Ħamrun Spartans eye glamour ties in today’s UEFA Conference League draw

After a historic night in Latvia, Ħamrun Spartans will now shift their focus to Monaco, where the UEFA Conference League group stage draws will take place today at 1pm.

On Thursday evening, the Spartans became the first Maltese side to book their place in the League Phase of the Conference League following a hard-fought 2-2 draw against FC RFS, of Latvia, at the LNK Sporta Parks Arena in Riga.

Read: History made as Ħamrun Spartans qualify for League Phase of UEFA Conference League.

In an unprecedented move, UEFA will be holding the Conference League and Europa League draws in a combined ceremony, making this a landmark edition of Europe’s club competitions.

Representing Ħamrun in Monaco will be club president Joseph Portelli, CEO Marcel Bonnici, and Chief of Operations Eric Saliba, accompanied by Bjorn Vassallo, president of the Malta FA.

Ħamrun Spartans, placed in Pot 6, will be drawn against one team from each of the other pots, creating a group of six sides.

The Spartans will play a total of six matches, three at home and three away, between October and December.

The fixtures are scheduled for October 2, October 23, November 6, November 27, December 11, and December 18.

Potential opponents include several prestigious names such as Fiorentina (Italy), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Sparta Prague (Czechia), Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine), Crystal Palace (England), AEK Athens (Greece), and Aberdeen (Scotland).

Meanwhile, Ħamrun’s qualification has given Malta a further boost in the UEFA coefficient rankings. The country has climbed one place to 41st, now standing at 8.500 points.