The Dons departed for Macedonia this morning ahead of Thursday night's UEFA Europa League 1st Qualifying Round tie with KF Shkendija in Skopje.
Derek McInnes spoke with RedTV moments before setting off for the Macedonian capital:
“For a few of the boys it’s their first experience of European football but no matter how many European games you have been involved in you are always excited. Sometimes going into the unknown and something different makes that excitement for supporters and players alike.
“We are certainly looking forward to the game and we want to do well in European competition this year. We know a lot more about them now than we did when the draw was made but ultimately regardless of any opposition it is about what we do that will determine whether we qualify for the next round. I feel confident and that we are ready for that challenge.
“It’s always difficult to gauge exactly where the opposition are but they are obviously a team who have got a lot of ambition and financially they have invested adding a couple of players to the squad that did well for them last season. We have got work to do to get through the tie and we will need two very strong performances.
“We have had 3 games now including a closed door game and two other matches, the toughest one being the last one against St Johnstone and I feel that the players are physically in good condition but until the first game starts you are never totally sure. We have got everybody fit and available and we have got a good squad of players, we can take confidence from last season’s efforts both in Europe and domestically and we look forward to the challenge.
“We were out of European competition for too long at a club where European football was a given, the supporters look forward to it and we have got to try and make it a good experience like it was last year. We are not here for a jolly or for a holiday we are here to work hard to try and progress the club into the next round.
“We don’t want to get too ahead of ourselves, I am reluctant to even speak about the next round but the aim is always to do as well as we can in every competition and the group stage is something that we try and work towards but to do that you need to be a bit lucky in the draws and deliver some strong performances. The draw hasn’t been too kind to us this time round and there is a tough one awaiting the winner of this round. Hopefully we can grow into the tournament as we go along, I am sure a month from now we will be better again.
“Kenny (McLean) trained yesterday and we have got a strong squad over with us, we will try and pick the right team to get the right result then see where we are when we get back. Hopefully we are talking about good performances and a good strong team performance.”
RedTV Coverage
As the team head into Macedonia, RedTV will be with them as they prepare for the first competitive game of the season. The RedTV team will endeavour to keep you up to date with the latest from the Dons camp including the pre-match preview on Wednesday evening.
On matchday we'll have live & biased audio commentary from the Macedonian capital with Dave Macdermid and Russell Anderson – our coverage gets underway at 7.55pm (BST).
We are also delighted to confirm that RedTV International viewers can watch the game live with commentary from Dave & Russell.
Our colleagues at Premier Sports will be showing the game live on TV within Great Britain & Ireland- please click here for details of their special offer for Aberdeen fans in advance of the game.
Find out more about RedTV's coverage.
Ticket Details
KF Shkendija visit Pittodrie for the return leg on Thursday 9th July. Season ticket holders have until 5pm on Thursday 2nd July to keep their seat for the match. View ticket information for that match now.
KF Shkendija visit Pittodrie for the return leg on Thursday 9th July. Season ticket holders have until 5pm on Thursday 2nd July to keep their seat for the match. View ticket information for that match now.
