UEFA’S David just the man to break down the jargon

CONFUSED about co-efficients? Stumped by seedings? Who better to clear it all up, than our own man in UEFA. David Farrelly, Dundalk supporter and part of the matchday programme team, is home on holidays at the moment, and was among the crowd in Oriel Park on Friday morning to watch the Champions League play-off draw.

It paired the Lilywhites with Legia Warsaw, one of five possible opponents, known in advance, for Stephen Kenny’s team. David explained how it all breaks down. ‘The play-off round is split into two parts – on one side, the teams who don’t win their league championship, coming from very strong leagues with high co-efficients.

‘You build up co-coefficients based on the results of the teams from your country over the past five years. That’s where the Manchester Citys and Villarreals are,’ said David.

‘On the other side of the draw, you have teams who won their domestic league, those from a lower co-efficient level, the other countries within Europe, outside the likes of England, France, Germany, etc.

‘Dundalk have been unseeded in the second and third qualifying rounds, and are unseeded here because Ireland doesn’t have a strong co-efficient, because our clubs don’t win enough matches in Europe, which results in elimination from club competitions at a relatively early stage.

‘Equally, it’s important for Dundalk and as well as

the other Irish teams here to do well in Europe. Boosting our coefficient benefits all Irish clubs.’ So, what of Legia Warsaw? ‘It’s tricky enough. There are going to be no easy matches at this stage of the competition. Let’s be honest about it, Dundalk are going to be playing teams better than them,’ David remarked.

‘Legia have a lot of experience. They played Saint Patrick’s Athletic and Celtic fairly recently, and Pats were well beaten at home (5-0) after recording a 1-1 draw in Poland. Celtic, too, would have lost 6-1 on aggregate had it not been for Legia introducing an ineligible player, which resulted in them forfeiting the tie, which allowed the Scottish club to advance on away goals.

‘They are going to bring a lot of fans to the Aviva Stadium. A lot of Polish people support Legia Warsaw, it’s the most supported club there.

‘Unquestionably, they are a good outfit as they are Polish champions, but everyone has seen that Dundalk are capable of beating teams better than them.’

Both FH Hafnarfjordur and BATE Borisov had higher co-efficients.

‘It’s a challenge, but I think that’s what Dundalk have shown, that they are up for the challenge.

‘I would consider that in this situation, the home leg first is definitely an advantage. With Legia, given their Polish support in Ireland as well as in Poland, you are going to have a full house at the Aviva.

‘The atmosphere the other night in Tallaght was great, and if we can get that in the Aviva, and get behind the team, there’s a match to be won.’ Reflecting on the historic elim

ination of BATE Borisov, David felt Dundalk held their own in Belarus.

‘I know that BATE had more chances, but 0-0 was the most likely outcome until an unfortunate defensive slip gave them the only goal of the game.

‘The second leg proved we can compete at the top level.’

Dundalk had to travel to Tallaght for that game, and will be in Dublin again next week, as Oriel Park is not deemed suitable for matches of this calibre.

David believes now is the time to bring the club to the next level.

‘Everybody wants to play their home match in their home stadium. Unfortunately, the infrastructure that Dundalk has here is relative to the size of the town. But the UEFA Champions League is an international competition.

‘On a domestic level, Oriel is fit for a domestic audience. It’s not as if it’s full every week, anyway. We have to recognise that which is already a shame.

‘Here, we are playing on an international stage, and it requires a completely different set-up, and the club are going to learn a lot, as Shamrock Rovers did when they played in the Europa League.

‘This is very much a learning experience to the next level. And this is what Dundalk have to consider, that this is what we could be looking at, season in, season out.

‘The team have delivered on the pitch, now we have to deliver off the pitch, both as a club, as a town, and as a support base. ‘That is the real challenge, to support this club and bring it to the next

level.’