Uefa Conference League – second round qualifier: FC Zurich v Shelbourne, Letzigrund, Thursday, 6pm
Shelbourne manager Damien Duff invoked the name Brian Kerr, when harking back to the glory days of underage Irish football, to motivate his players before facing a FC Zurich side that finished fourth in the Swiss Super League last season.
“For 2½ years all we’ve done in the league is upset people, upset the apple cart, now it is time to take that to Europe and the world,” said Duff, in bullish form in advance of Shels’ second round encounter.
“I am a disciple of Brian Kerr and many of the other managers I’ve had. It’s about giving our players belief and motivating them emotionally. Brian was the master of that. If we can tap into any of that we’ll be doing all right.
“Zurich are a top Swiss institution but it is not a time to be scared, it’s a time to embrace the challenge. If we tiptoe into tomorrow night we’ll be in a lot of trouble.
Damien Duff embracing the Zurich challenge for ‘massive underdogs’ Shelbourne
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“It’s a cup final,” Duff continued. “We have taken Shelbourne to mainland Europe, we are not here for a holiday. We are representing the league and our country. Not just Shelbourne. We want to put in a good show, not a gallant effort. Yeah, we are massive underdogs but we are planning to get through.”
Duff previously coached Armstrong Oko-Flex, the Dublin-born former Celtic winger, who could feature for Zurich.
“Yeah, I coached Armstrong. I treated him the same way I treat every player. He got 24/7 love, he got 24/7 coaching. I gave Armstrong a lot. He gave Celtic a lot. He has found his own way, making an impact over here in Switzerland so I have a lot of respect for him.”
Should Shels upset the European apple cart, they would play the winners of Floriana (Malta) and Vitória de Guimaraes in the penultimate qualifier to reach the Conference League group stages.
