Shelbourne drawn against Linfield in Champions League qualifying
Shelbourne will play Linfield of the Irish Premiership in the first round of qualifying for the Champions League.
The sides will square off over two legs next month, with the first game set to take place at Tolka Park.
Advertisement
The winning team will be guaranteed at least two more ties after the first round.
In the Conference League, St Patrick's Athletic will face Lithuanian outfit FC Hegelmann in the first round.
Shelbourne boss Damien Duff said: "It is brilliant day for everyone at the football club, especially for those who have been through the dark times.
"Players and staff watched the draw together and there is already a great buzz at the prospect of an All-Ireland derby."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
26 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Rangers facing Panathinaikos venue switch for Champions League tie in major boost for travelling fans
The Ibrox side face the Greek giants away from home in the second leg of their qualifier Panathinaikos are set to confirm that they will host Rangers at the Olympic Stadium in Athens for their Champions League showdown. Russell Martin 's side face a tough task to get past the Greeks after this week's draw and the first leg will be at Ibrox at the end of next month. Panathinaikos' ramshackle ground, Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium, is being rebuilt and the club will return back to their spiritual home for the new season. But it won't be ready in time for their clash with Rangers. A further complication is Athens' Olympic Stadium is getting roof repairs, but Panathinaikos have received reassurances from the Greek government that work will be delayed until after the game. With a huge capacity of 65,000, tickets won't be a problem for Rangers fans, with Panathinaikos rarely coming close to selling out in most of their European games. And Rangers will be reassured to learn their second qualifying round, second leg tie won't be a true home game either for their hosts. You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers page, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here. Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Nuno Espirito Santo signs new contract but Nottingham Forest appear to make gaffe in statement announcing it
The 51-year-old has inked a new three-year deal at the City Ground CONTRACT CALAMITY Nuno Espirito Santo signs new contract but Nottingham Forest appear to make gaffe in statement announcing it Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) NOTTINGHAM FOREST appeared to make a major gaffe in their announcing of Nuno Espirito Santo's new contract. Forest, surprisingly, announced a new deal for their Portuguese gaffer early on Saturday morning. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Nuno Espirito Santo has been handed a new deal by Nottingham Forest Credit: SHUTTERSTOCK 4 The 51-year-old has inked a new three-year deal at the City Ground Credit: PA 4 Forest made a gaffe in their official statement announcing Nuno's new deal Credit: NOTTINGHAM FOREST The former Porto and Spurs boss has inked a new three-year deal at the City Ground, although you wouldn't have known it if you looked at the Midlands club's website. Eagle-eyed fans spotted that Forest had mistakenly stated that Nuno inked an "x-year deal" in their statement announcing the new contract. A snippet of the club's official statement read: "Nottingham Forest is delighted to announce that Nuno Espírito Santo has signed a new contract with the Club. "The Forest Head Coach has been handed a new x-year deal by owner Evangelos Marinakis ahead of the 2025/26 campaign." Nuno, 51, is over the moon to have extended his stay at the City Ground, which is set to host UEFA Conference League football this coming season. He said: "I am delighted to be able to continue our journey at this fantastic football Club. 'Since we arrived at Forest, we have worked extremely hard to create a special bond between the players, the fans and everyone at the Club, which helped us achieve great things last season. "I would like to thank our owner, Mr. Marinakis, for his constant support and backing. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 4 "It is important to me to share a strong relationship with our ownership and we have thoroughly enjoyed working together ever since I arrived at Forest. 'Now is the time to work harder than ever as we strive for more special memories together.' Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis sends fans bold Champions League prediction Marinakis said of the new deal: "Nuno has made a great impact and performed very well during his time with us so far. 'He has demonstrated that he maximises player performance and is an expert at developing players, whilst also embedding our young talent into the first team set-up. 'We enjoy a strong and solid relationship together and, above all, we share the same dream and ambition of writing a new history for Nottingham Forest, competing in the Premier League and in Europe and winning trophies for our great club!' Forest will kick off their Premier League season on Saturday, August 17, away to Brighton. The Tricky Trees will play the first leg of their Conference League play-off on August 21.
