
Shelbourne v Rijeka – Reds seeking huge payday in Europa League qualifier
Shelbourne take on Croatian side HNK Rijeka in their Europa League third qualifying round second leg tie at Tolka Park this evening.
Leading 2-1 from last week's first leg, the League of Ireland Premier Division champions are just a draw away from an estimated €3.4million in Uefa prizemoney and further riches with a guaranteed place in the league phase of the Conference League.
Catch all the action as it happens here.
4 minutes ago
Dan McDonnell is at Tolka Park for this big clash, with a couple of familiar faces spotted in the stands:
Bertie Ahern and Heimir Hallgrimsson two of the early arrivals to the Shelbourne directors box this evening - not together!
Linfield manager David Healy is also here - sitting next to Hallgrimsson. If Linfield defeat Vikingur in the Conference League on Thursday, they will play the losers of this tie. It's fair to suggest that Healy would prefer a Shelbourne rematch over a trip to face an angry Croatian team.
10 minutes ago
Some pre-match watching for you all – Dan McDonnell preview Shels' Europa League qualifier second-leg against Rijeka tonight:
'It's about attacking' – Joey O'Brien promises Shelbourne will not play for a draw in €3.8m bumper European decider
Joey O'Brien has promised that his Shelbourne side will not sit in and hope for the best in their crunch European decider with Rijeka.
www.independent.ie
14 minutes ago
In case you missed it – here's how Shelbourne's 2-2 draw with Bohemians unfolded on Saturday evening to maintain their unbeaten domestic form:
Shelbourne continue unbeaten league run after a thrilling derby clash against Bohemians
League champions Shelbourne remain unbeaten in domestic competition under the guidance of new manager Joey O'Brien as, for the second time in four days, the Reds had the heading ability of attacker John Martin to thank for getting them what they needed against Bohemians.
www.independent.ie
16 minutes ago
Good evening and welcome to another Irish Independent live blog as Shelbourne host HNK Rijeka in the second-leg of their UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie. My name is Ultán Corcoran, and I will be keeping you updated as the action unfolds on the pitch.
A sold-out Tolka Park is the venue for this all-important clash which could be highly lucrative for the Irish champions. The game is not being televised free to air but can be followed live online via LOITV with a €10 once-off payment. Kick-off is scheduled for 7.45pm.
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The Irish Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Rory Gaffney reveals pay cut sacrifice behind Shamrock Rovers comeback heroics
Gaffney's honesty and grit have Stephen Bradley hailing his talisman's return to form, as Rovers book a Conference League play-off clash with Santa Clara SHAMROCK ROVERS hero Rory Gaffney shrugs when asked about taking a pay cut this season. He said: 'I don't know, no other choice! It's just the nature of the beast, isn't it? You've been out for a year, you haven't played. You know, you can't expect to be on the same contract.' 2 Rory Gaffney of Shamrock Rovers has been in sparkling form for Stephen Bradley's side 2 The veteran Shamrock Rovers star had to take a pay cut to remain with the Hoops this season Advertisement But 12 goals this year - including two on Thursday night for The Hoops to set up a Conference League play-off date with Santa Clara - mean there might be an improved deal next year. Boss Stephen Bradley admitted the 35-year-old striker will be negotiating from a position of strength too with the form he has shown in what is a comeback year. An ankle injury suffered in April last year ended his 2024 season and Bradley admitted it was only natural to wonder would he ever be back. He said: 'When you're hitting your mid-30s and you have the injuries he's had, of course there's a little bit of doubt. Advertisement 'But I also know Rory, I trust him and the conversations are very honest. 'I'm willing to come back, I'm willing to take a pay cut. If I'm injured, I'll walk away.' 'There's always that bit of doubt, there has to be at his age. But Rory is so matter-of-fact. If he tells you something, you believe him. And he's not saying it just to bulls**t you.' Still, there are few people who would be comfortable going unpaid to prove themselves again. But Gaffney is as matter-of-fact about it all as Bradley claims. He said: 'We were paid up until the end of December, and I was back training. I was back training… Advertisement 'When did we go back? Second week of January. So I kind of knew (he would earn a contract). 'I got a bit of the European money (for 2024) as well, so I didn't do too badly! Considering I didn't play.' Liverpool fans pay touching tribute to Diogo Jota in first Premier League match since star's tragic death The Tuam man was also all-in on his rehab. Over the past number of years, Gaffney - a business graduate - had begun thinking of life after football and worked part-time for BDO. But there was no time as he built-up fitness. And it ensured that after getting an operation at the start of November, he returned to pre-season sure he would be okay. Advertisement He said: 'There was a tear in my Achilles. I had plenty of time to, I suppose, let it settle down, to get surgery, to go in and tidy up a few things. 'At the start of the season, it probably took me a good while to get back to match fitness which is to be expected when you've basically taken a year off.' And his new deal was waiting to be signed as soon as he played his first game in nine months in mid-February - an Under-20 friendly against Bohemians. Gaffney added: 'The Achilles, the only issue I had was, last year I couldn't sprint. 'I could sprint, and I'd get a massive flare-up. I could jog, I could stride, I could do loads of things, but I mean, like, properly sprinted, it used to just flare-up. Advertisement 'I knew it was okay when back in training (in January), straight away. I was obviously training, but there's a big difference between training and matches. 'And I did a couple of weeks training, and the manager said, I just need to see you play in a game. 'I played against the Bohs 20s, played a half, just ran around like a lunatic, trying to get the GPS stats up as much as possible, to show that I could run. 'I didn't touch the ball! But he said he'd seen enough. 'I suppose people have asked me in the past, oh, great to be able to play at 35, but if you look at the league 10 years ago, there's not many 35-year-olds that would be able to do it. Advertisement 'I have two kids at home. Obviously, bills to pay and all that. Back in the day, there were lads in my situation who might be on, what, 36-week contracts. 'So it was a young man's game, wasn't it? And lads probably had to go off and get jobs. They probably wanted to keep playing, but the contracts weren't there. 