Pub team pulls off unbelievable upset in Europa Conference League; set to face giants who beat Manchester United last season
Bruno's Magpies will face FC Copenhagen, which beat Manchester United last season after stunning the football world. The Gibraltar pub team beat Derry City 3-2 on aggregate to book a date with the Danish outfit in UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying.
The minnows advanced to their second qualifier against all odds and are moving ever closer to the Conference League proper. They are a pub team formed by friends in a bar called Bruno's in 2013.
Bruno's Magpies went viral after their victory against Derry City, with fans applauding their underdog story. However, they face a tough test against Copenhagen, as the Danes impressed in Europe last season.
Jacob Neestrup's men pulled off a giant killing of their own, defeating Manchester United 4-3 in the Champions League group stages. It was one of the most famous wins in the club's history and played a key role in dumping Erik ten Hag's men out of the competition.
Bruno's Magpies play their football at Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar in front of a capacity crowd of 5,000. Their manager is Nathan Rooney (unrelated to United legend Wayne Rooney). He once played in Blackburn Rovers' academy and is in his second spell in charge of the Magpies.
Erik ten Hag was confident players would want to join Manchester United without Champions League football
Manchester United's disastrous 2023-24 campaign ended on a high as they won the FA Cup. Ten Hag's men finished eighth in the Premier League, meaning they failed to qualify for European competition.
However, an unlikely 2-1 victory against rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final booked them a place in the upcoming season's UEFA Europa League. They will play in the secondary European football competition.
Despite this, United are still pulling off some eye-catching transfers, including Leny Yoro's capture. The 18-year-old French wonderkid tipped to become the 'Kylian Mbappe of defenders' has moved to Old Trafford from LOSC Lille in a reported £52 million deal.
Ten Hag insisted last season that the Red Devils remained an attractive team regardless of whether they played Champions League football. He said (via Planet Sport):
"Manchester United is a very attractive team and club to play for, so many players will be very pleased and very happy to play for Manchester United, I'm sure."
Dutch forward Joshua Zirkzee, 23, has also joined the club from Serie A side Bologna for £36.5 million. They are pursuing PSG midfielder Manuel Ugarte, 23, and look close to sealing his signature, having agreed to personal terms, per Fabrizio Romano.