LOI In Europe 2025

**MoydowMonty** · 03/06/2025, 2:46 PM

https://www.leagueofireland.ie/news/...-awarded-2025/

Athlone are the only other club who applied for a license.

Now I know that's obviously for the women's team who are in the women's champions league.

But is there a chance that could cover the club as a whole and as such, include the men's team?

There's hardly a chance that Athlone have a shout of taking Drogheda's position in the conference instead?

**sbgawa** · 03/06/2025, 2:49 PM

I dont know factually but i would have thought a club applied for a licence rather than a mans or womans team within the club
That would be gas alright if Athlone were suddenly propelled into the second round of the Europa League

Can t see it somehow

**MoydowMonty** · 03/06/2025, 3:06 PM

UCD being launched in in 2015 makes this seem not so outrageous. I don't know the first ting about the licensing process either but to me it makes sense that the club gets a licence rather than just a mens or women's team. If I were athlone I'd be peeking my ears up at this.

**pineapple stu** · 03/06/2025, 4:03 PM

We had a good month's more notice in fairness. Plus there was a very good chance we were going to qualify even as far back as January. Not quite the same as this case.

**outspoken** · 03/06/2025, 5:30 PM

Originally Posted by EatYerGreens

But how did you apply for it ? To UEFA - and if so, why?

IIRC it happened around a time when we were awarded some very high profile underage internationals at Bishopsgate

**oriel** · 08/06/2025, 5:09 PM

Originally Posted by dundalkfc10

This has happened before with other clubs too. The owners had to sell some of the club (or transfering ownership) and become minority owners in one of the clubs to allow both play in same tournament

I know a few Drogheda fans and would personally be disappointed for them, for the club in general all I could do is laugh

Have to say agree with this, worked with a few and know a few others, it would be a super euro trip missed for the fans and they don't come around too often for smaller clubs like Drogs, so would be huge missed opportunity.

For the club > Well that's another thing, maybe karma for the easiest ever route to a cup final, 2 FD clubs, 1 NL and 1 PD later to be relegated, all bar 1 at home too, that said they did deserve to win the final, though for some reason I think they will get this resolved, or maybe not who knows, prob get a decision next week on this.

**sbgawa** · 08/06/2025, 5:44 PM

The draw is only 9 days away id be worried tbh as the likes of the share transfers my Nottingham forest were done pretty to qualifying. Hopefully a solution is coming but it better come quick

**pineapple stu** · 08/06/2025, 6:07 PM

Crystal Palace facing the same problem so looks like UEFA are unlikely to bury it for small clubs.

Be a huge pity for Drogheda to miss out but the owners have to have known about this for months. So either they don't care, they're calling UEFA's bluff, or they're fools

**Nesta99** · 08/06/2025, 9:08 PM

Id say there could be some sort of blanket waiver this season and then straighten out the rules for 2026 European comps, maybe even the token transfer of ownership to shell companies. How did the RB sides arrange things? Nobody would convince me that there of any sufficient seperation there bar majority stake sale. It is majority ownership thats the issue? Sell and buy back clauses, a few sports admin people are going to make a lot of money no matter how things pan out.

**sbgawa** · 09/06/2025, 7:54 AM

There is a whole section in the UEFA rules about this and they (UEFA) wrote to all clubs about this at least a year ago,
The fact that the clubs invlved didnt plan for it or more likely in Drogs and PAlaces case not think they would qualify for Europe is hardly a reason to bend the rules.
As Keano would put it ...."fail to prepare, prepare to fail" .
I still hope Drogs dont lose out i enjoy watching all the IRish clubs in Europe but if UEFA bend the rules here they may as well forget about the whole thing.
In the old days i dont htink it would have mattered much with straight knock outs but with the league tables now it would be possible to do each other a favour if drawn togeher

**Nesta99** · 09/06/2025, 10:21 AM

The issue for me is that they have already allowed bendig the rules or using some techncality and accepting it. Why stop now unless there is a line drawn, which means the rules need changing or expanding to cut the messing.

**Martinho II** · 09/06/2025, 1:36 PM

Its a pity that Drogs more than likely wont make it. Its even more of a tragedy that no other loi clubs can take their place!

