Larne have been handed a massive incentive to beat Pacos de Ferreira in the Europa Conference League with London giants Tottenham Hotspur awaiting the winners in the next round.
Today’s draw for the playoff stage of the UEFA competition in Nyon handed the Irish League club a potential glamour tie with the English Premier League club later this month.
But first Tiernan Lynch’s men have to clear the sizable hurdle of Pacos de Ferreira who finished fifth in Portugal’s Primeira Liga last season.
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Spurs, who finished seventh in the English top flight last season, last faced Irish League opposition in Europe in the early-1980s.
They beat Coleraine 7-0 over two legs in the old European Cup Winners Cup in 1982, Garth Crooks and Steve Archibald scoring in a 3-0 win at the Ballycastle Road Showgrounds.
New Tottenham boss Nuno Espírito Santo was also manager of Wolves when the Molineux club beat Crusaders 6-1 on aggregate in the Europa League two years ago.
The last time Spurs faced Irish opposition was in 2011 when they beat Shamrock Rovers, managed by Michael O’Neill, home away in the group stages of the Europa League.
Tottenham, who lost the 2019 Champions League final to Liverpool in Madrid, were knocked out in the round of 16 of the Europa League by Dinamo Zagreb last season.
Larne, who are estimated to have pocketed £650,000 from their first ever European campaign so far, face Pacos de Ferreira in the first leg of the third qualifying round in Portugal this Thursday.
The return fixture will be played at Inver Park next Thursday, with the playoff round legs scheduled for August 19 and 26.
Elsewhere in today’s Europa Conference League draw, Linfield will face either FC Kairat Almaty (Kazakhstan) or Alashkert (Armenia) in the playoff round if they can overcome Fola Esch.
The Blues face the Luxembourg champions in the first leg of their third qualifying round, in the champions path of the competition, at Windsor Park on Tuesday night.
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