LoI in Europe 2024

[pineapple stu]

They'll all be on the unseeded side.

[sbgawa]

Fair enough , I thought our coefficient was higher than some of those. Must be a pathway issue I guess. Or I'm just wrong completely which is 100% possible :)

[Acornvilla]

Fair enough , I thought our coefficient was higher than some of those. Must be a pathway issue I guess. Or I'm just wrong completely which is 100% possible :)
Every time I think I understand this stuff I pretty quickly find out I have no idea either :D

[pateen]

Anyone know when the next round dates and times released?

[nigel-harps1954]

Anyone know when the next round dates and times released?

Next week again. 8th Aug first leg

[EatYerGreens]

Yeah, it was in Budapest.

Maccabi Haifa v Sabah was played in a town near the Hungary-Ukraine border (Kisvárda). It's 300km from Budapest.

The stadium hosts a club from Hugary's 2nd/Eastern (regionalised) division.

There is a big Jewsih population in Budapest (from memory about 10% of the population), so if it had been played there they would have had a lot more at the game.

[ger121]

The way it works is that the lower of the 2 coefficients is used for the 2 sides in ELQ3. Unfortunately, Celje’s is 4.500. While CLQ3 uses the higher coefficient of the 2 sides. I think Rovers are ranked 2nd of the unseeded sides. Bizarrely you would have wanted Bratislava to lose to Celine and then yours would have been the lower of the 2 coefficients and have you on the seeded side. Your hope now is some of the ‘weaker’ teams win those ties to leave you facing somewhat better opposition. You could draw Vikingur again too. I fancy them to beat Flora.

I can never get photos to upload from my phone but here is a link on Twitter

https://x.com/fmeetsdata/status/1819125173133423074?s=46

[pateen]

Looks like Zurich brought over a couple of hundred.
Much banter beforehand or was it a case of leave them to themselves?

[ger121]

Looks like Zurich brought over a couple of hundred.
Much banter beforehand or was it a case of leave them to themselves?

Pretty neutral I heard.

[Jack B]

Was a great time in Lichtenstein, bit of a weird game where Pats were essentially seeing out the tie until each time they scored, where we then switched on and almost immediately equalised. Romal Palmer was great again, doubt we'll hold onto him but would be delighted if it were to happen.

One of the highlights was a couple of Vaduz "fans" in the Pats end, supporting Pats, because they've apparently given up on Vaduz after we beat them last week

[EatYerGreens]

One of the highlights was a couple of Vaduz "fans" in the Pats end, supporting Pats, because they've apparently given up on Vaduz after we beat them last week

They'll be switching teams again when they hear how yees did in the cup :p

[pateen]

Was a great time in Lichtenstein, bit of a weird game where Pats were essentially seeing out the tie until each time they scored, where we then switched on and almost immediately equalised. Romal Palmer was great again, doubt we'll hold onto him but would be delighted if it were to happen.

One of the highlights was a couple of Vaduz "fans" in the Pats end, supporting Pats, because they've apparently given up on Vaduz after we beat them last week

Looked like pints galore in the stand as well

[TonyD]

Looked like pints galore in the stand as well

There were indeed. The amount of fans coming back with trays of drink was something to behold. Have no interest in drinking during a game myself. Was a great atmosphere in the away end. Got a bit worried both times they scored, but luckily enough we responded fairly promptly both times. Tie was really on a knife edge after the second goal. One more for them and we were headed for extra time. Once Palmer scored we pretty much knew that it was done, but still didn’t stop the last few minutes being a bit hairy at times. They had an effort right at the end which I’m still not sure whether Anang got a hand to, or whether it just hit the bar. Haven’t seen it back

Flew back on the same flight as the team this morning, just about made the flight after all the trains to the airport were called off (someone said something about a fire !) Managed to blag a taxi, but they were hard to find too. No buses from the train station to the airport, oddly enough. We were talking to two lads who were heading back into the station just before we got a taxi. I’d be amazed if they didn’t miss the flight.

