FOUR Northern Irish sides learned their European fate today, with the second round of qualifying stage draws for the Champions, Europa and Europa Conference Leagues taking place.
FK Bodø/Glimt of Norway have been drawn against the winner of the first-round tie between NIFL champions Larne and FC RFS (Rīgas Futbola Skola) of Latvia, who themselves won the Latvian Higher League
The first leg of Larne’s tie with FC RFS will kick off on July 9/10 and the second leg on July 16/17.
The Northern Irish back-to-back league champions will hope to do better than last year when they were beaten by HJK Helsinki in the first qualifying round and then by FC Ballkani from Kosovo in Conference League qualifying.
Czech champions Sparta Praha will play either League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers or Icelandic league winners Vikingur Reykjavík.
Each tie will take place over two legs with the first leg being played on July 23/24 and the second on July 30/31.
Shamrock Rovers will be hoping to go further than in 2022, when they got to the Europa Conference League play-off stage, but were beaten by FC Flora, based in Estonia.
Should either Larne or Shamrock Rovers lose their first round of qualifiers, that is not the end of their European journey, as they would be entered into the Europa Conference League qualifying stage.
The draw for the Europa Conference League will take place today at 1pm in Nyon, Switzerland, which will also include NIFL euro play-off winner Crusaders, Irish League Cup winners Linfield and Irish Cup winners for the first time in 45 years, Cliftonville.
FULL DRAW:
Champions Path
PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL) / FC Dinamo Batumi (GEO) vs FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) / FC Pyunik (ARM)
APOEL FC (CYP) vs FC Ordabasy (KAZ) / FC Petrocub (MDA)
Ferencvárosi TC (HUN) vs The New Saints FC (WAL) / FK Dečić (MNE)
PAOK FC (GRE) vs FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH) / KF Egnatia (ALB)
FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR) vs FC RFS (LVA) / Larne FC (NIR)
Malmö FF (SWE) vs KÍ Klaksvík (FRO) / FC Differdange 03 (LUX)
Vikingur Reykjavík (ISL) / Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL) vs AC Sparta Praha (CZE)
FC Ballkani (KOS) / UE Santa Coloma (AND) vs FC Midtjylland (DEN)
FC Flora Tallinn (EST) / NK Celje (SVN) vs ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) / FC Struga (MKD)
FK Panevėžys (LTU) / HJK Helsinki (FIN) vs Jagiellonia Białystok (POL)
Hamrun Spartans FC (MLT) / Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) vs Qarabağ FK (AZE)
Virtus A.C. 1964 (SMR) / Fotbal Club FCSB (ROU) vs Maccabi Tel Aviv FC (ISR)
League path
FC Lugano (SUI) vs Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) vs FK Partizan (SRB)
