Ten claims to fame: Celta Vigo

Competing in Europe for the first time since 2006/07, Celta Vigo have made it all the way to their first-ever semi-final. UEFA.com provides a full rundown on Manchester United's opponents.

Formed: 1923
Nickname: Os Celestes (The Sky Blues)

UEFA club competition honours
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2000

Domestic honours
• none

Celta accounted for Liverpool in the 1998/99 UEFA Cup©Getty Images

• Under Víctor Fernández, Celta qualified for the UEFA Cup quarter-finals every season between 1998/99 and 2000/01. They beat Liverpool home and away in the first of those campaigns and hammered Benfica (7-0h) and Juventus (4-0h) in the second. In their sole UEFA Champions League foray, in 2003/04, the Galician club enjoyed a memorable 2-1 triumph over holders AC Milan at San Siro.

• Fernández was appointed by Celta in 1998 on the back of leading Real Zaragoza to UEFA Cup Winners' Cup glory. In addition to their above-mentioned UEFA Cup exploits, Celta finished in the top seven of the Liga in all four of Fernández's campaigns. The coach also steered the Balaídos outfit to their most recent Copa del Rey final, in 2001.

• Aleksandr Mostovoi graced Celta's midfield for eight seasons, leaving in 2004, and to many supporters remains their greatest ever player. The Russia playmaker, affectionately known as 'El Tsar', was the architect of the golden era under Fernández, giving them a real sense of swagger.

Celta's talisman, Iago Aspas©AFP/Getty Images

• Local boy Iago Aspas rekindled his Celta love affair after returning in summer 2015 following solitary seasons with Liverpool and Sevilla. The forward, who first joined the club aged eight, had scored twice on his debut in June 2009, saving Celta from relegation to Spain's third tier. He spearheaded their march back to the top flight in 2011/12 with 23 Segunda División goals.

• Celta have one of Spain's most respected academies. Until the turn of the century its most famous graduate was Míchel Salgado, but relegation in 2004 proved a blessing in disguise as the cash-strapped outfit had little option but to turn to youth. Goalkeeper Sergio Álvarez, Mallo (the youngest captain in the Liga at 25), left-back Jonny and Aspas are just some of the alumni that have flourished.

• Ten claims to fame: Krasnodar, Celta's round of 16 opponents

• It was at Celta that midfield anchorman Claude Makélélé matured into the player who would become a bedrock for success at Real Madrid and Chelsea. He formed a reliable partnership with Brazilian Mazinho, allowing the more creative Mostovoi and Valeri Karpin to roam free.

• Celta have reached the most Copa del Rey finals – three – without actually winning the trophy, losing to Sevilla in 1948 and to Zaragoza in 1994 and 2001.

• Locally-born forward Manuel Hermida Losada, better known as Hermidita, is the club's top scorer, plundering 107 goals in 170 games between 1945 and 1955. His ferocious right foot and deadly presence in the area inevitably led to interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid, but Celta refused to let their star man go.

• Celta have beaten the likes of Panathinaikos, Shakhtar Donetsk, Krasnodar and Genk en route to the last four.

• Karpin, who marauded up and down Celta's right flank for five years, is known for his varied off-the-field interests. Since retiring he has set up a property business with Salgado and briefly oversaw a professional road cycling team called Karpin Galicia. He has also tried his hand at management, coaching Spartak Moskva and FC Armavir in Russia as well as Mallorca. He now works in broadcasting and is the editor of Russian sports channel Match TV.