“SC Braga highlighted as the best team in the Conference League.”

SC Braga received high praise from their Serbian opponent even before stepping onto the pitch: Radomir Kokovic, coach of Zeleznicar Pancevo, did not hesitate to state that the Minho side is “probably the best team in the Conference League.” The draw for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, announced this week, determined that the Arsenalists will face the fourth-placed team from the Serbian Superliga, with matches scheduled for July 23 in Serbia and July 30 at the Municipal Stadium of Braga.

This will be only the second appearance of SC Braga in the history of the Conference League, after crashing out dramatically in the 2022/23 season during the playoff for the round of 16 against the powerful Fiorentina, with an aggregate score of 2-7. Now, with renewed aspirations and a strengthened squad, the team led by Daniel Sousa faces a Zeleznicar side making its absolute debut in European competitions, adding an element of unpredictability to the clash.

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The importance of this clash goes beyond simply advancing to the next stage. Braga enters as the favorite not only due to its recent European history — remember, it reached the semi-finals of the Europa League just two months ago — but also because of the potential impact that qualifying for the later stages of the Conference League could have on Portugal’s ranking and, consequently, on the prestige and revenues of the Arsenal club. The pressure is entirely on the Minho side, facing an opponent with nothing to lose and much to prove.

Radomir Kokovic, the 42-year-old Serbian coach, did not hide the difficulty of the challenge when reacting to the draw in the club’s media: “We will face what is probably the best team in the competition, which reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League two months ago, so there is no need to say much about their quality. Zeleznicar will be everything it was last season: brave, combative, and unmistakable. We will do everything to represent our league and our country with dignity,” he assured, repeating the formula that surprised Serbia last season.

Bojan Saranov, the sporting director of the Pancevo club, sees this tie as a golden opportunity to grow and learn: “It will be a great challenge for us, but also a great opportunity to compete against a team that reached the semi-finals of the Europa League last season. I wanted a strong opponent so we could see how the big clubs operate and for our players to mature even more. To progress as a club, we need to play against the strongest teams,” he emphasized, showing ambition and respect for SC Braga.

Anticipation is growing around what Braga can achieve, now regarded as one of the “sharks” of the Conference League, against an opponent unknown to the wider public, but one that promises not to make life easy for the Portuguese. Daniel Sousa knows that an early elimination would be a disaster in terms of internal and European reputation, so no leniency is expected in the choices of the starting eleven and the approach to the game.

Zeleznicar, hailing from the industrial city of Pancevo, which has around 115,000 inhabitants, is banking on the element of surprise and the irreverence of its players, while Braga seeks to avoid missteps that could jeopardize the rest of their European season. These matches will be the first major test for the new version of the Braga squad, which enters with the label of favorite and the obligation to confirm on the pitch the status that their opponents already recognize off it.

With the dates already set and the pressure mounting, Braga now has just a few weeks to fine-tune their strategy, integrate any potential reinforcements, and ensure they do not falter against a motivated opponent with nothing to lose. Progressing to the next round is essential, but, as is well known, underestimating rivals in European football can be very costly. Portuguese fans will be keeping a close eye on these clashes, at the start of a season that promises to be intense, high-profile, and crucial for SC Braga’s immediate future in the European landscape.

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