ARTICLE: Two part draw for next round of Europa League

CS24 · Post by **CS24** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:31 am

claretburns wrote:Hi CS24, don't mean to hijack the thread but I travel to Bucharest a few times a year with work, whereabouts in Romania do you live?

I'm from Ploiesti (35 miles north from Bucharest), but I only live here during my uni holidays. For the rest of the year, I live in Manchester. I hope we'll get FCSB/Craiova/Viitorul Constanta in the playoffs. FCSB would be great as I hate them almost as much as the bastards

Spijed · Post by **Spijed** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:34 am

cricketfieldclarets wrote:This looks the best of the stadiums we could visit. Looks like we could easily find it after 8 pints of Armenian Cognac too!

Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium (Armenian: Վազգեն Սարգսյանի անվան Հանրապետական մարզադաշտ) also known as the Republican Stadium (Armenian: Հանրապետական մարզադաշտ. Hanrapetakan Stadium)

Makes West Ham's ground look quite compact!

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:38 am

[quote="CarlesTheClaretPuyol"]Given my morning has been dedicated to this, I thought I'd share the capacities, according to Wikipedia....., and therefore quantities and likelihood of tickets being secured -

6 Tobol Kostanay (KAZ) 8,323 v Pyunik (ARM) 14,403
7 Dunajská Streda 9,901 (under renovation) (SVK) v Dinamo Minsk (BLR)17,600
8 St. Gallen (SUI) 17,317 v Sarpsborg (NOR) 4,700
9 Dundalk (IRL) 4,500 (3,000 seated) v AEK Larnaca(CYP) 7,400
10 İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR) 17,319

I don't think there'll be the demand for some of these places compared with Aberdeen, barring Dundalk.
It is gonna be an expensive trip wherever we go with such a short time to organise.
I'm hoping for Istanbul then at least we know where could be going and be able to book with a decent cancellation policy.
The others would be more difficult. Wouldn't mind Switzerland, at least it's drivable!!

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:48 am

diamondpocket wrote:

While Istanbul would be nice, theyre by far the toughest team in this round.

They have a good coach and a pretty good side.

Volkan Babacan is a good keeper.

Then they have some well known names (all not what they were but still a good side! including Gael Clichy, Ejero Elia, Arda Turan, Gokhan Inler, Emre and... Emmanuel Adebayor who has bagged for fun for them!

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:49 am

I've had a look at flights into Istanbul and it's looking expensive, even with stops.

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:50 am

Larnaca is the one to get. 36 degrees at the moment.

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:53 am

I didnt even know there were other top flight teams in Istanbul, thought there were only Galatas and Besiktas.

How about cities nearby and then getting a train? Sofia or Plovdiv in Bulgaria or Ankara?

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:55 am

diamondpocket wrote:I didnt even know there were other top flight teams in Istanbul, thought there were only Galatas and Besiktas.

How about cities nearby and then getting a train? Sofia or Plovdiv in Bulgaria or Ankara?

Istanbul is easy to get to from neighbouring countries. Failing that a week in bodrum it is!

Top Don · Post by **Top Don** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:55 am

We've been to Kazakhstan previously.
Can pretty much guarantee if thats the team that comes out of the hat, neither of us would take a big away support.
It really is the arse end of nowhere to get to.

diamondpocket · Post by **diamondpocket** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 11:58 am

How much did it cost Top Don?

claretburns · Post by **claretburns** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:00 pm

CS24 wrote:I'm from Ploiesti (35 miles north from Bucharest), but I only live here during my uni holidays. For the rest of the year, I live in Manchester. I hope we'll get FCSB/Craiova/Viitorul Constanta in the playoffs. FCSB would be great as I hate them almost as much as the bastards

I have a friend in Bucharest from Ploiesti and she keeps saying I need to visit there, definitely on the list. I have the vibe from our Romanian work team that FCSB are very disliked, I am trying my best to convert them to Clarets but they're not even football fans in general so proving a difficult task.

