Following their comeback victory in the league opener in Bistrița, our women’s team immediately face another challenge – this time a historic one. The Red and Blacks travelled to Iceland on Monday, while Tuesday was dedicated to acclimatisation, recovering from the journey and preparing for the match. A training session was also included in the day’s schedule.

“We arrived in Reykjavík in the evening, where we were greeted by gloomy, cool weather. Today is primarily about getting back into our rhythm after the fatigue of the journey, while also preparing for tomorrow’s match. The girls are focused, everyone is mentally tuning in for the contest ahead, and we can hardly wait to take to the pitch,” team manager and assistant coach Roland Barabási reported from Iceland.

In addition to the weather, the team have also been captivated by Iceland’s unique surroundings.

“The setting is truly impressive: we are surrounded by fresh, clean air, a distinctive Icelandic atmosphere and a volcanic landscape whose presence can be felt everywhere. It is indescribable,” Roland Barabási added.

Breiðablik are one of the most successful clubs in Icelandic women’s football, boasting considerable international experience and regular appearances in European competition. Nevertheless, Péter Kollár believes that with the right approach, our team have a chance of achieving a good result in the first leg.

“We are facing a genuinely strong opponent who compete in an international competition every year, whether in the Champions League or the Europa Cup. Nevertheless, I have confidence in our team. If we can play calmly, win as many duels as possible and make the match a little feisty so that the home side cannot feel comfortable, then we can achieve a good result,” our head coach said.

As a local player, Anita Antal is particularly proud that the FK Csíkszereda women’s team are about to step onto the international stage.

“I do not think anyone in the team could be prouder than I am. I am delighted that we have the opportunity to show what we can do at international level as well. There certainly could have been easier opponents, but hopefully we can overcome this obstacle too,” our player said.

Andrea Herczeg believes that the Icelandic side’s greater international experience does not mean the tie has already been decided.

“If everyone gives their maximum, we have a realistic chance of returning home from Iceland with a positive result. To me, there is no such thing as an unbeatable team. We are aware that our opponents have more international experience, but that does not mean they will be better than us on the day of the match,” Andrea Herczeg stressed.

The Breiðablik–FK Csíkszereda match will kick off at 5.30pm local time and 8.30pm Romanian time on Wednesday at Eikarvöllurinn in Kópavogur. The return leg will take place in Miercurea Ciuc on 2 September.

At the time of publication, no official television broadcast or online video stream had been announced for the match in Iceland. Live updates from the fixture will be available on UEFA’s official match page.

Rédai Attila