OLYMPIACOS (GRE)
Olympiacos is the most-successful club in Greek football history.
Crowned champions a record 47 times, Cup winners on 28 occasions and domestic double winners on a record 18 occasions, the club is based in Piraeus, which is the world-famous port city within the Greater Athens area.
Olympiacos became the first Greek club to play in European competition when they competed in the 1959/60 European Cup, losing 3-5 on aggregate to AC Milan in the preliminary round.
West Ham United faced them six years later as European Cup Winners’ Cup holders, in the second round of the same competition in September 1965. Goals from Johnny Byrne, Peter Brabrook and two from Geoff Hurst secured a 4-0 first-leg win at the Boleyn Ground, before Martin Peters netted twice in Greece to secure a 2-2 draw and 6-2 aggregate victory.
We also hosted them in a pre-season match at the Boleyn Ground in August 2006, when Marlon Harewood scored in a 1-1 draw.
Olympiacos have faced a host of other English clubs in European competition, namely Tottenham Hotspur, Liverpool, Newcastle United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Burnley and Manchester City!
Diego Martínez’s side finished third in the Greek Super League last season and qualified for the UEFA Europa League group stage by defeating Čukarički of Serbia 6-1 on aggregate in the play-off round.
SC FREIBURG (GER)
SC Freiburg are enjoying arguably the best period in their 119-year history.
The German side finished fifth in the Bundesliga last season to qualify directly to the UEFA Europa League group stage.
This level will hold no fear for Christian Streich’s side, as they came through a Europa League group unbeaten last season that contained Olympiacos – who they face for a second season in succession – Qarabağ and Nantes. They were then beaten 3-0 on aggregate by Juventus in the round of 16.
Freiburg previously reached the group stage in 2013/14 and the Breisgau Brazilians are competing in Europe for a sixth time.
Based in the State of Baden-Württemberg in the far south west of Germany, Freiburg play their home matches at the 34,700-capacity Mooswaldstadion, which opened as recently as 2021.
We have faced Freiburg just once previously, losing 2-5 in a post-season tour match in May 1924, at the end of our first campaign as a Football League First Division team. Vic Watson and John Campbell scored the Irons’ goals in what was the Club’s first-ever defeat by continental European opposition.
TSC (SRB)
TSC is another of West Ham United’s UEFA Europa League Group A opponents enjoying a golden period.
The club from the town of Bačka Topola in the north of Serbia finished second in the Serbian SuperLiga last season – the best finish in its 93-year history.
Formed as Topolyai Sport Club in what was then Yugoslavia in 1930, TSC initially played in the Hungarian Second League during the Second World War before returning to the Yugoslavian League after hostilities had ended.
While going through a series of name changes, the club played in the Yugoslavian and then Serbian Leagues following independence and was finally promoted to the SuperLiga for the first time in 2017.
TSC qualified for Europe for the first time for the 2020/21 UEFA Europa League, but were eliminated by FCSB on penalties in the second qualifying round.
By finishing as SuperLiga runners-up last season, the club qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time, where they were beaten 1-7 on aggregate by Braga of Portugal to drop them into the Europa League group stage.
The club’s 4,500-capacity TSC Arena opened in 2021.
