Conference League
For the time being, Wiener Austria will be spared a longer trip in the qualification for the UEFA Europa Conference League. The Violets face Bosnia and Herzegovina runners-up FK Borac Banja Luka in the second qualifying round. That was the result of the draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon on Wednesday.
21.06.2023 15.11
Online since today, 3:11 p.m
The fifth of the past season in the Admiral Bundesliga fought his way through the play-off into the European Cup. In order to advance to the group phase of the Conference League, Austria would have to survive the second and third qualifying rounds as well as the subsequent play-off. In contrast to the second, Austria would not be seeded in the third qualifying round, which would mean that opponents such as FC Bruges, Fenerbahce Istanbul, FC Basel and Dynamo Kiev would be possible. Rapid enters the third qualifying round of the Conference League, the green-whites are seeded there.
FK Borac Banja Luka finished second in the Bosnian championship, 20 points behind champions Zrinjski Mostar. The red-blue primarily rely on local players, legionnaires come from Serbia and Croatia. Coach Vinko Marinovic (52) was born in Vienna but grew up in Yugoslavia. The club is a two-time Bosnian champion, after 2011 the title was won in 2021.
Let’s go to Vienna! Our club’s footballers are being led by the European road in the qualification for the Conference League to Vienna for the event…
Posted by FK BORAC Banja Luka on Wednesday, June 21, 2023
First leg on July 27 in Vienna
In the European Cup, Banja Luka has not yet made a big mark. In 2021, the Champions League qualifier against Cluj ended before the Conference League qualifier against Linfield from Northern Ireland was the end of the line. Last year Banja Luka failed against B36 Torshavn from the Faroe Islands in the Conference League qualifier after extra time.
The travel strains should be kept within limits. For Austria, opponents from Kazakhstan, Finland, Estonia, the Faroe Islands, Kosovo and Luxembourg would have been possible in the draw. The flight time to Banja Luka is just under an hour. The first leg on July 27th will take place in Vienna, the decision on promotion will be made in the second leg a week later on August 3rd. The draw for the third qualifying round will take place on July 24th and for the play-off on August 7th. The composition of the groups will be determined on September 1st.