Rakow won the Polish league title in 2022/23 and in the last five years they have also secured three second-place finishes in the Ekstraklasa.

They have only met Italian opposition once before: in 2023/24 they were drawn in the same Europa League group as Atalanta, losing both in Bergamo (2-0) and at home (4-0).

Rakow's most famous player is also a familiar face at Fiorentina: Jakub Blaszczykowski. The midfielder was born in Truskolasy, a village of 2,000 inhabitants not far from Czestochowa, which is where he first started playing football. Kuba joined Rakow with his brother at the age of eight. In 2005 he joined Wisla Krakow before spending eight years at Borussia Dortmund. In 2015/16 he made the move to Florence, making 20 appearances with two goals and three assists in all competitions.

Jerzy Brzeczek is Jakub's uncle and was born in the same village as his nephew. He played for and coached Rakow and later became Poland head coach in 2018.

In the current team, Norwegian striker Jonatan Braut Brunes – cousin of Erling Haaland – has caught the eye this season with 20 goals. 

Former Verona defender Pawel Dawidowicz is also in the squad, as is Fran Tudor, the nephew of former Juventus defender and current Tottenham coach Igor.