UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2016/17 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Olimp 2 - Rostov-on-Don Thursday 16 February 2017 19.00CET (21.00 local time) FC Rostov Round of 32, First leg AC Sparta Praha Last updated 28/02/2017 13:12CET Previous meetings 2 Match background 4 Team facts 6 Squad list 8 Fixtures and results 11 Match-by-match lineups 14 Match officials 17 Legend 18 1 FC Rostov - AC Sparta Praha Thursday 16 February 2017 - 19.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Olimp 2, Rostov-on-Don Previous meetings Head to Head No UEFA competition matches have been played between these two teams FC Rostov - Record versus clubs from opponents' country FC Rostov have not played against a club from their opponents' country AC Sparta Praha - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers 0-3 Mareček 51, Frýdek 25/02/2016 R32 FC Krasnodar - AC Sparta Praha Krasnodar agg: 0-4 57, Fatai 70 18/02/2016 R32 AC Sparta Praha - FC Krasnodar 1-0 Prague Juliš 64 UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Krejčí 6, Fatai 16; AC Sparta Praha - PFC CSKA 2-3 05/08/2015 QR3 Prague Musa 34, 51, Moskva agg: 4-5 Dzagoev 76 PFC CSKA Moskva - AC Sparta Dzagoev 14, Z. Tošić 28/07/2015 QR3 2-2 Khimki Praha 53; Fatai 15, Krejčí 57 UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers AC Sparta Praha - PFC CSKA V. Kadlec 44; 15/12/2010 GS 1-1 Prague Moskva Dzagoev 15 PFC CSKA Moskva - AC Sparta Doumbia 72, 86, 30/09/2010 GS 3-0 Moscow Praha González 84 (P) UEFA Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers AC Sparta Praha - FC Spartak 29/11/2007 GS 0-0 Prague Moskva UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Robson 4, FC Spartak Moskva - AC Sparta Beschastnykh 34; 23/10/2001 GS1 2-2 Moscow Praha Holub 29, Babnič 90+3 AC Sparta Praha - FC Spartak 10/10/2001 GS1 2-0 Prague Kincl 57, Sionko 88 Moskva 2 FC Rostov - AC Sparta Praha Thursday 16 February 2017 - 19.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Olimp 2, Rostov-on-Don UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Lokvenc 1, 66, Rosický 11, Fukal 49, AC Sparta Praha - FC Spartak 03/11/1999 GS1 5-2 Prague Labant 63 (P); Moskva Bulatov 34, Bezrodny 43 FC Spartak Moskva - AC Sparta Bezrodny 73; Lokvenc 21/09/1999 GS1 1-1 Moscow Praha 17 European Champions Clubs' Cup Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers FC Spartak Moskva - AC Sparta 2-0 Perepadenko 33, 03/10/1990 R1 Moscow Praha agg: 4-0 Ivanov 49 AC Sparta Praha - FC Spartak Shalimov 25, 19/09/1990 R1 0-2 Prague Moskva Chmarov 57 Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA FC Rostov 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 AC Sparta Praha 7 3 2 2 6 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 13 4 5 4 19 18 3 FC Rostov - AC Sparta Praha Thursday 16 February 2017 - 19.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Olimp 2, Rostov-on-Don Match background Sparta Praha will look to avoid the fate that befell Bayern München in Rostov's last European home game and avoid defeat in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League round of 32 tie. Previous meetings • The clubs are meeting for the first time, and this is Rostov's first encounter with Czech opponents. • Sparta's 13 UEFA fixtures against Russian teams have ended W4 D5 L4 (W1 D3 L2 in Russia). In the most recent of those games they beat Krasnodar 4-0 on aggregate in last season's UEFA Europa League round of 32. Form guide • Rostov have lost only one of their last six European home games (W2 D3 L1) – 1-0 to Atlético Madrid in this season's UEFA Champions League group stage. • Sparta's away record in Europe this term is W1 D1 L3; they have scored just two goals in the course of those five contests. • Rostov are making their first appearance in the spring phase of a European competition. This is the 11th game of their longest European campaign to date. • Sparta made it to the quarter-finals last season, losing to Villarreal. They have never reached a major UEFA final but got to the last four of the 1972/73 European Cup Winners' Cup. Links and trivia • The journey from Prague to Rostov is around 1,800km. • Rostov's Igor Kireev turns 25 the day after the first leg against Sparta. • Sparta forward David Lafata can make his 50th UEFA club competition appearance in this game. • Sparta's Bořek Dočkal tops the competition's assists rankings this season with six; he had a hand in three-quarters of his club's eight group stage goals. • Sparta boast Russian talent in the form of Under-21 international defender Vyacheslav Karavaev. The 21-year-old started out at home-town club CSKA Moskva but has spent the bulk of his career in the Czech Republic with Dukla Praha, Jablonec and – since last summer – Sparta. • The clubs have a couple of former players in common: Jan Holenda (Sparta 2004–10, Rostov 2012–14) and Martin Horák (Sparta 2002, Rostov 2005 and 2007). • Suspended: none. Misses next match if booked: Aleksandr Gatskan, Vladimir Granat (Rostov); Mario Holek, Lukáš Juliš, Václav Kadlec (Sparta). The coaches • Ivan Daniliants took over at Rostov in September 2016 having been on the club's coaching staff since December 2014. He played in his native Turkmenistan and Moldova, and was in charge of a number of Moldovan sides – and the national team – before joining Rostov. • Tomáš Požár was appointed Sparta coach during the winter break, with stand-in boss David Holoubek returning to his previous role as assistant coach. The 41-year-old Požar – once a defender with Sparta – had previously been the club's chief scout and sporting director. UEFA makes new donation of €100,000 to ICRC UEFA will mark a decade of helping Afghan landmine victims on Wednesday, when Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos presents a cheque for €100,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). "I would like to pay tribute to the ICRC, who have been working relentlessly to help landmine victims, many of whom are children. Their programme in Afghanistan, which has been in place for several years, shows that football can offer real hope in challenging times," said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin. "I am glad that UEFA can help this cause, and that the sport we love can have a positive impact on the rehabilitation process of so many people in this troubled region," he added. The donation supports the ICRC's physical rehabilitation programme for landmine victims and other people with disabilities in Afghanistan – providing artificial limbs, physiotherapy, vocational training and access to the rehabilitation centre's football team. About a third of patients are children. Sergio Ramos will present the donation before his side's UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match against Napoli at the Santiago Bernabéu in Madrid on 15 February. 4 FC Rostov - AC Sparta Praha Thursday 16 February 2017 - 19.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Olimp 2, Rostov-on-Don "The people benefiting from the ICRC programme in Afghanistan are an inspiration to us, as they set an example of how to approach life in a positive manner despite the problems that they face," the Real Madrid captain said. Sergio Ramos was chosen to hand over the cheque after receiving the most votes in UEFA.com's Team of the Year, which was published in January, and added that it is "a privilege" to be "a source of motivation" to so many people. "They don't stop dreaming, and they fight to make their dreams come true. As key figures in this sport, it's a true privilege for us footballers to be a source of motivation in their day-to-day lives, and to help them out," he said. Over the course of a partnership lasting almost 20 years, UEFA has donated in excess of €3.5m to the ICRC to help disadvantaged people around the globe. Meanwhile, over 7 million votes were cast in selecting the UEFA.com users' Team of the Year 2016. More information on the award is available online at en.toty.uefa.com. 5 FC Rostov - AC Sparta Praha Thursday 16 February 2017 - 19.00CET (21.00 local time) Match press kit Olimp 2, Rostov-on-Don Team facts FC Rostov Formed: 1930 Nickname: Zholto-Sinie (Yellow-Blues) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • None Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) Russian Cup: 1 (2014) Ten-year European record (UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League unless indicated otherwise) 2015/16: did not take part in UEFA competition 2014/15: play-offs 2013/14: did not take part in UEFA competition 2012/13: did not take part in UEFA competition 2011/12: did not take part in UEFA competition 2010/11: did not take part in UEFA competition 2009/10: did not take part in UEFA competition 2008/09: did not take part in UEFA competition 2007/08: did not take part in UEFA competition 2006/07: did not take part in UEFA competition Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 4-1: Rostov v Ajax 24/08/16, UEFA Champions League play-off second leg • Biggest away win 0-2: Anderlecht v Rostov 03/08/16, UEFA Champions League third qualifying round second leg • Heaviest home defeat 0-4: Rostov v Juventus 28/07/99, UEFA Intertoto Cup semi-final first leg • Heaviest away defeat 5-0: Bayern München v Rostov 13/09/16, UEFA Champions League group stage UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League • Biggest home win N/A • Biggest away win N/A • Heaviest home defeat N/A • Heaviest away defeat 2-0: Trabzonzpor v Rostov 21/08/14, UEFA Europa League play-offs first leg AC Sparta Praha Formed: 1893 Nickname: Železná Sparta (Iron Sparta) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • none Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 36 (2014) Czech Cups: 20 (2014) Ten-year European record (UEFA