League of Ireland in Europe 2015

**seand** · 23/06/2015, 10:04 AM

Originally Posted by geysir

Are there good reasons why the EL draw can't be made weeks earlier?

The reason is the licencing process, for which they allow a couple of weks after the end of the August-May season. But you're right,there's no good reason. Surely we could have the draw 3-4 weeks ahead of the first round, with a big caveat that it's subject to licencing. If a club did fail to get a licence another club in the same country is going to replace them anyway

**pineapple stu** · 23/06/2015, 10:04 AM

Maybe licencing. Dynamo Moscow were only denied a licence there last week. I think the last of the teams to qualify was confirmed about three weeks ago, so maybe there's a buffer to allow for issues with licences to be sorted.

**Yossarian** · 23/06/2015, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by geysir

Are there good reasons why the EL draw can't be made weeks earlier?

Some of the European leagues have only finished two weeks ago, so it couldn't have been done before then.

**D24Saint** · 23/06/2015, 10:20 AM

Are there good reasons why the EL draw can't be made weeks earlier?

Infantino is on holidays.Its farcical giving clubs with limited resources a week to organise travel it just goes to show the disconnect between Europe's top brass and the grassroots.

**GCdfc** · 23/06/2015, 10:47 AM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Yup.

And flights to Luxembourg the day before the game are now E500+!

I presume the team have just block booked.

5 of us flew to Frankfurt last year and hired a Passat estate and drove. Flights, 2 nights accommodation, car hire and diesel cost �300 in total each.

**Louth4sam** · 23/06/2015, 11:05 AM

Originally Posted by D24Saint

Ryanair up to their usual tricks flights to Riga shot up but still looks a decent crowd heading to the game over a hundred at least not bad with a weeks notice.

Don't forget to clear your cache or go incognito when booking flights with Ryanair

**geysir** · 23/06/2015, 11:59 AM

Originally Posted by Yossarian

Some of the European leagues have only finished two weeks ago, so it couldn't have been done before then.

Which league is that, I thought all competitions had to be wrapped up before the end of May?

**nigel-harps1954** · 23/06/2015, 12:03 PM

A lot of league play-offs run into June. I believe Italian side Parma were just relegated to Serie D via play-off at the weekend there.

**geysir** · 23/06/2015, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

A lot of league play-offs run into June. I believe Italian side Parma were just relegated to Serie D via play-off at the weekend there.

I think the Serie A top half placing were sorted out in May and even Genoa's failure to gain a licence was known mid May (after an appeal).
The Dutch have a complicated play-off system but that's also done and dusted in May.

**Dodge** · 23/06/2015, 12:52 PM

Polish and Greek leagues ended on 7th June

http://ie.soccerway.com/national/pol...-round/r25659/
http://ie.soccerway.com/national/gre...y-offs/r26691/

Might have been the odd cup final after that.

Even if it's explainable, it's still very hard for poor clubs to organise these games at 8-10 days notice

**geysir** · 23/06/2015, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by seand

The reason is the licencing process, for which they allow a couple of weks after the end of the August-May season. But you're right,there's no good reason. Surely we could have the draw 3-4 weeks ahead of the first round, with a big caveat that it's subject to licencing. If a club did fail to get a licence another club in the same country is going to replace them anyway

If it is the licensing that's the definite cause of this induced travelling arrangement crisis, then you couldn't really just have the draw a week earlier and fill in a few gaps with replacements, there could well be an unfair advantage due to the seeding or non seeding place that was allocated for the replacement.
Then there could be a gross disadvantage to find out that instead of travelling to Istanbul, your club will have to haul it to Trabzon, due to the Istanbul club failing a licensing issue.
The only way that comes to mind is that there are no replacements allowed after the end of May and some fortunate club gets the prize money and a bye into the next round.

**Dodge** · 23/06/2015, 1:43 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

Beyond the realms of possibility that everyone will get through? When's the last time every League of Ireland team got through a round each on the same year? Pie in the sky stuff, but you just never know.

The only time it's happened was in 2006
Cork beat Appollon Limassol (Cyprus) in the CL
Derry beat Gothenburg & Gretna in the UEFA
Drogheda beat HJK Helsinki in the UEFA
Shels beat Vetra (Lithuania) in the inter toto

in 2008, Drogheda (CL), Pats (UEFA) and Bohs (IT) won. Cork lost to Haka (Finland) in the EL.

Last year Sligo, Derry and Dundalk all won in the EL. Pats lost in the CL

They're the 3 years were 3 or more LOI clubs progressed

**colonelwest** · 23/06/2015, 4:56 PM

Originally Posted by nigel-harps1954

A lot of league play-offs run into June. I believe Italian side Parma were just relegated to Serie D via play-off at the weekend there.

Parma were administratively relegated to Serie D which is the highest amateur league as they've gone completely into liquidation after having about 5 owners this season alone.

Italian season usually starts and ends late into end of May/ start of June depending on WC/ EC years.

**ForzaHoop** · 24/06/2015, 2:59 PM

Any word on any of the Games being televised, you think this would be a great option for RTE/SETANTA as no other soccer on TV

**Dodge** · 24/06/2015, 3:16 PM

Originally Posted by ForzaHoop

Any word on any of the Games being televised, you think this would be a great option for RTE/SETANTA as no other soccer on TV

RTE won't show any Irish football in GAA season. No chance.

Setanta will only show it if they can piggy back on someone else's coverage (as they did with Pats v Legia last year). Realistically, Belarus TV showing Dundalk is the likeliest way of them coming into the market

**Yossarian** · 25/06/2015, 10:44 AM

Any Derry fans here who travelled to Belarus last year? I'm trying to suss out the best way to go and what the story is with visas and that. Any info will be much appreciated.

**a.a.d** · 25/06/2015, 1:37 PM

I traveled with the club on the charter, others did travel independently with a stop over before going on to Minsk. As regards to visas, they have to be applied for through the embassy in London and as with the majority of embassy's they can be an absolute nightmare to get a hold of on the phone to see how your application is getting on. The club had to send a representative to the embassy to drop off all the Visa applications and then back on a different day to get them back, so even for the team it wasn't the easiest of jobs to get done.