PAOK, the Greek club from Thessaloniki, will face Dynamo Kyiv in the second qualifying round of the 2026/27 Europa League. This matchup promises to be exciting, as both teams are eager to showcase their skills on the international stage.
Date and Venue
The first match between Dynamo and PAOK will take place on July 23, 2026, at the Arena Lublin stadium in Poland. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Kyiv time. The second leg will take place a week later, on July 30.
PAOK’s History and Achievements
- Year Founded: 1926
- UEFA Ranking: 56th
- Titles: Four-time Greek champion, eight-time Greek Cup winner
- Best European result: Conference League quarterfinals (2021–22, 2023–24)
- Nicknames: “The Two-Headed Eagles of the North,” “The Black and Whites”
- Home stadium: “Toumba” (28,703 seats)
- Head coach: Alessio Lishi
- Team captain: Andrija Živković
Transfers and Team Reinforcements
During the offseason, PAOK was active in the transfer market. Winger Taha Ali joined the club from Sweden’s “Malmö” for 2 million euros. Although he was a reserve for the Swedish national team at the 2026 World Cup, his experience will be valuable to the team. Another 1.5 million euros was spent on center back Pantelis Hatzidiakos from “Copenhagen.”
In addition, PAOK signed two players from Spain on free transfers to strengthen its defense: defensive midfielder Baptista Santamaría from Valencia and center back Aritz Elustondo from Real Sociedad. As before, PAOK recalled several players from loan, including forward Fedor Chalov.
