The draw for the First and Second Qualifying Rounds of the UEFA Europa League takes place on Wednesday, June 20. There will be 94 clubs in the First Qualifying Round draw with Dundalk ranked 10th of the 47 seeded clubs. Dundalk will also be seeded in the Second Qualifying Round draw but Derry City and Shamrock Rovers are unseeded.
Possible opponents for Dundalk include the Irish League clubs – Cliftonville, Coleraine and Glenavon and in the Second Qualifying Round draw the Scottish clubs – Aberdeen, Hibernian and Rangers.
First Qualifying Round draw opponents for Derry City and Shamrock Rovers include Rangers, Hibernian, FC Copenhagen, Partizan Belgrade and Molde and for the Second Qualifying Round draw the likes of Sevilla, Burnley, Bordeaux, Besiktas and Atalanta are possibilities.
The Solidarity Payments for the Clubs in European competition for the new 2018-21 cycle have been increased. Cork City, as champions, are guaranteed a minimum of €800,000 (includes the new UEL pathway) compared to a total of €580,000 for Dundalk last season. Should Cork City get through to the next round that minimum figure would rise to €1,200,000.
The Europa League minimum payment is now €240,000 compared to €215,000 for last season with subsequent rounds worth €260,000, €280,000 and €300,000 compared to €225,000, €235,000 and €245,000 last season.
Preliminary round draw
Europa (GIB) v Prishtina (KOS)
Sant Julià (AND) v Gżira (MLT) – first leg, 26 June
Engordany (AND) v Folgore (SMR)
B36 Tórshavn (FRO) v St Joseph’s (GIB)
Birkirkara (MLT) v KÍ Klaksvík (FRO)
Tre Fiori (SMR) v Bala Town (WAL)
Cefn Druids (WAL) v Trakai (LTU)
First legs on 28 June unless otherwise stated; second legs on 5 July
Second qualifying round main path (26 July & 2 August)
14:00CET, 20 June, Nyon
Seedings will be made available after the first qualifying round draw. The 27 teams entering at this stage are joined by the 47 first qualifying round winners.
First qualifying round (12 & 19 July)
Stjarnan (ISL) v Nõmme Kalju (EST)
Ilves Tampere (FIN) v Slavia Sofia (BUL)
Birkirkara (MLT) / KÍ Klaksvík (FRO) v Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU)
Fola Esch (LUX) v Europa (GIB) / Prishtina (KOS)
Glenavon (NIR) v Molde (NOR)
Dunajská Streda (SVK) v Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)
Stumbras (LTU) v Apollon Limassol (CYP)
Široki Brijeg (BIH) v Domžale (SVN)
Rangers (SCO) v Shkupi (MKD)
Progrès Niederkorn (LUX) v Gabala (AZE)
Racing Union (LUX) v Viitorul (ROU)
Samtredia (GEO) v Tobol Kostanay (KAZ)
Partizani (ALB) v Maribor (SVN)
Neftçi (AZE) v Újpest (HUN)
Budućnost Podgorica (MNE) v Trenčín (SVK)
Derry City (IRL) v Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
B36 Tórshavn (FRO) / St Joseph’s (GIB) v OFK Titograd (MNE)
Zaria Balti (MDA) v Górnik Zabrze (POL)
Spartak Subotica (SRB) v Coleraine (NIR)
Pyunik (ARM) v Vardar (MKD)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL) v AIK (SWE)
Connah’s Quay (WAL) v Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR)
Lahti (FIN) v Hafnarfjördur (ISL)
Ventspils (LVA) v Luftëtari (ALB)
Cliftonville (NIR) v Nordsjælland (DEN)
Banants (ARM) v Sarajevo (BIH)
Engordany (AND) / Folgore (SMR) v Kairat Almaty (KAZ)
Petrocub (MDA) v Osijek (CRO)
Anorthosis Famagusta (CYP) v Laçi (ALB)
Ferencváros (HUN) v Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)
Balzan (MLT) v Keşla (AZE)
