Icelandic club Stjarnan must not be treated lightly as Inter Milan take their first step in the Europa League, vice-president Javier Zanetti has said.
- The Europa League playoff draw in full
Stjarnan face the Nerazzurri in a playoff for a place in the group stages, and Inter legend Zanetti wants them to be the first of many opponents, insisting the Europa League is one of the Serie A club's main objectives.
"This competition means a lot to us," he told Inter's official website. "We hope to make it all the way.
"We mustn't underestimate any side, though -- because, when you're playing in Europe, there's no such thing as an easy game.
"Our opponents are ahead of us in their preparations in that they've already played three matches. We're going to have to prepare the best we can. This is just the first step, and victory would allow us to start on our European path."
Serie A rivals Torino already have one round of qualifying behind them, with Thursday night's 4-0 win over Brommapojkarna sealing a 7-0 aggregate victory.
Their next opponents will be RNK Split, with the return leg at the Stadio Olimpico on Aug. 28.
"Seeing the stadium so full and colourful at this stage of the year is fantastic," the club's president, Urbano Cairo, told reporters in Turin.
"Things are looking promising for us. We've started well and we have a new squad with plenty of youngsters, while some players are yet to arrive.
"But we've got to be careful -- any side in Europe can cause us problems, and it's going to be crucial how we approach the games. We've always got to keep our concentration."
Fiorentina automatically enter the Europa League in the group stage, while Napoli would also participate in that if they fail to beat Athletic Bilbao in their Champions League playoff, meaning four Serie A sides could be included in the group draw later this month.
