European Cups: Virtus drawn against Steaua Bucharest

For the first time in the Champions League, Virtus have been drawn against a team that has actually won Europe’s premier club competition: Romanian side Steaua Bucharest. European champions in 1986, the Rossoblù have just reclaimed their national league title eight years on from their previous triumph, taking their tally to 27 championships. It is an undeniably fascinating debut for Luigi Bizzotto’s Virtus, who will very likely play the first leg at home on 9 July. The return fixture will be played in Romania the following week. Tre Penne and La Fiorita, on the other hand, went into the Conference League draw as seeded teams. The club from Città, who qualified via the Campionato Sammarinese play-offs, will face Maltese side Floriana. La Fiorita – winners of the most recent Coppa Titano – will instead take on Belarusian side Isloch Minsk Region. The ties are scheduled for 11 and 18 July, but the details are still to be finalised: both teams have initially been drawn away from home for the first leg, but it is inevitable that one of the fixtures will see the home and away legs reversed – allowing both clubs to play their home matches at the San Marino Stadium.

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