[Jack B]

They'll be switching teams again when they hear how yees did in the cup :p

Come to think of it, if they were aware of how we performed against Derry only to then get beaten by us then I can see their motivation.

[2 Year Contract]

Still recovering from last night. Always a special trip when you see your team pick up a result away in Europe and even more so when there’s a sizeable away crowd. Spent time in both Zurich and Vaduz, both are absolutely beautiful parts of the world. Haven’t seen it back but I thought the peno looked harsh in real time, though despite it being at the Pats end, nothing I saw last night can be taken for certainty given the beer goggles. Really pleased with how the team reacted to all 3 Vaduz goals in the tie, killed their momentum with a goal in quick response each time

[Guitd]

https://t.co/R9IslD7nFZ
St pats trying to make there own league fixtures

[TonyD]

https://t.co/R9IslD7nFZ
St pats trying to make there own league fixtures

No, they’re making a perfectly legitimate request, which they are entitled to do. I expect the FAI to turn it down, but given the travel involved I don’t see the harm in asking. Of course Galway are not going to agree, but don’t tell me they wouldn’t be saying the same thing if the positions were reversed.

[D24Saint]

No, they’re making a perfectly legitimate request, which they are entitled to do. I expect the FAI to turn it down, but given the travel involved I don’t see the harm in asking. Of course Galway are not going to agree, but don’t tell me they wouldn’t be saying the same thing if the positions were reversed.

Some of the stuff online is unreal tonight. I’ve heard Dublin bias theories to the ref throwing the game to fix the game. On this one Pats are entitled to ask the FAI the FAI and Galway are entitled to reject the request.

[placid casual]

No, they’re making a perfectly legitimate request, which they are entitled to do. I expect the FAI to turn it down, but given the travel involved I don’t see the harm in asking. Of course Galway are not going to agree, but don’t tell me they wouldn’t be saying the same thing if the positions were reversed.
The legitimacy,or otherwise,is negated by the fact that no other LOI club in Europe has asked for this dispensation.
Christ knows,the pats squad is now big enough to deal with the Thursday - Sunday schedule.

[2 Year Contract]

The legitimacy,or otherwise,is negated by the fact that no other LOI club in Europe has asked for this dispensation.
Christ knows,the pats squad is now big enough to deal with the Thursday - Sunday schedule.

Seems to be the fact that they’re travelling to Azerbaijan tbf. Pats didn’t look to have yesterdays game postponed for example

[pineapple stu]

The legitimacy,or otherwise,is negated by the fact that no other LOI club in Europe has asked for this dispensation.
Christ knows,the pats squad is now big enough to deal with the Thursday - Sunday schedule.
Whether other clubs ask is irrelevant to the legitimacy of the request surely?

I do think it's a bit minnowist that LoI clubs feel they can't play a European and a league game in the same week - and then turn in dreadful performances against clubs from Iceland or Gibraltar despite all the advantages they're given - but it's been asked for before. UCD asked for and got a postponement in 2015 when we got through to the second round for example.

[Nesta99]

I've always wondered how sports teams in the US can travel North America and play multiple games over a couple of weeks in play-off season especially. It may be comparing apples with pears, and there is scale and resources to consider, but how much of this thing about x number o games in y time is a cultural thing in soccer. It crops up in GAA and Rigby occasionally but to a much lesser extent and both sports are tougher physically on the body. Take Six Nations, run over about a month, squeezed between doestic and European comps, where the sport is full of 15-20stone lads crashing in to each other at full pelt for 80 minutes.

There is need to consider palyer loading and wanting to be fresh after travel but is it that finely tuned? Iirc Dundalk tended to be better when there were a lot of games between Europe and league/cup and looked stale when they had even a week off, even the 2016 cup final, played 3 days after a European game I think, and was only lost last kick of the game in ET. Squads are for handling and managing game time surely.

[nigel-harps1954]

Malmo or PAOK for Shamrock Rovers if they get past Celje

[ger121]

Malmo or PAOK for Shamrock Rovers if they get past Celje

Hard to call who will be the loser from that tie. Malmo have been decent but lost the away leg to KI.An out of season PAOK stuttered in the home leg against Borac but won away in the 2nd leg.

