Bala Town arrive in Italy today as they embark on their latest European adventure.
The club will represent Welsh football in the money-spinning preliminary qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday night against San Marino side Tre Fiori.
The Lakesiders are one of two Welsh clubs entering the preliminary stage of the competition with Cefn Druids also in action, as they host Lithuanian outfit FK Trakai.
Both clubs will stand to gain €240,000 should they progress to the first qualifying round, in addition to the €220,000 received for qualifying for the preliminary round.
Bala Town are becoming regular faces on the European scene having established themselves as one the Welsh Premier League’s leading clubs in recent years. This will be the fifth season the Lakesiders have competed in Europe but the club are yet to win a tie over two-legs, winning just two of their eight matches against continental opposition.
This year’s tie against the Sammarinese side is arguably the club’s best opportunity of progressing yet and long-serving manager Colin Caton says his team are ready for the challenge: “The atmosphere in training and the work-rate in training is the best that it has been for a long, long time, so the changes [made in pre-season] have certainly had a very positive effect and it’s exciting to see what could be achieved with this group.
“We had a 10-year plan to take ourselves to the top flight but we accomplished that in six, so for us to do that and challenge for European spots in five of the last six seasons, we just have to keep pinching ourselves really because it has been incredible.
“We’re established now, we haven’t got through over two legs over the last four games, so this year it is very important that we make that progress, to keep our coefficiency, to make sure that Wales has as many slots as possible for our sides to compete at this level. We’ve been a bit unlucky to play such high calibre teams, but we’re ready for what lays ahead of us and we’ll do everything we can to progress in the competition.”
“I think if we made the kind of progress we want to make for Europe, it would be our biggest achievement during my time at the club, perhaps topping the JD Welsh Cup Final win against TNS,” Caton added.
“The difference is that it isn’t simply Bala Town flying our flag in Wales, but in games like this we’re Bala Town flying the Welsh flag in Europe, so if we were to progress then it would be absolutely fantastic for everyone involved and without a doubt one of the biggest things I’d have ever done in football.
“It has frustrated me massively over recent years – and angered me a little bit – that we haven’t progressed as much as we’d have liked in these situations previously, but sometimes in football you just don’t get your rewards. I’m really hoping that this time will be different! Everyone will be 100% focussed, we’ll do everything we can to progress, so let’s see what happens.”
DRUIDS TEST
Cefn Druids return to Europe for the first time in six years but off the back of a remarkable 2017/18 season under manager Huw Griffiths, in which they claimed an unlikely play-off final victory, the Ancicents have been given a difficult draw against unknown FK Traki.
Thursday’s first leg will be played at The New Saints’ Park Hall stadium and although the Lithuanian side are unknown quantity, they have a significant advantage in that they are currently in the middle of their domestic season.
Druids, who have only had a handful of friendly games in their preparation for the game, face a difficult challenge but Zimbabwe international Alec Mudimu will lead the charge for the Ancients, who have also recruited cultured winger Jordan Davies from Bala Town and French midfielder Virgil Moutaud following a successful trial with the club.
Thursday 28 July
Preliminary Qualifying Round fixtures
Cefn Druids v FK Traki (played at Park Hall), KO 7pm
Tre Fiori v Bala Town, KO 7.45pm