Victorians, it´s here, the battle for the Europa League is on! In the third preliminary round we will play a double match with Ukrainian FK Kryvbas. We start away, the return leg at the DOOSAN Arena is scheduled for Thursday 15th August.
Viktoria´s first cup opponent in the new season will be Kryvbas. This was decided by today´s draw in Nyon, Switzerland. The first match will be played on the opponent´s field, and the rematch will be played at home in DOOSAN Arena on Thursday, August 15.
The Victorians have already faced the Ukrainian opponent in January at the training camp in Benidorm, Spain. Viktoria won 3:0 in this preparatory match. But let´s take a closer look at the opponents for the 3rd preliminary round of the Europa League.
FK Kryvbas is a club from the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih. It was founded four years ago. But its history goes back to the 1950s. The original club was founded in 1959. Over time, it became four times the winner of the highest competition in the Ukrainian SSR. After the establishment of independent Ukrainian competitions, it won the second highest league in 1992. From then until 2013, it operated in the top competition, where it finished third twice.
It was 2013 that proved to be fatal for the original club, which went bankrupt due to financial problems. FK Kryvbas returned to the football world map seven years later. The club FK Hirnyk from the same city was restructured into FK Kryvbas.
In its first season in the Ukrainian Premier League, the club finished seventh, four points clear of fifth place, which secured qualification for the Europa League.
In the last league season, Krivbas finished third and secured their first participation in the European Cups.
Ticket information and further details are forthcoming.