This summer, three Welsh football clubs will find out their opponents for European football in the 2022-23 season. The New Saints, Bala Town and Newtown have all entered into the qualifying rounds for European football, giving them a chance to play teams from all over the continent. The UEFA Champions League and Conference League both offer a chance for clubs to earn higher revenue throughout the season, as well as offering the opportunity to play against some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Fans will be eagerly awaiting to see who they play in the first qualifying rounds, with the draw scheduled to take place on the 14th of June. It’s a big event for fans as it means more games to attend and the opportunity to travel as away support. With the Champions League being the biggest club honour, It also means more betting opportunities for those that like to place a bet on football. You can find out the top betting sites for 2022 to ensure you always get the best odds and bonuses before betting.
The New Saints
The New Saints won their 14th Cymru Premier title in the 2021-22 season, meaning they’ll get to play in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League. As the most prestigious competition in club football, booking a place in the Champions League is a huge accomplishment for any club. However, The New Saints will have to pass through the qualifying phases in order to reach the group stages.
After winning the league and with a coefficient of 8,500, The New Saints are in the first qualifying round, which is made up of thirty teams. Half of these teams will enter the second round by winning their game, followed by five additional teams. In the New Saints beat their opponents in the second qualifying round, they’ll get to enter the third round, followed by the playoffs.
Throughout this qualifying process, there are also chances for the team to enter the Europa League or Conference League qualifiers even if they lose. Last season, the New Saints fell to defeat in the third qualifying round of the Europa Conference League, and they’ll be hoping for an improvement on this performance. They’ve already begun preparations for the competition with a pre-season training camp in Portugal.
Bala Town
Bala Town will be seeded for the second time in their history in the first qualifying round of the Europa Conference League, with 3,250 coefficient points. This implies they’ll have a better chance of facing easier opponents during the draw than if they’d been seeded, giving them a slight advantage compared to previous seasons. The 7th and 14th of July (subject to change) are the dates for the first qualifying round ties, with home/away legs determined by the draw.
Due to the seeding, Bala can face one of the twenty-nine teams included in the first qualifying round. This includes teams from Malta, Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Finland and Andorra. Bala qualified for the opening rounds of the competition by finishing second place in the Cymru Premier, reaching European competition for the third season in a row.
Newtown
Newtown are the third team from the Cymru Premier that will be playing in European competition this summer. Like Bala, Newtown qualified for the Europa Conference League, and they’ll also be entering the first qualifying round as a seeded team.
Last season, they had a difficult start to the competition, coming up against Dundalk, one of Ireland’s strongest teams.They lost that tie 5-0 over the two legs and will be hoping for better luck in the draw this time around. While Bala and Newtown are both in the same seeded group for the first qualifying round, they won’t be able to be drawn against each other on the 14th of June.
