September 30 – Ferencvaros, one of great old names of European club football, have reached the group stage of UEFA’s top competition for the first time in 25 years.
The Hungarian champions achieved the feat after a 0-0 draw with Norway’s Molde in their Champions league playoff round return leg on Tuesday, sending them through on away goals.
Ferencvaros snatched a fortuitous high-scoring 3-3 draw in Norway and rode their luck again in Budapest as the visitors missed several chances to advance.
The so-called ‘Green Eagles’, who won the old Inter-Cities Fairs Cup back in 1965 and also reached the now-defunct European Cupwinners Cup 10 years later, last played in the group stage of Uefa’s elite competition in 1995.
Sergei Rebrov’s team will be the lowest-ranked side in Thursday’s draw in Geneva as well as being the first from Hungary in the 32-team group stage since Debrecen 11 years ago.
Rebrov’s former team, Dynamo Kiev, also advanced Tuesday by beating visiting Gent 3-0 to complete a 5-1 aggregate score. As did Olympiakos by drawing 0-0 in Cyprus against Omonia for a 2-0 aggregate win.
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