Cefn Druids could face a mammoth 8,000 mile round-trip after drawing FC Irtysh Pavlodar of Kazakhstan after the draw for the opening qualifying rounds of next season’s UEFA Europa League was completed today.
Cefn Druids already knew that they would face FK Trakai (Lithuania) in the competition’s preliminary round which gets underway next week, but should they advance past Trakai and progress past Kazakhstan’s Irtysh Pavlodar, Druids would then face Rudar Pljevlja (Montenegro) or Partizan Belgrade (Serbia) in the second qualifying round.
Welsh Cup winners Connah’s Quay will enter the competition in the first qualifying round and will head to Belarus after being drawn against FC Shakhtyor Soligorsk (ties being played 12th & 19th July).
Soligorsk were one of five possible opponents and the Nomads will be relieved to have avoided difficult draws against AIK (Sweden) and Nordsjælland (Denmark).
The Nomads potential second qualifying round opponents would be Lech Poznań (Poland) or Gandzasar-Kapan (Armenia).
Bala Town will join Cefn Druids in the preliminary round next week against San Marino outfit Tre Firoi with the carrot of a potential second qualifying round tie against former European Cup winners Steaua Bucharest.
The Lakesiders would first have to overcome Slovenia’s NK Rudar Velenje in the first qualifying round before facing the former European heavyweights.
Preliminary round (28 June / 5 July)
Cefn Druids (WAL) v Trakai (LTU)
Tre Fiori (SMR) / Bala Town (WAL)
First qualifying round (12 / 19 July)
Cefn Druids (WAL) / Trakai (LTU) v Irtysh (KAZ)
Connah’s Quay (WAL) v Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR)
Rudar Velenje (SVN) v Tre Fiori (SMR) / Bala Town (WAL)
Second qualifying round (26 July / 2 August)
Rudar Pljevlja (MNE) / Partizan (SRB) v Cefn Druids (WAL) / Trakai (LTU) / Irtysh (KAZ)
Rudar Velenje (SVN) / Tre Fiori (SMR) / Bala Town (WAL) v FCSB (ROU)
Connah’s Quay (WAL) / Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) v Lech Poznań (POL) / Gandzasar-Kapan (ARM)
