A big performance is needed from Cymru Premier clubs competing in Europe this summer.
Bala Town, Barry Town United, Connah’s Quay Nomads and The New Saints will represent Wales on the European stage in the coming weeks.
They will be tasked with improving Wales’ coefficient ranking to ensure it is represented by four teams in European competitions.
In a change to the European format, ties will be played on a one-legged basis, rather than being decided over two matches where away goals count double.
So what will Welsh clubs need to do in these ties, and which fixtures stand out as being the most pivotal?
Firstly, you’ll probably be wondering what club and country coefficient is.
The association club coefficients is essentially how countries are ranked against one another.
There is a club coefficient, which allows clubs to be seeded or unseeded in draws, potentially giving teams a more favourable match-up.
So how does it work? UEFA’s explanation is: “The coefficient is calculated by working out an average score: dividing the number of points obtained, by the total number of clubs representing an association in that season’s two club competitions.
“The resulting figure is then tallied with the results of the previous four seasons to calculate the coefficient.”
The coefficient can affect the structure of domestic leagues, with the NIFL Premiership an example of that.
After being ranked 52nd out of 55, Northern Ireland were limited to three places, with one for the Champions League and two for the Europa League.
It meant their 12-team league, which usually has a Europa League play-off, had to be scrapped.
Wales could face the same fate if they perform badly in Europe this time around.
So how can Welsh clubs avoid the play-offs being scrapped – albeit temporary – and what is in store for them?
A big tie for Wales is next week’s clash between NSÍ Runavík and Barry Town United in Svangaskarð.
Based on Bert Kassie’s UEFA Country Rankings, Wales are just ahead of the Faroe Islands at the moment.
A win for Gavin Chesterfield’s side could give Wales some breathing space in the coefficient rankings.
Of course, the Faroese do have other teams involved, but this game is a chance to claim something against those around you.
Bala Town have received a favourable tie, albeit away from home against Maltese outfit Valletta.
Given that Newtown beat them in both legs five years ago, the Lakesiders should fancy their chances.
Malta are 45th at the moment in the European coefficient rankings, so a win for Bala could narrow the gap between them and Wales.
Connah’s Quay Nomads and The New Saints face the trickier task of winning points for Wales in their initial ties.
The Nomads, making their Champions League debut, take on Bosnian champions FK Sarajevo.
The M:tel Premier League is ranked 42nd in Europe at the moment.
Scott Ruscoe’s TNS face a tough test ahead of them, too, but they do have home advantage at Park Hall.
The Saints are playing MŠK Žilina of Slovakia. The Slovak Superliga is ranked 29th in Europe, which shows the calibre the Oswestry side are facing.
It isn’t all bad, however, for individual clubs in Wales if the results aren’t great this summer.
Clubs receive European money should they qualify via winning the league, winning the Welsh Cup or finishing as runners-up.
On the plus side, for whoever wins the 2020/21 Cymru Premier, they could benefit from more money if they are successful in Europe.
They would be entered into the preliminary round of the Champions League, where they would be able to accumulate more points and earn money from winning ties.
The downside of that, however, is if they are unable win the four-team group, they would drop into the early rounds of the Europa League and would have an uphill battle to qualify.
Bala, Connahs’ Quay and TNS are European regulars, so they would still take the benefit of European money should they qualify, however one Welsh club would miss out.
At the start of the season, every Cymru Premier club harbours some ambitions of playing in Europe, but it could become a closed shop if there was one less place, as the regulars would have the European money to allow them to continue strengthening their squads and potentially pulling away from the rest of the league.
There is also a new concept for Welsh clubs to take in next year which may be an added incentive to perform well this season.
Next year, UEFA plans to launch the UEFA Conference League, a third tier European competition.
It will offer Welsh clubs a chance to play in the group stages of a European competition, however, prize money will likely be less.
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