Slavia Draws Barcelona, Inter or Pafos in the UCL
It marks only Slavia’s third appearance in Europe’s premier competition – after 2007/08 and 2019/20 – but the first time they have qualified directly as Czech champions.
Home fans in Eden Arena can look forward to glamour nights against Barcelona, Arsenal, Bodø/Glimt and Athletic Bilbao, while Jindřich Trpišovský’s side will also travel to Italy twice, face Tottenham in London and make the trip to Cyprus to take on Pafos.
Old Foes and Familiar Names
Barcelona are no strangers to Slavia supporters, having met six years ago in the group stage. A memorable goalless draw at Camp Nou was followed by a narrow 2–1 defeat in Prague, where Jan Bořil found the net for the hosts.
Arsenal also feature in Slavia’s European history. The two clubs first clashed in Slavia’s maiden Champions League campaign, and most recently in 2021 when the Gunners ended the Czech side’s Europa League run in the quarter-finals.
Another North London challenge awaits in the form of Tottenham, now home to former Slavia goalkeeper Antonín Kinský, who made the switch to the Premier League in January.
Athletic Bilbao will also feel familiar. The sides faced off in last season’s Europa League league phase, with the Basques edging a tight contest 1–0 at San Mamés.
Newcomers from Norway and Cyprus
Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt continue their rise in European football. They booked their place in the league phase by knocking out Austria’s Sturm Graz, and last season reached the Europa League semi-finals before falling to Spurs.
Pafos FC, meanwhile, are making history. Founded only eleven years ago, the Cypriot club are debuting in the Champions League after a remarkable qualifying campaign that saw them eliminate Maccabi Tel Aviv, Dynamo Kyiv and Red Star Belgrade.
Ticket package details for season-ticket holders, as well as individual match sales and pricing, will be announced on Slavia’s official website next week.
The league phase runs from September to January. The top eight teams from the 36-club field will qualify automatically for the round of 16, those placed 9th–24th will enter a two-legged play-off for the remaining spots, and the bottom twelve will exit the competition.
Schedule
1. round – 17. 9. 18:45 Bodo/Glimt (H)
2. round – 30. 9. 21:00 Inter Milan (A)
3. round – 22. 10. 21:00 Atalanta BC (A)
4. round – 4. 11. 18:45 Arsenal (H)
5. round – 25. 11. 21:00 Athletic Club (H)
6. round – 9. 12. 21:00 Tottenham Hotspur (A)
7. round – 21. 1. 21:00 Barcelona (H)
8. round – 28. 1. 21:00 Pafos (A)
Tickets
Information about tickets for home games will be provided during the course of this week.
