What now for Shamrock Rovers as Hoops secure league phase UEFA football? Explainer on opponents, new European league stage format and prize money

Macdara Ferris reports from Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers’ 3-2 aggregate win over NK Celje in Tallaght on Thursday night means they will face Greek side PAOK in the Europa League play-off over the next fortnight with a place in the revamped Europa League the prize for the winner of the tie.

Should they lose that play-off they have the consolation of moving directly into the league stage (formerly known as the group stage) of the Conference League. 

The Hoops will travel to play the Greek champions in Thessaloniki in the first leg of the Europa League play-off next Thursday, before the return leg in Tallaght a week later on Thursday 29 August. Rovers played PAOK in the Europa League group stages back in 2011 - losing 2-1 away and 3-1 in Tallaght.

The winner of that play-off tie will earn a place in the league phase of the Europa League. This is the updated group stage of the competition which is now being run on the Swiss model.

Swiss model

The league phase has replaced the group stage with teams who qualify for the Europa League now playing eight matches against eight different teams – four home and four away – beginning at the end of September and concluding with two matches in January 2025.

Should the Hoops lose to PAOK, they will play in the Conference League. The league phase of that competition consists of six matches against six opponents – three home and three away. Those matches begin with matchday one on 3 October with the final league stage game taking place on 19 December.

The league stage for both competitions includes 36 teams with 24 teams advancing into the knock out stages in February 2025. Teams one to eight go into the round of 16, while ninth to 24^th will go into a series of two legged matches to earn the right to go to the last 16. Teams 25 to 36 will be eliminated.

Prize money

In 2022, Rovers made just over €4m in prize money from their European campaign that included two draws in the Europa Conference League group stages. That overall figure also included €267k money as part of a UEFA ten year ranking and €45k as part of the TV market pool.

Rovers had essentially banked €1.71 million for making the European play-off round but will now earn much more than that figure.

Should they lose in the play-off to PAOK, they will claim a place in the league stage of the Conference League and bring their earnings up to a minimum €3.87 million (plus additional five year and ten year rankings UEFA prize money that could add close to another €1 million for Shamrock Rovers).

Prize money for results in the league stage of the Conference League is €400k for a win and €133k for a draw – this has reduced from 2022 when Rovers last made the group stage when it was €500k for a win and €166k for a draw.

Progression out of this league stage with qualification for the knockout round of the Conference League earns €300k, with the round of 16 earning €1.75m.

Should the Hoops beat PAOK, they will compete in the league stage of the Europa League bringing their earnings up to €4.835m (€4.31m for making the league stage plus €175k per qualifying round excluding the play-off round). 

In the Europa League wins earn €450k with €150k per draw (and with eight matches compared with six in the Conference League).

Progression out of this league stage of the Europa League with qualification for the knockout round earns €300k, with the round of 16 earning €1.75m.