Aberdeen boss Barry Robson believes new coach Peter Leven’s European experience will be vital in the upcoming campaign.
The Dons are guaranteed European group stage action until at least mid-December.
Leven was recently appointed to Robson’s backroom staff as first-team coach, taking on the role vacated by Liam Fox.
Leven, 39 has experience of management and coaching overseas and also in European competitions.
He was Lee McCulloch’s assistant at Kilmarnock for two seasons before a successful two-year spell at Belarusian Premier League side Dynamo Brest.
Leven was a key part of the Dynamo Brest management team who won the 2019 league title and two Belarusian Super Cups.
With Marcel Licka manager and Leven as No.2, Dynamo Brest reached the Uefa Champions League qualifiers.
Dynamo Brest beat Astana 6-3 (Kazakhstan) and FK Sarajevo 2-1 (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
However, they narrowly lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-0 (Israel) in the third qualifying round to miss out on the group stages.
Leven teamed up with Licka again at Russian club FC Orenburg in 2021.
The duo helped guide the team to immediate promotion to the Russian top-flight via the play-offs.
Robson believes that Continental experience will be vital as Aberdeen compete in the Euro groups for the first time since the Uefa Cup in 2007.
He said: “We are going to be playing in Europe, which is a big thing, and Peter is really experienced there.
“He has worked in some tough leagues in Europe.
“Peter also has great contacts all over Europe, which will be really beneficial as we prepare for the challenges ahead this season.”
‘Peter is a perfect fit all round’
Aberdeen will begin their European campaign in the Europa League play-offs on Thursday, August 24.
Should the Dons win that play-off, they will qualify for the Europa League group stages.
If Aberdeen lose the play-off, they will drop down into the group stages of the Conference League.
Aberdeen will discover their play-off opponents when the draw is made on Monday, August 7.
During his playing career, Leven starred for Kilmarnock for seven years before moving to England.
He then played for MK Dons, Chesterfield and Oxford before a long-term knee injury forced him into early retirement at just 29.
Leven then took on an Academy post with Middlesbrough before returning to Kilmarnock to be Lee McCulloch’s assistant for two years.
It was after that spell at Kilmarnock that Leven’s overseas adventure in Belarus and Russia began.
Robson insists Leven will also be key to helping rising stars progress from the academy into the first team.
He said: “Peter worked at all levels and knows how to work with the younger players.
“The link that we want to put in there, he knows that inside out as well.
“Peter is a perfect fit all round.
“That’s the important role he has got and 70 percent of that will be with the first team.
“He has also got the development squad coming through who need to be visible to me and Steve (Agnew, assistant manager).
“He is the one that will do that as well.
“It is an important job at the football club.”
Leven’s in-depth analysis impressed
Leven was drafted in to assist Robson and No. 2 Steve Agnew, replacing Fox who is now at Hearts as their B team head coach.
In a summer of change at Pittodrie, Robson has also signed six new players.
Captain Graeme Shinnie, Leighton Clarkson, Nicky Devlin, Ester Sokler and Ross Doohan have all been secured on permanent deals.
Liverpool defender Rhys Williams has also arrived on a season-long loan from the six-time European champions.
Aberdeen hope to complete more signings soon with pre-season training ramping up with friendly matches set to start this week.
Robson said: ”I was on a pro-licence four or five years ago and I remember Peter taking a training session and he impressed me right away.
“That always stuck in my mind.
“He had a good voice, was enthusiastic and is very bright in the game.
“I spoke to him a few times and over the last couple of weeks I had him up to Cormack Park.
“Peter gave me an in-depth analysis of how he works and what he does.
“It was quite close to how I saw things.”
Leven will ‘challenge’ boss Robson
Leven was at the recent week-long warm weather training camp in Portugal.
The Dons are now back in the Granite City and are set to face Highland League Turriff United away on Wednesday evening.
Robson insists Leven is a coach who will “challenge” him.
He said: “Peter is a top quality coach and a good guy who has fitted into the culture right away.
“He is very experienced being manager, assistant manager he has done it all.
“It is people like that I like round about to challenge me.”