Athlone Town to face Cardiff City in Champions League
Athlone Town will face Cardiff City following the Champions League first qualifying round semi-final draw in Nyon today.
The winners will face ZNK Agram of Croatia in the final.
Venue details are to be announced in the coming days.
Town's clash with Cardiff will take place on 30 July, with the final scheduled for 3 August.
A place in the second round of qualifying is on offer.
The midlanders are currently top of the Premier Division after an unbeaten start to their year, winning nine games and drawing one.
Cardiff have lost all seven matches in the Champions League without scoring a goal and were beaten 3-0 by Shelbourne in 2023.
They have won a treble and double in the last two seasons in the Welsh League.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Roy Keane meets football legends as he visits Inter Miami training camp
Roy Keane met a trio of Barcelona greats as he visited Inter Miami's training camp ahead of the last 16 of the FIFA World Cup. The Corkman has travelled to the United States to take in the later stages of the inaugural edition of the club competition. And the former Manchester United captain visited the Inter Miami squad ahead of their clash with PSG on Sunday. Keane was pictured alongside a trio of former Barcelona stars in Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. But fans were disappointed that Keane never got to meet Inter Miami's talisman Lionel Messi. It was Messi's free-kick against Porto that propelled his MLS side into the knockout stages of the Club World Cup. But they now have their work cut out against the reigning Champions League winners in PSG. Messi, of course, had a two-year spell at PSG after leaving Barcelona, scoring 32 goals in 75 games for the French side.
The Irish Sun
6 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside Liverpool's 10-YEAR chase to sign new goalkeeper Freddie Woodman whose dad was Gareth Southgate's best man
LIVERPOOL's signing of Freddie Woodman has been a DECADE in the making. The Reds confirmed the arrival of the goalkeeper on a free transfer following his exit from 6 Freddie Woodman has joined Liverpool on a free transfer Credit: Getty 6 He will be behind Alisson Becker in the pecking order Credit: PA 6 Giorgi Mamardashvili will also be arriving at Liverpool this summer Credit: Getty Woodman, 28, will bolster He will now have to compete with the likes of He came through the ranks at READ MORE ON FOOTBALL The Reds were linked with a move for Woodman before he had even made a first-team appearance for the Magpies. They were reportedly competing with The Eagles had an advantage in the race as they had hired Woodman's dad, Andy, as a coach. Woodman had also spent over ten years at the South London club in his youth before moving up north in 2013. Most read in Football JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS Andy - who now manages Bromley - was close friends with Sir Gareth Southgate and was even the best man at his wedding. Woodman has also racked up plenty of international experience during his career. Former England star lands shock transfer to Iceland in 17th club of career after playing for Tottenham and Liverpool 6 Woodman's dad, Andy, was Gareth Southgate's best man Credit: PA He was a regular in the However, he stayed put at St James' Park until he left permanently in 2022 for Preston. He spent three seasons as the club's first-choice stopper and was named Player of the Year in his debut season. Preston's former manager Ryan Lowe, even claimed that the stopper was worth £ 20MILLION amid interest from Rangers at the time. This summer, Liverpool were not the only club in the running for Woodman. Manchester United were also reportedly interested but ultimately opted to offer veteran 6 Woodman may be viewed as the third-choice goalkeeper at Anfield but he still has an important role. The Englishman qualifies as a homegrown player which is important for the club's participation in the Champions League. Uefa allows clubs to register 17 non-homegrown players in their squads and Slot is at his limit. This is due to the summer arrivals of Last season, Woodman impressed at Deepdale as he played a crucial role in the club's survival in the Championship. He kept 12 clean sheets in 37 appearances as the club finished just one point above the bottom three. 6
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Jurgen Klopp hints he may NEVER return to management as former Liverpool boss admits ‘I no longer had a normal life'
JURGEN KLOPP has suggested his managerial career might be over after admitting he doesn't want that life "anymore". The German coach quit Liverpool at the end of last season after nine years in charge of the Anfield outfit. 2 Jurgen Klopp has hinted he may never manage another football team Credit: Splash 2 Klopp admits he does not miss his old role Credit: Getty Having now had more than a year to reflect on his career options, Klopp, 58, candidly revealed he believes his time in the dugout could be over. Speaking to German outlet, He recalled how he lost 16 kilos between his time leaving Borussia Dortmund and joining Liverpool, thanks to being on top of his diet and exercising - something he couldn't do when mulling over tactics. Klopp said: "I was in a tunnel, but never with myself. Now I pay more attention to myself. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL "As silly as it sounds, I stopped doing what I always wanted to do. "But it took me too far away from normal life – and ultimately, I no longer had a normal life. "Whatever normal life is: my car knew three ways: to the stadium, to the training ground, and home." Klopp explained how while he had plenty of visitors in Liverpool, he barely had any time for them - referencing how he had been to two weddings in the last four months as opposed to none in 23 years before that. Most read in Football BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Following his Liverpool exit, Klopp has found new roles as Red Bull's Head of Global Soccer and in the latest Hotel: Trivago, advertisements. But the Premier League and Champions League winner hasn't been short of top clubs wanting to add him to their ranks, with Arne Slot shows his class as he leads Anfield in chant about Jurgen Klopp after sealing 20th title for Liverpool However, despite chats with Jose Mourinho and Roy Hodgson about coaching, his gut feeling is that while he loved his job, he doesn't miss it. Asked about his links to Bayern, Klopp said: "But I don't want that anymore. I have a job now that fulfills me and is also intense. "I don't sleep in the morning and I don't go to bed later at night, but I can organise my work much better. "My wife, for example, is really happy with it because we can plan things much better that we couldn't before... "Of course I enjoyed it too. Some days I couldn't believe my luck. Just look where I came from - and then I made it to "If I were to go back to coaching somewhere, it would all start again. I'm me! I can't just take over and coach. "Then I'd be completely involved everywhere again. And I just don't see that happening anymore." On his chats with Hodgson and Mourinho, he continued: "He (Hodgson) came up to me and asked how I was. In the same breath he said to me: 'I miss it.' "And I was like: 'What?' Roy is 77 years old - and he wants to be a coach again. Unbelievable! "When we played against "But Jose Mourinho also said to me: 'This is not the end.' There are those coaches who always want to do that. I loved being a coach, but I was never addicted." Klopp also ruled himself out of taking a job at one of the Red Bull teams. Klopp has botched his Liverpool exit… and it's cost him his legacy, says Dave Kidd By Dave Kidd NOW we know Jurgen Klopp's final major trophy haul at Liverpool — one Champions League, one Premier League, one FA Cup, two League Cups and (if you must) a World Club Cup. But where does his reign stand among the greatest of the Premier League era? In black-and-white terms, Klopp is way behind Sir Alex Ferguson and Pep Guardiola, the only two men to have won multiple Premier Leagues and a Champions League at the same club. Those two sit alongside Brian Clough, Bob Paisley and Sir Matt Busby as the undoubted all-time managerial greats of the English game. But Klopp ranks in the next tier down — with Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho (the Chelsea version), Bill Shankly and Don Revie. These were all men with the strength of character to transform their clubs in their own image and enjoy success but who did not win as much as they might have done. Had Klopp managed to keep his intentions under wraps and ended up with another title, perhaps even a treble or quadruple, he'd have edged himself up into that highest echelon with Ferguson, Guardiola, Clough, Paisley and Busby. But deciding the timing and the manner of your exit is one of the toughest calls for any manager or sportsman. Klopp got it wrong. Read Dave Kidd's take on Klopp's demise Or click here to check out all of Dave Kidd's articles.
