Champions League: Brest, Bologna and Co. – newcomers and returnees

Five clubs are taking part in the Champions League for the first time this year, and for two of them the battle for the trophy is completely new territory.

The last time Bologna FC played for Europe’s most coveted trophy, the “Henkelpott”, today’s Champions League was still called the European Cup.

And the Italians certainly don’t have good memories of it. After a 0-1 defeat in the first leg and a 2-1 win in the second leg, a deciding match against RSC Anderlecht was needed in the preliminary round. As the match ended 0-0 after extra time, the teams were drawn by lot – and Bologna lost. Decisive match, drawing by lot? Well, that was a long time ago, in the 1964/65 season.

The joy was all the greater when the club qualified for the Champions League for the first time last season. Bologna relied on UEFA to expand the competition, critics say inflating it. 36 teams are taking part, four more than in previous years. Among other things, Serie A was given another starting place, meaning that Bologna is now also taking part as fifth in the table.

How the team will do there remains to be seen. Successful coach Thiago Motta is no longer with the club, and central defender Riccardo Calafiori and striker Joshua Zirkzee have also left the club.

In the group phase, they will play at home against Shakhtar Donetsk, AS Monaco, OSC Lille and Borussia Dortmund. Bologna will have to play away against Liverpool FC, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon as well as Aston Villa.

Aston Villa brings joy to Prince William

Speaking of Aston Villa, their first-ever qualification for the Champions League even caused excitement in the English royal family. “We are Champions League!”Prince William, who is a big fan of the club, wrote in a message to “X”: “A historic season and an incredible performance. I can’t wait for next season.”

The club from Birmingham has already achieved great success. In 1982, “The Villains” the European Cup in the final against Bayern Munich (1:0). A year later, the defending champions were eliminated in the quarter-finals and were never seen again – until now.

The star of the team is coach Unai Emery, who managed to maintain the dominance of the top team in the league thanks to his intensive game with high pressing. Premier League to break through.

Aston Villa will play at home against Bayern Munich, FC Bologna, Juventus Turin and Celtic Glasgow. Away they will play against Young Boys Bern, FC Bruges, RB Leipzig and AS Monaco.

Slovan Bratislava has already won the European Cup Winners’ Cup

Also not part of the big clubs for a long time: Slovan Bratislava. In the 1975/76 season, the club, then still champions of Czechoslovakia, was eliminated in the first round by Derby County. The Slovakians celebrated their greatest success in 1969, when they won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in the final against FC Barcelona (3:2).

Slovan is one of the big underdogs in the competition. The most famous players are Vladimir Weiss and Robert Mak – both of whom have been with the club for 30 years. In the group stage, the team will face Manchester City, Dinamo Zagreb, AC Milan and VfB Stuttgart at home. Away opponents will be Bayern Munich, Celtic Glasgow, Atlético Madrid and FC Girona.

FC Girona: The money comes from Abu Dhabi

Which brings us to Girona FC. For the Spaniards, the fight for the trophy is completely new territory. The club only appeared in Spain’s top league for the first time in 2017. In 2019, the club was relegated again, but managed to get promoted again in 2022.

The success is due, among other things, to the City Football Group (CFG)The largest shareholder is Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi and owner of Manchester City. In addition to Man City, CFG also owns New York City FC and Melbourne City FC. The group is known for moving players back and forth between these clubs. This is comparable to the Red Bull cosmos and its clubs FC Liefering, Salzburg and Leipzig.

In its debut season, Girona will face Feyenoord Rotterdam, Slovan Bratislava, Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC at home. Away, they will face Paris Saint-Germain, PSV Eindhoven, Sturm Graz and AC Milan.

City of Brest: The president is a greengrocer

Money rules in Girona, but not at Stade Brest. That is why the club from Brittany’s first qualification for the Champions League is a sensation. The former yo-yo team had the fourth smallest state in the French league with 48 million euros last season. League 1 and still came third. The club’s president is Denis Le Saint, a greengrocer. Stade Francis-Le Blé Only 15,220 fans can fit.

The close-knit Brest team shows great team spirit, coach Eric Roy plays very offensively and relies on aggressive pressing. We will see where that leads in the premier class. Brest plays at home against Sturm Graz, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV Eindhoven and Real Madrid. Away opponents are RB Salzburg, Sparta Prague, FC Barcelona and Shakhtar Donetsk.