Osasuna, having been granted permission to play in the Europa Conference League, now know that their first opponents will be one of two sides.
Los Rojillo were eventually granted permission to play in the competition after their corruption case from a decade ago was resolved, with the club accepting a €100k fine and giving up 5% of their competition earnings should they make it past the group stage.
In order to get there, they will have to make it past one of Club Brugge or Islandic side Akureyri. The latter are on an historic run, having beaten Connah’s Quay and Dundalk to make it to the third round. They face a Brugge side that struggled domestically last season, but showed their pedigree in knocking Atletico Madrid out of the Champions League group stage last season.
🏆 #Osasuna will face the winner of the @ClubBrugge vs. @KAakureyri matchup in the @europacnfleague playoff.
Los rojillos will play the first leg at El Sadar on August 24 and the second on the road on August 31. #LetsGoRojillos | #WeAreConference pic.twitter.com/JG7GZ360yY
— C. A. OSASUNA (@osasuna_en) August 7, 2023
That tie will be resolved on the 17th of August, with the first leg for Osasuna taking place on the 24th at El Sadar. The return leg will be played on the 31st, and the draw for the group stage, should Osasuna make it through, will be on the first of September.
It will be an excellent occasion regardless of whom the play although no doubt they might fancy their chances much more against Akureyri. It is Osasuna’s first return to Europe since 2012-13.
