was strange, because as soon as I joined [Twente] I knew we had the draw coming up,” said McClaren. “I expected one of the English teams. I think fate deals you certain cards and it has dealt us this draw. On one hand it’s very, very tough for us but on the other it is very exciting.

“I think of all the teams we could have had, that is the toughest - or one of the toughest. Obviously we looked at Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus, Schalke and we got one of the most difficult. In one respect it’s a tough draw for us; on the other it’s now an opponent we know very well, not just myself, everyone in Holland knows the Premier League well so Arsenal will be no strangers to us. This is a reward for a great achievement last season in reaching this stage, to get one of the big teams. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that doesn’t come along that often. I’m sure the fans will be delighted.”

Arsenal’s company secretary David Miles admitted that the club were happy with the draw: “Logistically Holland isn’t too far and it will give our fans the opportunity to see the game.” Miles said McClaren might have been hoping for an easier draw. “I’m assuming people will say Arsenal are one of the strongest seeded teams and he might have been hoping for someone else, but that’s what the draw brought us and we get on with it.”

Elsewhere, Liverpool will begin their campaign against Standard Liege and, if Rangers make it past Kaunas in the second-qualifying round, they will play the winners of the tie between Aalborg and FK Modrica.

Arguably the best tie of the round is the match-up between Atlético Madrid and Schalke, while Irish champions Drogheda will play Spartak Moscow if they can overcome the small matter of a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Dynamo Kyiv.

The first-leg ties will be played on August 12/13 with the return match taking place a fortnight later.

Champions League third qualifying round draw

Anorthosis Famagusta/Rapid Vienna v OlympiacosVitoria Guimaraes v IFK Gothenburg/FC BasleShakhtar Donetsk v NK Domzale/Dinamo ZagrebSchalke v Atlético MadridAalborg/FK Modrica v Rangers/KaunasBarcelona v Beitar Jerusalem/Wisla KrakowLevski Sofia v Anderlecht/BATEStandard Liege v LiverpoolInter Baku/FK Partizan v Fenerbahce/MTK BudapestFC Twente v ArsenalSpartak Moscow v Drogheda/Dynamo KyivJuventus v Tampere/ArtmediaBrann/Ventspils v MarseilleFiorentina v Slavia PragueGalatasaray v Steaua BucharestPanathinaikos/Dinamo Tbilisi v Sheriff Tiraspol/Sparta Prague

About this articleCloseThis article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Friday August 01 2008. It was last updated at 12:19 on August 01 2008.

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