With only a matter of days to go before the draw for the league stage of the Europa League takes place, it still hasn’t sunk in that Sunderland will be competing across the continent against some of Europe’s biggest clubs this season.
Like us all, I have had the date of the draw in my diary ever since we secured our place in the competition in May and have been eagerly counting down the days. The start of the Premier League season, the transfer window and so on might have distracted us from the surreal
reality of the journey that Sunderland are going to embark on this season, and it officially starts on Friday when we find out who we will be playing and which foreign cities and towns we will be visiting to watch the lads.
The progress the club has made on the pitch over the last few years has been nothing short of remarkable. It was only two years ago, in 2024, that Michael Beale was our manager in a season in which we finished sixteenth in the Championship. It was only four years ago, in 2022, that we were promoted from League One under Alex Neil. Imagine telling yourself back then how far we’d come in such a short space of time, and that we could be visiting Milan and Leverkusen instead of Burton and Cheltenham (no offence).
Who Could Sunderland Face in the Europa League?
The qualifying matches that decide who else will participate in the Europa League conclude on Thursday night before the draw the following day, and I’ve been keeping a keen eye on who we might face.
The draw is made up of four pots, and Sunderland will face two teams from each pot: one at home and one away.
Pot One is made up of the usual European powerhouses that will be in the Europa League. This includes AC Milan and Juventus, and it goes without saying how good a trip to one of these iconic clubs would be.
In UEFA competitions, a minimum of 5% of the ground’s capacity must be given to the away fans. We could receive a big allocation of around 4,000 tickets at the San Siro, and I’m sure many would travel without a ticket to soak up the atmosphere.
Marseille have also qualified, and I think welcoming them to the Stadium of Light would be a great occasion for Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, given that his mother and late father were majority stakeholders from 1996 until 2016.
Benfica are also likely to qualify, and an away trip to the other Stadium of Light would also promise a big away allocation at another historic club.
San Sebastián, home of Real Sociedad, is commonly considered to be the food capital of Europe, so a trip there would be great for the food lovers among us.
Pot Two could see us visit one of a number of European capitals, including Prague and Budapest – either of which would be ideal when it comes to regular flights from the UK and cheap beer. Think a Trafalgar Square takeover but on a continental scale!
A trip to less typically touristy capitals such as Belgrade, Zagreb, Bratislava and Brussels could also be on the cards. Eliezier Mayenda’s Stade Rennais are also in this pot, making another reunion a possibility.
Sunderland and our fellow English teams competing in the Europa League will likely be in Pot Three; however, we cannot face them in the league stage. Subject to qualification, potential away days include Vigo, Hoffenheim and Poznan, and I love the idea of thousands of Sunderland fans being able to properly take over a city abroad.
Two potential away trips jump out to me in Pot Four. Firstly, Portuguese second division team Torreense qualified after winning the Portuguese Cup. However, their stadium is too small to meet UEFA regulations, so they are playing their European matches 190 miles away at the Estádio Algarve. This stadium is a mere fifteen-minute drive from Faro Airport, to which there are regular flights from Ponteland Airport when the matches could be.
Greek side OFI Crete also look likely to qualify, and this would be a perfect fixture for those wanting some winter sun, with temperatures reaching highs of nearly 20 degrees even in December.
A Season to Savour
Since its formation nearly a century and a half ago, qualifying for a European competition through our league position is something Sunderland AFC had never achieved until this year. As such, no matter what happens, this season will be one to remember.
As fans, we will embrace and enjoy the European adventure ahead and make our city and team proud!
