Conference League Thread 2023/4

[tomav84]

56 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Lets get rapid vienna we need to beat them. And vienna is also a lovely place to visit

went to the 2nd game we played against them. really is a lovely city. think they've got a new ground now which is a shame as the old one had a bit of character to it whereas the new one is one of those standard bowls

[tomsky_11]

4 hours ago, Demitri_C said:

Lets get rapid vienna we need to beat them. And vienna is also a lovely place to visit

Highly likely to be pot 2 with us so won't get them in the group stage.

[VillaAlex]

17 minutes ago, tomsky_11 said:

Highly likely to be pot 2 with us so won't get them in the group stage.

Yep would take a lot of shock results, e .g us getting into pot 1 

[VillaAlex]

Current pots above

Potential group of death for us:-

Frankfurt

Besiktas

Nordjaelland

Although we'd probably also want to avoid Astana in pot 3 for the travelling. Going to Iceland or the Faroe Islands towards winter would be an experience too in pot 4.

 

[Demitri_C]

Please let us draw aris limassol

My local cypriot team

[Demitri_C]

I think pot 2 has some strong teams stronger than pot 1 so in a way good we in pot 2 at this stage

[bobzy]

1 hour ago, Demitri_C said:

I think pot 2 has some strong teams stronger than pot 1 so in a way good we in pot 2 at this stage

Some, but not many.

There are a fair few playoff ties between relatively strong teams at this stage - notably Fenerbache vs Twente, Dynamo Kiev vs Besiktas, Osasuna vs Club Brugge.

Also some interesting results in there:
Midtjylland drawing 3-3 at home with Legia Warsaw
AZ drawing 1-1 at home with Brann
Genk only managing a 2-1 win at home to Adana
Lille only managing a 2-1 win at home to Rijeka
and of course Rapid beating Fiorentina 1-0

[VILLAMARV]

Fiorentina have put Rapid Vienna out

[Zatman]

46 minutes ago, VILLAMARV said:

Fiorentina have put Rapid Vienna out

Our name is on the cup. They were our only kryptonite

[Ceemo]

Thursday 31 August 2023
UEFA Europa League – Play-off Round Aggregate Scores (Losers enter Conference League)
Slavia Prague (Cze) 3-2 Zorya Luhansk (Ukr)
Olympiacos (Gre) 6-1 Cukaricki (Srb)
Union Saint-Gilloise (Bel) 3-0 Lugano (Sui)
Ludogorets (Bul) 2-4 Ajax (Ned)
BK Hacken (Swe) 5-3 Aberdeen (Sco)
LASK (Aut) 3-2 Zrinjski (Bih)
KI (Fro) 2-3 Sheriff Tiraspol (Mda)
Olimpija (Svn) 1-3 Qarabag (Aze)
Slovan Bratislava (Svk) 4-7 Aris Limassol (Cyp)
Dinamo Zagreb (Cro) 4-5 Sparta Prague (Cze)
UEFA Europa Conference League - Champions Path – Play-off Round Aggregate Scores
Ballkani (Kos) 4-2 BATE Borisov (Bls)
Zalgiris (Ltu) 0-7 Ferencvaros (Hun)
Struga (Mkd) 0-2 Breidablik (Isl)
Farul Constanta (Rou) 2-3 HJK (Fin)
Astana (Kaz) 2-1 Partizani (Alb)
UEFA Europa Conference League - Main Path – Play-off Round Aggregate Scores
Levski Sofia (Bul) 1-3 Eintracht Frankfurt (Ger)
Gent (Bel) 4-1 APOEL (Cyp)
Sepsi (Rou) 4-5 Bodo/Glimt (Nor)
Tobol (Kaz) 1-5 Viktoria Plzen (Cze)
Midtjylland (Den) 4-4p Legia Warsaw (Pol) - Legia won 6-5 on penalties
Lille (Fra) 3-2 Rijeka (Cro)
Genk (Bel) p2-2 Adana Demirspor (Tur) - Genk won 5-4 on penalties
Fenerbahce (Tur) 6-1 Twente (Ned)
Dynamo Kyiv (Ukr) 2-4 Besiktas (Tur)
AZ (Ned) p4-4 Brann (Nor) - AZ won 6-5 on penalties
Rapid Vienna (Aut) 1-2 Fiorentina (Ita)
Hearts (Sco) 1-6 PAOK (Gre)
Nordsjaelland (Den) 6-0 Partizan (Srb)
Osasuna (Esp) 3-4 Club Brugge (Bel)
Maccabi Tel Aviv (Isr) 5-2 Celje (Svn)
Hibernian (Sco) 0-8 Aston Villa (Eng)
Spartak Trnava (Svk) 3-2 Dnipro-1 (Ukr)

So the 32 for the group stage is finally set. A few scares for the other bigger teams in the competition, but they all got through. Frankfurt left it late to eventually knock out Levski, while Lille had to go to extra time to get past Rijeka. Last year's semi-finalist, AZ Alkmaar went to penalties with Brann before advancing, while Fiorentina got a very debatable penalty to see off Rapid Vienna at the death. The big match between Osasuna and Club Brugge went one way and then the other before Club Brugge eventually sneaked into tomorrow's draw.
In the Europa League, Dinamo Zagreb were surprise losers against Sparta Prague and will now enter the Conference League with the highest coefficient after Eintracht Frankfurt.

[wishywashy]

Seems to be a worrying incident unfolding following the other Group E game, two Legia players have apparently been arrested and the President and a coach attacked by police. Polish consul reportedly trying to get involved. No idea what set it off but will presumably require some sort of action from authorities and UEFA.

