Getting to know our Europa League group stage opponents

As we prepare to kick-off our Europa League group stage campaign on Thursday night against LASK at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (8pm UK), we take a look at the key facts, information and connections between us and our Group J opponents.

Placed into the group as top seeds, we were joined by PFC Ludogorets Razgrad of Bulgaria, LASK of Austria and Royal Antwerp of Belgium following the draw at UEFA’s House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland earlier this month.

We have never played any of our upcoming European opposition previously in competitive action.

PFC Ludogorets Razgrad

We face a trip back to Bulgaria this season – having already visited the Balkan nation when we faced Lokomotiv Plovdiv in September's second qualifying round – as Ludogorets were drawn from pot two.

Champions of the Bulgarian First League in 2019/20 – their ninth consecutive league title – Ludogorets started their 2020/21 campaign fighting for UEFA Champions League qualification but after defeat to Danish outfit Midtjylland, they moved into the Europa League qualifying rounds. They then sealed their place in the competition's group stages with a 2-0 play-off victory over Dynamo Brest of Belarus.

Having previously featured in the Champions League group stages in both 2014/15 and 2016/17, this will be the Bulgarian side’s fifth season in the Europa League group stages – they have progressed to the knockout stages of the competition on three of their four previous campaigns. The furthest they have progressed in the tournament was to the round of 16 back in 2013/14 – they lost out 4-0 to Valencia on aggregate having dispatched Lazio in the round of 32.

Ludogorets have faced two English sides previously in European competition. Taking on both Liverpool and Arsenal home and away in the Champions League group stages, the Eagles picked up just one point from those four outings, scoring five times and conceding 13.

The Bulgarian side are coached by Pavel Vrba, a Czech coach who has previously managed Viktoria Plzen in his homeland as well as Anzhi Makhachkala of Russia and the Czech Republic national team. He moved to the Huvepharma Arena in December, 2019.

Two of their current squad have previously had spells in England. Elvis Manu spent time with Brighton between 2015 and 2017, as well as a loan spell at Huddersfield Town in 2016, while Jorginho was on Manchester City’s books as a youth player in the 2015/16 season.

LASK

We will travel to Austria for a competitive match for first time in 29 years after LASK were drawn into Group J.

Our opponents at home on Thursday evening, they secured their place in the Europa League third qualifying round with a fourth-place finish in the Championship round of the Austrian Bundesliga. They then progressed to the group stages of the competition with a 7-0 win over Slovakian outfit DAC Dunajska Streda and then an impressive 4-1 win over Sporting Lisbon in the play-off round.

Having reached the qualifying play-off round for the Champions League last season for the first time but not progressing, Die Schwarz-Weißen moved into the group stages of the Europa League - also their first appearance at that stage of the competition. More history was made as they progressed all the way to the round of 16 before being knocked out by Manchester United following a 7-1 aggregate defeat, with both games being played behind closed doors. Prior to Thursday's meeting at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, United are the only English side that LASK have faced in their competitive history.

Playing their European games at the Linzer Stadion - a stadium in which some of the world’s biggest music acts have performed over the years including Pink Floyd, Bon Jovi and Michael Jackson - the Austrian outfit are managed by Dominik Thalhammer – the former boss of the Austria Women’s national team. In 2017, Thalhammer enjoyed great success in that role as he led the team to their first major tournament. They went on to reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s European Championships.

While we have never played against LASK before, we have played at their Linzer Stadion. Back in 1991, we took on Croatia’s Hajduk Split in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in Austria due to the ongoing conflict in the Balkans, but it was a disappointing night for us in Linz as we lost 1-0.

While LASK’s current squad does not feature any players who have previously played in England, Spurs fans may recall the Austrian outfit as the club at which our former defender Kevin Wimmer began his career.

Royal Antwerp

We will return to Belgium this year for the first time since 2017 as Royal Antwerp were the third and final team drawn into Group J. ‘The Great Old’ qualified directly for the Europa League group stages following their 1-0 Belgian Cup victory over Club Brugge in August this year.

Last season was the Belgian outfit’s first campaign in the Europa League having not qualified for any European tournament since 1994/95 when they appeared in the UEFA Cup. Entering last season's competition in the third qualifying round, they defeated Viktoria Plzen to progress to the play-offs but that was where their campaign ended as they lost 5-2 on aggregate to AZ Alkmaar. This is their first season in the group stage.

Previously they have faced two English sides in competitive games - both coming in the UEFA Cup, in the 1975/76 season Antwerp defeated Aston Villa 5-1 on aggregate then, in 1994/95, they were beaten 10-2 on aggregate by Newcastle United.

Their coach, Ivan Leko, is a former Croatia international who enjoyed stints at Hajduk Split and Club Brugge in his playing career. He later went on to manage Club Brugge between 2017 and 2019 before moving to Antwerp in May.

The Belgian city is one we have visited on several occasions. In May, 1950, we travelled across the channel to the Flemish region to take on Royal Beerschot in an exhibition match to mark their 50th anniversary. The following year, we did so again but to face a Combined Liege XI. Then, in August, 1976, Royal Antwerp were the visitors to White Hart Lane for a pre-season friendly before we returned the favour two summers later to face Antwerp at the Bosuil Stadium.

Most notably, Antwerp is the hometown of defender Toby Alderweireld, yet he has never represented Royal. There are, however, a few former Spurs players that have also worn Royal Antwerp colours. On loan with us in the 2008/09 season, former England international Fraizer Campbell had previously spent the 2006/07 campaign on loan there as part of a partnership with parent club Manchester United. Many other former United players have also spent time on loan with Antwerp as part of the collaboration including John O’Shea, Jonny Evans, Tom Heaton and Phil Bardsley.

Nico Claesen is another former Spurs star to have spent time at both clubs having been with us for two years before joining Antwerp in 1988. More recently, former Spurs players John Bostock and Tomislav Gomelt had loan spells in the port city.

In Antwerp’s current squad, there are four players with experience of English football. Defender Ritchie De Laet has appeared for nine English clubs in his career including Manchester United, Aston Villa and Leicester City – he won the Premier League with the Foxes in 2015/16. Christian Benavente (MK Dons), Faris Haroun (Middlesbrough and Blackpool) and Dieumerci Mbokani (Norwich City and Hull City) have also played on these shores.