The keys to the group stage door are in the hands of Stephen Glass as he stands on a step which has been out of reach for Aberdeen for 14 years.
It feels like an eternity since Darren Mackie’s £1million goal secured qualification at Dnipro for Jimmy Calderwood’s Dons.
Managers and players – well, with the exception of the evergreen Andy Considine – have come and gone since then. Tournaments have changed, too, with the old UEFA Cup replaced by the Europa League.
That was Aberdeen’s target throughout the Derek McInnes era, but the third qualifying round always seemed to be that immovable object when it came to Aberdeen.
His successor Glass has been given a new route via a new competition, the Conference League, and so far he has taken each step confidently.
BK Hacken and Breidablik may not be household names in Scotland but they were solid tests for Aberdeen. Undoubtedly, the biggest challenge now lies ahead for the new-look Dons with Azerbaijan side Qarabag the final obstacle to a group stage reward of £2.5m.
That’s the prize money on offer just for qualifying for the group stages of the new tournament; not shabby at all when you consider Rangers received £3.35m for winning the Premiership last season.
The group stages would offer more than just a seven-figure payday for the Dons, however. Further cash incentives lie ahead in the six guaranteed matches with every win worth £425,000, while even a draw earns the club £166,000.
You can imagine how chairman Dave Cormack is feeling right now. The last 18 months have been hugely challenging for football clubs and the Dons are no exception.
Covid has been a financial black hole for every club in Scotland and victory over Qarabag would go a long way to eating into the monetary hit which the Dons had to take on the chin.
Wow… one of the best atmospheres I’ve seen at the old lady. The whole Stadium led by the Red Shed was rocking… can we do that every game! While 15,000+ is one of the best home crowds in recent years we’ll review price brackets & aim to get 18,000 in for the playoff round. SF! https://t.co/jIjAuUXmAo
— Dave Cormack (@CormackDavie) August 13, 2021
Qarabag’s recent pedigree demands respect
But Glass knows Qarabag cannot be taken lightly. The Azerbaijani club has the distinction of being the first to represent its country in the group stages of the Champions League, having rubbed shoulders with Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Roma in 2017.
A daunting task in itself, but one which they took two points from in their six matches after holding Atletico to a draw at home and in Madrid.
The Qarabag class of 2021 may not be at the level it was four years ago, but make no mistake this still represents a major challenge for Aberdeen.
The draw for the playoff round has been kind to the Dons in respect that they could have drawn Tottenham Hotspur when the pots were drawn a couple of weeks ago.
Qarabag or AEL Limassol was the best chance of success when the options were reduced, but just because Aberdeen’s best case scenario has come true it does not make it any easier.
The final piece of good fortune comes from the fact the second leg will be at Pittodrie next week and it will be fascinating to see whether Glass curtails his natural instinct to set his team out on the front foot or aim to frustrate their opponents in Azerbaijan this week.
If Aberdeen are still in this tie, and there is no reason why they cannot get a result on the road on Thursday, then the stage is set for a thriller in front of a packed-out Pittodrie next week.
Here’s hoping the assembled cast can find a leading man to eclipse Mackie and truly usher in the Glass era in style.