Top Don · Post by **Top Don** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:04 pm

diamondpocket wrote:How much did it cost Top Don?

Didn't go mate on account of the cost.
We were looking at flights from Glasgow via Heathrow to Astana and then internal to Almaty with a total time of circa 15 hours travelling and prices were starting at over £700. Some of our guys did go however and the numbers were swelled by Aberdonians working out there in the oil industry.

thatdberight · Post by **thatdberight** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:25 pm

The groups are out. The options just narrowed...

Tobol Kostanay (KAZ)
Pyunik (ARM)
Dunajská Streda SVK
Dinamo Minsk BLR
St. Gallen SUI
Sarpsborg NOR
Dundalk IRL
AEK Larnaca CYP
İstanbul Başakşehir TUR

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:33 pm

Some potential shockers in there. Kazakhstan and Armenia the places to avoid for me, purely down to the difficulty for us fans in getting there.

KRBFC · Post by **KRBFC** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:41 pm

jrgbfc wrote:Some potential shockers in there. Kazakhstan and Armenia the places to avoid for me, purely down to the difficulty for us fans in getting there.

Opposite for me, I'd rather avoid the best two sides St Gallen and Istanbul Basaksehir

KRBFC · Post by **KRBFC** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:41 pm

Is this being streamed anywhere?

claret54 · Post by **claret54** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:51 pm

Yes Its streamed on UEFA website

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:58 pm

https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/s ... d=2000988/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

thatdberight · Post by **thatdberight** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:01 pm

Here we go.............

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:01 pm

Hoping for Minsk

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:03 pm

cricketfieldclarets wrote:Hoping for Minsk

Do you still need a Visa for Belarus or has it been relaxed a bit?

thatdberight · Post by **thatdberight** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:04 pm

cricketfieldclarets wrote:Hoping for Minsk

I'm staying for a few days if it's Minsk - lovely city.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:04 pm

jrgbfc wrote:Do you still need a Visa for Belarus or has it been relaxed a bit?

Yes. Its easy enough though.

thatdberight · Post by **thatdberight** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:04 pm

jrgbfc wrote:Do you still need a Visa for Belarus or has it been relaxed a bit?

Yes you do - unless you arrive at Minsk International in which case you can get a 5-day stay visa-free.

thatdberight · Post by **thatdberight** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:05 pm

cricketfieldclarets wrote:Yes. Its easy enough though.

Not if you fly in to Minsk.

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:08 pm

Well minsk get zenit

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:09 pm

Dundalk ajax

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:09 pm

Kazakhstans still on i think

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:10 pm

istanbul gone

thatdberight · Post by **thatdberight** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:10 pm

We're off to Turkey!!

cricketfieldclarets · Post by **cricketfieldclarets** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:13 pm

Get in. Happy with that!

Quickenthetempo · Post by **Quickenthetempo** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:15 pm

What date the away leg?

ClaretTony · Post by **ClaretTony** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:16 pm

Quickenthetempo wrote:What date the away leg?

9th August with home leg on 16th August

chekhov · Post by **chekhov** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:16 pm

With the proviso we have to beat Aberdeen of course. Don't book your flights just yet!

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:18 pm

Not what I was hoping for. Will be a tough game and needed us to be playing the first leg at home really. Don't think I'll be able to get time off work the week of the 9th.

NRC · Post by **NRC** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:25 pm

love Istanbul. Been several times for work in my day........ won't be going though. But IF we beat Aberdeen I wish all travelling clarets oodles of fun

box_of_frogs · Post by **box_of_frogs** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:32 pm

Tough draw for whoever goes through.

claret wizard · Post by **claret wizard** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:40 pm

If we win I'll be going. Love Istanbul, done a Fenerbahce game before.

