Latest news with #Linfield
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Sport
- Irish Times
Shelbourne not lacking motivation for return Champions League tie against Qarabag
Champions League second qualifying round, second leg, Qarabag (3) v Shelbourne (0), Wednesday, 5pm Irish time, Live on Solid Sport stream Shelbourne manager Joey O'Brien and his ever-evolving squad know that an expected defeat to Qarabag merely changes the course of this European adventure. The true value of overcoming Linfield in the Champions League first-round qualifier earlier this month is that it provides an opportunity to end up in the Uefa Conference League group stages. If the Azerbaijani champions finish the job, Shels will be rerouted to the Europa League and a third-round qualifier against the losers of Rijeka of Croatia and Bulgaria's Ludogorets. If the Europa League standard also proves too much, they drop into a season-defining playoff to reach the Conference League with at least €3 million in Uefa prize money on offer. READ MORE Last season, Shamrock Rovers earned €6.4 million from their European run. Trailing Qarabag 3-0, despite a competitive first leg at Tolka Park, the jet-lagged visitors might forgive themselves for lacking enough motivation to avoid a thumping in Baku. 'Motivation? You are playing Champions League round two, away from home, against a team that has made the group stages for the last 10, 11 years,' said O'Brien. 'This is the level the lads want to play at. This is what you dream of as a kid, coming away and playing in Europe. None of them are hiding.' JJ Lunney echoed his manager despite having to cope with the head-spinning play of Brazilian midfielders Kady Borges and Pedro Bicalho. 'Just the speed of the game,' said Lunney of the first leg. 'How quick your brain thinks, they close you down so fast. In the last five minutes, you think you are having a good game, you take a half-yard touch too big and they take it. There is learning in that. You cannot switch off for one second. But there are massive games to come.' Despite a turbulent period off the pitch, the Shelbourne investors have refused to stand still, signing three young players to multiyear deals in the past week while adding Dutch goalkeeper Wessel Speel on loan to cover for the injured Conor Kearns. Speel could start in Baku, but French defender Milan Mbeng and Ireland under-21 winger Seán Moore are not registered for this round, while Jack Henry-Francis, who arrived from Arsenal, is injured. 'They are three great young players who add quality to the group,' said O'Brien. 'The strength of the squad we already have is one of the reasons I took the job.' That is the closest O'Brien will come to mentioning his former boss, Damien Duff, who resigned on June 22nd before the crowning achievement of guiding Shelbourne into the Champions League after 3½ years of steady progress. This Thursday, RTÉ One broadcasts the first episode of Football Families, a three-part documentary about Shelbourne. Naturally, the previous manager features, which is a stark reminder that the Duff era is behind the Drumcondra club. With St Patrick's Athletic away in the FAI Cup on August 15th and at least four more European nights next month, there is still plenty to look forward to.
BBC News
21 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Linfield board at 'wits' end' after Uefa fine
Linfield manager David Healy says the board are "at their wits' end" after the club were fined 12,000 euro for spectator misconduct in Champions League qualifying against Thursday, Linfield were fined 10,000 euro (£8,727) for "racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters" and 2,000 euro (£1,745) by Uefa for the lighting of fireworks in Windsor Park during the second leg on 16 Irish Premiership champions were also handed a partial stadium ban in Europe, suspended for two said a "very small minority" had "let the club down", and emphasised the vast majority of supporters make up "a brilliant fan base"."I know the chairman and the board are at their wits' end at times with how we can control someone who is going to come into a football ground and say, sing or throw whatever, when it's basically been put to them that it's costing the football club," Healy told BBC Sport NI."It's costing the players and it's costing us the opportunity of potentially building up a few pound in the pot."I would urge supporters to get behind us in the correct way and the Linfield way, like they have done for 140 years."Linfield are back in European action on Thursday when they host Zalgiris in the second leg of Uefa Conference League qualifying. The reverse fixture in Lithuania finished goalless and the winners of the tie will face Vikingur from Iceland in the third round."I've been here long enough to understand the importance financially to this football club," Healy said on the tie."I think we worked them out pretty well. They changed their shape and we got a good look at them."I'm excited by the challenge on Thursday and for the players to go and play well and perform."Hopefully we can try and progress."
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
NIFL Premiership new season kicks-off with six live games on BBC Sport NI
There's a feast of live NIFL Sports Direct Premiership football coming up in the new season with BBC Sport NI serving up two live matches in the opening weekend. The first live game is the curtain raiser to the 2025/26 season on August 8, between Coleraine and Larne – one of five live streamed games in August. September sees the first live TV game of the new season featuring the big Belfast derby between Glentoran and Champions Linfield at The Oval. After the season opener at the Showgrounds, newly promoted Bangor host Cliftonville in the live streamed game on August 10 at Clandeboye Park. The third match sees David Healy's Linfield make the trip to the Ballymena Showground on Friday 15 August to take on Jim Ervin's Ballymena United who will be hoping to repeat the positive start they made to last year's campaign. That's followed on August 19 for the game between Cliftonville and last season's runners-up, Larne. Coleraine and Linfield round off August's live streamed games before the Belfast Derby between Glentoran and Linfield on Friday 12 September on BBC Two Northern Ireland. The live streamed games will be available on BBC iPlayer and on the BBC Sport NI website with Glentoran – Linfield live on BBC Two NI and BBC iPlayer. Coleraine v Larne – Friday 8 August BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport NI Online Bangor v Cliftonville – Sunday 10 August BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Online Ballymena v Linfield – Friday 15 August BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Online Cliftonville v Larne – Tuesday 19 August BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Online Coleraine v Linfield – Friday 29 August BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport Online Glentoran v Linfield – Friday 12 September BBC Two NI & BBC iPlayer KM2 Follow For More
BBC News
a day ago
- Sport
- BBC News
First set of 2025-26 Premiership streams revealed
Details of the first six Irish Premiership matches of the upcoming 2025-26 season that will be streamed live on the BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website have been of the new season begins on the opening night on Friday 8 August as Coleraine host Larne at the Showgrounds, with kick-off at 19:45 BST. The second streamed game from the opening weekend sees newly-promoted Bangor welcome Cliftonville to Clandeboye on Sunday 10 August (15:00 BST). On 15 August, Ballymena United host champions Linfield at the Showgrounds before Cliftonville v Larne at Solitude four days later (both 19:45 BST). The BBC cameras will be back in Coleraine on 29 August for the Bannsiders' home game against Linfield (19:45 BST). On 12 September, the first Big Two derby between Glentoran and Linfield at the Oval will be live on BBC Two NI in addition to the iPlayer and website. First six 2025-26 Irish Premiership games live on BBC (times BST)Friday 8 August: Coleraine v Larne, 19:45 (BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website)Sunday 10 August: Bangor v Cliftonville, 15:00 (BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website)Friday 15 August: Ballymena v Linfield, 19:45 (BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website)Tuesday 19 August: Cliftonville v Larne, 19:45 (BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website)Friday 29 August: Coleraine v Linfield, 19:45 (BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website)Friday 12 September: Glentoran v Linfield, 19:45 (BBC Two NI, BBC iPlayer & BBC Sport website)
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
David Healy reveals the approach Linfield will take into second leg against Zalgiris
Linfield boss David Healy believes caution and patience will be the buzz words ahead of his team's UEFA Conference League second leg showdown with Lithuanian side Zalgiris at Windsor Park on Thursday night. The Sports Direct Premiership Champions battled out a goalless draw at the LFF Stadium in Vilnius last week to put themselves into a decent position for a possible third qualifying round clash with Faroese outfit Vikingur later this month.
