Legia fight for place in Champions League group stage
PR dla Zagranicy
Peter Gentle
21.08.2013 09:12
After 17 years, a Polish team could return to the group stages of the Champions League as Legia Warszawa travel to Romania to take on Steaua Bucharest tonight in the play off qualification stage.
Legia's players warm-up during their training session at the National Arena in Bucharest, Romania, 20 August 2013. Legia is scheduled to play against Steaua Bucharest in their UEFA Champions League play-off, first leg, soccer match on August 21: photo - EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT
Only two Polish clubs have ever played in the group stages: Legia in 1995 – the first year that the European Cup was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League - and Widzew Lodz in 1996.
“We want to get a result in Bucharest to bring back home for the second leg: we know that we are facing the opportunity of a lifetime and we will do everything possible to achieve this,” said Legia coach Jan Urban on Tuesday.
The team from Warsaw arrived in Bucharest midday yesterday and in the evening held a training session at the National Stadium where tonight's match will take place.
In earlier qualifying rounds, Legia Warszawa – who won both the Ekstraklsa league championships and Polish Cup last season - beat New Saints FC from Wales (3:1, 1:0) and Norway's Molde FK (1:1, 0:0). (pg)
source: IAR