EURO, EUROPA, EUROPEAN.

Bala Town, Llandudno Town (drawn to play Goteborg of Sweden) and Connah's Quay along with the national team from Wales are still in European Cup Competitions. Yes of coourse Chris Coleman's team are still in Euro2016, but it is the UEFA Europa League that will occupy many footballers from our British leagues during their pre-season.
I know Barnsley are back in training already; it is plastered all over the Chronicle and lucky clubs from the other four "British" leagues will contest European opposition from some very distant and obscure venues over the next few months.

The Europa league emerges originally from the UEFA Cup, which was the brain wave of English FA's hero Sir Stanley Rous and Ernst Thommen of Switzerland.

96 clubs have joined the First Qualifying draw and to the 48 victors will be added a further 18 for the next round. Getting excited already? You should be because Valur, KR Reykjavik and Briedablik, all from Island (Iceland) are raring to cause another upset! HOOOO!

St Patrick's from Eire with fellow country teams Shamrock Rovers, Cork City (playing Linfield) went into the first qualifying round draw along with Cliftonville, Linfield (playing Cork) and Glenavon from Northern Ireland. The three Welsh clubs above and Aberdeen and Hearts, Scottish representatives, make up the rest of the British contigent. Ties to be played by 7th July.

Why only two from Scotland? Well Hibernians are deemed to be important enough to join the tournament at the 2nd Round of qualifying, which is to be completed by 21st July.

Then the 3rd Qualifying Round will gather a few more prestigious Europeans such as Hertha Berlin (home venue the 1936 Olympic Stadium), Panathinaikos from Athens

and Spartak Moskva; not to forget West Ham United playing at home in the London Olympic Stadium (2012).

By the time the competition drags itself into the Group Stages in early August Manchester United and Southampton will be ready to take on anyone; you know... the likes of Zenit, Schalke, Internationale.
If you want here is the Europa League website:
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/season=2017/clubs/index.html
The final 24th May 2017, is to be held at the Friends' Arena, Solna, Stockholm, a new stadium built in 2012.
Sevilla have won the Trophy for the past three years and five times overall. Before that it was Chelsea!
Previous blogs have spent time on this important competition.