O'Brien urges Shels to mirror Tipp in Champions League clash

Extra.ie​

23-07-2025

Shelbourne are preparing to take on Qarabag in the first-leg of their second round of Champions League qualifiers on Wednesday evening.
If Shelbourne manage to knock-out the Azerbaijani side in this round, they will be guaranteed a place in a European competition later this year.
However, it may be a tough task with Qarabag strong favourites after making the group stages of European competitions for the last 11 years running. Shelbourne boss Joey O'Brien knows his side won't back down. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
The Reds do have a two-round safety net of the Europa League and then the Conference League if the visitors are too much for them over the two legs, but if they do pass through, Shelbourne will face the winners of Macedonians Shkendija and Romanian side FCBS.
If Shelbourne are knocked-out at this stage, they will face a tough Europa League third-round qualifier against the defeated side of the match between HNK Rijeka of Croatia and Ludogorets 1945 from Bulgaria.
If Joey O'Brien's side then fall at that hurdle, they will have a final chance to get into Europe in a Conference League play-off.
However, the new boss insists that his players are well up for the challenge and have no intention of bowing out early.
He said: 'Underdogs …. Irish people in general love that, don't they? Watching the hurling there at the weekend and it was the underdogs that won it.
'The level of competition has gone up. Qarabag have made the group stages for 10 or 11 years. They have shown their class. Their individual players are unbelievable.
'Some have come and gone but their style of play is the same. They still have very good players. The big thing for me is having no regrets after European games like this – it's a moment in a player's career to go out and really embrace it.' Shelbourne have three chances to get into Europe. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
When asked what traits are needed to pull off an upset, the Shels boss simply said: 'Winning, ultimately'.
O'Brien's side are fresh off their 2-1 aggregate victory over Northern Irish side Linfield in the first-round last week, but they got their first taste of VAR scrutiny in the away leg.
The Reds had a well-worked set-piece goal from Kerr McInroy chalked off deep in first-half stoppage time due to a pull of a jersey at the back post and O'Brien admitted that they will have to be more subtle with their use of the dark arts when the cameras are involved.
He added: 'The big one was last week because after Linfield equalised, we went straight back up the pitch just before half-time to score from a worked set-play.
'Most of the time you'd get away with it. The dressing room was a bit flat from the emotion of it. It took a bit of an edge off us but the lads managed the second-half well.'
He also admitted that the presence of VAR may lead to the side rethinking some of their set-piece routines.
O'Brien continued: 'Set-plays are such a massive part of the game and I've had a huge focus on that over the last number of years. You see how important set-plays are, at all levels. They decide so many big games and so many moments in big games.
'You see results in England and Europe and it could be 2-0, 3-0 or 4-0 but the first or second goal could be a set-play and it could have broken the spirit of the opposition.
'So set-plays are massive. Both sides of it, defending and attacking and over this tie and going forward, we need to be on the money in both boxes.'
Shelbourne have already banked €1.71million so far from their European journey and that will effectively soar to €4million if they manage to produce an upset against Qarabag.