“A childhood dream for players and trainers to play against FC Barcelona,” says Sander van Dijk. The Hovocubo trainer is still enjoying his holiday, but is looking forward to the Champions League and the new season with great anticipation.
“These are beautiful posters again this season,” continues Van Dijk. “Last year we already played against Sporting Portugal and now against Barcelona, among others. On the one hand that is very nice, but now we have a defending champion again. The groups are a lot heavier, because we are in path A.”
In contrast to last year (path B), the football players from Zwaag are in path A. This is partly due to the good performance of last season. For the first time, the elite round reaches. “So now three of the four teams go through instead of the group winner, like last year against Mostar“explains Van Dijk. “We probably have no chance against Barcelona, so we have to get the result against the other two in the group.”
Text continues below the Instagram photo.
Experienced clubs
That seems easier said than done, as FK Dobovec (Slovenia) and Luxol St. Andrews (Malta) are no strangers to the Champions League. For example, in recent years Dobovec was standard in the last sixteen (elite round† “The Maltese are a bit lord and master of their own country and have six Brazilians at their disposal. It’s a bit silly, but we have to knock one of them out. That is the fate of path A: more teams go through, but the opponents of the elite round you can already find them. The posters are a lot nicer.”
All matches in the group will be played between October 25 and 30 in Malta. A good decision, according to Van Dijk. “Clubs could indicate before the draw to hold the matches. That’s why Romania could also have, for example. I’m glad we’re traveling to Malta, because we’ve been to Belarus or Lithuania. Things are a bit different there less in terms of ambiance, the food and the atmosphere that hangs there. In Malta it is all a lot better organized.”
From 1 August, the preparation of Hovocubo will begin, in which, among others, against Sporting Paris and Mouvaux Lille (the new club of Charraoui) is practiced.