First away, then home
The Reds will start their UEFA Europa League campaign with an away game on Thursday, August 2^nd. The return leg in the 3^rd qualification round will be on August 9^th in the AWD Arena. The opposition is yet to be determined, as NK Široki Brijeg (Bosnia Herzegovina) and St. Patrick’s Athletic FC (Ireland) are yet to play their second leg, with the first leg having ended 1-1.

Reactions to the draw:
“I fully expect us to qualify for the Play-Off-Round. 96 and their fans had a fantastic Europa League season last year. That’s exactly why we want to qualify for the group stages again. We should be able to take the first step against either NK Široki Brijeg or St. Patrick’s Athletic,” explains Hannover’s president Martin Kind.

“It’s a bit difficult to judge the challenge that either of these teams would offer to us at the moment, but we will obviously have a detailed outline of whichever team we will be playing against. My assistant, Nestor El Maestro, will personally observe the return leg on Thursday and hopefully gather vital information for us. Athletic FC have already started their season, therefore I expect them to already have a good rhythm. Široki Brijeg start their season in two weeks. Our goal remains clear: qualify for the next round,“ said coach Mirko Slomka.