UEFA Champions League Debut and David Luiz - The Amazing Ascent of Pafos Football Club

Mediterranean side Pafos FC will mark their maiden UEFA Champions League appearance this Wednesday – merely 11 years following the club’s formation.

In recent seasons, the club has made waves by playing continental football for the initial instance last season, reaching the Conference League round of 16 and winning their inaugural domestic championship.

Now, they have attained yet another huge feat by surviving multiple qualifiers of UEFA Champions League play-offs to reach the main competition – joining only one other sides, alongside Kazakh outfit Kairat Almaty, to appear for the first time.

Israeli side Maccabi, Kyiv and Serbian giants Red Star were all overcome by Pafos during the entry phase.

What they earned is eight games in the league phase, with a fixture on their turf against German champions Bayern and an journey to London club Chelsea, kicking things off with a match in Hellenic soil against Piraeus-based club this midweek.

"Everyone was in ecstasy," said veteran Brazilian and Chelsea defender the experienced star, who signed for the team in August, regarding the moment Pafos qualified.

"All of us was totally happy because we accomplished something incredible. No one predicted us to qualify for the UCL this term."

"It’s a pleasure to be here because I can experience this atmosphere, with everybody's hunger, to do something great."

Formed in 2014: A Brief History

Pafos came into existence in eleven years back when two clubs from the region joined forces – AEK and AEP – who themselves had been created in a merger in 2000 of additional teams in the area.

They started in the second division and moved between that and the top flight until the acquisition in 2017 by Roman Dubov, a investor with dual nationality who had a spell as Portsmouth FC chairman in over a decade ago.

"The aim was evident – we set out to build something innovative, something competitive, something viable – not just a soccer side but one that could contribute to the local area," he stated recently.

"Cyprus is a place with an immense love of football and, in Pafos, we felt that we had an possibility to develop something from the very beginning."

Success did not come overnight achievement, though.

"The investment group have revolutionized the organization, without a doubt. It was a side that struggled to remain in the first tier."

"In this region, the passion is over the top. So, if the side succeeds, all will visit the stadium. If the team underperforms, hardly any fans will come. There is nothing in the middle."

"They made some errors, expenditure that didn't give them anything. They have been spending since that year. They went through experimentation to come to this point."

UK Gaffers Have a Crack

Scotland's the former defender, currently Dundee boss, had nineteen matches in charge in 2018.

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

English the experienced manager led the side for 18 games in 2021.

Several former Blackburn Rovers defenders had a go, too – one-time Manchester United defender Berg and ex-Real Madrid defender Salgado, who was sporting director but also had two caretaker spells.

And as a player, former Premier League star Puncheon was at Pafos from 2019 until 2022.

Success Starts During Tenure of Former Arsenal Assistant

Things changed with the appointment of Spaniard Juan Carlos Carcedo in summer of 2023. He had been the Aston Villa boss’ right-hand man at several sides, including North London club.

He managed UD Ibiza and Real Zaragoza before switching to Cyprus.

The manager’s debut campaign in command ended with the squad’s first-ever honor – the last season’s Cypriot Cup, with a comprehensive win over Nicosia-based Omonia, who were on their own turf for the match.

The following campaign Pafos navigated three rounds of Europa Conference League entry, placing 12th in the main round and then securing victory in the play-offs before being eliminated by Djurgardens in the knockout stage.

They ended the campaign as champions of Cyprus for the first time – winning the championship by a clear margin and creating a path to the elite competition.

The midfielder’s late finish in Pafos' match at home against the Serbian champions to equalize for a draw (three-two) confirmed their spot in the main competition.

"The head of state of Cyprus Christodoulides is a very big Pafos FC fan who visits the arena."

"He attended the match. He saw it with anxiety. At the end he was celebrating like a child. He was uncontained. There was a popular clip of him rejoicing like a kid."

"It’s equivalent to winning the championship in Cyprus, it's such a huge a achievement."

"It's like a milestone you put next to your club’s history – one top honor, one trophy and one elite appearance. It's a very big issue here."

'We Believe It’s Possible Do Something Special'

In the recent transfer window, Pafos completed the shock acquisition of defender David Luiz, who at the age of 38 had been at {Fortaleza|Fort