Champions League debut and David Luiz - the rise of Pafos | SkorBurada

Champions League debut and David Luiz - the rise of Pafos

KAYNAK: FOREIGN • World • BBC • HABER GİRİŞ: 17.09.2025 02:25
Champions League debut and David Luiz - the rise of Pafos
Özet
Champions League debut and David Luiz - the rise of Pafos
Haber

Cypriot side Pafos FC will make their Champions League debut on Wednesday - just 11 years after their formation.

The club have made waves in recent years, playing in Europe for the first time last season and reaching the Conference League last 16, as well as winning their first league title.

And this season they have reached another huge milestone in coming through three rounds of qualifying to reach the Champions League proper - one of only two teams, alongside Kazakh outfit Kairat Almaty, to feature for the first time.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Dynamo Kyiv and Red Star Belgrade were all dispatched by Pafos through qualifying.

Their reward is eight matches in the league phase, including a home game against Bayern Munich and trip to Chelsea, but they start with a trip to Greece to face Olympiakos on Wednesday.

"Everybody was in ecstasy," former Brazil and Chelsea defender David Luiz, who joined the club in August, told BBC Sport about the moment Pafos qualified.

"Everybody was totally happy because we did something amazing. Nobody expected us to be in the Champions League this season.

"I'm very happy to be here because I can see this feeling, with everybody's hunger, to do something great."

Orijinal: bbc.com