Jimmy Thelin ready for Aberdeen Europa League challenge as he lifts lid on Arne Slot showdown.

The Dons will discover their Europa League opponents in Monday’s draw.

Aberdeen manager Jimmy Thelin is looking for another position among Europe’s top managers. The Dons will participate in the Europa League play-off draw on Monday. Aberdeen’s options will be narrowed down before then, but he could face Panathinaikos, PAOK, Young Boys, Ferencvaros, Copenhagen, Legia Warsaw, or Midtjylland.

The Swede responded, “I haven’t looked at it yet; let’s see. It’s impossible to say who it will be, but it will be exciting to find out after the Hearts game who we’ll be playing against. Thelin is no stranger to this type of arena; he previously led Elfsborg to the group stages.

It also gave him the opportunity to face off against Liverpool manager Arne Slot, who was at Feyenoord at the time. Elfsborg won 3-1 at home in 2020, but lost the second leg of the Europa Conference League 5-0 in the Netherlands to the eventual finalists, Roma, who won the trophy. Thelin recalled, “They (Feyenoord) were at their peak.” They went to two consecutive finals.

They were very effective against us. We made some mistakes away from home, but they returned with the same team. “We won 3-1, and we were so close to leading 3-0 from a corner. We hit the post and then the transition after they scored to make it 2-1, so the game died a little bit after that.

“But, once again, the opportunity for players to play in major games is critical. “That is how you develop.” It was Thelin’s main goal to get Aberdeen back into Europe.

He said, “That’s the thing; you always want to improve and be that team that plays in Europe. “Of course, that was one of our main goals last season, and it will be the same this season. “But now we have to compete in this European game, so we’re just glad to be there and proud of our team from last season. “Now we have to focus on this season and try to do it again.”

To meet the criteria, Thelin will have to make some decisions, including leaving out some of his senior players. “Let’s see how the squad looks during this time,” Thelin declared. “We’ll keep working and see. If it happens, it will be like that. We’ll always try to think about the big picture. “We’ve got four competitions. We have the two cups, followed by the league, and finally Europe. Everyone will play an important role, but someone may have to leave the squad.”

Aberdeen last reached the group stage two years ago, which had an impact on their domestic form and cost Barry Robson his job. Thelin understands how important it is for his team to compete on every level. He stated, “It’s also to be competitive against other teams in Europe, but then come home and maintain your passion for the fantastic league you play in and understand these demands all the time.

“The difficulty is the highlight; it’s just more of an experience from constantly playing games. You do not need to train; it is suitable for everyone. It’s just playing games; that’s all you want to do.”

Aberdeen start their Premiership push away toHearts tomorrow evening. Thelin is confident his team is prepared to go.

Thelin added, “When you have a pre-season, you have to be ready.” You are as good as you are at the start of the season, and hopefully you will improve and grow throughout the season. “We are prepared for an exciting game away to Hearts in front of our away fans.

The atmosphere will be positive, and it is a competitive game, so there will be many advantages. We’re ready for this game.”

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