In the 2013–14 season, Maribor qualified to the group stages of the Europa League for the third consecutive year after losing to Viktoria Plzeň in the Champions League play-off stage. This time, the team earned seven points and progressed through the group stages for the first time after defeating Wigan Athletic 2–1 in the final matchday. In the Round of 32, they were eliminated by the future competition winner Sevilla with an aggregate score of 4–3. In the next season, Maribor qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stages for the second time in their history after eliminating Scottish club Celtic with an aggregate score of 2–1 in the play-offs. They were drawn into the Group G alongside Chelsea, Schalke 04, and Sporting CP, where they managed to obtain three points in six games after a draw and a defeat against each team.