LAST UPDATE | 1 Jul 2023
SHAMROCK ROVERS WILL face Icelandic champions Breidablik in the Champions League first qualifying round later this month.
Breidablik were comfortable 5-0 winners over Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro on Friday night, winning the four-team preliminary qualifying tournament and sealing their progress to a date with the Hoops.
The first leg will take place in Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday 11 July at 7.45pm, with Stephen Bradley’s side travelling to Iceland for the return on a week later on 18 July at 8.15pm Irish time.
Confirmed | Champions League 1st Qualifying Round 👇
— Shamrock Rovers FC (@ShamrockRovers) July 1, 2023
🇮🇸 Breidablik
🏆 1st Leg
📆 Tuesday 11 July
📍 Tallaght Stadium, Dublin
⌚️ 7:45pm
🇮🇸 Breidablik
🏆 2nd Leg
📆 Tuesday 18 July
📍 Kópavogsvöllur, Iceland
⌚️ 7:15pm / 8:15pm (Irish Time)#RoversInEurope l @ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/W7zfV7nJyu
Breidablik’s most recent European run saw them win two games in the Europa Conference League qualifiers last season before they were eliminated by Istanbul Basaksehir in the third qualifying round.
They currently sit third in the Besta deild karla Icelandic domestic league, 13 points behind leaders Vikingur Reykjavik.
Meanwhile, Shelbourne will meet Glasgow FC in the first round of the Women’s Champions League after yesterday’s draw in Nyon.
Shels go head-to-head with the Scottish champions in Lithuania on Wednesday, 6 September, for a coveted ticket to face Gintra (Lithuania) or Cardiff City (Wales) in a mini-final on Saturday, 9 September.
Claire Walsh, Emily Whelan and Aoife Colvill are the Irish internationals currently on the books at Glasgow, with many — including Shels’ Keeva Keenan — flying the flag there through the years. FAI Head of Women’s Football Eileen Gleeson was manager for a period.
Cliftonville have drawn Portuguese giants Benfica, with the winners playing Shymkent (Kazakhstan) or Riga (Latvia) for a place in the 16-team group stage.
Lisbon’s Estadio Jose Alvalade was this week announced as the final venue.
