WELSH CLUBS AIM TO BE EURO STARS
TNS kick-off their Champions League bid
INTERIM boss Scott Ruscoe leads The New Saints into their UEFA Champions League first qualifying round tie with Gibraltan champions Europa FC this week – and says he’s desperate to land the job on a permanent basis. Ruscoe was handed the reins by chairman Mike Harris folworked lowing the departure of Craig Harrison to Hartlepool United last month and, assisted by Steve Evans, immediately set about making his mark.
The Welsh champions welcome Europa to Park Hall on Tuesday night and face a side who last season ended Lincoln Red Imps’ staggering 14-year grip on the Gibraltar Premier
Division.
Tough act
And, with the managerial situation set to be reviewed following TNS’ European campaign, the upcoming ties are effectively Ruscoe’s job interview. He certainly has a tough act to follow in Harrison, who enjoyed remarkable success in his time with the Saints, winning six Welsh Premier League titles, four Welsh Cups and three Welsh League Cups. “Hopefully we’ll get that chance because no one wants to win for TNS more than me and Steve Evans,” said Ruscoe. “I’d been assistant to Craig for a few years and myself and Steve have both been at the club a long time. We’ve got a lot of experience, know the club, the players and work very well together.
“Credit to the lads, they’ve taken on board everything we’ve asked of them and been magnificent.
“I’ll be telling them to go and play their normal way on Tuesday and put our stamp on the tie. But, as always, we’ll respect our opposition and not take anything for granted.”
The second leg, meanwhile, is scheduled to be played a week on Tuesday at the Estádio Algarve in Portugal due to UEFA’s concerns over the pitch at the Victoria Stadium in Gibraltar.
Croatian champions HNK Rijeka are awaiting the winners in the second qualifying round – with those ties scheduled for July 11/12 and July 18/19.
Meanwhile Bangor City, back in Europe after a threeyear absence, are gearing up to face Danish outfit Lyngby in the first qualifying round of the Europa League.
The first leg in Scandinavia on Thursday will be a first competitive game in charge of the Citizens for new manager Kevin Nicholson.
“It’s an exciting time,” he said. “The players and everyone connected with the club very hard last season to achieve the opportunity of playing in Europe again and the games coming up give us an opportunity to show what we can do as a team.
Hurdle
“All of our focus is on the first leg in Denmark and doing the best we possibly can out there – before we bring them back to Bangor.”
In the other ties, Welsh Cup holders Bala Town have been paired with FC Vaduz from Liechtenstein while Finnish side HJK Helsinki provide the opposition for Connah’s Quay Nomads.
Both contest the home legs first on Thursday, with Bala playing their tie at Rhyl’s Belle Vue ground while the Nomads play theirs at Bangor’s University Stadium, before the return trips on July 6.
The three Welsh sides in Europe’s second tier competition also know their potential second qualifying round opponents should they make it beyond the first hurdle.
Bala would play either Norwegian outfit Odds BK or Ballymena United from Northern Ireland. Connah’s Quay would face the winners of the tie between Dacia Chisinau from Moldova and Macedonia side KF Shkëndija (MKD), while Slovakian club Slovan Bratislava or FC Pyunik of Armenia would provide the opposition for Bangor.
The second qualifying round ties are scheduled for July 13 and July 20.