Lillestrøm SK drew Spanish opposition as the Europa League league phase draw was held in Monaco on Friday afternoon. The club will face Spain's Real Sociedad and France's Lyon in a group that also includes Bournemouth, Celta Vigo, Viktoria Plzen, Sparta Praha, Torreense, and Levski Sofia.
The draw was reported by Nettavisen. Lillestrøm secured their Europa League place by defeating Albanian side Egnatia after extra time in qualifying on Thursday. A loss there would have sent them to the Conference League instead. Due to last year's cup triumph, Lillestrøm entered directly into the final qualifying round for the Europa League. This followed Bodø/Glimt's cup final win over Brann in May, meaning Lillestrøm did not have to play a super cup final for the qualifying spot.
What does the fixture schedule look like?
The first match in the league phase is played on September 16th or 17th. There are two fixtures scheduled for October, two for November, one for December, and two for January. You can follow the complete schedule on our fixtures page.
The top eight teams in the league phase advance directly to the round of 16. Teams finishing in places 9 to 24 enter a playoff round. The twelve lowest-placed teams are eliminated from the competition. The final will be played in Frankfurt on May 26th.
What does this mean for the club financially?
Playing in Europe is highly lucrative for Lillestrøm SK. The club is already guaranteed approximately 46 million Norwegian kroner just for participating. Each victory in the league phase yields an additional 4.8 million kroner, while each draw brings in 1.6 million kroner. These funds will be significant for the club's budget and planning.
The club avoided drawing highly-ranked pot 1 teams like Benfica, Bayer Leverkusen, Juventus, and Milan during the draw. Lyon and Real Sociedad were among the nine highest-ranked teams in pot 1. Real Sociedad is known as Martin Ødegaard's former club.
What is the next step for Lillestrøm?
Now the team must prepare for a demanding series of European matches alongside the domestic league campaign. The draw presents a wide range of opponents from several countries. See how the squad is shaping up ahead of the fixtures on our squad page.
Success in the Europa League can bring both sporting prestige and substantial financial rewards. The revenue from this season will impact the club's ability to retain key players and strengthen the team moving forward. It promises to be an exciting autumn and winter for Lillestrøm SK and their supporters.
