We have been drawn against FC Bruno’s Magpies from Gibraltar in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
UEFA have communicated to us that the tie has been reversed. The first leg will be played in Gibraltar on Thursday, July 13th with the return leg at Oriel Park a week later.
Further updates regarding kickoff times will be issued as soon as possible.
This will be the first time that a League of Ireland side has faced Gibraltarian opposition in Europe.
Formed in 2013 by a group of friends who drank at Bruno’s Bar & Restaurant, FC Bruno’s Magpies won promotion to the Gibraltar National League in 2019.
Under the guidance of English manager Nathan Rooney, the club finished fourth in the 2022/22 season and also reached the final of the Rock Cup, Gibraltar’s premier cup competition.
They went one better last season, finishing third in the league and beating champions Lincoln Red Imps 4-2 on penalties in the Rock Cup final to secure their place in Europe for the very first time.
They marked their European debut with a memorable 2-1 win over Crusaders in the first leg in Gibraltar thanks to goals from Daniel Bent and Argentine striker Pibe.
The Belfast side recovered in the second leg at Seaview, winning 3-1 on the night through a late Billy Joe Burns goal to secure a 4-3 aggregate win.
Bruno’s Magpies play their games at the Victoria Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium in Gibraltar. It has an artificial surface with a capacity of 5,000.
Elsewhere in the UEFA Europa Conference League, Derry City will take on HB Tórshavn from the Faroe Islands while St Patrick’s Athletic will meet F91 Diddeleng from Luxembourg.
Shamrock Rovers were paired with the winners of the Champions League preliminary qualifying round which is being contested by Atletic Club d’Escaldes from Andorra, Podgorica of Montenegro, Tre Penne from San Marino and Icelandic side Breidablik.
The draw for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League takes place on Wednesday, June 21st at 2pm.
