When the UEFA Champions League group draw occurs every year in August, the two biggest focuses are inevitably which group is my favorite team in and which group will be the most entertaining to follow/watch.
For a small portion of us, the most interesting section of the draw is uncovering the most obscure team that somehow made the group stage.
Usually this team comes from some tiny country in Eastern Europe, riding some sort of heavy investment toward a wave of success only for the debt to invariably catch up soon after.
Still, it is these new faces that keep the competition fresh. One can only watch Manchester City beat the fourth-best team in the Bundesliga so many times.
And while the Clujes and Helsinkis of the UCL rarely make an impact on the pitch, the Champions League wouldn't be the same without them — because you never know if you'll ever get to see Cluj or Helsinki play in the UCL again.
Most Obscure Clubs In Champions League Group Stage
2021-22 — Sheriff Tiraspol (Moldova)
It has been a few years since some arcane Eastern European side has appeared in the final 32 of the UCL, so welcome Sheriff Tiraspol, the first Moldovan side to advance through the four rounds of qualifying to reach the Champions League group stage. Sheriff did so by passing through the Balkan gauntlet of Red Star Belgrade and Dinamo Zagreb but faced a difficult group with Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Sheriff certainly held their own recording a famous win at the Santiago Bernabéu and finishing third in the group with seven points.
Located in the breakaway state of Transnistria, the club derives its name from Sheriff — a major company in the autonomous state that is involved in almost every facet of the economy. Sheriff also owns the team's splendid ground — aptly named Sheriff Stadium — which was finished in 2002.
2017-18 — Qarabağ (Azerbaijan)
Originally based in the Azerbaijani city of Agdam, Qarabağ has not played in its home city since 1993 due to the First Nagorno-Karabakh War, which left Agdam as a ghost town. Now stationed in the capital city of Baku, Qarabağ has been a frequent participant in Europa and Champions League qualification, but its only breakthrough in the top-tier competition came in 2017.
2015-16 — FC Astana (Kazakhstan)
Although Kazakhstan is geographically part of Asia, it competes in UEFA, where its 18.5 million habitants make it the 10th biggest country in the association. Yet Astana is still the only Kazakh side to reach the group stage of the Champions League.
2011-12 — Oțelul Galați (Romania)
When Romania renamed its top flight from Divizia A to Liga 1 in 2006, it began a period over the ensuing 11 seasons in which seven different clubs won the league title. Oțelul Galați was one such side, winning its first league title in 2011 and riding Romania's unusually high UEFA club coefficient (eighth) to earn direct qualification to the Champions League group stage.
2009-10 — Unirea Urziceni (Romania), Debreceni VSC (Hungary)
It doesn't get more obscure than a club that doesn't exist anymore, as is the case for Unirea Urziceni, which dissolved in 2011. Qualification for the UCL in 2009 was the last hurrah for a team straddled with debt, but the Romania side nearly reached the knockout stage. Needing only a draw against Stuttgart in the final group stage contest, Unirea gave up three goals in the first 11 minutes before losing 3-1.
As for Debreceni, no team has more league titles (seven) in the OTP Bank Liga since the start of the 21st century than the side based in Hungary's second-largest city. While the side's domestic success has led to 15 qualifying-round appearances in European competition since 2000, these qualification runs have translated to only one Champions League group-stage appearance.
2008-09 — Anorthosis (Cyprus)
APOEL might be the big name in Cypriot football, with four group-stage appearances in the Champions League and a quarterfinal run in 11-12, but Anorthosis was the first Cyprus-based side to reach the UCL group stage, and it is still the only other Cypriot side besides APOEL to reach that stage in the competition. The club earned a victory and three draws in its six matches in 2008 but finished two points away from a Round of 16 berth.
2005-06 — FC Petržalka
The Slovakian side has been around since 1898, but during this period it has experienced more name changes (17, yes, 17), than league titles (four). That third title came in 2005, giving the club — then known as FC Artmedia Bratislava — a chance for its first-ever UCL qualification.
Artmedia's second qualifying-round match against Celtic was a classic, as the Slovaks won the first leg 5-0 at home but saw Celtic score four times in the first 80 minutes of the second leg. Holding a one-goal advantage on aggregate, Artmedia was able to absorb Celtic's pressure and earn a 5-4 win on aggregate.
Most Obscure Clubs In Champions League — Honorable Mention
CFR Cluj (2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13) — Romania
Beat Manchester United 1-0 in 2012
MŠK Žilina (2008-09, 2010-11) — Slovakia
Had current Newcastle keeper Martin Dúbravka in goal for its 10-11 UCL campaign
Bursaspor (2010-11) — Turkey
Became only the second club outside of Istanbul to win the Süper Lig title in 2010
FC Thun (2005-06)— Switzerland
Fell as low as the fourth tier of Swiss football in the 1980s
HJK Helsinki (1997-98) — Finland
The only team on this list that is playable in FIFA 21
