European Qualification
The top team in the Premier Division qualifies for the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round. The second-placed and third placed-teams qualify for the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round. They must go through three two-legged knockout ties respectively in order to enter the second round group phase of that competition. There is a UEFA Europa League second qualifying round slot reserved for the winners of the FAI Cup. If it were to happen that a cup winner has already qualified for the UEFA Europa League via the league, the cup-win qualification will take prominence and the league-place qualification will be transferred to the next team who finished below them in the league. However, if the case is that the cup-winner has already won the league, that team will take a place in the UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, by way of its league win, and the losing team in the FAI Cup final will take the UEFA Europa League spot on offer from that competition.
In 2011 Shamrock Rovers became the first team in Irish footballing history to reach the group stages of the Europa League.
- 1st leg Shamrock Rovers 1-1 FK Partizan
- 2nd leg FK Partizan 1-2 Shamrock Rovers
Read more about this topic: League Of Ireland
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