Sooo European Football again eh?

[Jute]

53 minutes ago, manc_don said:

Our first attempt at the stadium was a bit of a disaster. One wanted to leave within 15 mins, the other lasted a bit longer. But I had promised flags and there were no flags So will see if we can tempt them again! I'm sure the doughnuts will be sufficient blackmail  

Nothing wrong with that.  Just getting practice in for watching Dons.

[Panda]

3 hours ago, Goldie03 said:

I saw Scotland play Japan 4 years ago in Rennes 

I don't think England will win they have a few injuries to key players!

I was at Wembley when they won the Euros (supporting the Germans of course) so defo do not want them winning again 

I didn't actually mind England winning the women's Euros. It was fine - they seem a decent bunch and the media were pretty mild about it all.

The men winning is different. The media are intolerable, and imagine Jordan Pickford getting a knighthood for winning something.

[Goldie03]

7 hours ago, Panda said:

I didn't actually mind England winning the women's Euros. It was fine - they seem a decent bunch and the media were pretty mild about it all.

The men winning is different. The media are intolerable, and imagine Jordan Pickford getting a knighthood for winning something.

Tbf I did clap at the end and wait to see them get the trophy and they do come across well.

Don't even go there would be horrid!!

 

[tom_widdows]

So West Ham prove a diddy team can win a european trophy in these fucked up times.

Final for the Europa league is in Dublin
Conference league is still to be decided (for whatever reason)

 

[Jute]

42 minutes ago, tom_widdows said:

So West Ham prove a diddy team can win a european trophy in these fucked up times.

Final for the Europa league is in Dublin
Conference league is still to be decided (for whatever reason)

 

UEFA are looking at bigger venues for conference finals. Original plan was for these games to be played in small venues to spread finals around countries that could not host a champions league final but they have now decided to look at that due to demand for tickets for first two finals. 

[manc_don]

43 minutes ago, Jute said:

UEFA are looking at bigger venues for conference finals. Original plan was for these games to be played in small venues to spread finals around countries that could not host a champions league final but they have now decided to look at that due to demand for tickets for first two finals. 

Makes sense, guess it just depends on “small”. I’m pleased for west ham, should serve as an inspiration to other teams that the dream is still there. 

[Panda]

Yeh well done West Ham.

Just goes to show if you have a dream, work hard, play in the richest league in the world and spend £150m on transfers, you can do anything.

[wokinginashearerwonderland]

On 07/06/2023 at 10:29, Reekie_Red said:

You could always support USA who are probably more likely to win than England.

Are Wrexham legends entering a team after their 12-0 win against the US? 

[tom_widdows]

So for the optomists out there its either Dublin or Athens next may for the final

 

[Panda]

8 minutes ago, tom_widdows said:

So for the optomists out there its either Dublin or Athens next may for the final

 

Bit early to be getting carried away.

Need to win the semi-final first.

[OxfordDon]

1 hour ago, tom_widdows said:

So for the optomists out there its either Dublin or Athens next may for the final

 

I read that as optometrists, need to get my eyes checked

[SeeBass]

I think Patrik Myslovic has scored a last minute winner for MSK Zilina tonight.  You know what is happening guys.  We're getting them in Conference League Group Stage and he's coming back to haunt us at Pittodrie.  Don't say we didn't warn you.

[BigAl]

2 hours ago, SeeBass said:

I think Patrik Myslovic has scored a last minute winner for MSK Zilina tonight.  You know what is happening guys.  We're getting them in Conference League Group Stage and he's coming back to haunt us at Pittodrie.  Don't say we didn't warn you.

Not happening SeeBass

We'll be in the Europa League groups.

[Panda]

We've a 28.4% chance of making the Europa League group stages, apparently.

I didn't actually realise until now that every team we could face has a better coefficient than us - except Lugano, who we probably don't want to face anyway.

Olympiakos have a high coefficient, but got hammered by Maccabi Haifa (another possible opponent) in the Champions League qualifiers last year, scraped through against Slovan Bratislava and Apollon Limassol on penalties to make the Europa groups, then finished bottom of a group that involved Freiburg ,Qarabag and Nantes , which I suspect is why they're being written off.

Think I'd still prefer to get Flora Tallinn, who are currently 1-0 down to Rakòw Częstochowa after the first leg of their Champions League qualifier.

