Apollon ready to tackle Trabzonspor

Apollon Limassol FC will welcome Turkish opponents for the first time on matchday one in UEFA Europa League Group J, with Trabzonspor AŞ hoping to record a first victory on Cypriot soil at the third attempt.

Previous meetings
• The sides are meeting for the first time in UEFA competition and it is also Apollon's first meeting with Turkish opponents.

• Trabzonspor have had the edge in their four previous meetings with Cypriot sides, with the record W2 D1 L1 (W0 D1 L1 in Cyprus).

• Trabzonspor boss Mustafa Akçay was assistant to Şenol Güneş when the Turkish club were eliminated by Anorthosis Famagusta FC in 2005/06 UEFA Champions League qualifying.

• Fenerbahçe SK are the only other Turkish club to have faced Cypriot opposition. Last season, they secured home and away victories against Apollon's cross-town rivals AEL Limassol FC in the UEFA Europa League group stage. Apollon reserve goalkeeper Isli Hidi was on the bench for both games.

Match background
• Apollon are making their debut in a major UEFA group stage after eliminating OGC Nice in the play-offs.

• Apollon have won three of their last five home games in European competition, with AFC Ajax the only side to leave Cyprus with a victory in the course of those meetings, prevailing 3-0 in the 2001/02 UEFA Cup first round.

• Trabzonspor are making their debut in the UEFA Europa League group stage, though they played in the 2011/12 round of 32 after finishing third in their section in their maiden UEFA Champions League campaign.

• Trabzonspor are unbeaten in regular and extra time in eight European games (W5 D3), including victories in five of their six games in qualifying this season. They are on a run of three straight wins on their continental travels.

Team facts
• Trabzonspor's Paulo Henrique was the most prolific scorer in UEFA Europa League qualifying this season with seven goals in six games.

• Trabzonspor midfielder Florent Malouda has been to the GSP Stadium before, featuring in a 1-0 win for Chelsea FC at APOEL FC in the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League group stage. His Chelsea – and now Trabzonspor – team-mate José Bosingwa missed the match through suspension.

• Malouda and Apollon's Camel Meriem were briefly international team-mates for France in 2004.

• Apollon's Bertrand Robert is the brother of former Paris Saint-Germain FC and Newcastle United FC winger Laurent Robert, whose only international goal for France came against Turkey in a friendly back in 2000.

• Along with domestic double winners NK Maribor (Slovenia) and Legia Warszawa (Poland), Apollon are one of 11 cup winners in the group stage along with Wigan (England, FA Cup), Swansea City AFC (England, League Cup), AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands), FC Girondins de Bordeaux (France), KRC Genk (Belgium), SS Lazio (Italy), Vitória SC (Portugal) and Esbjerg fB (Denmark).

Coach information
• Appointed in March 2013, Christakis Christoforou led Apollon to Cypriot Cup glory in 2012/13 and is the first coach to lead the men's and women's branches of the same club in UEFA competition. A successful player with AEL Limassol FC and APOEL FC, he took charge of Apollon's women following a spell as Cyprus Under-17 coach, winning five successive doubles and reaching the UEFA Women’s Champions League round of 32 three times.

• Trabzonspor coach Mustafa Akçay spent several spells observing AFC Ajax at close hand during his education. He made his name by winning promotion to the second tier with TKİ Tavşanlı Linyitspor in 2009/10; their survival at that level the following season prompted Trabzonspor's feeder club 1461 Trabzon to take him on. Their third-placed finish in the same division last season earned the coach a move to Trabzonspor in summer 2013.