Dundee United cross paths with Poles again in Europa League

United's return to Europe involves an early start for Peter Houston's team, who must travel to Poland to face old foes WKS Slask Wroclaw for the first leg on either 13 or 14 July. The return leg is at Tannadice a week later and means the tie will be completed before the league season kicks off on the weekend of 23/24 July.

"Looking at the draw this is probably the most difficult team we could be facing," said Houston, whose side were seeded and could have faced clubs from Wales, Luxembourg or Andorra.

"They have finished second in the Polish league, ahead of some good sides such as Legia Warsaw and Lech Poznan so that tells you they have a very good pedigree.

"I've managed to find out that they are playing a pre-season tournament in Croatia in a few weeks against Slovan Bratislava and Maribor," he added. "So I will be trying to get across to watch them in that but if not one of the coaching staff will be there."

Wroclaw is a host city of the European Championship finals, which is being shared between Poland and Ukraine next summer. The club are due to move into the new purpose-built 42,000 capacity stadium in August but will welcome United to their present home at Oporowska Stadium, which holds just over 8,000 supporters.

It is not the first time United have played at the ground. They did so 31 years ago in the Uefa Cup and came away with a creditable goalless draw against a side who had reached the last eight of the European Cup two seasons earlier. Incredibly, the man who was in charge of Slask Wroclaw then is manager today. The veteran Orest Lenczyk was in his thirties when tasked with out-witting Jim McLean. He came a cropper in the return leg at Tannadice, which United won 7-2. It is referred to as the "most humiliating defeat" on the Polish club's official website. Braces for Willie Pettigrew and David Dodds and further goals from Paul Hegarty, Derek Stark and Graeme Payne eased United into the second round. Here they faced Lokeren, and were edged out on away goals after a 1-1 draw in Dundee was followed by a goalless draw in Belgium.

Lenczyk left his job shortly after the defeat to United and began an itinerant career as manager for another ten different clubs, before returning to Slask Wroclaw only last year. Included among the other clubs he has managed are Cracovia and Widzew Ldz. But the 68-year-old's greatest success remains leading Slask Wroclaw to the Polish league championship in 1978 and then to the quarter-finals of the European Cup the following season, where they were beaten by eventual runners-up Malmo.

The Nineties were a barren time for Slask Wroclaw, who were relegated in 1993.But Ryszard Tarasiewicz led them back into the First Division in 2007 and the club have since managed to rally, finishing second to champions Wisla Krakw last season.

Second round ties to be played 12-13 and 19-20 July)

First qualifying round

Tre Fiori v Valletta; Santa Coloma v F91 Dudelange

Second qualifying round

Maccabi Haifa v Borac; Mogren v Litex Lovech; Maribor v Santa Coloma/F91 Dudelange; Skenderbeu v APOEL Nicosia; Slovan Bratislava v Tobol; SK Sturm Graz v Videoton FC; FC Zestafoni v FC Dacia; Dinamo Zagreb v Neftci; Pyunik v Plzen; Partizan Belgrade v Shkendija Tetovo; Tre Fiori/Valletta v FK Ekranas; Malmo FF v HB Torshavn; Shamrock Rovers v Flora Tallinn; Rosenborg v Breidablik; HJK Helsinki v Bangor City; Skonto FC v Wisla Krakow; Linfield v BATE