Sunderland to play first European match in 53 years
English club Sunderland will play its first European match in 53 years on Wednesday in the United Kingdom at the Stadium of Light. In the Europa League, the team will face Dutch side AZ Alkmaar, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
Just over four years ago, the club was playing in League One, England's third-tier division. In 2022, Sunderland were promoted to the Championship, and in May 2025 they returned to the Premier League through the play-offs. In their first season after returning, the team finished seventh and secured a place in European competition.
Match at the Stadium of Light
The 49,000-capacity Stadium of Light opened in 1997. It will host continental football for the first time. Even while Sunderland played in the third division, the club's home matches attracted more than 30,000 fans.
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Head coach Régis Le Bris was appointed in June 2024. He told TNT Sports that the upcoming match is symbolic for the club and that the team is gradually progressing. According to the coach, the players earned this opportunity through last season's results and seek to demonstrate the unity of the city, the club and the fans.
Club history and management
Sunderland last won the English top-flight title in 1936. The club's most recent major trophy remains the 1973 FA Cup, when the team defeated Leeds in the final.
Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, son of the late former Marseille owner Robert Louis-Dreyfus, acquired a stake in Sunderland in 2021 and later increased it. The team is led by captain Granit Xhaka. Ahead of the match against AZ Alkmaar, the club has had an uneven start to the season.
