How Shamrock Rovers rewrote history

The global company 1xBet tells about the success of the most titled Irish club in the Conference League.

New challenge

“We’ve been working non-stop for over a year now, so it’s important to get some rest. We’ll be back in January and get ready for the playoffs. In the meantime, the club and I will work on bringing in new players and signing new contracts with current ones,” coach Stephen Bradley said before the winter break.

It is unlikely that the 40-year-old manager expected Shamrock Rovers to play in the Conference League knockout phase play-offs against Molde in February 2025 before the season started. Although these successes caused the team’s championship results to suffer, the record bonuses earned in European competitions will compensate for losing the Irish title.

Historical path

An Irish team playing in a European competition in February? Sounds incredible, doesn’t it?

Previously, it seemed impossible. However, Shamrock Rovers rewrote history and became the first Irish club to successfully overcome the group stage in the European tournament.

The Hoops’ journey began in the first round of the Champions League qualification. Shamrock Rovers was stronger than Iceland’s Vikingur, a future participant in the Conference League knockout phase play-offs, but lost to Czech Sparta in the second round. In the third round of the Europa League qualification, Stephen Bradley’s squad beat Slovenian Celje, another future participant in the Conference League knockout phase play-offs. Still, in the next stage, they faced an insurmountable obstacle from the powerful Greek PAOK.

The defeat on Chelsea’s pitch was the first in this tournament for Shamrock Rovers. A sensational victory would have allowed the Hoops to do the unthinkable and finish in the top 8 of the Conference League, but the squad had already exceeded expectations. Shamrock Rovers went to London with 11 points and a guaranteed ticket to at least the knockout phase play-offs. Stephen Bradley’s team thrashed Borac from Banja Luka (3-0) and Larne (4-1), also beating Welsh TNS (2-1). However, the draws against Vienna Rapid (1-1) and APOEL (1-1) were no less valuable, as these squads are much higher than Shamrock in the European rankings. In the match against the Cypriots, the Hoops even saved themselves from defeat while playing with ten men, having charged up with the energy of the hot stands at Tallaght Stadium!

Shamrock Rovers’ fairy tale continued in the playoffs – in an away match against Molde, the Hoops achieved a sensational 1-0 victory. In the return game, the Norwegians quickly took the lead but were left with a man down. As a result, the match went to a penalty shootout, where Molde triumphed 5-4. Despite the defeat, the Irish fans saw their team off with applause and did not leave the stands for a long time.