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From Cyprus side Pafos FC are set to make their historic Champions League appearance this Wednesday – merely 11 years after the organization’s establishment.

Over the past few years, the club has made waves by competing in Europe for the first time last season, advancing to the Europa Conference League knockout phase and winning their inaugural league title.

Now, they have achieved yet another significant milestone by surviving multiple qualifiers of UEFA Champions League play-offs to qualify for the league phase – joining only one other teams, besides Kazakhstan’s club Kairat Almaty, to appear for the first time.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Ukraine’s Dynamo and Red Star Belgrade were all defeated by Pafos during the preliminary stages.

Their reward is eight matches in the league phase, featuring a home game against Munich and an journey to Stamford Bridge, but they begin with a game in Hellenic soil against Olympiakos this Wednesday.

"The whole team was in ecstasy," said former Brazil and Chelsea player David Luiz, who arrived at the team in last month, about the instant Pafos qualified.

"All of us was elated because we accomplished something remarkable. Nobody anticipated us to reach the top tournament this campaign."

"I'm very happy to be here because I can experience this emotion, with the squad’s ambition, to accomplish something great."

Established Eleven Years Ago: An Overview

Pafos came into existence in the year 2014 when a pair of teams from the district joined forces – AEK Kouklia and AEP Paphos – who also had been formed in a merger in 2000 of another two sides in the district.

They began in the second tier and bounced around the second and first division until the 2017 purchase by Dubov, a Russian businessman with British citizenship who previously served as Pompey proprietor in 2011.

"The goal was straightforward – we aimed to establish something fresh, something strong, something long-lasting – not just a football club but one that could contribute to the local area," he remarked not long ago.

"The island is a nation with such a love of football and, in Pafos, we were confident that we had an chance to grow something from the very beginning."

There was no overnight achievement, however.

"The investment group have revolutionized the organization, entirely. It was a team that found it hard to survive in the first tier."

"In Mediterranean countries, the passion is intense. So, if the club performs, all will visit the arena. If the squad fails, few supporters will go. You won’t find in the average."

"They made some wrongs, spending that failed to bring them results. They have been putting money in since that year. It involved experimentation to reach this point."

British Managers Try Their Hand

Scotland's the former defender, now Dark Blues boss, had nineteen matches in charge in 2018.

From Wales Toshack had twenty-one fixtures in that campaign.

English the experienced manager led the team for eighteen matches in 2021.

A couple of ex-Rovers players took charge, too – ex- Man Utd man the Norwegian and once at Madrid player Salgado, who was technical director but also had two interim periods.

And as a player, former Premier League midfielder the Englishman was at Pafos from 2019 to 2022.

The Turnaround Begins Under One-Time Gunners Staff

Things changed with the appointment of Spanish the coach in summer of 2023. He had been Emery’s assistant manager at several clubs, including Arsenal.

He led the Spanish side and Zaragoza before transitioning to Mediterranean football.

The manager’s initial term in control ended with the team’s first-ever trophy – the last season’s Cyprus Cup, with a 3-0 win over AC Omonia, who were on their own turf for the final.

Next term Pafos came through three stages of Europa Conference League entry, ending up in the top half in the main round and then winning in the play-off round before exiting against Djurgårdens IF in the last 16.

They finished the campaign as Cypriot title winners for the maiden time – claiming the title by a comfortable gap and earning a opportunity to the UCL.

The midfielder’s stoppage-time strike in Pafos' home game against Crvena Zvezda to level it at one-all (three-two) confirmed their berth in the main competition.

"The president of Cyprus the official is a huge Pafos FC enthusiast who goes to the stadium."

"He was at the fixture. He saw it with nerves. At the conclusion he was ecstatic like a youngster. He was overjoyed. There was a popular clip of him celebrating like a kid."

"It's like winning the championship in Cyprus, it's that significant a achievement."

"You can compare it to a achievement you place next to your name – one championship, a domestic cup and a UCL group stage entry. It's a major issue here."

'We Believe There’s a Chance Make History'

During the off-season, Pafos completed the shock acquisition of centre-back the Brazilian, who at the age of 38 had been playing for {Fortaleza|Fort