CHAMPIONS WAIT FOR EURO DRAW

SHELBOURNE'S return to top-tier European competition will move a step closer today, when Damien Duff's men learn who they will face in the Champions League first qualifying round.

- BY MARK McCADDEN

As for Shamrock Rovers and St Patrick's Athletic, they will learn of their Europa Conference League opponents later in the afternoon.

WHAT'S AT STAKE?

Shelbourne: This year, they are guaranteed a crack at the Champions League, with at least one safety net, depending on when they drop out of the top tournament.

Shels will be unseeded in today's draw, but there are some potentially winnable ties among the seeded teams, and progressing one round would greatly enhance their prospects of securing group stage football, as Rovers demonstrated last year.

They too are seeded in the first qualifying round, which is a huge boost for the Saints. However, from the second qualifying round on, they are on the unseeded side of the pot.

WHEN IS THE DRAW?