CSKA Sofia Prepares for Unique Match Against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Georgia

CSKA Sofia will face Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday at 19:00 in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, in a match notable for several reasons. This will be CSKA Sofia's first encounter with an Israeli team in UEFA competitions. Additionally, the game will take place in Batumi, Georgia, marking the first time the Bulgarian club plays a home match outside its country and not even in a neighboring nation. Previously, CSKA Sofia played home games in alternative stadiums within Bulgaria but never in a third country.

The Bulgarian sports site "Match Telegraph" highlighted two historical precedents somewhat similar to this situation. In 1982, after the death of Monaco's Princess Grace Kelly, a European Cup match between Monaco and CSKA was moved from Monaco to Nice, France, due to national mourning. UEFA offered CSKA a technical victory, but the team insisted on playing. The first leg ended 0-0, and CSKA won the return leg 2-0 after extra time.

The second case occurred in 1989 when CSKA was drawn against Sparta Prague. Due to fan violence in the previous round, UEFA banned Sparta from hosting in Prague, relocating the match to Trnava, then part of Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia). The first leg ended 2-2, and CSKA won the second leg 3-0, advancing to the European Cup quarterfinals before being eliminated by Marseille.

These examples illustrate CSKA Sofia's current challenge of hosting a UEFA match in a neutral third country, a rare occurrence in European football history.