'But off the back, I suppose, the club's success last year with the money they earned, they were in a position to offer me something.' EURO TRIP He signed on February 16 and Gaffney was in league action by February 28. By early April, he was starting and scoring and has been a key man through the summer. That continued on Thursday night with the opening two goals in a 4-0 route of Ballkani to see Rovers through to the Conference League play-off round. Advertisement And both his goals came just after Ballkani defender Arber Potoku decided to get in his face to try and goad him after the Kosovan had got back to block one of his shots. It backfired spectacularly as Gaffney gave it back after his opening goal. Gaffney said: 'He's made a great tackle. And then he spent the next couple of minutes shouting in my ear and standing on my feet and everything. 'So I just obviously got the goal and I thought, where is he? Just have a quick, have a quick word on him. That was it, so it was nothing malicious really. 'I suppose he's trying to get a reaction out of me and I said, no point in losing the head here. You have to focus.'


Irish Examiner
36 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Confident yet lacking consistency, title challenge remains outside Chelsea's reach
Chelsea have come into the previous three seasons with an air of uncertainty around the club following the takeover by Todd Boehly and Clearlake capital in May of 2022, but this time things feel different. The Blues have been in project mode for several years now, and it seemed there was no end in sight, until Enzo Maresca showed up in west London. The Italian came to the club as a relatively unknown quantity. He had only been the head coach of three teams, in a four year span. The Manchester City Elite Development Squad (under-23's), Parma in Serie B for a few months and a season getting Leicester City promoted from the Championship. With the reputation of being a disciple of Pep Guardiola, akin to Erik ten Hag, Mikel Arteta and Xavi, Maresca came with the weight of expectation, but lacking the evidence to support it. Many doubts were, however, erased after Chelsea started the season in brilliant fashion. By December, they were second, had surged into second place, and were just two points behind league leaders Liverpool. Then came the Leicester drop-off. In the nine games that followed, they managed only 9 points, as the ever-dependable Cole Palmer became ineffective. They did eventually turn the season around, winning eight of their last nine games in all competitions to secure a fourth-place Champions League finish, as well as the Conference League title. It was an excellent first season by anyone's standards, but it was elevated to a different degree after the Club World Cup. The revamped competition, brainchild of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, took place in America this past summer. It received much criticism from fans, while players and managers bemoaned the extra football. But despite the clear teething problems throughout the competition, Chelsea were effervescent. I was on the ground in the States and attended every Chelsea game as they went on to lift the trophy (in the presence of Donald Trump). The squad were clearly riding the high from the way they ended the season and were buoyed by the epochal arrival of new signings Liam Delap and Joao Pedro. Joao Pedro was supreme, scoring three goals in just 163 minutes of action, while Delap got a goal and assist to go along with some encouraging performances. Estevao, who played for Palmeiras in America, has since joined and slotted in seamlessly in pre-season. Touted as the biggest talent out of Brazil since Neymar he is already known as 'Messinho' for his similarity to Lionel Messi. I spoke to pretty much the whole squad out in the US, as well as the new signings, and the belief in the group was palpable. Perhaps more-so than at any point since 2021, when the Blues lifted the Champions League. After the 3-0 win over PSG in the Final, Levi Colwill told me: "I said at the start of this tournament our plan was to win it and people looked at me as if I was crazy. So I'm going to say the exact same thing now, going into the Premier League and Champions League." Sadly, for club and player, Colwill has since suffered an ACL injury and will miss the majority of the season. The England international was the only ever-present centre-back in the starting line-up last term. Wesley Fofana paired him at times, as well as Benoit Badiashile, Tosin Adarabioyo, Axel Disasi and Trevoh Chalobah. Fofana is a top-class CB, but his availability is a huge concern. The others are not at the level required to challenge for a Premier League title. Chelsea have signed Jorrel Hato this summer, while Josh Acheampong could also play in central defence. There are concerns with Hato's age and lack of Premier League experience. Acheampong is held in such high esteem that they may not go back into the transfer market. Following the Club World Cup triumph there have been murmurs of a title challenge at Stamford Bridge, but, internally, Chelsea are quelling that noise. They first want to be Champions League regulars again, as well as mounting strong cup runs. The squad is strong with the only potential weaknesses defence and goalkeeper. Reece James is one of the best right-backs in the world when available, but his fitness is always on a knife-edge. 'Keeper Robert Sanchez had a tough season, but ended it strongly, and was solid in America. Chelsea were in for Mike Maignan before the Club World Cup but have since deserted that option and it seems Maresca is happy enough to trust the Spaniard again. The glaring potential issue is fatigue after non-stop football for 11 months. Chelsea are at an instant disadvantage compared to most of the league after having only three weeks off in the summer and starting their pre-season on the 4 August. They have only managed to fit in two pre-season games ahead of their opening match against Crystal Palace. The flip side to the negatives is Chelsea look as though they have not missed a beat since last season. Most likely, having followed them so closely now, they will maintain their levels and start well but may tail off mid-season when the demands of playing for a near full calendar year take hold. Chelsea look fluid, confident, and are playing at a very high level. But they are still a young squad and to challenge for the title requires a level of consistency they are yet to show. In my opinion the biggest honours in football - the Premier League and Champions League - are still beyond them. That said, I foresee a strong campaign in which they go from strength to strength and continue to establish themselves as one of the hottest teams in Europe.


