Hibernians will be facing FK Spartak Trnava of Slovakia and Floriana will be taking on FC Ballkani of Kosovo in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.
Spartak Trnava are no new face for local teams and Hibernians in particular. In fact, they already met Hibernians three times apart from being drawn with another two Maltese clubs.
Hibernians and Spartak Trnava met for the first time in the first round of the Champions Cup in 1969 with the first leg at home ending in a 2-2 draw and a 4-0 win for Spartak away from home. In 2014, Hibs were drawn with Spartak Trnava in the UEFA Europa League, winning 4-2 in Malta and 5-0 at home. Two years later, the two teams met once again in the UEFA Europa League with Spartak winning both legs 3-0.
In 1997, Spartak were drawn with Birkirkara in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Cup, defeating the Stripes 1-0 away from home and 3-1 at home. On the other hand, in 2021, Spartak Trnava were drawn with Mosta in the UEFA Europa Conference League first qualifying round with Mosta winning the first leg 3-2 and Spartak winning 2-0 at home.
Being founded in 1923, Spartak Trnava are one of the most successful clubs in the country, having won the Slovak league once and the Slovak Cup nine times apart from winning the Czechoslovak championship five times and the Czechoslovak Cup on four occasions, and reaching the semi-final of the European Cup once and the quarter-final twice. More recently, the club won the Slovak league title in 2018 and Slovak cup in 2019 and in 2018/19, they reached the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.
Last season, Spartak Trnava placed third in the league, twenty points behind champions Slovan Bratislava and two behind runners-up MSK Zilina. However, they won the Slovak Cup after defeating Ruzeomberok 1-0.
This season, they entered the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round but after losing the first leg 0-1 at home, a goal in the 96th minute enabled BK Hacken to edge past Spartak Trnava for a 2-2 draw in the second leg in Sweden.
In recent years, they made it to the group stage of the UEFA Europa League in 2018/19 and the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023/24. Last year, they were eliminated from the UEFA Conference League third qualifying round by Wisla Krakow.
Meanwhile FC Ballkani will be visiting Malta for the second time after facing Hamrun Spartans in the UEFA Conference League last season. In Kosovo, the game ended in a goalless draw but Ballkani scored twice in the second leg at the Tony Bezzina Stadium to qualify for the third round.
FC Ballkani are based in Suhareka, Kosovo. The club, which was founded in 1947 as Rinia, made history in 2022 by qualifying for the group stages of the UEFA Europa Conference League; becoming the first ever side from Kosovo to reach the group stages of a UEFA club competition.
They won the Kosovar Superliga three times in the last three years, winning the double last season to also claim the Super Cup.
This is their fourth participation in European football. In 2022, they were eliminated from the UEFA Champions League by Zalgiris Vilnius but then they eliminated La Fiorita, KI Klaksvik and Shkupi to reach the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League and last year, they were eliminated by Ludogorets Razgrad in the UEFA Champions League but then eliminated Larne, Lincoln Red Imps and BATE Borisov in the UEFA Europa Conference League to make it to the group stage as well. Last year, they were eliminated by Larne on penalties in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.
Ballkani placed second in the Superliga of Kosovo last season, twelve points behind champions Drita.
Second qualifying round matches will be played on July 24 and 31.