Who are Larne's Uefa Conference League opponents?
Larne celebrate after their play-off win over Lincoln Red Imps
- Published
Irish League trailblazers Larne did not have much time to bask in the immediate afterglow of their ground-breaking achievement of becoming the first club from Northern Ireland to qualify for the group or league phase of a major European competition.
Less than 24 hours later, they were thrust into the anticipation of Friday's Uefa Conference League draw in Monaco.
In the event the Irish Premiership double champions were handed fixtures against Gent of Belgium, Norwegian side Molde, Olimpija Ljubljana of Slovenia, League of Ireland champions Shamrock Rovers, St Gallen of Switzerland and Dinamo Minsk of Belarus for their maiden voyage into the lucrative league stage.
The precise dates and kick-off times for the fixtures will be revealed on Saturday, with the east Antrim side playing their home matches at Windsor Park because their own Inver Park ground does not have the required minimum capacity as outlined by Uefa.
With the traditional group stage scrapped, this year's 36-team competition sees each side play six matches against six different opponents in the league phase.
At the end of the six rounds of fixtures, the top eight will advance to the round of 16, with the teams ranked ninth to 24th contesting play-offs to complete the round of 16.
BBC Sport NI casts an eye over the opponents they will face in October, November and December.
Gent (home)
Wouter Vrancken is head coach at Belgian club Gent
Head coach: Wouter Vrancken Home stadium: Planet Group Arena
Based in the city of Ghent, East Flanders, Gent have competed in the Belgian First Division A since 1989-90, winning their national league once, in 2014-15, in addition to four Belgian Cup victories. Their league position for the 2023-24 league season was seventh.
Uefa Conference League results 2024: Second qualifying round - beat Vikingur 7-1 on aggregate; Third qualifying round - beat Silkebor 5-4 on aggregate; Play-off round - beat Partizan 2-0 on aggregate
Molde (away)
Action from Molde's Europa League third qualifying round against Cercie Brugge
Manager: Erling Moe Home stadium: Aker Stadion
Molde participate in Eliteserien, the top flight of Norwegian football, and are five-time league champions, their most recent success in 2022. They are also six-time Norwegian Cup winners.
They are one of only two Norwegian clubs to have taken part in the Uefa Champions League and count former Manchester United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer among their former managers, while Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland spent two years there. They were fourth in the 2024 Eliteserien.
Europa League results 2024: Second qualifying round - beat Silkeborg 5-4 on aggregate; Third qualifying round - beat Cercle Brugge 3-1 on aggregate; Play-off round - drew 1-1 with IF Elfsborg on aggregate, lost 4-2 on penalties
Olimpija Ljubljana (away)
Olimpija Ljubljana overcame HNK Rijeka in the Play-off round to make the league phase
Head coach: Victor Sanchez Home stadium: Stozice Stadium
Olimpija Ljubjlana are part of the Slovenian PrvaLiga and have won three league titles and four Slovenian Cups. They won the top division for the first time after Serbian-American businessman Milan Mandaric took over the club in 2015.
The club finished third in their most recent league campaign.
Uefa Conference League results 2024: Second qualifying round - beat Polissya Zhytomyr 4-1 on aggregate; Third qualifying round - beat Sheriff Tiraspol 4-0 on aggregate; Play-off round - beat HNK Rijeka 6-1 on aggregate
Shamrock Rovers (home)
Shamrock Rovers' Richie Towell in action against PAOK in the Europa League Play-off round
Head coach: Stephen Bradley Home stadium: Tallaght Stadium
The Dublin team is the most successful club in the Republic of Ireland, having won the league a record 21 times and the FAI Cup on a record 25 occasions.
They have supplied more players to the Republic of Ireland national football team (64) than any other club.
In 2011, under Michael O'Neill, they became the first Irish side to reach the group stages of a major European competition by defeating Partizan Belgrade in the play-off round of the Europa League.
European results 2024: Champions League first qualifying round: beat Vikingur Reykjavik 2-1 on aggregate; Second qualifying round: lost 6-2 to Sparta Prague on aggregate; Europa League third qualifying round: beat Celje 3-2 on aggregate; Play-off round: lost 6-0 to PAOK
St Gallen (home)
St Gallen players celebrate after scoring a goal in their Conference League play-off win over Trabzonspor
Head coach: Enrico Maassen Home stadium: Kybunpark, St Gallen
St Gallen have been part of the Swiss Super League for the past 10 years since their promotion and have a best finish of runners-up in the 2019-20 season during that period. Previously they won the league twice, back in 1903-04 and then again in 1999-2000.
They finished fifth in the Swiss Super League 2023-24 campaign.
Uefa Conference League results 2024: Second qualifying round - beat FC Tobol 5-1 on aggregate; Third qualifying round - beat Slask Wroclaw 4-3 on aggregate; Play-off round: drew 1-1 with Trabzonspor on aggregate, won 5-4 on penalties
Dinamo Minsk (away)
Dinamo Minsk dropped into the Conference League after losing to Anderlecht in the Europa League play-offs
Manager: Andrey Tolmach Home stadium: Dinamo Stadium
Belarusian Premier League side Dinamo Minsk are eight-time national league winners and three-time Belarusian Cup victors.
They became the second Belarusian team after BATE Borisov to compete in the Uefa Europa League group stages - in 2014-15 and 2015-16, and were third in the league in 2023-24.
Dinamo have been playing their home European matches in Hungary and the venue for their game with Larne will be confirmed over the weekend.
European results 2024: Champions League first qualifying round - beat Pyunik 1-0 on aggregate; Second qualifying round - lost 2-1 on aggregate to Ludogorets Razgrad; Europa League third qualifying round - beat Lincoln Red Imps 3-2 on aggregate; Play-off round - lost 2-0 to Anderlecht