Two qualifying rounds comprised the first stage of the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League, the 44th season of Europe's premier club football competition and the seventh since it was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League. The stage determined which 16 teams joined the eight automatic qualifiers in the group stage. 32 teams entered at the first qualifying round, with a further 16 teams receiving a bye to the second qualifying round. Among the teams in the first qualifying round was Ukrainian side Dynamo Kyiv, who went on to reach the semi-finals of the competition proper, while both finalists – Manchester United of England and Bayern Munich of Germany – entered the competition in the second qualifying round, having finished as runners-up in their domestic leagues the previous season.
Teams The national champions from associations ranked 8 and below, along with all league runners-up, entered the qualifying rounds.
Key to coloursWinners of second qualifying round advanced to group stageLosers of second qualifying round entered UEFA Cup first round +Second qualifying roundTeam1 Internazionale2 Bayern Munich3 Athletic Bilbao4 Metz5 PSV Eindhoven6 Manchester United7 Benfica8 Olympiacos Panathinaikos9 Sparta Prague10 Rosenborg11 Sturm Graz12 Spartak Moscow13 Croatia Zagreb14 Galatasaray15 Brøndby+First qualifying roundTeam16 Grasshopper17 Dynamo Kyiv18 ŁKS Łódź19 Újpest20 Club Brugge21 Košice22 Steaua București23 Halmstads BK24 Dinamo Tbilisi25 Anorthosis Famagusta26 Celtic27 Beitar Jerusalem28 Maribor29 Dinamo Minsk30 ÍBV31 HJK32 Skonto33 Litex Lovech34 Sileks35 Kareda36 Obilić37 Zimbru Chișinău39 Flora40 Yerevan41 Cliftonville42 Valletta43 Barry Town44 St Patrick's Athletic45 B3646 Vllaznia47 Jeunesse Esch48 Kapaz
First qualifying round Seeding 32 champions from associations ranked 16–48 (except Liechtenstein) started in First qualifying round. Champions of nations ranked 16–31 were seeded, while champions of nations ranked 32 and below were unseeded. The draw was performed on 6 July 1998 in Geneva, Switzerland.
SeededUnseeded
Summary
Matches
Club Brugge won 2–1 on aggregate.
ŁKS Łódź won 7–2 on aggregate.
Litex Lovech won 3–2 on aggregate.
Grasshopper won 8–0 on aggregate.
Celtic won 2–0 on aggregate.
Maribor won 4–0 on aggregate.
Dynamo Kyiv won 10–1 on aggregate.
Košice won 13–1 on aggregate.
Skonto won 2–1 on aggregate.
Anorthosis Famagusta won 8–0 on aggregate.
Beitar Jerusalem won 5–1 on aggregate.
Dinamo Tbilisi won 4–3 on aggregate.
HJK won 5–0 on aggregate.
Obilić won 4–1 on aggregate.
Újpest won 3–2 on aggregate.
Steaua București won 5–4 on aggregate.
Second qualifying round Seeding 16 clubs (champions of nations ranked 8–15 and runners-up of nations ranked 1–8) started in this round and were seeded. 16 winners of the First qualifying round were unseeded. Losing teams in the second qualifying round qualified for the first round of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. The draw was performed on 6 July 1998 in Geneva, Switzerland, immediately after First qualifying round draw.
SeededUnseeded Notes
Summary
The losing teams qualified for the first round of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. The winning teams of the first qualifying round were drawn against teams qualified directly for the second qualifying round.
Matches
4–4 on aggregate; Rosenborg won on away goals.
Manchester United won 2–0 on aggregate.
Spartak Moscow won 11–2 on aggregate.
Galatasaray won 5–3 on aggregate.
Croatia Zagreb won 3–1 on aggregate.
PSV Eindhoven won 5–3 on aggregate.
1–1 on aggregate; Dynamo Kyiv won 3–1 on penalties.
Brøndby won 2–1 on aggregate.
Internazionale won 7–1 on aggregate.
Olympiacos won 6–3 on aggregate.
Benfica won 8–4 on aggregate.
2–2 on aggregate; Athletic Bilbao won on away goals.
HJK won 2–1 on aggregate.
Bayern Munich won 5–1 on aggregate.
Sturm Graz won 7–2 on aggregate.
Panathinaikos won 8–5 on aggregate.
Notes
References