**EatYerGreens** · 09/06/2025, 1:38 PM

Originally Posted by sbgawa

There is a whole section in the UEFA rules about this and they (UEFA) wrote to all clubs about this at least a year ago,
The fact that the clubs invlved didnt plan for it or more likely in Drogs and PAlaces case not think they would qualify for Europe is hardly a reason to bend the rules.
As Keano would put it ...."fail to prepare, prepare to fail" .
I still hope Drogs dont lose out i enjoy watching all the IRish clubs in Europe but if UEFA bend the rules here they may as well forget about the whole thing.
In the old days i dont htink it would have mattered much with straight knock outs but with the league tables now it would be possible to do each other a favour if drawn togeher

The abuse and anger over these stories, and particularly from Palace fans, is being directed solely at UEFA. When it should be at those who now own their club, as part of the ridiculous trend whereby companies collect football clubs from around Europe like they're Panini stickers. Talk about shooting the wrong target

**oriel** · 09/06/2025, 4:03 PM

Exactly EYG, same scenario in politics, example of huge queues at EU airports, and UK (mainly) travellers complaining and blaming airport, when in fact 52% of them voted for brexit = THE reason.

In this case, its not UEFA the cause, rather its indeed the owners of the clubs who should have been better prepared for (albeit) a most unlikely scenario, but it happened !

**2 Year Contract** · 12/06/2025, 1:22 PM

Drogs out of Europe it looks like. They’re taking it to CAS

**Another Bohemia** · 12/06/2025, 1:31 PM

Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

Drogs out of Europe it looks like. They’re taking it to CAS

Its very "greatest league in the world" that no other team applied for a european licence. I'd wager that will change moving forward considering anyone could have gotten in by default as a result of this. How does this affect the leagues coefficient?

**2 Year Contract** · 12/06/2025, 1:47 PM

Originally Posted by Another Bohemia

Its very "greatest league in the world" that no other team applied for a european licence. I'd wager that will change moving forward considering anyone could have gotten in by default as a result of this. How does this affect the leagues coefficient?

Apparently the results of the (now 3) clubs will still be divided by 4 for the league’s coefficient. Seems very unfair that it’s not going to be divided by 3, I don’t see why whatever country benefits from taking Drogheda’s spot doesn’t have their coefficient points divided by an extra club

**pineapple stu** · 12/06/2025, 1:51 PM

Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

I don’t see why whatever country benefits from taking Drogheda’s spot doesn’t have their coefficient points divided by an extra club

Hm - that might happen yet, though UEFA could be saying that we had four teams, one of whom didn't win any matches. That's a bad result, on top of €250k minimum coming into the LoI.

Feel sorry for Drogheda fans obviously, especially as they're not (and really never were) European regulars by any stretch. But Christ the owners have dropped the ball here if this does come to pass.

Edit - on a similar note, Crystal Palace's majority owner is currently trying to sell his stake to get around the same issue, so they're taking it fairly seriously too. Why Drogheda's owners haven't done the same thing, I don't know. Maybe no-one to sell to?

**Kiki Balboa** · 12/06/2025, 2:48 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Hm - that might happen yet, though UEFA could be saying that we had four teams, one of whom didn't win any matches. That's a bad result, on top of €250k minimum coming into the LoI.

Feel sorry for Drogheda fans obviously, especially as they're not (and really never were) European regulars by any stretch. But Christ the owners have dropped the ball here if this does come to pass.

Edit - on a similar note, Crystal Palace's majority owner is currently trying to sell his stake to get around the same issue, so they're taking it fairly seriously too. Why Drogheda's owners haven't done the same thing, I don't know. Maybe no-one to sell to?

Pretty sure Palace were always safe because Textor only owned 30%.

Anything I read, Palace seemed very confident it was a non-issue.

**sbgawa** · 12/06/2025, 3:14 PM

So with an odd number of teams in the Conference league now ...im assuming Rovers get a bye into Round two as top seed??

To be honest id rather play the match, gutted for the Drogs supporters.
Cant see them winning at CASS , id say thats a face saving effort from the Board

Might help us in the LEague if its true i suppose