Possible Opponents for the Europa League Play-off Confirmed

For the sixth time in the past seven years, LASK is competing on the international stage this year. The Black and Whites have reached the group stage of the UEFA Europa League three times so far, and last season they also advanced from the play-offs by defeating Zrinjski Mostar from Bosnia and Herzegovina over two games.

As the draw on Monday in Nyon revealed, LASK will now face either Sparta Prague or FCSB. These two clubs from the Czech Republic and Romania are facing off in the third round of qualification for the UEFA Champions League, with the loser entering the Europa League play-off. Sparta won the Czech league title last season and recently defeated Shamrock Rovers with an aggregate score of 6-2. The Bucharest club, which Linz faced in the first round of the UEFA Cup in 1999/2000, was crowned champion in the Romanian league last year. In the Champions League qualification, FCSB defeated AC Virtus and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

This year, the European cup competitions are being conducted in a new format. The traditional group stage has been replaced by a league phase featuring 36 teams. In the Europa League, each team will play eight matches against eight different opponents. In the Conference League, there will be six matches. The top eight teams in the standings will advance directly to the round of 16, while the teams ranked ninth to 24th will compete in a play-off round for advancement.

Information on ticket presales for the home game at the Raiffeisen Arena, as well as details about an organized fan trip for the away game, will be announced in the coming days and communicated through LASK's channels.