Historic night for Andorra as men's club competition play-offs conclude
Friday, August 28, 2026
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Inter Escaldes became the first team from Andorra to reach the league phase of a UEFA club competition as the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League play-off rounds came to a dramatic end.
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Andorra became the 53rd national association to be represented in the league or group stage of a major UEFA club competition as Inter Escaldes secured a place in the Conference League.
The achievement was one of several landmark results as the final league phase places in this season's men's club competitions were decided, with several clubs now looking forward to a first-ever European campaign or Champions League debut.
UEFA Champions League: Firsts and fightbacks
Azerbaijan's Sabah made history with a remarkable comeback against Israel's Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
Trailing 4-2 on aggregate with less than 20 minutes remaining, Sabah fought back to level the tie before striking in extra time to seal a 6-4 aggregate victory and a first-ever Champions League league phase appearance.
It completed a memorable qualifying campaign for Sabah, who entered in the first round and were unseeded in all four of their fixtures.
Austria's LASK and Norway's Viking will also compete in the league phase of the Champions League for the first time.
LASK produced a magnificent comeback of their own, overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit against 1967 European Cup winners Celtic with a 5-1 victory in extra time. Viking, meanwhile, who ended a 34-year domestic title drought last year, gave their fans more cause for celebration by beating Croatia's GNK Dinamo 3-1 to complete a 5-3 aggregate win.
Fenerbahçe, AEK Athens and Slovan Bratislava also booked their places in the league phase, joining last season's debutants Bodø/Glimt.
UEFA Europa League: Jagiellonia break new ground
Jagiellonia Białystok secured a spot in the league phase of the Europa League for the first time with an impressive 6-1 aggregate victory over Georgia's Iberia Tbilisi. The Polish club have now reached the league or group stage of a UEFA competition in three consecutive seasons, a first in their history.
Elsewhere, Czechia's Viktoria Plzeň produced a remarkable comeback against Crvena Zvezda, overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit against their Serbian opponents to win 5-4 on aggregate.
Greece's OFI Crete won 2-0 to secure an impressive 5-0 aggregate victory over Bulgaria's CSKA Sofia and book a first league phase or group stage place in more than 25 years.
UEFA Conference League: Landmark night for Andorra
There were celebrations in Andorra after Inter Escaldes made history by overcoming Kosovo's Drita on penalties, following a goalless second leg. The Andorran champions had lined up a shot at history after coming away from Kosovo with a 2-2 draw last week.
The result means that from this season a total of 53 of our 55 member associations will have been represented in the league or group stage of UEFA's men's club competitions, as we continue to provide fresh opportunities for clubs to compete against teams from across the continent.
Czech side Jablonec also prevailed in a penalty shoot-out, overcoming Scotland's Rangers to secure their place in the league phase. It is only the third time the club have reached the league or group stage of a UEFA club competition.