Pafos and Bodo/Glimt secure historic Champions League debuts

Cyprus’ Pafos FC and Norway’s Bodo/Glimt will compete in the Champions League for the very first time this season after both clubs successfully navigated the play-off round, Sport360NG reports.

Pafos, founded just 11 years ago, sealed their place with a dramatic late equaliser against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday, earning a 1-1 draw on the night and progressing 3-2 on aggregate. Brazilian winger Jaja struck in the 89th minute to cancel out Mirko Ivanic’s opener and complete a remarkable campaign that began in July’s second qualifying round with wins over Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dynamo Kyiv.

The Cypriot champions, who recently added veteran Brazilian defender David Luiz to their squad, become only the third side from the island to reach the group stage of Europe’s elite competition, following in the footsteps of Apoel and Anorthosis Famagusta.

Bodo/Glimt also made history, overcoming Sturm Graz 6-2 on aggregate despite losing 2-1 in the return leg in Austria. The four-time Norwegian champions are the first club from the country to reach the tournament proper since Rosenborg in 2007–08. Based in Bodø, some 200km north of the Arctic Circle, the club have continued their rise after last season’s Europa League semi-final appearance, where they were eventually eliminated by Tottenham.

They will be joined in the league phase by Kazakhstan’s Kairat Almaty, who shocked Celtic by prevailing on penalties after two goalless legs, and Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise, both of whom are also making their competition debuts. Kairat are just the second Kazakh team to qualify for the Champions League, following Astana’s breakthrough in 2015–16.

The league phase draw will be held in Monaco on Thursday, with fixtures set to begin between 16 and 18 September.