Who are FC Rostov?
Manchester United face a real challenge in the Europa League round of 16, unlike any other they’ll face this season.
The Red Devils were drawn against Russian Premier League outfit FC Rostov in Europe’s second tier competition and will play the first of two games against them in Russia on Thursday night.
So who are United’s opponents? Here is a bit of background on Thursday’s Russian obstacle…
History
Founded just 87 years ago in 1930, Rostov are a fairly new football club. They played in the Soviet football leagues until the dissolution of the USSR in 1991. Their second-placed finish in that season earned them a place in the new Russian Top League, which they were relegated from after two seasons.
They bounced back straight away though, returning to the Russian Top League in 1994.
They reached the Russian Cup final for the first time in their history in 2003, but lost 1-0 to Spartak Moscow. Relegation from the re-named Russian Premier League in 2007 was a set-back for the club, but they just won’t stay down – they returned to the top tier as champions in 2008.
Recent times
In 2013-14, Rostov won the Russian Cup after a penalty shootout win over Krasnodar. This qualified them for the 2014-15 Europa League – but they were banned from playing in it due to breach of financial regulations.
They finished second in the league last season, only behind Zenit, which qualified them for this season’s Champions League. They were demoted to the Europa League after being knocked out at the group stage.
Best league finish: 2nd, 2015-16
Fun fact: English midfielder David Bentley became the first Englishman to play in the Russian Premier League when he made six appearances for FC Rostov in 2012-13.