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Cypriot club Pafos FC prepare for their first-ever European elite appearance this Wednesday – merely 11 years since the team’s founding.

In recent seasons, the organization has generated buzz by playing continental football for the initial instance last term, reaching the Conference League round of 16 and claiming their first-ever top-flight trophy.

Now, they have attained yet a further significant milestone by surviving three rounds of UEFA Champions League play-offs to enter the group stage – among just two clubs, besides from Kazakhstan team Kairat Almaty, to make their debut.

Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Kyiv and Red Star Belgrade were all defeated by Pafos during the entry rounds.

Their reward is eight games in the league phase, with a home game against German champions Bayern and an away trip to London club Chelsea, kicking things off with a game in Greece against Olympiakos this midweek.

"The whole team celebrated wildly," stated former Brazil and Chelsea player Luiz, who joined the team in August, regarding the moment Pafos secured entry.

"Everybody was totally happy because we achieved something incredible. Nobody expected us to qualify for the Champions League this term."

"I’m delighted to be here because I can experience this feeling, with the squad’s ambition, to achieve something significant."

Founded in 2014: The Backstory

Pafos were formed in eleven years back when two entities from the district joined forces – Kouklia FC and AEP Paphos – who themselves had been set up in a merger in 2000 of additional teams in the region.

They started in the second division and bounced around between top flight until the 2017 takeover by a Russian entrepreneur, a investor with dual nationality who previously served as Portsmouth proprietor in over a decade ago.

"The goal was straightforward – we set out to build something fresh, something strong, something viable – not just a soccer side but one that could contribute to the local area," he stated not long ago.

"Cyprus is a nation with such a love of soccer and, in Pafos, we believed that we had an opportunity to develop something from the very beginning."

It wasn’t immediate triumph, however.

"The investment group have revolutionized the organization, 100%. It was a side that found it hard to survive in the first tier."

"In this region, the passion is intense. So, if the club succeeds, all will attend the ground. If the team doesn't go well, not a lot of fans will go. You won’t find in the middle."

"There were some wrongs, expenditure that failed to bring them anything. They have been investing since 2017. They went through trial and error to arrive at this stage."

British Managers Take a Turn

Scottish Pressley, currently Dundee boss, had a short stint in control in six years ago.

Welshman Cameron Toshack took twenty-one fixtures in the 2019-20 season.

English Constantine took the squad for 18 games in 2021.

Several ex-Rovers stars tried, too – former Man Utd defender Berg and once at Madrid star Salgado, who was SD but also had two caretaker spells.

During his playing days, once in the EPL player Puncheon was at Pafos from three seasons.

The Turnaround Begins During Tenure of One-Time Gunners Staff

The tide turned with the appointment of Spanish Juan Carlos Carcedo in summer of 2023. He had been Unai Emery's number two at six different teams, such as Arsenal.

He managed Ibiza and Zaragoza before switching to Mediterranean football.

Carcedo's initial term in command ended with the team’s inaugural trophy – the last season’s Cyprus Cup, with a convincing win over Omonia, who were on their own turf for the final.

Next term Pafos navigated three rounds of Conference League entry, ending up in the top half in the group stage and then advancing in the play-offs before losing to Djurgårdens IF in the round of 16.

They concluded the campaign as champions of Cyprus for the maiden time – winning the league by a clear margin and earning a path to the Champions League.

The midfielder’s late finish in Pafos' home game against the Serbian champions to make it 1-1 (3-2) confirmed their berth in the group stage.

"The president of Cyprus Christodoulides is a massive Pafos FC supporter who attends the ground."

"He watched the fixture. He saw it with nerves. At the final whistle he was jubilant like a child. He was overjoyed. There was a popular clip of him celebrating like a kid."

"It’s equivalent to winning the league in Cyprus, it's that big a accomplishment."

"It is a record you put next to your club’s history – one championship, a domestic cup and one league phase presence. It's a huge matter here."

'We Believe We Can Make History'

In the recent transfer window, Pafos completed the surprise signing of defender the Brazilian, who at the 38 years old had been with {Fortaleza|Fort