Derry City now know their next European test, and it is a significant one. After last week’s 5-3 aggregate defeat to CSKA Sofia, Tiernan Lynch’s side will face HNK Rijeka in the Uefa Conference League second qualifying round, with Michael Duffy insisting the Foylesiders must keep believing they can trouble anyone when they are at their best.
The tie is another reminder of how quickly the European picture can change. Derry’s run in 2023 ended with a penalty shootout defeat to Tobol Kostanay and they came within one game of the Conference League playoffs, while 20 years ago their Uefa Cup run carried them through three rounds against Göteborg, Gretna and PSG. That history gives this latest challenge a clear context: this is not just another fixture, but another step in the push towards the group stages.
Duffy: “We can give anybody a game when we’re on it”
Michael Duffy, the Derry City skipper, spoke after the CSKA Sofia tie with the kind of belief that has become central to the club’s European mindset. “We can give anybody a game when we’re on it, and that has to be our mentality,” he said. “It’s going to be another tough game, but we’re looking forward to it.”
That is the right tone for a club that has to treat every round as an opportunity rather than a burden. European football has a way of exposing any hesitation, but Derry’s recent results show they are not just there to make up the numbers. They pushed CSKA Sofia over two legs, and Duffy’s words suggest the group feel there is still room to grow from that performance.
Why the Rijeka tie matters
There is also a practical side to this draw. Duffy said he hopes to bring something back to Brandywell for the return leg, and that approach underlines what Derry City need from the first meeting in Croatia. “It was obviously disappointing to go out, but we put in a good performance and can build on how we played and take that into Croatia,” he said. “It will be tough out there with the conditions, and they’re going to be a top side as well.”
The challenge for Lynch’s team is to manage the tie in a way that keeps the second leg alive. Duffy was clear on the target: “That’s what you want: You want to come back to Brandywell with something to play for.” He added: “We will go out there and try to win the game. We’re not going to sit in. We will have a gameplan and hopefully get a result where we can have another big night at Brandywell.”
Another step in a longer European story
That ambition matters because Derry City’s recent European history now has a pattern to it. There has been progress, disappointment and near-misses, but also enough evidence to suggest the club can stay in these competitions for longer than a single round. Against Rijeka, they will need two big performances, exactly as Duffy put it, if they are to keep the run going.
For Derry, the next chapter begins in Croatia, with the return to Brandywell still there as the reward for a disciplined first leg. For a club chasing another memorable European summer, that is exactly the sort of tie they will want to embrace.
