What qualifies this story to earn the title of most difficult journey to reach a Champions League? Firstly, for some context, we have to travel to the digital world where this story was first popularised online. Football Manager, the game in which you take over a club from a plethora of options worldwide and guide them to win as much as possible. Many online creators play the game and show their journeys to success. Often choosing their favourite clubs, most of which are very recognisable, as they can bring in more viewers. Then there are the so called ‘FM Challenges’. These are very different to a usual game file save.

Famously we have the likes of Swansea, Cardiff, Wrexham and Newport County plying their trade in the English football league system even though they reside in Wales. These clubs applied and exceptions were made to allow them to compete in a different football league to their own. This has come with positive results with all four of these clubs being at the professional level in England.  

The dream to top all dreams. How often have mates sat around in the pub dreaming of becoming professional footballers? Many players have represented pubs in local football leagues, many players have used pub football to play for a local league team, and some have even gone as far as reaching the lower levels of the football pyramid. What would happen if that local pub team performed to a level so high that they qualify for UEFA competition? This is the story of Bruno’s Magpies, the best pub team in the world.

The last six years will have felt like an eternity for AIK Solna fans. With a last league title coming back in 2018, AIK has fallen victim to Malmö’s sustained dominance of the Allsvenskan in recent times, as the club has found itself languishing with underachievement in the Swedish top-flight.

Iceland is famous around the world for the views of the Aurora Borealis, the warming Blue Lagoon and more recently the Viking Thunderclap. An island so astray from the European mainland and with a tiny population when compared to many other European nations.

We’ve all heard of David against Goliath, well this story focuses on David’s younger brother and how he accepted a challenge to compete with the rest of the European Continent. This is the story of Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag (KÍ). A small Faroese fishing town with a passion for football and a desire to mix it with the best Europe has to offer.