I know it might all be irrelevant, but worth discussing while it still is a possibility.

[brendy_éire]

Seems to be the fact that they’re travelling to Azerbaijan tbf. Pats didn’t look to have yesterdays game postponed for example

So what? It's a six hour flight. Derry will spend as long on the bus today visiting Tolka.

Kenny is complaining about an early flight from Dublin on Monday morning. That's Pat's call. They could have flown in the afternoon, or even directly from Shannon after the Galway match. Or they could leave on the Tuesday, or even Wednesday. These are all choices they've made themselves.
And "hanging around in Turkey". It's a only refueling stop.
Derry played in Kazakhstan on a Thursday last year, and then played against Drogs on the Sunday, by way of comparison. And that's a longer flight with two stops on the way.

Yes, he can ask for the postponement, but there's no need for the sob story and trying to make it out to be a bigger deal that it is.

[yurt]

If Pat's are to end up drawing Chelsea doesn't fill me with the huge fear that it would have a couple years ago. Seeing them being involved in 2 finals where they would have brought 20k+ fans it gives me some hope that a fixture against a premier league team might not be the embarrassment we've seen with English sides being the home teams in games in Ireland.

I wonder if the Aviva would be looked at as an option. Could easily see them selling it out or having 40K+ at least. Could be a lot of money to be made regardless of how blue the stadium may end of being.

[EatYerGreens]

Take Six Nations, run over about a month, squeezed between doestic and European comps, where the sport is full of 15-20stone lads crashing in to each other at full pelt for 80 minutes.

The Six Nations is run over about 6 weeks, with a 2 weeks gap in the middle (and seems to start earlier every year). Plus the players on international duty generally don't play the club game in-between.

[joey B]

Possible opponents for Pats:

1. Chelsea FC (ENG)
2. FC Iberia 1999 Tbilisi (GEO) / ?stanbul Ba?ak?ehir (TUR)
3. FK Mladá Boleslav (CZE) / Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC (ISR)
4. Ilves Tampere (FIN) / Djurgården (SWE)
5. Molde FK (NOR) / Cercle Brugge KSV (BEL)

[ger121]

Pyunik or Ordabasy for Rovers if they lose in ELQ3.

[sbgawa]

What an awful draw for rovers Kazakhstan or Armenia. Cost a packet either way for charter

[legendz]

Malmo or PAOK for Shamrock Rovers if they get past Celje
Are Shamrock Rovers over bothered about making the Europa League over the Conference League? A few years back at the EL playoff stage, they didn't seem over concerned.

[pineapple stu]

Pyunik or Ordabasy for Rovers if they lose in ELQ3.

Ouchie. That might be the toughest tie as well as the least attractive financially?

[ger121]

What an awful draw for rovers Kazakhstan or Armenia. Cost a packet either way for charter

Pyunik won their tie with a very late goal in the 2nd leg against Struga, after losing the 1st leg.

Ordabasy won on penalties vs Differdange. They also lost first leg away in Luxembourg. Seen the highlights of that game and they looked ordinary enough.

Pyunik well beaten by Slovan 6-3 in CLQ1. Ordabasy lost 1-0 agg to Petrocub.

Both clubs would be another bit down from Celje but if I was picking one to face I’d be leaning towards Pyunik.

[nigel-harps1954]

Either Iberia Tbilisi or Istabul Basaksehir if Pats can manage to beat Sabah. Another long trip if they do it. Almost certain to be Turkey, you'd think.

[ger121]

Ouchie. That might be the toughest tie as well as the least attractive financially?

I personally thought 3 of the ties were tougher. Petrocub, Ballkani and HJK in that order. Unless of course the non-seeded sides win but unlikely. Petrocub of all the unseeded sides in CLQ2 did the best and ran APOEL very close. Ballkani and HJK despite surprise losses in CLQ1 have decent European pedigree and plenty of recent group stage experience. The easiest one on paper was probably Vikingur or Flora and maybe more so if the Estonians win that tie.