Claret&Green · Post by **Claret&Green** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 1:58 pm

Fixed.... they are trying to make this as difficult as possible. Weren't we supposed to be seeded, so why have we got such a strong team to play, these are the Chelski of Turkey with mega bucks backing and a fairly high ranking we're going out b4 groups,

Claretmatt4 · Post by **Claretmatt4** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 2:10 pm

Claret&Green wrote:Fixed.... they are trying to make this as difficult as possible. Weren't we supposed to be seeded, so why have we got such a strong team to play, these are the Chelski of Turkey with mega bucks backing and a fairly high ranking we're going out b4 groups,

shut up you tart

jedi_master · Post by **jedi_master** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 2:25 pm

Their squad worries me:

Gael Clichy
Emmanuel Adebayor
Arda Turan
Eljero Elia
Gokhan Inler
Emre Belozoglu

A lot of European experience in that side, this will be a proper test over two legs if we can get past Aberdeen.

LoveCurryPies · Post by **LoveCurryPies** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 2:29 pm

You need to watch Midnight Express.

jrgbfc · Post by **jrgbfc** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 2:32 pm

So basically being seeded has ensured we've potentially got a harder game than a lot of the unseeded teams!

Claret&Green · Post by **Claret&Green** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 3:50 pm

jrgbfc wrote:So basically being seeded has ensured we've potentially got a harder game than a lot of the unseeded teams!

As I said it's been fixed

Guich · Post by **Guich** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 3:54 pm

jedi_master wrote:Their squad worries me:

Gael Clichy
Emmanuel Adebayor
Arda Turan
Eljero Elia
Gokhan Inler
Emre Belozoglu

A lot of European experience in that side, this will be a proper test over two legs if we can get past Aberdeen.

Imagine the meltdown if we signed any of those.

I mean now and not five years ago of course

Spijed · Post by **Spijed** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 4:03 pm

Claret&Green wrote:As I said it's been fixed

Why would they be bothered about whether we progress or not?

IanMcL · Post by **IanMcL** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 6:09 pm

What's the fan survival rate at that ground? That's the worrying element. A wee bit partisan, ate the Turks of Istanbul!

Claret&Green · Post by **Claret&Green** » Mon Jul 23, 2018 10:56 pm

Spijed wrote:Why would they be bothered about whether we progress or not?

Coz UK in general and England in particular is despised by the rest of Europe. You watch every English club in all competitions will be drawn with the toughest possible games

CS24 · Post by **CS24** » Tue Jul 24, 2018 8:33 pm

claretburns wrote:I have a friend in Bucharest from Ploiesti and she keeps saying I need to visit there, definitely on the list. I have the vibe from our Romanian work team that FCSB are very disliked, I am trying my best to convert them to Clarets but they're not even football fans in general so proving a difficult task.

Sorry again for the offtopic.
The city itself is not really worth visiting, apart from the local football team (Petrolul Ploiesti - Oil Ploiesti - which I support). The team is now in a revival stage, similar to what happened to Rangers. We've even played Swansea in Europa League in 2013, but got beaten quite badly...

I managed to convert one of my Romanian mates to Claret, but yeah, it's a really hard task as most people outside England tend to support one of the big 6.

CrosspoolClarets · Post by **CrosspoolClarets** » Tue Jul 24, 2018 10:27 pm

jrgbfc wrote:So basically being seeded has ensured we've potentially got a harder game than a lot of the unseeded teams!

Just looked and they are 22nd favourites to win the whole thing (despite being unseeded in the third qualifying round, when there are well over 100 teams left in the competition).

We are 23rd favourites implying nip and tuck (if we get last Aberdeen). Looking at their players though, and being in Europe every year, I see them as being strong favourites to beat us. That Bosnian winger makes Lennon look slow

. Turan is one of Barca’s best players, he’s only been shipped out because he is a nutter. Adebayor has been on fire. The keeper is good too.

In fairness though, OK we are unlucky (but lucky to have a cracker of a tie at the Turf before we bow out, which we will at some point). Basaksehir though are more unlucky - they get a seeded side at each stage, and last year in the CL they got Sevilla in the qualifiers and bowed out (despite hitting the post in the last minute that would have seen them through).