Waterford face trip to Stockholm to play Hammarby in UEFA Youth League bow
Action from Pats against Waterford at Richmond Park Credit: Martin Doherty (ETPhotos)
Waterford face a trip to Sweden after they were drawn away to Hammarby IF in the round of 64 of the UEFA Youth League.
The 2019 under-19 National League winners will travel to Stockholm for the one-legged tie in the first week of March as they make their bow in Europe’s flagship underage tournament.
A potential meeting with Scottish champions Rangers was avoided, while German side Koln and Turkey’s Galatasaray were also potential opponents from the eight-team pot.
Other eye-catching ties include Manchester United hosting holders Real Madrid, while former champions Chelsea and Red Bull Salzburg meet in London.
It’s the fifth successive year Irish clubs have competed in the competition, Cork City, UCD and Bohemians, twice, having represented the League of Ireland in recent seasons.
The Blues are aiming to become the first Irish side to progress through a round since Cork City beat another Scandinavian side, HJK of Helsinki, before losing narrowly to AS Roma.
To do so they’ll have to overcome Hammarby’s under-17s as the Swedish FA nominates the winners of its under-17 league rather than the 19s.
Waterford enter the competition through the domestic champions path, which merges with the path for clubs with teams in the senior Champions League at the round of 16 stage.
Waterford, whose coach Gary Hunt stepped down before Christmas, qualified by virtue of winning the 2019 Under-19 National League but weren’t guaranteed to be one of the final 32.
The League of Ireland is ranked 37th in Europe, however Manchester City, Atalanta, Dynamo Kyiv and Red Bull Salzburg were entered into the Champions League route.
Liechtenstein is ranked higher than the League of Ireland but are not eligible to enter a team in the Youth League, opening up a spot for Waterford as the lowest-ranked qualifier.
UEFA Champions League path ties
Olympiacos (GRE) vs Manchester City (ENG)
Internazionale Milano (ITA) vs Bayern Munich (GER)
Sevilla (ESP) vs Paris Saint-Germain (FRA)
Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) vs Porto (POR)
Ajax (NED) vs Krasnodar (RUS)
Manchester United (ENG) vs Real Madrid (ESP, holders)
Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR) vs Club Brugge (BEL)
Atalanta (ITA) vs RB Leipzig (GER)
Zenit (RUS) vs Rennes (FRA)
Juventus (ITA) vs Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Midtjylland (DEN) vs Atletico Madrid (ESP)
Chelsea (ENG) vs Salzburg (AUT)
Liverpool (ENG) vs Marseille (FRA)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR) vs Barcelona (ESP)
Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS) vs Ferencvaros (HUN)
Borussia Monchengladbach (GER) vs Lazio (ITA)
Domestic champions path ties
Gornik Zabrze (POL) vs PAOK (GRE)
Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs Celta de Vigo (ESP)
APOEL (CYP) vs Viitorul (ROU)
Apolonia (ALB) vs Gyor (HUN)
Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) vs Rosenborg (NOR)
Hammarby (SWE) vs Waterford (IRL)
Galatasaray (TUR) vs AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Rangers (SCO) vs Koln (GER)
Angers (FRA) vs Crvena zvezda (SRB)
Genk (BEL) vs Zilina (SVK)
Sparta Praha (CZE) vs Benfica (POR)
Basel (SUI) vs Odense (DEN)
Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA) vs Kairat Almaty (KAZ)
Chertanovo (RUS) vs Maccabi Haifa (ISR)
Dinamo Minsk (BLR) vs Ludogorets (BUL)
Shkendija (MKD) vs Gabala (AZE)
