The final is in Wroclaw, Poland. Every team has to qualify for this competition, including Chelsea. Nobody goes straight to the league phase so theoretically Chelsea could be out of this by the end of August Realistically they'll join this as favourites and be looking to add another European trophy to their collection. I believe that'll make them the only club to have won everything? Fiorentina have lost the two previous finals so will be hoping to make it third time lucky this coming season. Spanish and German interest comes from Real Betis and Heidenheim. It's usually one of those four countries to win a European trophy but hopefully we'll get another 'upset' like last season. I'll be in the bitter "anyone but Chelsea" camp
I should add that other British / Irish interest comes from Larne, St Mirren, St Patrick's, Cliftonville. Rangers, Kilmarnock, Hearts, Shamrock Rovers and The New Saints could also hypothetically find themselves in this competition dependent upon how their qualifying goes in higher European competitions. Caernarfon Town and Shelbourne's European adventures are probably over unless they can over turn heavy 1st leg defeats.
I'll join you, Jason And I'll go even further with "anyone but those clubs from the top4/5 leagues". This ECL should be a competition for the "smaller" leagues imo. I've often mentioned it but I know it won't happen. Anyway, last season's winner was really a good sign. May it continue! edit: From the Bundesliga, Heidenheim reaches their first ever European competition after their first ever season in the 1.Bundesliga. Great effort for this small club (city has only a population of 50.000). Very likeable coach who is there "forever"
I'd rather it was won by a team outside of the top leagues. It's nice for clubs like Heidenheim to have their first experience in Europe though. Hopefully a bit like Tottenham, Chelsea don't treat this competition with proper respect and get knocked out early.
Big big playoff round coming up for the British and Irish contingent. It's unlikely but we've got English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish and Northern Irish clubs competing in the final qualifying round. Lincoln Red Imps v Larne Panevesyz v The New Saints Copenhagen v Kilmarnock St Patrick's Athletic v Istanbul Basaksehir Servette v Chelsea Kilmarnock are very unfortunate that Copenhagen went through. They lost tonight but their opponents missed four penalties to avoid an upset. I think Copenhagen will be too strong for Kilmarnock and the Turks too strong for St Pat's. Nevertheless it's a really great chance for a lot of British sides. Hearts and Shamrock Rovers have Europa League qualifying games but realistically will join this competition in the league phase too.
Larne qualifying would be massive for local football here, but I would begrudge the Red Imps making it either.
Yeah, the Red Imps are probably favourites and I wouldn't begrudge then going through but it'd be really cool if Larne could do it and enjoy a proper run of games in Europe. I don't know when, if ever, a Northern Irish or Welsh club (excluding those in the English leagues) have got through qualifying to reach the group. It's rare if it has happened so would be cool for either club.
Don't rate TNS chances either but it might be tight. Larne have a real chance but Red Imps taking Minsk very close suggests it won't be easy. Agree on Killie and St Pats.
No clubs from the Welsh or Norn Iron leagues have ever made it to a group stage. Linfield were close a couple of seasons ago when they lost on penalties in the play off round, but I think this is the closest any LoW side have got to making it to the group stage.
Yes, we've never had a side from the League of Wales make the Group Stage. In fact, it's only the second time a League of Wales side has made it as far as the play-off round (TNS also, in the 2010/11 Europa League play-off against CSKA Sofia). It'd be a huge deal for them, and the league, if they were able to make it.
I didn't think they had but couldn't find a resource listing which countries had never had group stage representation. There's a clash between an Icelandic and Andorran team in this final round and I think it might be a first for those countries too.
Wikipedia (I know, I know) suggests the following countries have never had group stage representation: Norn Iron Wales Andorra San Marino Malta Montenegro Georgia
Dinamo Tbilisi (Georgia) have reached the UEFA Cup group stages before, I imagine all the others will be accurate but there's definitely going to be additional nations as well - Gibraltar, Faroes, Iceland etc.
Faroes and Iceland both had teams in the group stage last season. Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) have done so previously too. So there aren't too many countries that haven't since the introduction of the Conference League. Spurs played Tbilisi so I knew that one was wrong though. I use Wikipedia for loads of football stuff - it's a good source most of the time
Fair play, I'd have just assumed Gibraltar and the Faroes weren't anywhere near it. If they've had sides reach the group stage, then we need to be doing so.
I did think it was odd that no Georgian team had made it to a group stage but didn't bother doing any more research but I've now checked and you're right, they were in the group stage of the 2004/5 UEFA Cup. I wonder if the Wiki page I looked at to get my list only shows league performance since the Conference began? That was the play off round for the 13/14 Europa League so not in the group stage... you won 8-0 on aggregate.
Ah fair enough, I could remember going to see us play them but it must have been earlier in the season than I'd realised.
Great result for TNS, they won 3-0 away tonight so barring a disaster in the 2nd leg they will be the first side from the League of Wales to reach the group stage of a UEFA competition.
