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Stephen Bradley’s Shamrock Rovers team will host Zlatan Ibrahimovic and AC Milan at Tallaght in the Europa League second qualifying round.
He Hoops will welcome the Serie A giants in Dublin on September 17, and the game will be held behind closed doors due to Covid-19 restrictions.
It’s a bittersweet result for the Hoops as they won’t be able to allow fans to enter the game.
And the purchasing power of television rights is limited due to UEFA’s rules on the fact that the game will be a one-legged affair, another consequence of the single coronavirus-related schedule.
The away team has the value of the rights to Italy and the rest of the world, so the Rovers will only win what an Irish station is willing to pay.
That said, there should be publicity and sponsorship opportunities surrounding the event given the interest it will spark.
AC Milan is currently managed by Stefano Pioli, but the big draw in his team is Swedish star Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic signed a one-year contract to stay at the club for another season in a bid to help the once powerful club end its long wait for a big trophy and return to the Champions League, Italian media reported Monday.
The charismatic Swede, who will turn 39 in October, returned for a second season in Milan in January on a six-month deal and inspired a rebound in form, as he finished last season with a 13-game unbeaten streak in all. competitions.
That lifted them to sixth place in Serie A and booked them a spot in the Europa League qualifying rounds.
The Rovers qualified for the second round thanks to their spectacular 12-11 penalty shootout win over Finnish Ilves last Thursday.
Meanwhile, Dundalk’s new manager Filippo Giovagnoli received a dream draw in the context of his report after the Irish League champion landed the Andorran Inter Club.
Giovagnoli’s main task in Ireland is to advance in the Europa League. He replaced Vinny Perth after Dundalk fell in second-division competition following their 3-0 loss to Slovenian champion Celje.
Dundalk is in the section of the Europa League draw reserved for champions eliminated from the main competition. The Andorrans were the only non-seeded team in their boat.
The Lilywhites have walked away, but considering that Andorra is not a green list country, a neutral spot will likely need to be found. By coincidence, Italy might turn out to be the best option, while Greece has also been touted as a possible destination.
In some of the other Europa League qualifiers, the Spurs have been tied to face Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Coleraine will face Motherwell, the Rangers will face the Lincoln Red Imps and Aberdeen will face Viking.
Online editors
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