Will Irish clubs finally start qualifying for Champions League?
Lautaro Martinez (left) and Head Coach Simone Inzaghi look on during the Internazionale training session ahead of UEFA Champions League Credit: Michael Regan/UEFA/Getty Images
One of the great stains on Irish football is the fact that no Irish club has ever qualified for the Champions League. However, could all this be about to change? The waters are stirring in the politics of UEFA, and this may well present an opening for Ireland’s teams to start qualifying for the Champions League. We look at how and why below.
Swift Hesperange potentially opens door for Ireland
If you’d guessed a few years ago that the answer to Ireland’s Champions League woes was a small team in Luxembourg, you would likely have been laughed out of the room. However, as Swift Hesperange launched a court case against UEFA insisting that they should be allowed to play cross-border matches, this could well be the answer.
The Luxembourg club are disputing UEFA’s territorial model, where teams are confined to 55 national territories. This model is flawed, the club argues, stating in one of their press releases that, “a quick overview of the European territory shows that the ‘Uefa territorial model’ structurally deprives some 20 (out of 27) [EU] member states of premium club football.”
Should Swift Hesperange be successful in their case, which is now before the European Court of Justice, this could open up the doors for Irish clubs to do the same.
Why qualifying for the Champions League is transformational for smaller clubs
Irish clubs being able to play beyond their territorial bounds would significantly boost their Champions League chances, opening up opportunities for cross-border domestic leagues. This in itself would be a transformational step for football in the nation.
The reason why Champions League qualification is so significant for small clubs, particularly such as those in Ireland, is because of the exposure and prize money it leads to. For example, right now the League of Ireland prize pool is €600,000, to be split across all teams. However, when the Shamrock Rovers qualified for only the group stage of the Europa Conference League, they locked up €3 million alone in prize money, with a further €500,00 for every match won.
As one of the lawyers leading the Swift Herperange case has stated, “Today, clubs are caught in a vicious cycle - dependent on the revenue generated by Uefa’s system, this system is simultaneously preventing their development and is curbing their investment opportunities.”
What are the chances of an Irish club qualifying for the Champions League?
Until such reform occurs in football’s territorial restrictions, the chances of an Irish team qualifying for the Champions League are slim. To date, 24 teams have been confirmed for the competition, none of which are Irish. While several spots still remain open, no Irish team is looking likely to make the competition, and betting odds indicate that this will be yet another edition of the Champions League without an Irish club. Those hopeful that a miracle will take place can get updated on the Champions League odds 2023 here as the final qualifying occurs.