[ger121]

Either Iberia Tbilisi or Istabul Basaksehir if Pats can manage to beat Sabah. Another long trip if they do it. Almost certain to be Turkey, you'd think.

Could have been a lot worse.

[ger121]

I personally thought 3 of the ties were tougher. Petrocub, Ballkani and HJK in that order. Unless of course the non-seeded sides win but unlikely. Petrocub of all the unseeded sides in CLQ2 did the best and ran APOEL very close. Ballkani and HJK despite surprise losses in CLQ1 have decent European pedigree and plenty of recent group stage experience. The easiest one on paper was probably Vikingur or Flora and maybe more so if the Estonians win that tie.

I actually forgot that you would draw the loser of Petrocub and TNS. That really was the one to get then.

The set-up of the Conference League draw means that Vikingur need to win 2 more ties vs Estonian and probably Andorran opposition to make the group stage, while Rovers while having two bites of the cherry have Celje and either Pyunik or Ordabasy.

[EatYerGreens]

Are Shamrock Rovers over bothered about making the Europa League over the Conference League? A few years back at the EL playoff stage, they didn't seem over concerned.

Is there not more money in the EL route?

[nigel-harps1954]

Is there not more money in the EL route?

€700k more for getting to Europa League group stage.

€130k extra for winning a match in EL group stage versus ECL

€50k extra for a draw in EL group stage

[sbgawa]

It's an interesting question.
You get 700k more for qualifying but uou very probably got more of a chance of a win and extra money in the conference. Tbh we need groups of any description

[nigel-harps1954]

It's an interesting question.
You get 700k more for qualifying but uou very probably got more of a chance of a win and extra money in the conference. Tbh we need groups of any description

Finish 3rd in the Europa League group and you get into ECL knockout round.

[RealJohn91]

Finish 3rd in the Europa League group and you get into ECL knockout round.
That's not the case anymore. With the change in format to a single league there's no backdoor into the Conference League. There's two extra games in the Europa League version compared to the Conference now so that's extra revenue for whoever gets there.

[Acornvilla]

Maybe with the new format a LOI club could conceivably get a result or two in the Europa league, where as before they'd be bottom seed only and playing some pretty strong clubs. For that reason I'd lean conference league, but we'll need to actually see the new format play out first and see

[EatYerGreens]

It's an interesting question.
You get 700k more for qualifying but uou very probably got more of a chance of a win and extra money in the conference. Tbh we need groups of any description

Well at €130k extra per win, and €700k more just for qualifying, you'd have to be doing extremely well in the Conference Group stages to be better off financially than in the Europa groups. Which seems extremely unlikely for Irish clubs.

[pateen]

So what? It's a six hour flight. Derry will spend as long on the bus today visiting Tolka.

Kenny is complaining about an early flight from Dublin on Monday morning. That's Pat's call. They could have flown in the afternoon, or even directly from Shannon after the Galway match. Or they could leave on the Tuesday, or even Wednesday. These are all choices they've made themselves.
And "hanging around in Turkey". It's a only refueling stop.
Derry played in Kazakhstan on a Thursday last year, and then played against Drogs on the Sunday, by way of comparison. And that's a longer flight with two stops on the way.

Yes, he can ask for the postponement, but there's no need for the sob story and trying to make it out to be a bigger deal that it is.

I'd say ye should ask a mechanic to take a look at that bus there Bendy

[sbgawa]

Kenny has always been a whinger this isnjust par for the course for him. Galway are 100% right to say no. Pats are a potential rival for a European place. This level of whinging from Kenny shows he is under pressure to make Europe. Not sacking type pressure but just living up to expectations of owner type pressure

[EalingGreen]

