Europa League:St Patrick's Athletic's reward for their away-goals win over Russian side Krylya Sovetov is a meeting with 1986 European champions Steaua Bucharest in the Europa League play-offs, but their fans will have to sit out another trip for the first leg on August 20th, while the Romanian's serve out a two-match Uefa supporters' ban.
It’s not quite the glamour tie the Richmond Park hierarchy would have hoped for, but there’ll be few complaints down Inchicore way after last night’s away goals win in Samara that came courtesy of Declan O’Brien’s 79th minute strike in a 3-2 defeat.
The historic result was secured despite minimal support, with a grand total of three fans making the trip 1,000km east of Moscow.
Pat’s earned €90,000 for their 3-3 aggregate win but stand to earn a lot more from the if they can topple Steaua, while their opponents profile will offer an opportunity to generate substantial revenue from television and a large crowd at the RDS.
The Ballsbridge venue, home of Leinster Rugby, is the most likely to stage the home leg on August 27th, with talks having already been initiated prior to the Krylya Sovetov ties.
A place in the group stages would guarantee €1million in prize-money plus €140,000 for each win and €70,000 for each draw in subsequent games as well as a share of a television pool.
Crowd disturbances in Steaua’s second round game against Hungarian side Újpest FC led to a €50,000 fine from Uefa which has since been upgraded to an €80,000 sanction and a two-match stadium ban after an appeal.
A third match-ban has been suspended but will be activated if there are any more disturbances in the next two years.
The Romanian club’s fans have history in this regard with Shelbourne on the receiving end in August 2005.
During a Champions League qualifier at the Ghencea Stadium Shelbourne players Joseph Ndo and Curtis Fleming were subjected to racist taunts from the home fans, while missiles were hurled on to the pitch.
The Shelbourne bench also came under fire that night, with Alan Moore struck by a cigarette lighter and Dave Rogers targeted as well.
The stands proved even more dangerous for Colin Hawkins and Alan Reynolds, who had a brick thrown out them during the 4-1 defeat.
The stadium ban will ensure there will be no repeat of that against Pat’s, but on the pitch the Romanians will prove formidable opponents.
Against Újpest they scored four goals in two games and conceded just one, while Motherwell, from the Scottish Premier League, were demolished 6-1 on aggregate.
Elsewhere in today's draw Evertonwill take on Czech side Sigma Olomouc.
David Moyes' side, who reached the FA Cup final last season and finished fifth in the Premier League, will be at home in the first leg against the side who knocked out Aberdeen in the third qualifying round of the competition.
Heartswill face Croatian side Dinamo Zagreb, who were eliminated from the Champions League after a 3-2 aggregate defeat to Red Bull Salzburg in the third qualifying round.
Fulham's reward for beating Vetra of Lithuania 6-0 on aggregate in the third qualifying round is a tie against Russian Premier Liga side Amkar Perm.
Amkar finished fourth in their domestic league to qualify for the competition but are only 12th in the 2009 campaign with four wins from their 16 games.
Aston Villa, who qualified for the Europa League by finishing sixth in the Premier League, were drawn against Rapid Vienna.
The Austrian side finished second in their domestic league, four points behind Red Bull Salzburg, and were denied a European trophy by an English side in 1985 when Everton beat them in the Cup Winners' Cup final.
Uefa Europa League Play-Off Draw
PAOK v Heerenveen
Dinamo Zagreb v Hearts
Werder Bremen v FK Aktobe
Everton v Sigma Olomouc
BATE v Litex Lovech
NAC v Villarreal
Lech Poznan v Club Brugge
Fulham v Amkar Perm
Galatasaray v Levadia Tallin
Teplice v Hapoel Tel Aviv
Metalurg Donetsk v Austria Vienna
FC Twente v FK Qarabag
Roma v MFK Kosice
Dinamo Moscow v CSKA Sofia
Genk v Lille
PSV v Bnei Yehuda
Lazio v Elfsborg
Trabzonspor v Toulouse
Partizan Belgrade v MSK Zilina
FK Baku v Basel
Ajax v Slovan Bratislava
Shakhtar Donetsk v Sivasspor
Brondby v Hertha Berlin
Athletic Bilbao v Tromso
FK Sarajevo v CFR Cluj
Rapid Vienna v Aston Villa
Steaua Bucharest v St Patrick’s Athletic
Sparta Prague v Maribor
Zenit St Petersburg v Nacional
Genoa v Odense
Dinamo Bucharest v Slovan Liberec
Guingamp v Hamburg
FC Sion v Fenerbahce
Sturm Graz v Metalist Kharkiv
Slavia Prague v Crvena Zvezda
Benfica v Vorskla
SC Vaslui v AEK Athens
Stabaek v Valencia
(First leg ties will be played on 20th August while second leg ties will be on 27th)
