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UEFA European League

Slavia Prague and Sparta Praha Learn their Opponents in the European League Group Stage

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com September 1, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Slavia Prague footballers will meet AS Rome, Šeriffa Tiraspol and Servette Geneva in the basic G-group of the European League. The team, which also includes Slovaks Ivan Schranz, Michal Tomič and Jakub Hromada, will also meet the Roman finalists of the previous year.

Sparta Praha, also with Lukáš Haraslín and Jakub Surovčík, will play in Group C against Glasgow Rangers, Betis Sevilla and the conqueror of Bratislava Slovan Aris Limassol. It was decided by the Friday draw in Monaco.

European League – group stage

Sparta Praha will appear in the group stage of European competitions again after a year, last season they were already eliminated in the 2nd preliminary round against the Norwegian Viking Stavanger. Last year, Slavia played in the EKL, but took only 3rd place in the basic group, behind Sivasspor and CFR Kluž, and did not advance to the knockout stage.

Among the main candidates for winning the trophy will be primarily English clubs, FC Liverpool awaits in E-group LASK Linz, Union St. Gilloise and FC Toulouse. West Ham United will play in Group A with Olympiakos Piraeus, Freiburg and Serbian team TSK Bačka Topola.

The European League is in its third and final year in a format with 32 teams in eight groups of four. The winner advances directly to the round of 16, the second team in the table waits for participation in the play-off to advance to the round of 16, and the teams in 3rd place move to the European Conference League. The final will be played on May 22 in Dublin.

A-groupWest Ham United
Olympiakos Piraeus
SC Freiburg
TSK Bačka Topola

B-groupAjax Amsterdam
Olympic Marseille
Brighton & Hove Albion
AEK Athens

Group C Glasgow Rangers
Betis Seville
Sparta Prague
Aris Limassol

D-groupAtalanta Bergamo
Sporting Lisabon
Storm Graz
Raków Czestochowa

E-group FC Liverpool
LASK Linz
Union St. Gilloise
FC Toulouse

Group F Villarreal CF
Rennes Stadium
Maccabi Haifa
Panathinaikos Athens

G-groupAS Rome
Slavia Prague
Sheriff Tiraspol
Servette Geneva

H-groupBayer Leverkusen
Karabach Agdam
Molde FK
BK Häcken

Group stage program21. September: 1st round of the group stage
October 5: 2nd round of the group stage
October 26: 3rd round of the group stage
November 9: 4th round of the group stage
November 30: Round 5 of the group stage
December 14: Round 6 of the group stage

2023-09-01 11:40:00
#drew #group #stage #Europa #League #Rangers #Prague #Sparta #awaits #defeater #Slovan #Sport.sk

September 1, 2023 0 comments

Sport

Preview: Sparta Coach Brian Priske Hopes for Confidence Boost Ahead of Europa League Opener at Dinamo Zagreb

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 24, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Ahead of Thursday’s Europa League 4th preliminary round opener at Dinamo Zagreb, Sparta coach Brian Priske hopes the two-legged Champions League qualifier against Copenhagen has given his players confidence and shown them they can face quality opponents in big games.

Sparta coach Brian Priske does not care about the fact that the defending Croatian champion changed his coach before the match. He also joked at the press conference that he might find it harder to sleep after being reminded by reporters that Sparta are still waiting to win the cups under his leadership.

After the opening goalless draw in Denmark in the 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League, Letenští played in the home rematch with Copenhagen 1:1 after 90 minutes and after extra time, in which they led twice, 3:3. However, they failed in the penalty shootout. On Saturday, they also lost their first points in the league season when they drew 1:1 in Teplice.

“I hope the boys arrived here with confidence. The results against Copenhagen and Teplice weren’t what we expected, but we didn’t perform badly. Perhaps the rematch with Copenhagen gave the team a good feeling that if we can stick to our style of play in big games against strong opponents we play with confidence, we can make it difficult for many quality teams in Europe,” said Priske.

Sparta did not win in four cup duels under Priske’s leadership. “I never thought of that until you asked, so thanks. Maybe I’ll sleep a little worse now,” Priske joked.

“Obviously it’s not a good statistic, but that’s football. We’re focusing on our style of play. The games against Copenhagen were tough, but the boys did amazing, especially in Letná. They played a great game and deserved to win, but it didn’t go our way they wished. I will definitely be chasing a cup win together with the team, it would be great to taste it,” said the 46-year-old native of Horsens.

