Slavia learns its Champions League rivals: trip to Baku surprises even the players

Prague's Slavia now knows its opponents in the league phase of the 2025/2026 Champions League. The group stage kicks off on Tuesday, September 8, and wraps up with matchday eight on January 27 next year — UEFA will announce the exact fixture schedule later.

At home, the Prague side will once again host Arsenal, along with England's Aston Villa, Spain's Villarreal and France's Lens. Away from home, Slavia will face Bayern, Porto, Turkey's Fenerbahçe and the tournament newcomer from Azerbaijan, Sabah of Baku.

The club's longest away trip in history

It was the draw against Baku that sparked the biggest reaction among players and fans alike — the straight-line distance from Prague to the Azerbaijani capital is roughly 3,000 kilometers, making it the longest away trip in the club's history.

"Honestly, I had other favorites in mind. But personally, what excites me most is Villarreal at home and Porto away," admitted Czech national team midfielder Michal Sadílek in an interview with Nova Sport. He said the opponents he'd hoped to draw didn't end up in the group, but all the teams involved are of a high caliber.

He sighed when discussing the trip to Baku: "Everyone kept saying we'd definitely get that opponent — and sure enough, we did. We're in for a long flight, so we'll need to prepare properly and bring three points back home."

Coach laments missing out on Liverpool

Head coach Jindřich Trpišovský noted that defender David Zima had predicted the draw's outcome even before it was announced, correctly guessing virtually all of the team's opponents — including the final draw against Sabah. "We were begging him to keep quiet before the last opponent was revealed — and he got it right again," the coach said with a smile.

Trpišovský acknowledged the strength of the upcoming opposition: "We've got a really interesting set of teams — possibly one of the toughest groups overall, if you look at it as a whole. From an entertainment standpoint, these are excellent opponents." He also expressed regret that the club didn't draw Liverpool — a clash with the English giants had been his dream — but added that matches against Lens, Bayern and Arsenal would more than make up for it.

On social media, fans are most looking forward to the away trip to Munich to face Bayern, while the journey to Baku and the match against Fenerbahçe are being called the least appealing fixtures on the calendar — though some supporters admitted they're actually excited about the exotic trip to Azerbaijan.

Source: prazsky.denik.cz