Aston Villa fans are looking forward to their first European adventure since their Europa League campaign back in the 2010/11 season.
The former European Cup champions, who won the ultimate prize back in 1982, will be competing in the Europa Conference League this season, after an impressive season in the Premier league last season saw them finish 7th.
First up is a trip to Poland, to face Legia Warsaw, a match which takes place on Thursday, 21 September.
Here is everything those Aston Villa fans making the trip east need to know for their trip.
Who are Legia Warsaw?
Contents
The Villains will be hoping, that under the guidance of four-time Europa League-winning manager, Unai Emery, that they can add to their European Cup collection. They have been drawn in Group E, alongside Dutch side, AZ Alkmaar, Bosnia and Herzegovina champions HŠK Zrinjski and Polish side, Legia Warsaw.
It is always important to get points on the board as early as possible, and Villa fans will be confident they can do so against their Polish opponents. Legia Warsaw
Legia Warsaw are Poland's most successful football club, winning 15 League titles and 20 Polish cups.
They finished runners-up last season to Raków Częstochowa (It was the first time they ever won the Polish top flight). Legia Warsaw have experience playing in European competition, evening making it to the 1952 European Cup semi-finals.
However, more recently, their experiences have been modest at best, with the club failing to get past the Round of 32 of the Europa League the last few years, while failing to even get out of the group stages in the 2021-22 competition.
Like Aston Villa, this is the clubs first appearance for the Polish club in the Europa Conference League, and they will be hoping to go far in the competition.
The Stadion Wojska Polskiego
Credit – Legia Warsaw
Legia Warsaw play their home matches at the Municipal Stadium of Marshal Jozef Pilsudski. The stadium is located at ul.Kazienkowska 3, Warszawa, Marzowieckie.
The Legia Warsaw Municipal Stadium of Marshal Jozef Pilsidski is a modern and impressive sports area. It has a seating capacity of around 31,000 spectators. The stadium itself, includes, restaurants, a museum and VIP boxes.
The stadium has a modern, sleek design, with the last renovations made back in 2008-2011; the seating is arranged in a bowl shape, providing excellent pitch views from every angle.
The stadium has two-level stands, the Western Stand, which is the main stand and one that fans refer to as ‘Krvta', the East Stand, which is named after Kazimierz Deyna, the former Legia Warsaw player who made over 300 appearances for the club, the North Stand which is called Zvleta and the South Stand, which is named by the fans after former player and manager, Lucian Brvchezv.
The car parks for the stadium are situated on the first level of the North, East and South Stands. The stadium consist of two video screens, both situated on the North-West and South -East corners of the stadium.
Aston Villa can confirm ticketing details for the club’s home matches in the UEFA Europa Conference League. 🎟️
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 8, 2023
How to get to the stadium
Buses and trams are frequent throughout the city, and depending where you are staying or located before going to the match, the specific bus line or tram will be different. For visiting fans there is a transportation app that can be downloaded with all the timetables of the different routes available to bring them to the stadium.
Places to stay for Aston Villa fans
There are plenty of places to stay in Warsaw, with it being a popular tourist destination for everyone worldwide. However, for football fans, it is usually the cheap and cheerful option that look for.
Plenty of Holiday Inn hotels are scattered around the city, with the Holiday Inn, Warsaw City Centre being the most central of them all.
It is located at Twarda 52, Warsaw 00-031 Poland. Others include the Holiday Inn, Express Warsaw – The HUB, which is situated at Rondo Ignacego Daszynskiego 2a, Warsaw 00843 Poland and the Holiday Inn Express Warsaw – Mokotow, 15F Postepu, Warsaw 02-676, Poland, while the Crown Plaza, Warsaw Rondo Ignacego Daszynskiego 2, Warsaw 00843 Poland is another option for Villa fans travelling over.
Places to eat and drink near the stadium
There is a Sports Bar and Restaurant located within the stadium in the North Stand. It is named ‘Lazienkowska 3'. It is open throughout the week, and on matchdays and includes widescreen TV's to watch football and other sports events.
Other restaurants close by are the Restauracja Belvedere and the Restauracja Kuchnia Polska, both serve traditional Polish meals.
There are plenty of bars around the city to have a drink in before and after the game, with Warsaw providing a friendly atmosphere for visiting fans to enjoy their stay and experience.