UK and Irish clubs eliminated from Conference League as Brighton and Jablonec advance
A series of late collapses and penalty defeats eliminates several UK and Irish football clubs from European competition, while Brighton and Jablonec secure their places in the league phase.
Several British and Irish football clubs have been eliminated from the UEFA Conference League playoffs following late defeats and penalty shootouts. Rangers, Motherwell, Hibernian, Larne, and Shamrock Rovers all failed to reach the competition's league phase, ending their European campaigns in August.
Rangers suffered a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Czech side Jablonec after a 1-1 aggregate draw. Manager Derek McInnes admitted he was "embarrassed" by the performance, acknowledging that "the opposition were better" and the club's massive rebuild is struggling to gain momentum.
Despite leading 1-0 from the first leg, Rangers produced a lackluster display in Czechia that lacked creativity. Jablonec midfielder Vakhtang Chanturishvili equalised the tie in the 73rd minute with a low drive. In the subsequent shootout, Rangers missed crucial penalties, allowing Jan Chramosta to fire in the decisive kick.
Other clubs experienced similar late agony on the continent. Hibernian conceded an 84th-minute equaliser and a stoppage-time own goal to lose 3-2 at home to Gent, resulting in a 4-3 aggregate defeat. Larne surrendered a two-goal aggregate lead in the final ten minutes against Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps, ultimately losing in extra time.
Motherwell’s European run ended with a 4-1 defeat to Freiburg, compounding a 7-2 aggregate loss. The club was reduced to ten men when Jake Girdwood-Reich received a red card before the hour mark. Shamrock Rovers also exited after a 1-0 loss to Finnish side KuPS, sealing a 2-1 aggregate defeat.
In contrast, Brighton and Freiburg successfully navigated the playoffs to reach the league phase. Brighton secured a comfortable 4-0 victory over Tromsø at the Amex Stadium, with first-half finishes from Charalampos Kostoulas, Maxim De Cuyper, and Mats Wieffer. Olivier Boscagli added a deflected fourth late on to seal their place in Friday’s draw.
For the eliminated companies, the early exits represent a significant operational setback, halting their European campaigns and complicating their ongoing rebuilds. Meanwhile, Brighton and Freiburg will now prepare for the league phase, having successfully achieved their primary objectives for the summer.