Dinamo started the competitive year by winning the domestic Supercup and progressing through Astana to the 3rd preliminary round of the LM. However, it was not enough for AEK Athens, who lost 1:2 at home and drew 2:2 away with them, despite having a two-goal lead at the start of regulation. The club’s management dismissed coach Igor Biščan on Monday, who was replaced by Sergej Jakirovič. Stopper Josip Šutalo, who transferred to Ajax Amsterdam, will no longer help Dinamo against Sparta. Captain and goalkeeper Dominik Livakovič is also leaving, according to the Croatian media, he will head to Fenerbahce Istanbul.

“What is happening in Dinamo is beyond us. We are aware of their situation, they decided to change the coach and sell two players, but new ones arrived. It is a kind of homework for us. We found out how the coach (Jakirovič) worked in Rijeka, and we have a decent picture of what he’s capable of,” said Priske.

In July, Sparta drew 1:1 with Dinamo in preparation. “The match showed us that it is a very good team with quality players. But for us it was only the first training camp match, for Dinamo, on the contrary, the last. We have improved since then. Tomorrow it will be completely different here than in Slovenia. We have a lot of respect for Dinamo, it doesn’t matter who they field. It’s a really strong team,” said the former player of Genk, Portsmouth and the Danish national team.

Dinamo, which has won the Croatian league six times in a row, considers its offense to be its strongest point. “The two wingers are very good, Petkovič is a top striker. The midfielders bring dynamism to the game. There is no doubt that they excel offensively, the players know each other well and the midfielders and wingers rotate a lot. It is a high-quality team,” noted the former coach Midtjylland and Antwerp.

2023-08-23 18:35:05
#games #Europe #win #reminder #Sparta #coach #joked #Currently.cz

August 24, 2023 0 comments

Sport

Ukrainian Clubs Seeking Asylum in Other Countries for European Competitions

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 18, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Due to the war, Ukrainian clubs that have qualified for continental competitions cannot play in their home stadiums, but have to use the asylum of other countries. SC Dnipro-1 chose Slovak Košice.

In the Košice football arena, which was renovated last year for the sum of 22.42 million euros (about 530 million crowns) and this year its capacity increased from 5,836 seats to 12,658, it welcomed Greek Panathinaikos Athens in the fight for the Champions League. The second team of the Ukrainian league from last year did not succeed. After a 2:2 draw in Greece and a 1:3 loss in the second leg, they qualified for the Europa League.

In it, he ran into Slavia and failed again. First, he lost clearly 0:3 in Prague, then the rematch in Košice ended in a 1:1 draw. The Prague vice-champion thus advanced to the fourth preliminary round of the Europa League, where they will face another Ukrainian team, namely Zorja Luhansk.

⏲️ END | From Košice, where we had a home atmosphere thanks to more than a thousand slavists, we are taking a progressive draw. Václav Jurečka scored our only goal! ✅

V play off #UEL Zorya Luhansk is waiting for us. We will play the home game on Thursday, August 24 from 19:00. Advance ticket sales for… pic.twitter.com/kulXH8gxiO

— SK Slavia Prague (@slaviaofficial) August 17, 2023

Foreign asylum seeker

SC Dnipro chose Slovakia’s Košice for asylum last August. UEFA regulations clearly state that Ukrainian clubs must play their matches in European competitions abroad, where there is no threat of being affected by a war conflict. Zorja Luhansk chose Polish Lublin, Dinamo Kyiv Romanian Bucharest, Shakhtar Donetsk uses the Polish Army Stadium in Warsaw.

The team from Dnipro needed to find a refuge last year for the European League play-off against Cyprus’ Larnaca. In August 2022, the management signed a memorandum of cooperation with representatives of the Košice Football Arena, which operates the stadium. “I am pleased that we will be playing a lot in Košice,” welcomed the agreement, club director Andrij Rusol.

SC Dnipro-1 matches in Košice

Europa League – Play Offs

Dnipro – AEK Larnaka 1:2, 18. 8. 2022

Conference League – Basic Group

Dnipro – Alkmaar 0:1, 8/9/2022

Dnipro – Vaduz 2:2, 6 October 2022

Dnipro – Apollon 1:0, 27. 10. 2022

Conference League – Playoffs

Dnipro – AEK Larnaka 0:0, 23. 2. 2023

Champions League – Qualification

Dnipro – Panathianikos 1:3, 25. 7. 2023

And he added hope that it won’t be just one match. “We are a young and aggressive football club with high ambitions. This season will be our first in UEFA competitions, so we will make history together. Performance in the European League is very important for us, especially in this difficult period for our country,” he emphasized in a short speech at the ratification of the document.