Irish Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Shamrock Rovers hero was prepared to 'call it a day' as he faced injury woe
Rory Gaffney has admitted that he had no choice but to take a pay-cut to land a new contract at Shamrock Rovers. The 35-year-old striker knew there was a chance that he would struggle to return to full fitness after ankle and achilles injuries restricted him to just eight Premier Division appearances last season. But he was desperate to secure at least one more year with the Tallaght Stadium side and have another crack at European football and league glory. Manager Stephen Bradley revealed after Gaffney's heroics in Thursday's Europa Conference League win over Ballkani that the Tuam native took a reduction in pay to stay on at Rovers. When it was put to Gaffney that such commitment was unusual in the modern game, he replied: 'I don't know, no other choice! 'It's just the nature of the beast, isn't it? You've been out for a year, you haven't played. You know, you can't expect to be on the same contract.' He admitted that not so long ago, he might have been forced out of the game with age and injury going against him. 'People have asked me in the past, oh, great to be able to play at 35, but if you look at the league 10 years ago, there's not many 35-year-olds that would be able to do it,' he said. 'I have two kids at home. Obviously, bills to pay and all that. Back in the day, there were lads in my situation who might be on, what, 36-week contracts. 'So it was a young man's game, wasn't it? And lads probably had to go off and get jobs. They probably wanted to keep playing, but the contracts weren't there. 'But off the back, I suppose, of the club's success last year with the money they earned, they were in a position to offer me something.' Gaffney missed out on last year's record-breaking league phase campaign because of his injury woes - and it wasn't easy watching his teammates play huge games against teams such as Rapid Vienna and Chelsea. Thanks to his heroics in Europe so far this year, he is just one tie away from the Conference League proper. 'It was just frustrating,' he said, of watching from the sidelines last year, 'but I suppose the lads were doing well. 'Johnny Kenny did well off the back of it, so, you know, it's great to see him do well. He's got a new contract (at Celtic). It's probably off the back of how well he's done last year. 'He's gone back to Celtic full of confidence, and kicked on.' He added: 'It was hard to watch at times, really, but obviously you're delighted for them. My full focus was just trying to get back fit and I was happy to call it a day if I couldn't get fit.' Meanwhile, Gaffney had to battle to get back to full fitness - and he delayed surgery on his ankle just in case he was needed for the Hoops' late, but ultimately unsuccessful, title bid. 'I had the surgery. I had an ongoing issue with the outside of my right ankle,' he explained. 'If the lads didn't get back into the league (title race), last year I would have had the surgery weeks before the season ended. 'But I thought I might be available for selection for the last two weeks, if there was an injury crisis that I put myself forward. 'It didn't happen, and I got the surgery on the Saturday morning after we played Waterford here on the Friday night (on the final day of the season). 'There was a tear in the tendon and then they just stitched it back together. 'Then it was probably eight weeks of, well, two weeks of nothing, and then just gym work, and then I got back jogging and then just kicked on from there.' Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . That was his second time last year to go under the knife. 'In August I had the Achilles surgery,' he said, 'but I had an ongoing issue with the right ankle. 'I didn't want to come back to pre-season and go, actually, this ankle's an issue, so I just said, I have to sort this now. Future proof in the body.' Gaffney managed to prove his fitness in an Under-20s game against Bohemians - and that was enough for manager Stephen Bradley. 'I was obviously training, but there's a big difference between training and matches,' he said. 'I did a couple of weeks training, and the manager said, I just need to see you play in a game. 'I played against the Bohs 20s, played a half, just ran around like a lunatic, trying to get the GPS stats up as much as possible, to show that I could run. 'I didn't touch the ball, but he said he'd seen enough.' These days it's a case of managing his load in training and making sure he is ready for match nights. 'I'd only train on a Monday. Then I'd get Tuesday and Wednesday off, train Thursday, match Friday, then Saturday and Sunday off,' he said. 'Monday is our heavy day, so I'd try to do the heavy session and then I'd kind of do my own thing on a Tuesday.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .