Swiss timing

The draw for the first qualifying round of the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League will be made in Switzerland tomorrow – but that’s only one component of the processes scheduled over the next couple of days.

Cliftonville will, in essence, be involved in three draws at UEFA Headquarters this week, the first of which will take place tomorrow morning and is expected to reduce the Reds’ list of 24 potential opponents to just five.

That initial procedure will be conducted on both a geographic and coefficient basis and will see all 50 teams involved in the first qualifying round assigned to groups that will direct Head of Club Competitions Tobias Hedtstuck’s and Senior Competitions Manager Tom Barlow’s conduction of tomorrow afternoon’s main draw, which is scheduled to commence at 3pm.

On Wednesday, meanwhile, UEFA will perform the draw for the second qualifying round, meaning that the Reds and our first phase opponents will know the identity of the team that awaits the winner of the tie.

Cliftonville’s Chief Operating Officer David Begley will be in attendance at the House of European Football tomorrow and fans are advised that cliftonvillefc.net will provide instantaneous news of the draw, including a detailed guide to our opponents, while our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram platforms will ensure you’re kept fully up-to-speed no matter where you are.

First leg ties are currently pencilled in for July 10 with the return games taking place on July 17 and, while all arrangements remain subject to change owing to television, security and UEFA’s single-fixture-per-city policy obligations, supporters are urged against making any travel arrangements whatsoever until both matches have been officially confirmed by the Club.

UEFA Conference League draw schedule
First qualifying round groupings
Tuesday, June 17 (approximately 8am)

First qualifying round draw
Tuesday, June 17 (3pm)

Second qualifying round draw
Wednesday, June 18 (TBC)