LOI In Europe 2025

**pineapple stu** · 22/08/2025, 1:19 PM

Nope on Celtic - 8 games.

Levadia Tallinn is an interesting one. I have six games for them, four for FCI Levadia Tallinn, and two for Levadia Maardu. Wiki suggests they might actually be all the same club though. In which case that's our new leader with 12 games

So good call on that. But still leaves us looking for the other club that's played LoI sides 10 times.

**2 Year Contract** · 22/08/2025, 1:41 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Nope on Celtic - 8 games.

Levadia Tallinn is an interesting one. I have six games for them, four for FCI Levadia Tallinn, and two for Levadia Maardu. Wiki suggests they might actually be all the same club though. In which case that's our new leader with 12 games

So good call on that. But still leaves us looking for the other club that's played LoI sides 10 times.

Yeah they’re all the same club, they underwent a few name changes which is quite common in Eastern European football. I had a look there and forgot Drogheda played them too so you’re right with 12 games

**pateen** · 22/08/2025, 1:43 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Worth noting that's only the third time an LoI side has won away to a top-ten ranked league in Europe

Bohs beating Kaiserslautern and Sligo v Motherwell were the other two instances.

In fact, it's only the tenth win away against a top-20 ranked European league

What about St Pat's beating some outback side in Russia around 15 years ago?

**pineapple stu** · 22/08/2025, 1:45 PM

They lost in Russia. But by coming back from 3-0 down to lose 3-2, they went through on away goals.

**Philosophizer** · 22/08/2025, 2:07 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

So good call on that. But still leaves us looking for the other club that's played LoI sides 10 times.

Molde? Seems like we’ve seen a LOT of them over the past few years.

**sbgawa** · 22/08/2025, 2:08 PM

Originally Posted by 2 Year Contract

Yeah they’re all the same club, they underwent a few name changes which is quite common in Eastern European football. I had a look there and forgot Drogheda played them too so you’re right with 12 games

The Cork city of their league

**pineapple stu** · 22/08/2025, 2:13 PM

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

Molde? Seems like we’ve seen a LOT of them over the past few years.

Eight games times in the past 12 years alright, but nothing before that. I guess 10 if you include UCD v Molde in the Youth League, but not the one I was thinking of.

Getting closer though.

**kksaints** · 22/08/2025, 2:21 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Nope on Celtic - 8 games.

Levadia Tallinn is an interesting one. I have six games for them, four for FCI Levadia Tallinn, and two for Levadia Maardu. Wiki suggests they might actually be all the same club though. In which case that's our new leader with 12 games

So good call on that. But still leaves us looking for the other club that's played LoI sides 10 times.

Djurgardens or Legia Warsaw maybe.

**OMTY** · 22/08/2025, 2:25 PM

Originally Posted by pineapple stu

Eight games times in the past 12 years alright, but nothing before that. I guess 10 if you include UCD v Molde in the Youth League, but not the one I was thinking of.

Getting closer though.

Rosenborg?

**Philosophizer** · 22/08/2025, 2:27 PM

Originally Posted by kksaints

Djurgardens or Legia Warsaw maybe.

Very good shouts. Slovan Bratislava have had quite a few ties too. I can remember at least 3. Rosenborg have had plenty too. We’ve also had a lot of draws against Iceland in recent years, but their teams don’t repeat as often - maybe Stjarnan?

**pineapple stu** · 22/08/2025, 2:32 PM

Originally Posted by OMTY

Rosenborg?

There we go.

And against five different clubs too - Shels in 2000, Bohs in 2003, Sligo in 2014, Dundalk in 2017 and Cork in 2018

On the other clubs mentioned, Djurgardens and Legia have only played six games, and Slovan have played eight. Stjarnan have only played four games (again you can include a UCD Youth League tie too) - but we've played 11 different Icelandic sides, none more than four games/two ties.

**ger121** · 22/08/2025, 4:53 PM

Originally Posted by OMTY

Rosenborg?

Good shout!

**Eminence Grise** · 22/08/2025, 4:59 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

Why dont we have a club called Hamrun Spartans? Its perfect!

I can think of a few Hamstrung Strikers with fairly Spartan returns over the years.

**geysir** · 23/08/2025, 12:35 AM

If the Lisbon international tournament of 1985 counts in some fashion as European competitive then Rovers have already achieved the best result against a Portuguese team. Rovers drew with Benfica and beat Sporting Lisbon to win the cup. There was some drama when the cup was being presented to the Rover's captain (forget name) but the nob presenting the cup was very reluctant to loosen his grip on the cup, didn't want to let it go to a 'minnow' club and the Rovers captain had to use some force to loosen the grip and grab the cup.

**EalingGreen** · 25/08/2025, 12:16 AM

Originally Posted by geysir

If the Lisbon international tournament of 1985 counts in some fashion as European competitive then Rovers have already achieved the best result against a Portuguese team. Rovers drew with Benfica and beat Sporting Lisbon to win the cup. There was some drama when the cup was being presented to the Rover's captain (forget name) but the nob presenting the cup was very reluctant to loosen his grip on the cup, didn't want to let it go to a 'minnow' club and the Rovers captain had to use some force to loosen the grip and grab the cup.

Ahem...

"Glentoran’s greatest moment in Europe came in a 1967 European Cup tie against Benfica. In the first leg at The Oval, Glentoran took an early lead with a penalty before football legend Eusébio equalized in the 87th minute, ending the match 1–1. In the return leg at Benfica’s Estádio da Luz, part-time Glentoran defied expectations with a 0–0 draw. Although Benfica advanced on away goals, Glentoran became the first team eliminated by this rule and the first to prevent Benfica from scoring at home"

Benfica - Eusebio, Simoes, Graca, Coluna, Torres and all - went all the way to the final that season, losing to Man U at Wembley.

And of course Glentoran were the first British team ever to win a European trophy when they won the Vienna Cup in 1914

**yurt** · 25/08/2025, 1:04 PM

Originally Posted by EalingGreen

Ahem...

"Glentoran’s greatest moment in Europe came in a 1967 European Cup tie against Benfica. In the first leg at The Oval, Glentoran took an early lead with a penalty before football legend Eusébio equalized in the 87th minute, ending the match 1–1. In the return leg at Benfica’s Estádio da Luz, part-time Glentoran defied expectations with a 0–0 draw. Although Benfica advanced on away goals, Glentoran became the first team eliminated by this rule and the first to prevent Benfica from scoring at home"

Benfica - Eusebio, Simoes, Graca, Coluna, Torres and all - went all the way to the final that season, losing to Man U at Wembley.

And of course Glentoran were the first British team ever to win a European trophy when they won the Vienna Cup in 1914

That's some great football history. I'd have heard about that tie before. Glentoran vs Eusebio being the first instance of away goals being used to decide a tie is a great piece of trivia.