Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Irish sides waiting on UEFA draw
LINFIELD will learn their UEFA Champions League fate today when the draw for the first qualifying round is made in Switzerland. The UEFA website will stream the draw live at 12 noon, while the Europa League draw featuring Crusaders, Coleraine and Ballymena United will be made at 1pm. Linfield – who lifted the Gibson Cup for the first time in five years in April – are one of five seeded teams in the first qualifying round of the Champions League. The Big Two giants will face either Alashkert of Armenia, La Fiorita (San Marino), Europa FC (Gilbralta), FCI Tallinn (Estonia) or Kosovan club KF Trepca over two legs on June 27/28 and July 4/5. If the Blues progress to the second qualifying round, where the likes of Celtic and Swedish giants Malmo lie in wait, they will secure a financial windfall of up to £700,000. Healy said: “We don’t have long to prepare for Europe, but credit to the boys – the have come back fitter and sharper.” Meanwhile, today’s draw for the Europa League could throw up a couple of mouth watering ties for local clubs. As unseeded teams in the first qualifying round, it is possible Coleraine or Ballymena could draw Rangers or St Johnstone. As a seeded team, Crusaders cannot be drawn against either of the two Scottish clubs, but Stephen Baxter’s men may go up against Derry or Cork City. The first and second legs of the Europa League first qualifying round will be played on June 29 and July 6.