Revealed: Connah’s Quay Nomads five possible Europa League opponents
The Connah’s Quay Nomads have today found out their five possible opponents for tomorrow’s Europa League draw.
Brann (Norway), FC Vaduz (Liechtenstein), Kilmarnock (Scotland), Malmo (Sweden) and Vitebsk (Belarus) are all possible destinations for Andy Morrison’s side.
Brann, Malmo and Vitebsk are all currently playing in new League campaigns, with FC Vaduz and Kilmarnock, the only other two teams who are on an off-season break like the Nomads.
The draw for Round One of Europa League qualifying will take place tomorrow morning at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon.
The two legs will be played over two weeks, with the first taking place on the 11th of July, before the return leg on the 18th.
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Embed from Getty ImagesNomads have had experience in playing Scottish opposition, having been involved in the Irn-Bru Cup for the last two seasons. They reached the final of the competition last season and narrowly lost to Scottish Championship winners Ross County.
The Nomads faced Belarusian opposition in Shaktyor Soligorsk last season, losing 5-1 on aggregate.
In their last meeting with a Norwegian side they were victorious. Andy Morrison’s men beat Stabæk on their European debut.
FC Vaduz have previously beaten Bala Town in the Europa League. They’re in a unique sense in that they don’t play in a national league. Vaduz instead are in the second tier of Swiss football.
Scottish Premier League side Kilmarnock finished third last season under Scotland manager Steve Clarke. He has been replaced by Angelo Alessio, who is the former assistant of Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte.
Embed from Getty ImagesSK Brann, have also played against Welsh opposition in Europe before, crushing Carmarthen Town 14-3 on aggregate.
Malmo, currently top of the Allsvenskan, have never played against Welsh opposition. They were in the group stages of the Champions League in 2015, but have failed to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League and Europa League since.
Lastly, the Nomads could face a quick return to Belarus, just a year after losing to Shakhtyor Soligorsk. Vitebsk are back in Europe after a 20-year absence. Their last European fixture was in the Intertoto Cup in 199,9, losing to the now-defunct NK Varaždin.
