The New Saints in Champions League qualifiers: Who they could face, draw details, and seeding

The New Saints have touched down in Portugal this week as they prepare for their UEFA Champions League qualifying campaign.

Antony Limbrick’s men returned back to pre-season training on May 31, just three weeks and a bit after their Welsh Cup win over Penybont.

Here is everything that you need to know as the Welsh champions aim to become the first team from the country to reach the group stages of a European competition.

What round of Champions League qualifying will The New Saints start in?

By winning the Cymru Premier title, Saints will go straight into the Champions League first qualifying round. As league winners, they will be grouped together with clubs on the champion’s path.

When is the draw for the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League?

Officials from clubs across Europe will meet in Nyon, Switzerland on Tuesday, June 14. 

Who could The New Saints face in the Champions League first qualifying round?

The picture will become clearer when the draw approaches as teams are further divided up into groups to simplify the draw.

As it stands right now, there are a number of clubs that are on offer with some trickier than others, a match against NIFL Premiership winners Linfield is an option. They would be the toughest opponent alongside HŠK Zrinjski Mostar of Bosnia who both have coefficients of 7.000, the highest in the unseeded pot. 

TNS are seeded for the draw which should make them the better quality of opposition based on their UEFA coefficient but as seen before, that can deceive some with KF Shkëndija proving that in 2018.

The most preferred draw would be the winner of the preliminary round though FCI Levadia has a higher coefficient than seven teams who are in the round ahead of them. 

Kosovan champions Ballkani are in there and are playing in Europe for the first time in their history. Albanian champions Tirana and Dinamo Batumi of Georgia could also be classed as favourable draws. 

Full list of teams: Linfield (Northern Ireland), HŠK Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina), Shakhtyor Soligorsk (Belarus), FK Sutjeska Nikšić (Montenegro), Klaksvíkar Ítróttarfelag (Faroe Islands), Lech Poznan (Poland), Hibernians (Malta), Tobol (Kazakhstan), Shkupi (Macedonia), Pyunik (Armenia), RFS (Latvia), Dinamo Batumi (Georgia), Tirana (Albania), Ballkani (Kosovo), FC Levadia/La Fiorita/Inter club d’Escaldes/Vikingur Reykjavik. 

When will the first qualifying round matches take place?

The first leg matches are due to take place either on Tuesday, July 5, or Wednesday, July 6, with the return matches, played a week later on Tuesday, July 12, and Wednesday, July 13.

Newtown and Bala Town are likely to play their Conference League qualifiers at Park Hall like they did last season so a Tuesday match may be more likely.

Where will The New Saints play their matches?

In the early rounds of qualifying, TNS played their qualifying matches against Slovakia Žilina at Park Hall in the 2020/21 campaign. They also hosted Glentoran and FK Kauno Žalgiris in Oswestry last season with their home ground being UEFA certified.

Should TNS progress like they did last summer, they could play at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground or at the home of the Welsh national team, the Cardiff City Stadium.

What happens to The New Saints if they win or lose their first qualifying round match?

A win for TNS would put them in a good position as they would guarantee themselves a UEFA Europa Conference League play-off match, it would also see them pocket more money.

A loss would see them drop into the Champions Path of the Conference League at an earlier stage, making it harder for them to qualify.

(Pic By John Smith/FAW)