AZ and FC Twente know which opponents they can meet in the possible play-off of the Conference League. The draw in Nyon has shown that the Alkmaarders, if they win against Dundee United in the third preliminary round, will face Riga FC or Gil Vicente in the last preliminary round. Twente will meet the strong Fiorentina in the play-offs with a win over FK Cukaricki.
Next Thursday, AZ and Twente will play their first matches in the third preliminary round of the Conference League against Dundee United and FK Cukaricki respectively. Both Dutch clubs start the diptych with an away game and will want to do the job in-house next Thursday, on August 11th. If the formation of trainer Pascal Jansen succeeds, it will play against Riga FC or Gil Vicente in the play-off round. Twente will meet Fiorentina in the last preliminary round with a win over the Serbs.
There is no longer a European safety net for both teams after a defeat in the third preliminary round or the play-off. AZ and Twente will therefore have to beat Dundee and Cucaricki respectively and also have to win their play-off diptych in order to be active in Europe in the autumn. The Conference League play-offs are scheduled for Thursday, August 18 and Thursday, August 25.
The eventual meeting with Fiorentina would mean a great poster for Twente, but is of course also a very difficult task. The chance that all Dutch clubs will end up in the group stage of a European tournament in the autumn is therefore reduced. That could be a disadvantage in the coefficient battle, but AZ can offer help there again. If it wins in the possible play-off against the Portuguese Gil Vicente, a competitor from the Netherlands will also lose a participant.
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