The Košice stadium was also attractive to the Ukrainian club because it was newly renovated and boasts the best grass area in Slovakia. In order to obtain the coveted UEFA IV certificate. category, his task was only to increase the capacity of the walkways to the required value. This was achieved this year.

Even though the asylum seeker did not succeed against Larnaca, the memorandum spanned the Conference League, in which Dnipro reached the spring part.

Two tenants

Together with the Ukrainian team, the Košice football arena is also used by the local club FC Košice, which was established in May 2018 after the breakup of FC VSS Košice through the merger of TJ FK Vyšné Opátske and FK Košice-Barca. In the past season, he won the second highest Slovak competition and advanced to the Nike League.

Although he has again penetrated the elite and once again spreads the glory of Košice football (the former Czechoslovak federal league was played by Lokomotiva and VSS/VSŽ), he has no advantages against the Ukrainian tenant. “We also have a contract with the joint-stock company that operates the stadium,” says club manager Roman Šimko.

A foreign asylum seeker does not interfere in any way. “We only clear the dressing room during European competition matches, which is a matter of three days,” says Šimko, the only limitation. “Last year, it was more complicated, because he lived in the stadium for one season. But this year he trains and prepares in Ukraine, he also often stays abroad,” says the representative of the Košice club management.

Although the clubs are separate entities and nothing connects them apart from a common stadium, they manage to find a form of cooperation. “We help Dnipro with marketing, ticket distribution, in the media field, our employees take part in this,” notes Šimko.

There are good relations between the two tenants, they can be described as friendly. After all, FC Košice’s club colors are yellow and blue. Probably some symbolism…

Home in Uzhhorod

Dnipro does not play in Košice, the highest Ukrainian competition of the Premier League, which despite the war continues with sixteen participants. Initially, four stadiums were approved in which the matches could be held, Dnipro chose Uzhhorod, which was also shared with Metalist Kharkiv, Vorskla Poltava and Zorya Luhansk last year.

The largest city in the Transcarpathian region, with 115,000 inhabitants, belonged to Czechoslovakia during the First Republic, and was annexed to the Ukrainian Soviet Republic after World War II. For the club, which stayed in Košice last season, Uzhhorod had an immense advantage in the short distance of less than a hundred kilometers by road.

The team did not use the stadium where SK Rusj Uzhhorod played in the federal Czechoslovak first league in 1936/1937 and the Czechoslovak representative Olexi Bokšay played for him, it was demolished and a military barracks was built in its place. The Avanhard Stadium is a modern stand (last rebuilt in 2005) with a capacity of 12,000 seats.

2023-08-17 23:17:13
#Slavias #Ukrainian #journey #continues #homeless #team #waiting #Dnipro #Seznam #Zprávy

August 18, 2023 0 comments

Sport

Slavia Prague Advances to Final Play-off of European League after Draw with Dnipro

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 17, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

The footballers of Slavia Prague drew 1:1 with Dnipro in its cup asylum in Košice in the away rematch of the 3rd preliminary round of the European League, and after the initial home victory 3:0, they advanced to the final play-off for participation in the group.

The Ukrainian national team sent Valentyn Rubchynskij into the lead at the end of the first half in the fight between the vice-champions of their countries, but in the 53rd minute Václav Jurečka equalized with his first goal of the season.

By progressing through Dnipro, Slávist got the certainty that they will play at least the group of the European Conference League. In the play-off against another Ukrainian team, Luhansk, they fight for participation in the main stage of the better European League.

Prague will start a doubleheader in a week, just like with Dnipro at home, the return match will be on the agenda in the opponent’s asylum in Lublin, Poland, on August 31.

The Red and Whites will not meet in the cup for the seventh time in a row, under current coach Jindřich Trpišovský they have always played in UEFA competitions in the fall. They last appeared in the main stage of the Europa League in the 2020/21 season.

Trpišovský made two forced changes in the lineup compared to the opening game in Eden. Stopper Ogbu, who was absent due to suspension in the first match, was replaced by Ousou, and Ševčík stepped in instead of the injured Lingro in the midfield.

In the packed Košice arena for almost six thousand spectators, the famous players had an almost home environment. In the cup asylum of Dnipro, which cannot play in its stadium due to the Russian military attack on Ukraine, over a thousand fans pushed the red and white forward.

In the beginning, the people of Prague controlled the progress and in the 23rd minute they had the first big chance. Jurečka, however, missed the goalie Kinarejkin and had to wait for his first goal of the season.

On the opposite side, four minutes later goalkeeper Kolář intervened against Pichaljonek. However, the Slavists were more active, but they did not take the lead even in the 35th minute, when after Ševčík’s tap, Van Buren’s volley attempt was saved by the home goalkeeper.

When it seemed that the red and whites would calmly finish the opening act to a goalless draw, in the first minute, Rubchynskij stretched the set-up from behind the goal and beat Kolar with a shot right at the back post. The Slavists conceded after two matches.

Less than four minutes after the change of sides, Pichaljonok could have made the double match even more dramatic, but Kolář held the guests back. Prague equalized in four minutes.

Jurečka was sent out by a vertical pass, which shot past Kinarejkin. The Spanish referees initially signaled offside, but after the intervention of the video referee, they finally recognized the goal. The top scorer of the last league season scored for the first time in this competitive year.

Zafeiris could turn the situation in favor of the favorite, but his shot against the post in the 62nd minute was deflected by the home goalkeeper. Substitute Douděra then fired a shot on the ground a short distance away. In the end, Hromada, a native of Košice, got on the pitch for the first time in the season and could even take care of a turnover in the set-up, but he ended up a short distance away from the home goal.

In the sixth competitive game of the season, the Slavists did not win for the first time, but it didn’t have to bother them too much. In the third double-header with a Ukrainian opponent in UEFA competitions, they celebrated promotion for the first time.

Rematch of the 3rd preliminary round of the European Football League in Košice:

SC Dnipro-1 – Slavia Prague 1:1 (1:0)

Goals: 45.+1 Rubchynskij – 53. Jurečka. Referee: Gil Manzano – Nevado, Nicolás – Cuadra (video, all Sp.). ŽK: Guculjak, Babenko (both Dnipro). First match: 0:3, Slavia advanced.

Dnipro: Kinarejkin – Pasič, Sarapij, Kravec (73. Svatok), Kaplijenko – Rubchynskij (77. Tanchyk), Babenko – Guculjak, Pichaljonok (73. Lednev), Gorbunov (65. Kivinda) – Filippov (65. Bill). Coach: Kučer.

Slavia: Kolář – Masopust (70. Douděra), Ousou, Holeš, Provod – Ševčík, Oscar (85. Hromada) – Schranz (70. Vlček), Zafeiris, Jurečka (85. Jurásek) – Van Buren (75. Chytil). Coach: Trpišovský.

2023-08-17 20:03:14
#Slavia #seventh #row #cups #drew #Košice #play #European #League #Currently.cz

August 17, 2023 0 comments

Sport

Slavist Midfielder Jakub Hromada’s Emotional Return to Košice for Europa League Rematch

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com August 17, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

For Slavist midfielder Jakub Hromada, Thursday’s rematch of the 3rd preliminary round of the Europa League against Dnipro in his home asylum in Košice will be extraordinary.

For the first time, he is returning to his birthplace for football. The 27-year-old Slovak footballer has not yet played at the start of the season, but after serving his cup disciplinary punishment, he hopes to get at least a few minutes on the pitch. He said at the press conference that he was looking for over 40 tickets for his loved ones.

“It’s my hometown, all my friends live here, first of all my family. Not only mine, but also my wife’s. It’s the first time I’m coming back here for football. I’m very happy for it, I’ve been waiting for it for a very long time. Definitely here we plan to live in the future, it’s my heart. I’m happy that we’re playing in Košice, but it doesn’t change anything in the preparation for the match,” said Hromada.

“I don’t have a promise that I will start. I don’t think anyone ever gets a promise from the coach if he will play in the upcoming match. Coaches always make decisions before the match, often even at the last minute. But I would be very happy if I were here at home in Košice he got on the lawn,” added Hromada.

In the auditorium of the new stadium for almost six thousand spectators, he will have a number of loved ones for whom he managed to get tickets. “I solved it with the team leader Standa Vlček, in total there were about 40 tickets. Many acquaintances, friends and family will come to watch the match,” said Hromada.

Prague coach Jindřich Trpišovský will try to start Hromad for the first time in the season at least for a while. A 3-0 lead from the home match could also add to that. “I was wondering if Cuba paid for the tickets or not,” laughed the coach.

