Rovers draw Chelsea in Conference League
Shamrock Rovers have been drawn to play Premier League giants Chelsea in the UEFA Conference League.
The draw which was made today in Monaco also sees the Airtricity Premier League of Ireland Champions drawn to play five other clubs in stand-alone matches in the new format.
The Hoops have also been drawn to play Cyprian side Apoel FC (home), SK Rapid of Austria (away), Welsh side The New Saints (home), Borac of Bosnia-Herzegovinia (home) and Larne from Northern Ireland away.
The New Saints are the first Welsh side to qualify for the League stage of the UEFA Conference League.
There are 36 teams in the UEFA Conference League with each team playing six matches resulting in 108 matches in total.
The matches will be played on October 3 and 24, November 7 and 28, and December 12 and 19.
Stephen Bradley’s side dropped down to the UEFA Conference League after exiting from the Europa League last night.
Rovers lost 2-0 in Tallaght Stadium to Greek side PAOK, and 6-0 on aggregate after PAOK seized the initiative in the tie with a comprehensive 4-0 win in the first leg last week.
Magomed Ozdoev and Kiril Despodov struck midway through the second half last night as their side progressed to the League stage of the Europa League.
Ozdoev was cool and clinical as he stroked home a loose ball after creating a chance for Andrija Živković, which was prodded back into the midfielder’s path by Živković.
Despodov took advantage of a rare Leon Pohls error shortly after to deceive the ‘keeper at his near post and end the game as a contest on the night.
Rovers’ form has been patchy in Europe having lost three games and winning just one and conceding on average two goals per match.
Last night’s result brings the Hoops’ earnings up to a minimum of €3.87 million. The Tallaght club will also receive additional five year and ten year rankings UEFA prize money that may come to close to another €1 million.
Prize money for the league stage of the Conference League is €400,000 for a win and €133,000 for a draw.
If a club makes it out of the league stage and so qualify for the knockout round of the Conference League, the club will earn €300,000, with the round of 16 earning €1.75 million.
