Premier League Clubs in European Football

The European football season is over, and English Premier League clubs have claimed two of the three continental titles – West Ham overcoming Italian side Fiorentina in a fiery clash in Prague to win the Europa Conference, and Manchester City completing an era-defining treble by edging past a stubborn Internazionale in Istanbul to finally win the Champions League. Had Manchester United not capitulated so meekly against Sevilla in April, it could very easily have been a clean sweep.

Success at last in The Champions League

Manchester City went into the Champions League final as firm favourites, but it was never likely to be either one-sided, or indeed a classic match. Having seen off Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in the previous rounds, City had already beaten the best in Europe, and in reality Inter’s only hope was to try to bully their opponents into submission. It worked, to an extent, as City’s normal freeflowing style was unsettled by a combination of robust challenges, over-exuberant dives, faked injuries, and complaints by their Italian opponents. On top of this, the weight of expectation and the adrenalin of a huge occasion left City looking decidedly ragged for much of the first half. But as soon as Bernardo Silva broke down the right and his cross fell to Rodri to fire home, it looked like a long road back for Inter. The introduction of Romelu Lukaku caused City a few problems in the last ten minutes of the match, but Ederson’s ability to be in the right place at the right time saw City over the line, bringing about the perfect end to a near perfect season for Pep Guardiola.

Victory brought with it a sense of relief to get the Champions League hoodoo off their backs, and the players, and the coach himself, looked physically and mentally exhausted at the final whistle. The challenge now is for City to use this victory as a platform for a long period of European dominance. There’s little doubt that they are the best team on the planet right now, and have the perfect platform to demonstrate this over the next few seasons.

Looking forward to next seasons competitions

Here at Circuit Hospitality, we are delighted to work closely with many of the English teams that will be playing in European competition next season, and will be able to bring you fantastic hospitality experiences for all the home games.

European Return for Villa

Let’s start with Aston Villa, whose victory over Brighton on the final day of the Premier League Season guaranteed a place in the Europa Conference Play Offs. Working out who Villa might be paired with when the draw for the play off takes place on August 7th is extremely complicated.

There are three qualifying rounds for teams hoping to join Unai Emery’s side in the play offs, featuring clubs as obscure as Gibraltar’s FC Bruno’s Magpies, and Welsh side Penybont, right up to well-known European sides Juventus, Besiktas, Fenerbahce and FC Brugge. Edinburgh sides Hibs and Hearts will also be hoping to come through qualifying and reach the play off stage. Villa’s two-legged play off will take place on August 24th and 31st, so lock the dates in your diary and give us a shout to book your place at Villa Park and see European football there for the first time since the 2010/11 season.

Hammers  Success

By virtue of winning the Europa Conference, West Ham have earned a place in the Europa League next season, and we will be able to offer you great packages at the London Stadium for the Hammers’ home fixtures. The draw for the group stage will take place on September 1st, when West Ham, Liverpool and Brighton will discover who they’ll be up against. Other sides of interest in the draw will be Sporting Lisbon, Roma, Ajax and Aberdeen. Next year’s final will take place in Dublin, a city with legendary hospitality!

Champions League Quality

Finally of course we will be able to bring you the very best European football nights, in the Champions League – at the Etihad, Old Trafford and the Emirates. The final will take place at Wembley, which will certainly offer a more accessible alternative to Istanbul if any of the English sides make it that far.

Already guaranteed to join the Premier League teams in the group stage are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, PSG and Napoli, and whoever our clubs come up against it’s certain to be full of drama and intrigue. The draw will take place on August 31st, ahead of the first round of matches in September.

So the season may be over, but it’s never too early to make plans, so why not give us a call on 01454 201210 to discuss what we can offer you, or keep your eyes on our website when the draws are made, to see what is available. We look forward to seeing you at some of these fantastic European matches next season.

CONTACT THE TEAM

Give Us a call on 01454 201210 or email enquiries@circuithospitality.com to see how we can help you.