The preliminary rounds of the European Cups concluded on Thursday evening, as the final playoffs for the Europa League and Conference League took place. With the determination of the teams advancing to the main phase of UEFA competitions, only two countries remain without any representatives in the group stages.
These countries are Montenegro and San Marino, the only two among the 55 UEFA member associations that have never had a team qualify for the main stage of a European competition.
Initially, Andorra was also in this predicament, but it made history on Thursday night, dramatically pulling itself off this list.
San Marino and Montenegro Left Without Teams in European Cup History
The champion of Andorra, Inter Club d’Escaldes, eliminated Drita from Kosovo after a penalty shootout, winning 4-2. The match ended 0-0 in regular time, and the two teams had drawn 2-2 in the first leg.
Thanks to this qualification, Inter Club d’Escaldes will compete for the first time in the main phase of the Conference League, the third most prestigious competition in Europe, making Andorra the 53rd UEFA member nation to send at least one representative to this phase of continental competitions.
Following the success of Andorra’s champion, Montenegro and San Marino are now the only two countries among the 55 UEFA members without a club in either the group phase or the league of a European competition, as their journeys ended prematurely in the preliminary rounds.
With a coefficient of 7.500, Inter Escaldes, the surprise from Andorra, will be placed in pot 5 during the draw scheduled for Friday in Monaco. They could potentially face Universitatea Craiova, the Romanian champions who were unexpectedly eliminated by Ararat-Armenia and will be in pot 4. The Romanian team faces three home games and three away matches in October, November, and December.
