Viktoria Plzeň has qualified for the Europa League after seven years. After today´s draw in Monaco, they already know their opponents. The famous United are coming to Pilsen. They will also face both Basque rivals.
Pilsen will play four games at the Doosan Arena and the same number of away games. Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Ludogorets and Anderlecht will play in Štruncové Sady. On the other hand, they will play Eintracht, PAOK, Dynamo and Athletic away.
Manchester United
This famous club from England needs no introduction. Twenty times winner of the Premier League, thirteen times winner of the FA Cup, six times winner of the League Cup. His trophy collection also includes three Champions League wins and one Europa League victory. Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world and now it´s coming to Plzeň! The Red Devils have been writing their rich history for almost a hundred and fifty years.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Viktoria will play on German soil again after two years. This time against a team they have never met before. Eintracht is one of Germany´s traditional clubs. It plays its home games at Deutsche Bank Park, which has a capacity of fifty-eight thousand fans. "Die Adler", as the club is nicknamed, has two victories in this competition. The second one is quite recent, in 2022.
Real Sociedad
The club that received the nickname "Real", meaning royal, from the Spanish King Alfonso XIII. Real Sociedad was founded in the Basque city of San Sebastian. Its greatest achievements are two La Liga victories, three Copa del Rey victories, and one Supercopa de Espana victory. His biggest rival is Athletic Club, a club that Victoria will also face in the Europa League.
PAOK
Thessaloniki, one of the most important cities in Greece. A city that also has a connection with Czech history. From Thessaloniki in 863 came to Great Moravia Cyril and Methodius. Victoria will now travel to this historic city. They will face the local PAOK. The black and white are the current Greek champions. They have managed to dominate their league for the first time in five years. They play their home games in a stadium called Toumba Stadium, which has a capacity of over twenty-eight thousand.
Ludogorets
The Bulgarian champion will not be appearing in Plzeň for the first time. Viktoria will meet Ludogorets after seven years. That time it was in the Champions League play-offs and the club from Razgrad was happier in the end. They have won their home competition thirteen times in a row. The Eagles started their European journey this year in the Champions League qualifiers. First they knocked out Dinamo Batumi and Dinamo Minsk, then they fell short to Karabakh. They then moved on to the Europa League play-offs, where they took on Moldova´s Petrocub.
Dynamo Kiev
For the second time in this year´s cup season, Plzeň will face a Ukrainian team, with Dynamo from the capital waiting for them in the league stage. This is a 16-time Ukrainian champion and also has thirteen domestic cup wins and nine Super Cup victories in its portfolio. Twice Dynamo managed to win the Cup Winners´ Cup, in 1975 and 1986.
Anderlecht
One of the biggest clubs in the Kingdom of Belgium. Anderlecht was founded in 1908 in Brussels, the capital of this country. It is the most successful club in Belgium, having managed to dominate the top league competition thirty-four times. But it has been waiting seven years for its latest title. It has reached the main stage of the European Cups after a one-year break. In the 2022/2023 season, they reached the Conference League quarter-finals, where they were stopped by Dutch side AZ Alkmaar.
Athletic Club
Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque Country. That´s exactly where Victoria are going. With eight La Liga titles, it is the fourth most successful club in the whole of Spain. Athletic is known for its policy, which is called "cantera". This is that only players who are considered Basque can play for the club. It plays its home games at the Stadio San Mames, which is a stadium opened in 2013. It has a capacity of over fifty-three thousand fans.