Shamrock Rovers' potential Europa Conference League opponents ahead of draw

Stephen Bradley wants to break records in Europe this year. Shamrock Rovers go into the draw for the new-look league phase of the Europa Conference League at lunchtime today - and could land Chelsea. It follows their Europa League playoff exit last night having gone down 2-0 at home to Greek champions PAOK - and 6-0 on aggregate.

READ MORE: Shamrock Rovers to 'consider its position' as RTE select TV games READ MORE: Europa League dream ends for Rovers but European adventure is only beginning But all eyes are on Monaco at 1.30pm when the Hoops will discover who they play in the six-game league phase up to Christmas. Chelsea, Fiorentina and Real Betis are among the Pot 1 sides that Shamrock Rovers can get.



But asked if he wanted glamour games or winnable matches, Hoops boss Bradley said: “Games you want to win. “I understand people that probably don't come every week would like the biggest of the names, but I really don't care. I want games we can win.

“I like the look of the new format. It gives everyone a chance. This is what we want, an exciting time in the group stage of European football.

It's going to be exciting today.” Dundalk’s four-point haul from the Europa League group phase in 2016 is the record return for a League of Ireland club in Europe. But Bradley wants to break it this year and said: “We spoke about it the last time (2022) but I don't think we were in a position to.

“I think we are in a position to do it now and that has to be the aim. If we do that, you put yourself in with a chance of going to a playoff. That's the aim.

“Unless something drastic happens in the next month the squad is in a healthy place. Johnny (Kenny) is just back and Rory's (Gaffney) op went well. “We're getting there in terms of bodies so the plan will be to attack games and try and win games and put ourselves in the mix for the playoffs.

” EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE POTS Pot One: Chelsea, Copenhagen, Gent, Fiorentina, LASK, Real Betis Pot Two: Istanbul Basaksehir, Molde, Legia Warsaw, Heidenheim, Djurgarden, APOEL Nicosia Pot Three: Rapid Vienna, Omonia Nicosia, HJK Helsinki, Vitoria, Astana, Olimpija Ljubljana Pot Four: Cercle Brugge, Shamrock Rovers , The New Saints, Lugano, Mlada Boleslav, Hearts Pot Five: Petrocub, St Gallen, Panathinaikos, TSC Backa Topola, Borac Banja Luka, Jagiellonia Pot Six: Celje, Larne, Dinamo Minsk, Pafos, Vikingur Reykjavik, Noah HOW DOES THE NEW FORMAT WORK The group stage has been replaced by a single league phase for all teams. In the Conference League, each side will face six entirely different teams (three home, three away). Fixtures should be released today.

After the six league games, the top eight teams in the table advance directly to the round of 16; sides finishing from ninth to 24th will contest the knockout phase play-offs over two legs, with the victors going through to the last 16. Then it’s a straight knockout. WHAT ARE THE DATES Matchday 1: October 3, 2024 Matchday 2: October 24, 2024 Matchday 3: November 7, 2024 Matchday 4: November 28, 2024 Matchday 5: December 12, 2024 Matchday 6: December 19, 2024 Knockout round play-offs: February 13 & 2, 2025 Round of 16: March 6 & 13, 2025 Quarter-finals: April 10 & 17, 2025 Semi-finals: May 1 & 8, 2005 Final May 28, 2025 Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts .

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