UEFA Conference League

BELGRADE - Serbian football club Partizan Belgrade suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Swiss side Lugano in the first leg of the two teams' UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie on Thursday evening.

Mattia Zanotti scored the winner for the visitors in the 70th minute.

NYON - Serbian football champions Red Star Belgrade were on Monday drawn to play the winner of the tie between Jagiellonia Bialystok (Poland) and Bodo/Glimt (Norway) in the UEFA Champions League playoffs later this month.

Red Star will host the second leg in Belgrade on August 27 or 28, with the first leg scheduled for August 20 or 21.

AMSTERDAM - Serbian football club Vojvodina Novi Sad suffered a 1-0 away defeat to Dutch giants Ajax in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League second qualifying round tie at the Johan Cruyff Arena in Amsterdam on Thursday evening.

In the first half, Ajax missed a handful of opportunities to score as Vojvodina goalkeeper Lazar Carevic produced several excellent saves.

Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis affirmed Greece's readiness to host the 2024 UEFA Conference League final on May 29, in an interview aired on Thursday.

"We have been well-prepared to ensure that everything goes well," said Mitsotakis, adding that any attempt to disrupt the event "won't work out."

Türkiye has been awarded the hosting rights for two major European football finals, the UEFA Executive Committee has announced.

In a meeting in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, on May 22, UEFA Executive Committee member Servet Yardımcı revealed that Istanbul will host the 2026 UEFA Europa League final and the 2027 UEFA European Conference League final.

Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chysochoidis hosted a meeting at the Hellenic Police (ELAS) headquarters on Monday to discuss security measures ahead of the UEFA Conference League final in Athens between home side Olympiacos and Italy's Fiorentina on May 29.

BACKA TOPOLA - Serbia's TSC lost 1-0 at home to English Premier League side West Ham United in a UEFA Europa League Group A Matchday 5 game on Thursday evening.

TSC missed several chances in the first half in Backa Topola and Tomas Soucek scored the winner for the visitors in the 89th minute.

Ivan Martic, a journeyman defender for Universitatea Cluj, wiggles the ball on the spot and steps back, eyes fixed on the task at hand. Martic's chest expands then purposefully he strides forward, opens his body and strikes the ball towards the corner. But Niczuly guesses right, and sprawls to his left to push away the effort with disdain.

Albania deported 80 Italian football fans on Wednesday after they clashed with police on Tuesday evening in Tirana on the eve of UEFA Conference League match between Roma and Dutch club Feyenoord.

Feyenoord fans also clashed with officers, throwing glass bottles, sticks and stones on Tuesday, trying to get nearer to the National Arena Stadium in order to clash with Roma fans.

Galatasaray eliminated Scotland's St Johnstone with a 5-3 aggregate score on Aug. 12 to advance to the UEFA Europa League playoffs. 

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In a third qualifying round second leg game, Mbaye Diagne scored the opener for the Lions in the 30th minute at McDiarmid Park stadium in Perth, Scotland.