logo
Shelbourne learn potential opponents as they chase lucrative qualification for European group stages

Shelbourne learn potential opponents as they chase lucrative qualification for European group stages

Irish Times7 days ago
If
Shelbourne
can progress past Qarabag of Azerbaijan they will face the winners of Steaua Bucharest and KF Shkëndija of North Macedonia in the
Champions League
third round.
Joey O'Brien's
team welcome Qarabag to Tolka Park on Wednesday for the second round, first leg against Gurban Gurbanov's seasoned European squad. The second leg is in Baku on Wednesday week.
If Shelbourne are beaten over two legs they will be rerouted to the Europa League third round – against the losers of HNK Rijeka (Croatia) and Ludogorets (Bulgaria) – with a guaranteed playoff, either in Uefa's second tier competition or the Conference League, to secure group stage football this season.
The 36 clubs that qualify for the Champions League group stage are guaranteed €18.62 million in prize money. Shels would need to overcome Qarabag, a round-three opponent and win a two-legged playoff to land that massive pay-day.
READ MORE
That figure drops to €4.31 million for reaching the Europa League proper, while the 36 Conference League sides get €3.17 million before win and draw bonuses.
Shels' first-round victory over Northern Ireland champions Linfield last week earned the north Dublin club €750,000, on top of €960,000 already secured from Uefa's prize money pot of €3.317 billion.
The visit of Qarabag is the last match that they can host at Tolka Park as Uefa stadium criteria will force a move to Tallaght Stadium or the Aviva Stadium for their two remaining home qualifiers.
Shamrock Rovers hope to make the Conference League group stages for the third time since 2022 when they begin their European campaign away to St Joseph's of Gibraltar on Thursday. The second leg is in Tallaght seven days later.
St Patrick's Athletic also play their last European game at Richmond Park on Thursday in the Conference League second round, first-leg qualifier against Nomme Kalju from Estonia.
The third-round ties are on August 5th or 6th and 12th.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shelbourne complete deal for West Ham youngster Sean Moore
Shelbourne complete deal for West Ham youngster Sean Moore

RTÉ News​

time8 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

Shelbourne complete deal for West Ham youngster Sean Moore

Shelbourne have signed Sean Moore from West Ham United on a "multi-year" contract, subject to international clearance. The highly-regarded 19-year-old arrives at Tolka Park following a spell in England with the Premier League club's Under-21 squad. Moore first broke onto the scene with Cliftonville in the NIFL Premiership, his performances for the Reds in 2022/23 saw the teenager named in the NIFL Premiership Team of the Year and win the NI Football Writers' Association Young Player of the Year award. Moore was a regular for West Ham's development side during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign and capped off an impressive year by making his Republic of Ireland U21 debut in a friendly against Sweden in November. He finished the season with five goals, making him the joint-third top scorer for the Hammers' U21s. Moore said: "I'm absolutely buzzing to be here. Shelbourne is a massive club and I'm delighted to get the deal done. I'm ready to get to work, hit the ground running, and show the fans what I'm all about." Shels boss Joey O'Brien believes Moore is an "exciting" addition: "Sean's a top young player with huge potential. He came into the game at a young age with Cliftonville and earned a great education over in England with West Ham. "Now he's ready to kick on with the next stage of his career, and we're delighted he's put his trust in us. He's an exciting player to watch, really positive in how he plays the game. He can play in multiple positions on both sides of the pitch, which gives us great flexibility."

Shelbourne complete deal for transfer of West Ham winger
Shelbourne complete deal for transfer of West Ham winger

Irish Daily Mirror

time8 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Shelbourne complete deal for transfer of West Ham winger

Shelbourne have tonight signed winger Sean Moore from West Ham on a multi-year deal. The 19-year-old joined the Hammers from Cliftonville in 2023 and made 56 appearances for their development side, scoring 10 goals. Shels are waiting on Moore's international clearance, ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Qarabag in Azerbaijan (5pm), where they trail 3-0. An Ireland Under-21 international, Moore said: 'I'm absolutely buzzing to be here. Shelbourne is a massive club and I'm delighted to get the deal done. I'm ready to get to work, hit the ground running, and show the fans what I'm all about.' 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 . Shels boss Joey O'Brien - who on Tuesday signed Dutch goalkeeper Wessel Speel on loan from MLS side Minnesota United - is thrilled with the business. O'Brien said: 'Sean's a top young player with huge potential. He came into the game at a young age with Cliftonville and earned a great education in England with West Ham. 'Now he's ready to kick on with the next stage of his career, and we're delighted he's put his trust in us. 'He's an exciting player to watch, really positive in how he plays the game. He can play in multiple positions on both sides of the pitch, which gives us great flexibility.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .

It dawned on David Clifford that one All-Ireland wasn't enough
It dawned on David Clifford that one All-Ireland wasn't enough

Irish Examiner

time8 hours ago

  • Irish Examiner

It dawned on David Clifford that one All-Ireland wasn't enough

David Clifford admitted this was the first season when he realised one All-Ireland wasn't much to show for a man who made his senior debut in 2018. The two-time footballer of the year had been going season by season without giving himself the opportunity to reflect on his career, which had comprised four All-Ireland finals including a replay and just one victory. Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Clifford said: 'It was probably the first year where I personally got a chance to take stock and you're looking back at it and you're kind of saying, 'Jesus, I've had six or seven great years with Kerry, but still we've only had one All-Ireland. It was the first year where I thought, 'Jesus, that's not enough.'' Like his manager Jack O'Connor and brother Paudie, Clifford had also been paying attention to how Kerry had been seen as a one-man team. If it put any pressure on him, he wasn't feeling it. If anything, he took motivation from those who were trying to soften him up. 'Look, to be honest, I think there's a bit of that coming from people that are building you up, hoping you'll fail. So that gives me a lot of motivation, to be honest. I'm not sure if a lot of it is sincere. Some of it is, of course, but I'm not sure if it all is. So it gives you a nice motivation too.' For the golden generation of All-Ireland winning minors including Clifford, Seán O'Shea, Diarmuid O'Connor, Graham O'Sullivan and Mike Breen, this latest All-Ireland victory will soften the coughs of those who claimed they had been underperforming at senior level. Clifford admits he asked himself the question if that defeat to Dublin would define this group under O'Connor. 'Look, obviously winning in '22 was sweet, but the years that followed it were tough both personally and as a team. 'The '23 final in particular, it didn't go well. Obviously, we led by three points twice in the second half and didn't get over the line and you're kind of saying, 'Are we going to be defined by that?' 'But thankfully we're not. We came back this year with a real kind of motivation. Obviously, we got knocked back in the Meath game, but we're massively proud of everyone, wow we rode in behind each other after that and look, it's unbelievably sweet now to win.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store