[SeeBass]

Am I right in saying we could get HJK Helsinki or Zalgiris Vilnius?  I'd quite fancy another trip to Finland but we need revenge for that horrendous loss at Pittodrie in 1996 to Lithuanian lot.  Remember listening to that match on the radio and being quite scared we'd blow a 4-1 away victory.

[tom_widdows]

Potential opponents list for Europa League Playoff starting to take shape

Lugano (Sui)
Olympiacos (Gre) or Genk (Bel)
Slavia Prague (Czh) or Dinipro-1 (Ukr)
Zalgris (Lit) or BK Hacken (Swe)
Qarabag (Azb) or HJK Helsinki (Fin)
Zrinjski Mostar (Bos) or Breioablick (Ice)
Sheriff Tiraspol (Mol)or Bate Borisov (Brs)
Astana (Kaz) or Ludogorets Razgrad (Bul)

[Panda]

2 hours ago, tom_widdows said:

Potential opponents list for Europa League Playoff starting to take shape

Lugano (Sui)
Olympiacos (Gre) or Genk (Bel)
Slavia Prague (Czh) or Dinipro-1 (Ukr)
Zalgris (Lit) or BK Hacken (Swe)
Qarabag (Azb) or HJK Helsinki (Fin)
Zrinjski Mostar (Bos) or Breioablick (Ice)
Sheriff Tiraspol (Mol)or Bate Borisov (Brs)
Astana (Kaz) or Ludogorets Razgrad (Bul)

Of that, Hacken (who looked handy despite the doing we gave them under Glass) have just been knocked out of the Champions League by a team from the Faroes, so they or Vilnius might be the best of that group. 

Zrinjski are Bosnian champions but again preferable to some of the others.

A team from Belarus is a bit dicey since they're big pals with Russia. We may wish to bring our own water and food to that one.

[Jute]

Draw is 12pm today. 
 

https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/draws/

 

[SeeBass]

I personally don't want BK Hacken, Breidablik or Qarabag as we've played all them fairly recently.  Nor Dnipro despite them being under a new guise.  I'm one for variety is the spice of life.  I'd take the winner of Sheriff Tiraspol or BATE Borisov.  

[tom_widdows]

Do wonder which 'genius' came up with the draw proceedure. 

Dons vs Zalgris (Lit) or BK Hacken (Swe)

First leg away

Id say that is a decent draw especially with the 2nd leg at Pittodrie

Edited August 7, 2023 by tom_widdows

[tom_widdows]

Slavia Prague/ Dinipro-1 vs FC Zorya Luhansk
Olympiacos/ Genk vs FC Cukaricki
Union Saint-Gilloise vs Lugano
Astana/ Ludogorets vs Ajax
Zalgiris Vilnious/ BK Hacken vs Aberdeen
LASK vs KSK Zrinjski/ Breidablik
KI Klaksvik/ Molde vs Sheriff Tiraspol/ Bate Borisov
Olympija Jubljana/ Galatasary vs Qarabag/ HJK Helsinki
Slovan Bratislava/ Maccabia Haifa vs Rakow Czestochowa/ Aris Limassol
AEK Athens/ GNk Diamo vs FC Copenhagen/ Sparta Prague
 

[Slim]

Could have been worse but Vilnius have a decent recent record in Europe and Hacken are the current Swedish champions and presumably stronger since we played them so neither will be particularly easy. 

[DantheDon]

I think this is an excellent draw. It's not going to be easy but it's winnable. The best draw would have been KSK Zrinjski/ Breidablik probably but looking at the teams we could have drawn this must be the second best outcome? 

[BigAl]

Thinking that this is pretty much as good as it could have been.

I'm going to be in Greece for both legs of this unfortunately, so I'll just have to wait for the actual league section ties to see us.

Didn't really foresee this as an issue when I booked as it was January and we all know what Goodwin was doing at that point 

Laughing at the reaction of some Hearts supporters suggesting we always get the easy draws 

[Panda]

On 03/08/2023 at 01:03, Panda said:

Of that, Hacken (who looked handy despite the doing we gave them under Glass) have just been knocked out of the Champions League by a team from the Faroes, so they or Vilnius might be the best of that group. 

Like I said a few days ago, best draw we could have got, but by no means the stick on to win many think it is.

Even Vilnius, was it not last season they beat Malmo to make the group stages?

22 minutes ago, BigAl said:

 

I'm going to be in Greece for both legs of this unfortunately,

Hearts could be in Greece to face PAOK while you're there..