Cork City, Shamrock Rovers and St Pat’s learn Europa League opponents

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Cork City will face opposition from Luxembourg or Wales in their Europa League first qualifying round.

Cork City lost to Rosenborg in last year’s Europa League.

The winners of the preliminary round betweeen Progrès Niederkorn and Cardiff Metropolitan University will travel to Turner’s Cross on July 11 for the first leg.

Progrès Niederkorn famously defeated Rangers in 2017, but lost to Shamrock Rovers in 2015, while Cardiff Metropolitan University are in European competition for the first time.

That means a trip to either the Stade Jos Haupert or the Cardiff International Sports Stadium, which both have capacities of just under 5,000.

Shamrock Rovers face Norwegian opposition in SK Brann. They will travel to their 17,700-capacity stadium in Bergen before a return leg in Tallaght on July 18.

St Patrick’s Athletic are also heading for Scandanavia, with Swedish runners-up IFK Norrköping their hosts for the first leg.

Should Northern Ireland runners-up Ballymena United defeat Faroe Islanders NSÍ Runavík in the preliminary round, they will face Malmö of Sweden.

It will also be Northern Ireland v Faroe Islands when Crusaders face B36 Tórshavn.

Cliftonville, should they overcome preliminary-round opponents Barry Town, will face Norway’s Haugesund.

Scottish runners-up Rangers will face the winners of Prishtina (Kosovo) or St Joseph’s (Gibraltar), while Kilmarnock will play Connah’s Quay Nomads of Wales and Aberdeen face RoPS Rovaniemi of Finland.

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