It's fair to say the UEFA Europa Conference League isn't as star-studded as its bigger siblings (the Champions League and the Europa League). And while there are plenty of minnows in the larger competitions, fans have usually heard of them before or remember an English club taking them on in the recent past.
But the Conference League, where Tottenham find themselves this season after finishing ninth in the Premier League last term, has teams practically nobody has heard of before. NS Mura are one such example. Tottenham's opponents on Thursday night arrive in London to little fanfare, with few fans having heard of them before. So where are they from, are they any good and can we expect an upset? Let's find out more...
Who are NS Mura?
NS Mura are the reigning Slovenian champions, from a town in the tiny nation's north east. They have only been a club for twelve years, having formed in 2012 following the financial collapse of ND Mura (who themselves were only formed in 2005).
They've packed a lot into their dozen years of existence, including three promotions – from Slovenia's fourth tier to the top flight – and then only went and bloody won the title last year too. In other words, they make Leicester City's achievements look positively pedestrian.
While the old incarnation of Mura participated in Europa League qualifying in 2012/13 (where they lost their qualification play-off 5-1 to Lazio), the new version had never before played in Europe prior to this season. Their team consists mostly of local lads, plus some Croatians and Bosnians, none of whom are household names.
Check out the Tottenham Hotspur 2021/22 range here
They kicked off their Conference League campaign with a 2-0 defeat at home to Dutch side Vitesse and now face Spurs in the second round of fixtures. Given they enjoyed just 35% possession and conceded 26 shots on home soil against Vitesse, the smart money would be on Spurs bulldozing then at home on Thursday night.
Then again, we all saw what Sheriff did in Madrid on Tuesday...
Subscribe to FourFourTwo today and get three issues delivered for just £3. The offer ends October 17, 2021.
Restock your kit bag with the best deals for footballers on Amazon right now
READ NEXT
UCL Jose Bosingwa: "I don't regret my ban following Chelsea's 2009 Champions League exit to Barcelona"
BARCA How did Barcelona's academy lead to a club in crisis? The inside story of the death of La Masia
CLASSICS 6 brilliant European Cup matches you’ve probably never heard of
‘After Manchester City’s recent form, maybe they’re the underdogs against Manchester United!’ Former Red Devils defender on this weekend’s derby
‘Arteta, Alonso, Emery, me… none of us were physical players – we needed the understanding of the game. That probably helped us move into management’: Premier League boss reveals reasons for natural career progression
