LOI In Europe 2025

[yurt]

3-0 Virtus now; history is made here

Linfield win 2-0 and play Shels now. So Shels just need to beat Linfield twice to make the groups. Some difference from having to beat Hajduk and Depor

Looking at Bert's updated table that Virtus result is great for the LOI. We'll finish ahead of the Moldovans for sure now. Would need an awful lot to go against us to not have a team in the Europa league in 27/28.

Even though everyone is dreaming about having 2 Irish sides in the league phase, it is more likely imo, that we have 0 rather than 2 going into the playoff round.

Even though the tie was close on the scoreboard it was pretty obvious, to me at least that Shels are a far better side than Linfield. It'd be a disaster if they didn't beat them over 2 legs.

[placid casual]

Quality performance from Rovers tonight, when it was needed.
A step up in class expected against the brazilian-dominated Santa Clara but we'll give it a go.

[sbgawa]

But will those Brazilians fancy it on a cold wet night in Tallaght ? Roll on a bit of proper weather

[Dexy]

You may sayyou’re a Pats fan but a search of your posts on foot.ie shows diddley squat evidence of that. There are two possibilities here - either you’re a football genius who knows more than all the pundits and supporters who consistently have Redmond on their team of the year - or you’re a sad clown getting your kicks from provoking people on the Internet.

I'm not provoking anyone, I'm sick of the same spoofers having a great end of season to gain another contract only to see the same **** again. We've spent a fortune on bang average players and going nowhere yet again.

[EatYerGreens]

3-0 Virtus now; history is made here

Linfield win 2-0 and play Shels now. So Shels just need to beat Linfield twice to make the groups. Some difference from having to beat Hajduk and Depor

Just shows the large degree of 'the luck of the draw' in progression for teams at our level.

[EatYerGreens]

Yeah, I called myself out of that one alright.

Larne got a draw in the Azores. I know the tie was effectively over but Rovers will be hoping for something similar over there.

Given the crazy heat this wek and next across pretty much all of Europe, a game in the Azores is actually quite lucky temperature-wise.

[oriel]

Just shows the large degree of 'the luck of the draw' in progression for teams at our level.

Also with the new set up in europe over the past 5 years or so, once you win your league and from a ranking where Ireland currently is, its almost impossible not to make the group stages these days, maybe 'almost impossible' not strictly accurate, but look at the amount of chances you will get from that league winners route to make it, now Shels have 60% (I would think) chance.

Then again Linfield even with their handicap of not a great standard domestic and competitive league out of season are building up a head of steam, so they will fancy making it too for sure for their first ever time.

Compare all of this to league winners mid 10's up to covid, you got one back door, and some years none you lost and you were out, as Dundalk and Cork C found out, but same conditions applied to all clubs, so much better opportunities now to advance and that has to be a good thing.

Solid win for Rovers last night, and a damn good effort by Pats, but even at 2-0 up, they still had a fair bit to go, but hats off to them for having a right go.

[sbgawa]

Im still trying to wrap my head around Shels making group stages by beating Linfield , lose , lose beat Linfield again.
100% the Champions route provided you avoid a landmine in the first round gives you a parachute (which shels have used) but there were multiple worse options than Linfield on both ocasions.

Rovers will need to take it up a level to beat Santa Clara, a quik google shows them losing against Benfica and Porto in the league in tight matches and winning away at Sporting Lisbon.
Rovers runs in Europe have given us hope and we are used to seeing them winning but we are long odds against here.
If we can keep it to 1 away we have a shout but that will be a big ask.


Good decision by Rovers and Shels to postpone next weekends league match between them

[D24Saint]

Given the crazy heat this wek and next across pretty much all of Europe, a game in the Azores is actually quite lucky temperature-wise.

Id say it’s an awkward one for the club and fans to arrange travel on short notice. I went via Porto on a trip but even with lots of time it wasn’t the cheapest.

[pateen]

Quality performance from Rovers tonight, when it was needed.
A step up in class expected against the brazilian-dominated Santa Clara but we'll give it a go.

I reckon its a great trip for away fans in the Portuguese league.
Going to be a very expensive trip for any Rovers fan.

[DonegalHoop]

115 seats available on club charter for €520. Should be a good trip for those travelling over

[sbgawa]

Thats a great price and great experience for the fans who travel over. a good result over there and the plane will be a happy one coming back

[sbgawa]

Will Shamrocks get a crowd of over 5 to 6,000 tonight!

6500 at the match in the end.
Id say it was more than they were expecting as the EAst stand was closed so capacity was only 7000 and it was hard enough to find a couple of seats togetehr if you arrived at KO time

[WeAreRovers]

115 seats available on club charter for €520. Should be a good trip for those travelling over

Sold out. That was quick.

[Buckett]

Out of interest, are fans segregated from players on these charter flights?

[brendy_�ire]

Out of interest, are fans segregated from players on these charter flights?

On the Derry City ones, the players are all up the front.

€520 is an absolute bargain for that flight. It'll be a great trip, gorgeous place.

[pateen]

Prawn cracker brigade

[pineapple stu]

I see the Youth League draw is on Thursday week, with the first round next month. Shels are our representatives - looks like these are the teams they could be drawn against (from the Bert Kassies forum). Probably more likely to get a western side, but then we could have been off to Kosovo or Albania in the first round last year

30. Slovenia: Bravo
31. Moldova: Radu Rebeja-LIMPS
32. Kosovo: 2 Korriku
33. Kazakhstan: Kairat
34. Finland: HJK
35. Ireland: Shelbourne
36. Armenia: Urartu
37. Latvia: Jelgava
38. Faroe Islands: Vikingur
39. Bosnia and Herzegovina: Zrinjski
41. Iceland: KA
42. Northern Ireland: Larne
43. Luxembourg: Racing Union
44. Lithuania: BE1 NFA
45. Malta: Naxxar Lions
46. Georgia: Dinamo Tbilisi
47. Albania: Skënderbeu
48. Estonia: Narva Trans
49. Belarus: Dinamo Minsk
50. North Macedonia: Rabotnički
51. Andorra: Inter Club d'Escaldes
52. Wales: Haverfordwest County
53. Montenegro: Budućnost
54. Gibraltar: Lincoln Red Imps

You'd hope they'd get through that, and then the big guns come in for the second round. List is below, but if a team reaches the Champions League groups then the next best underage team domestically gets in instead.

1. England: Aston Villa
2. Italy: Fiorentina
3. Spain: Real Betis
4. Germany: Köln
5. France: Nantes
6. Netherlands: AZ
7. Portugal: Benfica
8. Belgium: Genk
9. Türkiye: Trabzonspor
10. Czechia: Baník Ostrava
11. Scotland: Hibernian
12. Switzerland: Basel
13. Austria: Austria Wien
14. Norway: Brann
15. Greece: PAOK
16. Denmark: Midtjylland
17. Israel: Maccabi Haifa
18. Ukraine: Dynamo Kyiv
19. Serbia: Crvena zvezda
20. Croatia: Lokomotiva Zagreb
21. Poland: Legia Warsaw
23. Cyprus: Pafos
24. Hungary: Puskás Akadémia
25. Sweden: IF Brommapojkarna
26. Romania: FCSB
27. Bulgaria: Ludogorets
28. Azerbaijan: Sabah
29. Slovakia: Zilina

[EatYerGreens]

Out of interest, are fans segregated from players on these charter flights?

They have some of that orange plastic netting draped over a few rows of the seats in-between.

[Buckett]

They have some of that orange plastic netting draped over a few rows of the seats in-between.

Waste of time, sure schooligans can jump that easily enough!