Budapest Honvéd (HUN) v Rabotnicki (MKD)
Rudar Pljevlja (MNE) v Partizan (SRB)
CSKA Sofia (BUL) v Riga (LVA)
Milsami Orhei (MDA) v Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Radnički Niš (SRB) v UE Sant Julià (AND) / Gzira United (MLT)
Lech Poznań (POL) v Gandzasar-Kapan (ARM)
Chikhura Sachkhere (GEO) v Beitar Jerusalem (ISR)
Vaduz (LIE) v Levski Sofia (BUL)
Željezničar (BIH) v Narva Trans (EST)
Cefn Druids (WAL) / Trakai (LTU) v Irtysh (KAZ)
Hibernian (SCO) v NSÍ Runavík (FRO)
Rudar Velenje (SVN) v Tre Fiori (SMR) / Bala Town (WAL)
Levadia Tallinn (EST) v Dundalk (IRL)
ÍBV (ISL) v Sarpsborg (NOR)
København (DEN) v KuPS Kuopio (FIN)
Liepāja (LVA) v Häcken (SWE)
Second qualifying round main path (26 July & 2 August)
14:50CET, 20 June, Nyon
Glenavon (NIR) / Molde (NOR) v Anorthosis Famagusta (CYP) / Laçi (ALB)
Banants (ARM) / Sarajevo (BIH) v Atalanta (ITA)
Birkirkara (MLT) / KÍ Klaksvík (FRO) / Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) v Vaduz (LIE) / Levski Sofia (BUL)
Engordany (AND) / Folgore (SMR) / Kairat Almaty (KAZ) v AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Aberdeen (SCO) v Burnley (ENG)
Rudar Pljevlja (MNE) / Partizan (SRB) v Cefn Druids (WAL) / Trakai (LTU) / Irtysh (KAZ)
Balzan (MLT) / Keşla (AZE) v Milsami Orhei (MDA) / Slovan Bratislava (SVK) Cliftonville (NIR) / Nordsjælland (DEN) v Shamrock Rovers (IRL) / AIK (SWE)
Rudar Velenje (SVN) / Tre Fiori (SMR) / Bala Town (WAL) v FCSB (ROU)
Hapoel Haifa (ISR) v Lahti (FIN) / Hafnarfjördur (ISL)
Levadia Tallinn (EST) / Dundalk (IRL) v AEK Larnaca (CYP)
Zaria Balti (MDA) / Górnik Zabrze (POL) v Budućnost Podgorica (MNE) / Trenčín (SVK)
Ferencváros (HUN) / Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) v Radnički Niš (SRB) / UE Sant Julià (AND) / Gzira United (MLT)
CSKA Sofia (BUL) / Riga (LVA) v Admira Wacker Mödling (AUT) Spartak Subotica (SRB) / Coleraine (NIR) v Sparta Praha (CZE)
RB Leipzig (GER) v Liepāja (LVA) / Häcken (SWE)
Stjarnan (ISL) / Nõmme Kalju (EST) v København (DEN) / KuPS Kuopio (FIN)
Ufa (RUS) v Široki Brijeg (BIH) / Domžale (SVN)
Samtredia (GEO) / Tobol Kostanay (KAZ) v Pyunik (ARM) / Vardar (MKD)
Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) v Rio Ave (POR)
LASK Linz (AUT) v Lillestrøm (NOR)
Budapest Honvéd (HUN) / Rabotnicki (MKD) v Progrès Niederkorn (LUX) / Gabala (AZE)
Petrocub (MDA) / Osijek (CRO) v Rangers (SCO) / Shkupi (MKD)
B36 Tórshavn (FRO) / St Joseph’s (GIB) / OFK Titograd (MNE) v Beşiktaş (TUR) Dunajská Streda (SVK) / Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) v Derry City (IRL) / Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
Ventspils (LVA) / Luftëtari (ALB) v Bordeaux (FRA)
Željezničar (BIH) / Narva Trans (EST) v Stumbras (LTU) / Apollon Limassol (CYP)
Racing Union (LUX) / Viitorul (ROU) v Vitesse (NED)
St Gallen (SUI) v ÍBV (ISL) / Sarpsborg (NOR)
Dinamo Brest (BLR) v Atromitos (GRE)
Sevilla (ESP) v Neftçi (AZE) / Újpest (HUN)
Connah’s Quay (WAL) / Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) v Lech Poznań (POL) / Gandzasar-Kapan (ARM)
Hibernian (SCO) / NSÍ Runavík (FRO) v Asteras Tripolis (GRE)
Chikhura Sachkhere (GEO) / Beitar Jerusalem (ISR) v Partizani (ALB) / Maribor (SVN)
Genk (BEL) v Fola Esch (LUX) / Europa (GIB) / Prishtina (KOS)
Djurgården (SWE) v Mariupol (UKR)
Hajduk Split (CRO) v Ilves Tampere (FIN) / Slavia Sofia (BUL)
