Red Star host Arsenal in the Europa League... Sportsmail's guide to the side that won the European Cup in 1991, produced Nemanja Vidic and have a Chelsea target up front

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Arsenal continue their Europa League campaign with a visit to Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night.

They are one of Eastern Europe's better-known teams but have been out of the eye of the majority of football fans across Europe for much of the past two decades.

Sportsmail takes a look at the team and provide a guide for fans who want to know a bit more about Arsenal's opponents...

Red Star Belgrade host Arsenal in the Europa League on Thursday night in Serbia

Who are they?

Red Star, or Crvena Zvezda, are the most successful side in the history of Serbian football. The club hail from capital city Belgrade, and currently sit atop the Serbian Super Liga ahead of local rivals Partizan. 

They have had success in Europe, previously winning the European Cup and reaching the semi-finals three times.

Really, they won the European Cup?

In 1991 Red Star beat Chris Waddle's famous Marseille side 5-3 on penalties to become only the second Eastern European team to win the competition. The star-studded team featured some big names. 

Ballon d'Or runner up Dejan Savicevic, Robert Prosinecki, European Golden Boot winner Darko Pancev and current Torino manager Sinisa Mihajlovic all played in the final.

The club won the European Cup in 1991 when they beat Marseille on penalties in Bari, Italy

I've not heard much about them since, what happened to them?

After winning Europe's most glamorous competition, the years that followed were not kind on Red Star. 

Almost all of the cup-winning side left to join Europe's elite, the country's sides were banned from entering European competitions until 1994, and civil war hampered progression back home.

Yugoslavia's slow separation of states saw the removal of big domestic rivals as new countries such as Croatia created their own leagues and left uncertainty over the future of Yugoslavian football. 

The club also played in a league that lost its European seeding despite all of their success, and struggled to become Champions League regulars through the qualification process.

That famous side saw the majority of their best players sold as the leagues in the east fell apart

What are they like now?

Although the European glory days are long gone, domestically Red Star are still giants of Serbian football. 

Top players such as Inter Milan's Dejan Stankovic and former Manchester United captain Nemanja Vidic have come through their ranks and gone on to win major club honours elsewhere. They were Super Liga runners-up last season and the side haven't finished below second place in the league since 2009. 

Their European form isn't so strong however, with this being their first group stage appearance since 2008.

Other famous players have come through Red Star, including Nemanja Vidic (centre)

Who do Arsenal need to watch out for? 

Aleksandar Pesic

Pesic is yet to score in the competition's group stage, but he did net the side's crucial away goal in the qualifiers against Krasnador. 

The Serbian international is the club's top scorer domestically with 6 goals in 11 games.

Aleksandar Pesic is a potential danger man as Red Star's top goalscorer in domestic action

Nenad Milijas

The captain and former Wolves player is currently in his third spell at the club, notching up over 170 appearances in the process. Milijas plays in the heart of midfield and will certainly make Arsenal players feel his presence.

Richmond Boakye

The Ghanaian scored a fantastic winner in the last round of fixtures against Koln. Once at Juventus, the highly-rated forward is interesting a number of British clubs, including former manager Antonio Conte's Chelsea.

Forward Richmond Boakye has been targeted by his former manager Antonio Conte at Chelsea

Who is their Manager?

Vladan Milojevic is their current boss - he joined at the beginning of this season. He has both played for and managed Red Star's youth and senior teams.

What can Arsenal fans expect?

Away fans travelling to the game can expect a hostile reception at Red Star's Rajko Mitic Stadium. 

The arena is known for its intimidating atmosphere and will host a ferocious 55,000 fans who are desperate to see their side back among Europe's big boys. 

The players will be in for a shock when they trade the plush Emirates changing rooms for a long daunting walk through the graffiti laden tunnel at the 'Marakana', a nickname given to the stadium due to its similarities to the famous Brazilian stadium.

Manager Vladan Milojevic became Red Star manager at the start of the current season