Dismissed At First, Europa Conference League Captures The Imagination
Zeeshan Mehtab Published April 27, 2022 | 08:30 AM
Paris, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Apr, 2022 ) :The subject of some derision when it was introduced at the start of this season, the new Europa Conference League has turned out to be a hit and now has some of the continent's most famous Names in the semi-finals eyeing a rare piece of European silverware.
Leicester City take on Jose Mourinho's Roma and Feyenoord play Marseille in the first legs of their semi-final ties this Thursday, with the winners advancing to the final in Tirana in late May.
Twenty-three years after the abolition of the Cup Winners' Cup, the idea behind UEFA's new third-tier European competition was supposedly to give clubs from smaller countries the chance to play more matches, earn more money and get more exposure.
It has seen the unheralded Norwegians of Bodo/Glimt put six past Roma and later knock out Celtic on their way to the quarter-finals, while the Slovenians of Mura claimed a famous win over Tottenham Hotspur as the English giants were knocked out in the group stage.
Both Bodo/Glimt and Mura started the season in the Champions League but defeats in the qualifying rounds saw them effectively relegated.
It was the same for Leicester and Marseille, who each ended up in the Conference League after being knocked out of the Europa League group stage.
Leicester won last season's FA Cup and just missed out on Champions League qualification, so their manager Brendan Rodgers appeared to turn his nose up at the idea of going into the knockout phase of the new competition.
"I've got to be honest, I don't even know what the competition is," he said in an interview with broadcaster BT Sport.
"With all due respect to the competition, I'm not sure what it is. But I'm sure I will find out soon enough." Leicester have since knocked out Randers of Denmark, French club Rennes and former European Cup winners PSV Eindhoven on their way to the semi-finals.
Their story is hardly the most romantic -- after all, the Foxes won the Premier League in 2016 and are the 15th-richest club in the world according to the latest Deloitte Football Money League.
Yet, having lost a Champions League quarter-final to Atletico Madrid five years ago, Leicester are now in a European semi-final for the first time in their history.
Roma's European pedigree is on another level, with the Italians having reached the European Cup final in 1984 before later losing a UEFA Cup final.
They were Champions League semi-finalists only four years ago but this run has certainly captured the imagination.
Over 65,000 fans were at the Stadio Olimpico to see them beat Bodo/Glimt in the quarter-finals and there will be another huge crowd at next week's second leg.
Mourinho, meanwhile, could complete the sweep of the main European honours having previously won two Champions Leagues as well as the UEFA Cup at Porto and its successor, the Europa League, at Manchester United.
"I don't want to lie to you guys and tell you this competition doesn't interest me. It does interest me. I would like to win it," Mourinho said at the start of the campaign.
The other semi-final brings together two former European Cup winners, with Feyenoord having won that prize in 1970 and Marseille doing so in 1993.
Feyenoord also won the UEFA Cup twice while Marseille have lost in four European finals, including the 1991 European Cup and in the Europa League in 2018.
Both sides have fervent fanbases but, in the age of the super club, Champions League glory is beyond their reach and even success in the Europa League is a big ask.
Far from dismissing the Conference League, both have embraced it, especially Feyenoord, whose adventure began in the second qualifying round last July against Drita of Kosovo and could end 10 months later in Tirana.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
PTI to stage nationwide protests against alleged electoral frauds
Senate continues discussion on Presidential address to Joint Sitting of Parliame ..
Masood Khan calls for Pak-US cooperation for regional peace
Interior Minister starts Margalla Trail Patrol for security
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 26 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 26 April 2024
ICC Womens T20 World Cup Qualifier, Match 2: Ireland Women open with Comfortable ..
Robinson, bowlers help New Zealand go 2-1 up against Pakistan
Shahzeb Chachar to hold khuli kachehri on April 26
Heatwave amid Israel's aggression in Gaza brings new misery, disease risk
Tourism must change, mayor says as Venice launches entry fee
Court adjourns Judicial Complex attack case till May 17
More Stories From Sports
-
Father, son killed in firing
1 hour ago -
Victor Boniface: Leverkusen boss Alonso makes you 'up your game'
5 hours ago -
ICC Womens T20 World Cup Qualifier, Match 2: Ireland Women open with Comfortable victory over UAE
9 hours ago -
Robinson, bowlers help New Zealand go 2-1 up against Pakistan
15 hours ago -
National Hockey camp to be organized for Azlan Shah tournament
16 hours ago -
Islamabad Tennis Club demolished by CDA amid anti-encroachment action at public park: Tarar
18 hours ago
-
Shayan, Rashid, Junaid to represent Pakistan in U12 Regional Qualifying Jrs
18 hours ago -
Olympic Games Paris 2024: How teams qualified
18 hours ago -
ICC T20 World Cup 2024 trophy unveiled in Islamabad
18 hours ago -
Pakistan to tour New Zealand for 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is next March
18 hours ago -
Xavi and Barca remain tied in marriage of convenience
18 hours ago -
Pakistan Master Tenpin Bowling C'ship postponed
18 hours ago