“Now I’m under pressure. Kuba was bothering me about it already at the training camp in Austria, he said that it would definitely happen, that we would go to Košice. Even when Dnipro was playing with Panathinaikos Athens (in the preliminary round of the Champions League), he was already reporting hotels to us and all kinds of things in Košice. He’s been living it all the time, it’s great for him. If it’s even a little bit possible, we’ll try to have him appear on the field,” said Trpišovský.

In the opening home match against Dnipro, Hromada was still serving the remainder of a three-match ban from UEFA for a red card in the play-off for the Europa League group the year before last against Legia Warsaw. “If I’m not mistaken, it will be almost two years since my last match in Europe. So I’m happy that I’ve finally cleared the ban and can be available not only for league but also European matches,” Hromada said.

In all four rounds of the league season so far, he only remained on the bench, so he has not played a single minute in the season.

“I wouldn’t say it’s a bad situation. During my time at Slavia, I found myself in it several times. Of course, the minutes are not what I would have imagined. There are a lot of us, we have all positions doubled, so you have to wait for a chance. I am convinced that the chance will come soon, I am doing everything for it in training,” said Hromada.

“I believe in myself and I firmly hope that I will come out of it again. I believe that, as I managed to do it last season, I will succeed now and I will fight my way into the lineup. In any case, the team and its successes come first, and only then my ambition. Everyone wants to play, but it’s a price for being part of a team like Slavia,” added Hromada.

He is excited that a new stadium has recently been built in Košice, where Dnipro has a home asylum due to the Russian military attack on Ukraine. “I am very happy that Košice has such a beautiful stadium. It will be even nicer when the stands behind the goal are completed. I am also very happy that Košice has been promoted back to the first league after many years. The club and the city deserve it,” he said .

“I personally have never played men’s football for Košice, I left for Michalovce when I was 15. I only played in Košice as a youth player, not for MFK, but for KAC Jednota Košice. At that time they had pupils in the first league,” added the former Pilsen player or Liberec.

2023-08-16 20:19:31
#Hromada #match #hometown #tickets #loved #Currently.cz

August 17, 2023 0 comments

Sport

Only hundredths decided. The Czech coefficient is back in the top 15, two clubs will play for the LM

by Chief editor of world-today-news.com February 24, 2023

written by Chief editor of world-today-news.com

Czech club football will have five representatives in the cups in the next 2024/25 season. After today’s victory of Lech Poznań 1:0 over Norway’s Bodö/Glimt in the rematch of the opening round of the elimination phase of the European Conference League, the domestic teams narrowly maintained 15th place in the ranking of national coefficients, which means the last five teams in UEFA competitions. The Czech Republic defended the top 15 by only 0.05 points.

Domestic football will have five representatives in the cups after a two-year hiatus. For the first time since 2014, the Czech Republic entered the current season with only four teams, and it will have the same number of teams in the upcoming year as well. Currently, there was talk of deployment until next season 2024/25.

The domestic clubs were eliminated in this year’s cups already in the fall, and all they had to do was wait for the hesitation of their competitors in the spring. The results of the Czech Republic’s closest opponents have been recorded. Ukraine narrowly got ahead of the domestic teams, which before today held the 14th place in the rankings, but another chaser from Norway failed.

The team from the city of Bodö lost in the rematch of the Conference League in Poznań with a goal in the 63rd minute 0:1 and after a goalless draw at home, they were eliminated as the last Norwegian representative in the cups. The northerners thus remained close behind the Czech Republic, and a draw would be enough for them to move into the elite fifteen.

The domestic clubs could still be threatened by the seventeenth-ranked Denmark, but its last representative, Midtjylland, was eliminated in the Europa League after a 0:4 home debacle by Sporting Lisbon. No other country in the ranking can realistically threaten the Czech Republic.

Five teams on the European stage means that three teams will go to two better cups. In addition to the champion, who will enter the game only in the final 4th preliminary round, the second team from the highest competition will also qualify for the Champions League. From the 2024/25 season, the cups will undergo a format change, instead of the traditional groups, there will be one table with all teams in the given competition.

Two points are awarded for a win in the main stage of the cups, one for a draw. The profit is divided by the number of participants of the given country, in the Czech case this season by four. Prague’s Slavia scored the most in the fall, gaining 10.5 points, Pilsen added nine and a half points.

February 24, 2023 0 comments

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