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
How Rangers can halt Celtic juggernaut but fans are right to fret over Champions League
Celtic kick-off their quest for five-in-a-row at home to St Mirren - can anyone stop Brendan Rodgers' champions this season? ANDY NEWPORT: It's hard to know what Rangers will look like come opening day but they're beginning from a standing start while Celtic have a squad that knows how to hit title-winning pace from the off. Celtic are huge favourites again and rightly so. MICHAEL GANNON: Celtic are still the team to beat. They are already in a position of strength and will add to their squad, so it's tough to see Rangers catching them when they are facing another rebuild. SCOTT McDERMOTT: Rangers can - IF they get their house in order quickly and recruitment spot on. Time is against Russell Martin in that regard and Celtic's five-in-a-row juggernaut will be difficult to stop. But if Martin's new-look team can hit the ground running, they can mount a challenge for the title. FRASER WILSON: I would absolutely love to say there's three or four clubs who can but the reality is only Rangers have the potential to go the distance. And even that's going to be a big ask for Russell Martin in his first season given the standing start he has with his squad. It's going to take an incredibly productive transfer window and some magic from the coaching staff. Russell Martin gets down to work with his new Rangers squad on Monday - but are fans right to worry only one new recruit has checked in at Ibrox with their first Champions League clash only a month away? ANDY: The new boss plans on a radical shake up of Gers' playing style and for that to click, every second on the training ground is vital. Rangers really need to get a move on if they're to be anywhere near ready for that multi-million pound clash with Panathinaikos. MICHAEL: They do need to get a shift on. The Champions League qualifiers are coming fast on the horizon and they are well short right now. It might need some patience though. SCOTT: Yes, because they're fans. And in an ideal world, there would have been a few new signings in the door already. It will have to happen fairly quickly and players who are surplus to requirements also have to be moved on. FRASER: Definitely. I'd say that squad requires at least five starters right from centre back through to striker. A new spine basically. Then they need to gel into a unit before taking on a very strong outfit in Panathinaikos. Every session over the next four weeks is going to be massive for Martin and his players. Ibrox chiefs were furious after being fined for John Brown's SFA corruption rant - are they right to be angry? ANDY: Yes. Bomber shouldn't have let rip on RTV but we've seen plenty other remarks on club channels cross the line yet go unpunished. If you sanction one offender, you have to sanction them all. MICHAEL: It all seems a bit of an unnecessary kerfuffle. You can't have club employees calling refs corrupt but a wee slap on the wrist and a reminder to keep club channels semi-sensible would have sufficed. SCOTT: Yes. Rangers were right to point to other remarks on club TV channels which have gone unpunished. Why the SFA have decided to open a can of worms and make an example of Rangers is anyone's guess. FRASER: A bit. It's certainly set a precedent. Brown's comment was naughty and the SFA have to stand up for their refs. But maybe a slap on the wrist would have sufficed. Club TV commentators might now feel the need to rein in their passion. Hibs face Danes Midtjylland in the Europa League second qualifying round while Dundee United take on UNA Strassen of Luxembourg in their Conference League opener - will both progress? ANDY: United really should be taking care of the minnows from the Grand Duchy but the words 'Progres Neiderkorn' are a reminder these ties are never straight forward. Hibs are likely to have a far tougher time against a Midtjylland outfit who have a fantastic track record of unearthing talented gems. MICHAEL: Dundee United should take care of Strassen, even though there could be some nervy moments. Hibs are right up against it. Midtjylland have had better sides in previous years but they are still a top, experienced European team and it could be a big ask. SCOTT: You would expect United to see off a team from Luxembourg, with all due respect. Hibs are in better shape than the Tannadice men but face a far more difficult tie against the Danes. If they can get through that, it would be a huge result for David Gray. FRASER: United have no excuses. Hibs are underdogs but David Gray's squad is pretty much set and just needs an addition or two. Produce a big performance in the first leg in Denmark and it could be Sunshine in Leith time again on July 31. Scotland's other Euro contestants outside the Old Firm need to start bloodying a few noses.
