The closest Leicester got to a European trip in recent years was crossing the Welsh border to play Swansea in the Premier League.Now, as the unlikely English champions, theyll be visiting Belgium, Portugal and Denmark -- and if all goes well, even more countries -- for matches in their first-ever campaign in the Champions League.Leicester is one of two newcomers in Europes elite club competition this season, along with Rostov following its second-place finish in the Russian league.Both teams were fighting relegation in their respective domestic leagues just two seasons ago, yet now they are mixing it with the cream of the continent.---LEICESTERIn its 132-year history, Leicester has only had four seasons of European competition -- the last coming in 2000 in the now-defunct UEFA Cup after winning the English League Cup. That was Leicesters last piece of major silverware before shocking the sporting world by winning the Premier League last season.The intervening 16-year period was a bumpy ride for the central English club, which bobbed up and down between Englands top two divisions -- and even spent a season in the third tier in 2008-09 -- and also drifted close to financial ruin before being taken over by a Thai consortium in 2010.The team, known as the Foxes, returned to the Premier League in 2014 and two years later they are the champions, completing the ultimate fairytale journey.Theres been something of a championship-winning hangover at Leicester, though, and the Champions League campaign, which starts at Club Brugge on Wednesday, will offer some respite after a sobering start to the Premier League title defense.Having lost just three league games last season, Claudio Ranieris team has lost two of its opening four matches this season and the manner of the defeats will be a concern.An opening-day 2-1 loss at promoted Hull and Saturdays 4-1 loss at Liverpool highlighted how much the team is missing NGolo Kante, the France midfielder sold to Chelsea in the offseason. Often it felt like Kante covered the ground of two players last season, offering excellent protection to a defense containing journeymen and even cast-offs.With Kante gone, Leicesters solidity has disappeared and the side looks open. Liverpool could easily have scored more than four goals at Anfield.We have to clear our minds, Ranieri said, and understand that in football we have to be strong, determined, aggressive and reactive.Its not all doom and gloom for Leicester, however.The club ended up being one of English footballs biggest spenders in the summer transfer window, breaking its transfer record twice to sign strikers Ahmed Musa, then Islam Slimani. The squad is now much deeper and stronger, while Ranieri managed to limit the major outgoings to just Kante, meaning key players Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez are still on board.In a sense, the pressure is off Leicester this season and it should just enjoy the Champions League campaign, especially considering its benign draw that will see the team also play Copenhagen and Porto. A couple of wins at its King Power stadium fortress and a place in the knockout stage could beckon.Once again, I say we are underdogs, said Ranieri, who is embarking on a sixth Champions League campaign with a sixth different club.And thats just how they like it in Leicester.---ROSTOVRostov almost did a Leicester last season in Russia, falling just short in its title challenge a year after narrowly escaping relegation.Rostov finished second, two points behind CSKA Moscow, to reach the third qualifying round of the Champions League and then beat famous European clubs Anderlecht and Ajax to make the group stage.The unheralded provincial side is breaking new ground, with its only previous experience of European competition being a brief one -- a loss in the Europa League playoffs in 2014. On that occasion, Rostov was excluded, then reinstated, from competition following a legal battle over financial issues, one of many episodes in a turbulent last few years.It was close to financial abyss in 2015 as the countrys recession hit Rostovs owners, the regional government.One coach, Igor Gamula, was suspended after saying the club had enough dark-skinned players and would not sign another. Then his successor, Kurban Berdyev, led Rostov on its unlikely title challenge only to quit for a better-paid job at Spartak Moscow.Spartak promptly changed its mind on hiring Berdyev and he is back at Rostov, listed as a vice-president/coach. One of his former assistants is the head coach, on paper at least, but Berdyev is likely to call the shots when it comes to Champions League tactics. He has experience of upsetting European giants, having beaten Barcelona away while Rubin Kazan coach.Meanwhile, a section of Rostovs Olimp 2 Stadium will be closed for its first home game in the Champions League because of racist behavior by fans during the playoff win over Ajax.The draw hasnt been kind to Rostov, which will face Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and PSV Eindhoven in Group D. Ray Allen Jersey . Scott won the Australian PGA last week in his first event in Australia since winning the U.S. Masters in April. American Matt Kuchar, ahead by two strokes with four to play and even with Scott with one to go, double-bogeyed the 18th after taking two shots to get out of a bunker. Darius Bazley Jersey . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. https://www.thunderrookiesshop.com/Patrick-Patterson-City-Edition-Jersey/ . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. Dennis Schroder Jersey . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. Russell Westbrook Jersey .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. PITTSBURGH -- Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was not fined for a possible attempt to kick quarterback Ben Roethlisberger late in the fourth quarter of the Steelers-Dolphins game Sunday.In the play, Suh bull-rushed guard David DeCastro and stretched his right leg out, nearly connecting with Roethlisbergers right knee before helping bring the quarterback down with his arm. The Dolphins won 30-15.The Steelers internally flagged the play in the postgame film review and alerted coach Mike Tomlin. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Thursday the Steelers submitted the play to the NFL for review. The leagues operations department had not received a Steelers request as of Thursday nnight, according to sources.ddddddddddddSuh has been fined repeated times for questionable play, including $100,000 for an illegal low block in 2013.Dolphins head coach Adam Gase said Friday that Suh was simply playing hard and trying to make a play.Going back and just watching it again, I see a guy who is just playing hard and trying to figure out a way to get to the quarterback, Gase said. So I dont know if I can comment on it past that. I just know how Ive watched him play and he just goes as hard as he can.ESPNs James Walker contributed to this report. ' ' '