It doesn’t get any easier for Irish League clubs in Europe.
The much sought after spots and eagerly awaited ties have rarely brought much success for Northern Ireland’s club sides, but at least in the modern day there’s a pot of gold for the qualifiers.
All three representatives will have difficult ties, Glentoran and Coleraine await their fate on 9 August, the date of the Preliminary Round draw, while Linfield already know their’s and meet the champions of San Marino, Tre Fiori (Three Flowers), in Nyon the day previously.
While the Blues may fancy their chances in the Preliminary Round semi-final, there is likely to be a sterner test in the final.