I've always wondered how sports teams in the US can travel North America and play multiple games over a couple of weeks in play-off season especially. It may be comparing apples with pears, and there is scale and resources to consider, but how much of this thing about x number o games in y time is a cultural thing in soccer. It crops up in GAA and Rigby occasionally but to a much lesser extent and both sports are tougher physically on the body. Take Six Nations, run over about a month, squeezed between doestic and European comps, where the sport is full of 15-20stone lads crashing in to each other at full pelt for 80 minutes.
Not so sure about the schedules in USA.
For NFL at least, the regular season consists of just 17 games. Thereafter those teams which make the play-offs play 3 more games (max) to make the Superbowl. And remember, with all the stoppages etc, it generally takes them 3 hours to complete a 60 minute game (good for sales of beer and hotdogs, mind!) While I'm not aware of any equivalent to Cup games, whether domestic or Continental. Plus the teams are divided geographically into two Conferences.
Major League Baseball teams do play tons of matches, but there's nowhere near the same physical demands on them. Ditto Basketball (obv).
The NHL guys do play loads of games, mind - it's a helluva tough game, but I'm not sure how they cope?

Meanwhile, I can't comment on the demands which GAA games make on their participants, but Rugby, while an incredibly tough sport, is not quite as you describe it (imo). For one thing, they aren't actually "crashing into each other full pelt for 80 minutes" - what with all the scrums, lineouts and restarts etc, the ball is only actually in play for around half that time (Or 38 minutes in the English Premiership last season, to be precise). And that actuallyrepresents an increase in recent years - in the 1995 World Cup, it was just under 26 minutes!

Then add in the ever increasing use of substitutes, which must relieve the burden on struggling players.


There is need to consider palyer loading and wanting to be fresh after travel but is it that finely tuned?Again, can't comment on LOI players, but Football everywhere, and esp so at the higher levels, requires ever higher levels of fitness if players are to perform to their maximum over the course of a season.

Granted you don't get the same physical contact, but the ball is in play for much longer on average, the distances being covered are getting ever longer, while crucially, there are more high intensity sprints than ever before. This last makes them ever more prone to injury, esp in the latter stages of games, so that even if a player is physically "fit" to play the next game, very often he's carrying minor knocks and strains into each game.

Which is not to feel "sorry" for them - most players can physically cope with 50+ games a season, but it is impossible to maintain optimum fitness and sharpness over that period - esp when the off-season break is getting ever shorter.

[legendz]

Kenny has always been a whinger this isnjust par for the course for him. Galway are 100% right to say no. Pats are a potential rival for a European place. This level of whinging from Kenny shows he is under pressure to make Europe. Not sacking type pressure but just living up to expectations of owner type pressure

I'll be disappointed if Kerry ever agree to postponing a game to suit a club in Europe. The positive for clubs in Europe is the potential for making big money. The flip side is they still have domestic responsibilities and must use their squads. If that works in favour of their domestic rivals, so be it. Extra games are part and parcel of being successful.
Clubs playing Tuesday - Tuesday in Europe should be able to play domestically on Friday. Saturday if Wednesday - Wednesday and Sunday if Thursday - Thursday. If a situation ever arises where a club has to play in Europe on Wednesday - Tuesday, a postponement should be automatically arranged where the gap between European games is less than seven days.

[ger121]

Projected Pots for Conference League. Rovers no longer included. Has Celje and Pyunik in Pots 6 and 4. Lot of bridges to cross yet and it changes constantly over time.

Be some group stage for Rovers to make because they were always projected to be in Pot 4 but they could even scrape Pot 3 if they make it.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUPQUw0W4AARiB1?format=jpg&name=large

[geysir]

Rovers have drawn a stinker, there's no 2 ways about it. The less difficult way forward is to go all out and beat Celje, ditch the ultra defensive away inferiority complex, the alternative loser conference play off tie looks to be between a rock and a hard place.
On Vikingur Reykjavik's draw v Flora (who were trashed by Celje), the winner likely plays an Andorran side in the play off , that draw couldn't have been bought for Eur2m.
Not saying VR will prevail v Flora.

I had a look over the first round Conference qualifiers and noted that more lower seeded teams that played at home first, prevailed over those that were higher seeded in the draw. It's not a scientific evaluation not least because there are many different factors involved into why a lower seed might prevail in a tie other than travel related, nevertheless it's a curiosity.