NK Varaždin is preparing for a new edition of the UEFA Conference League, where they will play against FC Hradec Kralove. Last year, Varaždin's footballers drew Portuguese Santa Clara and were eliminated in the 2nd qualifying round. Nikola Šafarić, coach and sports director of NK Varaždin, says it will be a tough opponent. Certainly a worthy opponent, it won't be easy and we will definitely face a demanding opponent, says Šafarić. We need to analyze them well, as far as I'm informed, it's a club with a very wealthy owner and they constantly invest their money. This year, at least Varaždin doesn't have to travel far. It wasn't anything scary, Šafarić concluded. NK Varaždin finished last season in a historic third place in the SuperSport HNL. Now, Nikola Šafarić's team also faces respectable opponents. FC Hradec Kralove is the fourth-placed team in the Czech championship. Last season was their premiere in the 1st league and they immediately qualified for Europe, which shows how serious they are, says Šafarić. Varaždin starts their preparations on Monday, June 22.