 

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by wishywashy

[wishywashy]

From the perspective of a Legia news site (translated): https://legia.net/news/josue-i-pankov-zatrzymani-przez-policje-prezes-zwyzywany-i-popychany/91701

Quote

Amazing and unbelievable scenes took place after the match between AZ Alkmaar and Legia Warszawa. After the press conference with coach Kosta Runjaic and the hosts' coach Pascal Jansen, Legia players started to leave the stadium and went to the bus. When most of them were already on the bus, at some point someone decided to close the facility.

They couldn't leave the stadium, among others. Paweł Wszołek and Bartosz Slisz , but also the club authorities including the president and owner of Legia, Dariusz Mioduski . Translations did not help, but the security team, along with the police, became aggressive and rude. The officers cursed and pushed everyone one by one. The owner of the club was attacked by a policeman who had a masked face and was very aggressive. The stadium was closed because Legia fans were leaving the visitors' sector at that time - but nothing explains the aggressive behavior of the police. 

After a few minutes, everyone left the stadium, but they still couldn't get on the bus. There were fights. Dariusz Mioduski was insulted and at one point he received a punch in the face. Josue and Radovan Pankov defended their colleagues and the president and both were detained, with their hands behind their backs, in handcuffs, and were taken to the police station. The police gave an ultimatum - either Josue and Pankov leave voluntarily and take the bus, or they will storm the bus. Eventually, both of them came out and were arrested. The police wanted to also arrest the president of Legia, Dariusz Mioduski, but he eventually managed to get back to the bus. He was pushed along the way, as were people from the Polish media who tried to take photos.

Everything happened after midnight, and eventually the team without Josue and Pankov reached the hotel before one o'clock. The club is doing everything it can to help the detained players who were taken to the police station. Legia was initially informed that they were taken to the police station in Amsterdam, but after half an hour it turned out that they remained in Alkmaar. The consul is already awake and tries to help, but the locals do not want to talk to him. It is necessary to contact the Serbian and Portuguese consuls, but this is difficult because it is the middle of the night. There was also contact with the Polish embassy. For now, it is not known whether the detained will be able to return to Poland with the team. Coach Kosta Runjaić and team manager Konrad Paśniewski went after the detained players. 

 

[Demitri_C]

Always issues at AZ

When they play away at poland i can imagine the poles wont be very happy at this and could see some serious issues arising 

Our fans need to be careful in next group game and behave themselves

[Zatman]

11 minutes ago, Demitri_C said:

Always issues at AZ

When they play away at poland i can imagine the poles wont be very happy at this and could see some serious issues arising 

Our fans need to be careful in next group game and behave themselves

This was the police not the fans

[Demitri_C]

2 minutes ago, Zatman said:

This was the police not the fans

I know but you think this wont fiee the fans up as it will be all over the media there

[Demitri_C]

Also good to see my cypriot team limassol beat rangers yesterday

[tomav84]

a few surprises last night. besiktas losing at home to lugano. zagreb lost to some kosovo minnows. frankfurt lost to a last min winner. lille failed to win in the faroe islands.

be nice if a big side or 2 went out

[Zatman]

1 minute ago, tomav84 said:

a few surprises last night. besiktas losing at home to lugano. zagreb lost to some kosovo minnows. frankfurt lost to a last min winner. lille failed to win in the faroe islands.

be nice if a big side or 2 went out

I worry that big side will be us

[Mic09]

55 minutes ago, Zatman said:

This was the police not the fans

Doesn't matter. I already read some Legia comments for AZ not to come to Warsaw. 

[wishywashy]

The Polish prime minister has gotten involved. Seemingly becoming a diplomatic scandal.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67027229

Quote

Legia Warsaw: Poland PM wants 'urgent diplomatic action' after two players arrested following Conference League tie at AZ Alkmaar

Poland prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki has ordered "urgent diplomatic action" after two Legia Warsaw players were arrested following their Europa Conference League defeat away at AZ Alkmaar on Thursday.

Radovan Pankov and Josue Pesqueira were taken off the team bus by Dutch police after an altercation with security and remain in the Netherlands.

"I have instructed the Polish foreign ministry to take urgent diplomatic action to verify the events of the night," said Morawiecki. "Polish players and fans must be treated in accordance with the law. There is no consent to breaking it." Legia president Dariusz Mioduski says he was hit while trying to mediate, with police reportedly refusing to let the team bus leave the stadium until Portuguese midfielder Josue and Serbian defender Pankov had been detained. Dutch police have confirmed a 28-year-old man from Serbia and a 33-year-old from Portugal were arrested after the match on a charge of mishandling. The Polish side described the events after the game as "scandalous" and said Mioduski will hold a news conference at the club's stadium at 14:00 local time (13:00 BST) on Friday.

Earlier, riot police had been deployed before kick-off when a group of Legia fans stormed an entrance gate. "One riot police officer became unconscious during that action. After treatment, this colleague was unable to continue working," read a Dutch police statement. "Tear gas was used to protect their own safety and that of the stewards. Legia supporters also took away a number of batons and pepper spray from riot police. It meant that a number of away fans entered the visitors' section without a ticket or having their tickets checked."

During the day, police declared the area around Alkmaar station and the stadium a safety risk and carried out preventative searches of Legia fans following reports some were in possession of fireworks.

Reports in the Polish media about the incident have been routinely described as a "scandal" even by those outlets which don't support the government. For Poland's populist right-wing government, it's important to be seen to be reacting firmly to alleged injustice towards players from the 15-times Polish champions Legia Warsaw. That's because the government is seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term in office in elections in nine days' time and is afraid of losing votes to a small far-right challenger, Konfederacja. The government has long courted football supporters, unlike the main opposition grouping which clamped down on ultras when it was in office before Poland co-hosted Euro 2012 with Ukraine.

 

Edited October 6, 2023 by wishywashy