Often described as a cup of losers, this season's UEFA Cup has its fair share of winners when the first round kicks off with first leg matches on Tuesday and Thursday.

Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam is one of only a handful of clubs that has won all three European club competition (European Champions' Cup or Champions League, Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup).

After being beaten by Twente Enschede in a Dutch league play-off for a place in the Champions League, the four-times European champions start their UEFA Cup campaign away at Serbian club FK Borac on Thursday.

AC Milan have even won the Champions' tournament seven times, but, missed the elite event after finishing only fifth in the Serie A. They can, however, emulate Ajax's success of winning all three European trophies by lifting the UEFA Cup.

The are at home to FC Zurich on Thursday - the day when all but three of the first leg games are played.

Also hoping to add the one European trophy still missing from their trophy cabinet are SV Hamburg, who were beaten in a two-legged UEFA Cup final by Gothenborg in 
1982.

The German club, who are topping the Bundesliga for the first time since 1999, are at home to Romanian club Unirea Urziceni.

Several former UEFA Cup winners will also be in action: CSKA Moscow are away to Croatian club NK Slaven, while Serie A team Napoli, who won the UEFA Cup with Diego Maradona in their side in 1989, face a daunting task against two-time European Champions Benfica.

Other former UEFA Cup winners are Galatasaray (away to Bellinzona) and Valencia. The Spanish side will be without international David Silva for their clash away to Maritimo Funchal after the 22-year-old had to undergo surgery on his left ankle.

"His recovery is the important thing now. An operation was inevitable and we wish David the very best so he can return to action as soon as possible," said Valencia coach Unai Emery.

Big spending Manchester City, whose only other European success dates back to 1970, when they beat Gornik Zabrze 2-1 to lift the Cup Winners' Cup, head a strong Premier League contingent.

City should be too strong for Omonia Nicosia, whom they face in Cyprus in their first leg match.

Other English club in the competition are Aston Villa (away to Litex Lovech), FA Cup winners Portsmouth (at home to Vitoria Guimaraes) and Everton, who face Standard Liege in Liverpool.

Everton will be without Danish international Lars Jacobsen, who injured himself playing for his country in a World Cup qualifier last week.

"We didn't get good news on Lars. He will need an operation that will keep him out for three or four months. He was just beginning to settle and we were looking forward to using him," said Everton manager David Moyes.

Lithuanian team Kaunas, who knocked out last season's losing finalists Glasgow Rangers in the second qualifying round for the Champions League, but were then beaten by Aalborg BK to be relegated to the UEFA Cup, were rewarded with a tie against Serie A club Sampdoria for their efforts.

The first matches in the UEFA Cup will be played on Tuesday as German clubs Schalke 04 (away to APOEL Nicosia) and Hertha Berlin (home to St. Patricks), as well as Nordsjaelland against Olympiakos Piraeus kick off the first round.

UEFA General Secretary David Taylor told the organization's website that he was looking forward to the competition.

"Often you see more open, attractive, flowing football ­ and you definitely see different teams from different countries," Taylor said.

The winners of the two-legged first round matches advance to the group phase of the competition.