John McIver said the journey to Leiria was “a very long day” after flying from Newcastle to Paris, then to Lisbon, before using a hire car to reach the match. Matthew Keeling drove to Liverpool, flew to Porto and then took a two-hour bus ride to the game. Sunderland are there for their first competitive match on mainland Europe in 53 years, and the trip has become part of the story before a ball is kicked.
Leiria adds to the scale of the trip
The match against Torreense is being played in Leiria, about 66 miles, or 106km, away because the host's ground is too small. That has pushed supporters across multiple routes into north-west Portugal, with thousands making the trip for the fixture.
McIver said: “Nothing compares to it really - not even cup finals.” He also called it “the biggest thing” and added: “It might never come around again.” Matthew Keeling said: “Hopefully we do all right and we can have a few more after Christmas and extend it.”
Sunderland's league form explains why the European trip feels so different. They have taken 4 points from their first 6 Premier League matches and sit 17th, while they are 15th in the Europa League with 3 points from 1 match. The football matters, but the travel is what supporters will remember from this one, and the return journey back from Leiria will be just as long as the way in.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
