Welsh clubs to kick off their European campaigns

Pic: Brian Jones

WELSH champions The New Saints will travel to San Marino in the Champions League, while the country’s three Europa League participants have all been handed tough Scandinavian tests.

The Saints, who secured their fifth Welsh title in a row last term, won both legs of a European tie for the first time ever last year when they defeated B36 Torshavn of the Faroe Islands in the first qualifying round.

The Oswestry-based club, who were seeded, enter at the same stage this year and have been drawn against San Marino league champions Tre Penne.

TNS were the first drawn out and the first leg will be played at Park Hall on Tuesday night, with the return game in San Marino on July 5.

If the Saints are victorious, they will play Cypriot giants Apoel, who made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League as recently as 2012.

In the Europa League, Gap Connah’s Quay – entering European competition for the first time – have been paired against Norwegian side Stabæk Fotball, who finished third in their domestic competition last season.

Exciting

However, the Norwegians, managed by former Scotland international and David Moyes’ right-hand man Billy McKinlay, have lost nine of their 13 games so far in the current campaign.

Nomads boss Andy Morrison said: “They’re not ripping it up this year in their league, with a new manager coming in at the start of their season, so it may be a good time to play them.

“It’s really exciting times and everybody should be excited by the prospect. They say when you get in these draws you don’t want to get a Scandinavian team because they are in their season, they’re in full flow, but it’s a great opportunity for us to go and make a mark.”

MBi Llandudno and Bala Town, meanwhile, will both be travelling to Sweden after being paired against IFK Goteborg and AIK Solna respectively.

Goteborg, UEFA Cup champions twice in the 1980s, are fifth in the current Swedish campaign while Solna are a place higher after 12 league games.

Llandudno and Bala are on the road, while Gap Connah’s Quay play at home first in the Europa League first qualifying round on Thursday, before the second legs on July 7.

Due to UEFA ground regulations, Gap Connah’s Quay and Bala will play at Rhyl’s Belle Vue Stadium, with Llandudno hosting at the Bangor City University Stadium.