Universitatea Craiova to debut in Champions League against ML Vitebsk

Romanian champions Universitatea Craiova will play their first UEFA Champions League match in the preliminary round, facing Belarusian side ML Vitebsk. The first leg is scheduled for 8 July in a neutral venue in Hungary, with the return leg set for 15 July in Bănie. UEFA has appointed a Bosnian referee team led by Luka Bilbija, assisted by Stefan Tesanović, Marko Perić and VAR officials Antoni Bandic and Nihad Ljajić.

Striker Assad Al Hamlawi, the club’s top scorer last season with 16 goals, said he wants to score in every European match. He joined Craiova in the summer for €1 million and is now valued at about €2 million. Coach Filipe Coelho submitted a 24‑player squad that includes five recent signings: goalkeepers Răzvan Sava and Alexandru Maxim, defender Ronaldo Webster, winger Heriberto Tavares and forward Simon Elisor. If Craiova progress, they will meet the winner of the Borac Banja Luka–Levski Sofia tie in the second round.