Pafos FC and Bodo/Glimt to Make Champions League Debuts
Pafos FC of Cyprus and Bodo/Glimt from Norway are set to make their Champions League debuts this season after successfully navigating the qualifying play-offs.
Founded just 11 years ago, Pafos secured a dramatic 1-1 draw against Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday, clinching a 3-2 aggregate victory.
Bodo/Glimt also advanced to the league phase, achieving a 6-2 aggregate win over Austrian club Sturm Graz, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat in the second leg.
These two teams will join Kairat Almaty of Kazakhstan, who stunned Celtic in a penalty shootout, and Belgian champions Union Saint-Gilloise in making their inaugural appearances in Europe's premier competition.
Pafos began their continental journey in the second qualifying round on July 22, defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv and Dynamo Kyiv on their way to the play-offs.
With a 2-1 lead from the first leg, Brazilian winger Jaja netted an equaliser in the 89th minute during the return match in Limassol, after Mirko Ivanic had given Red Star a 1-0 lead on the night.
The Cypriot champions, who recently signed 38-year-old former Chelsea and Arsenal defender David Luiz, will become only the third club from Cyprus to compete in the Champions League, following in the footsteps of Apoel and Anorthosis Famagusta.
Four-time Norwegian champions Bodo/Glimt are the first club from Norway to reach the competition's group stage since Rosenborg in the 2007–08 season.
Located 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, Bodo/Glimt plays at the 8,270-seat Aspmyra Stadion and made headlines last season by reaching the Europa League semi-finals, where they were eliminated by the eventual champions, Tottenham Hotspur.
Kairat, who edged past Scottish champions Celtic in a goalless draw followed by a shootout, are the second team from Kazakhstan to qualify for the Champions League, after Astana's appearance in the 2015–16 season.
The journey to Almaty in Central Asia could pose significant challenges for Kairat's European opponents, as Chelsea experienced last season while traveling 3,600 miles to face Astana during their UEFA Conference League campaign.
The draw for the league phase of the Champions League will take place on Thursday in Monaco, with the first matchday scheduled between September 16 and 18.
Watch highlights of every Champions League game from 22:00 on Wednesday on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app.
There will also be a Champions League Match of the Day on BBC One on Wednesday, from 22:40 to 00:00.