By T. Jayani, JadeTimes News
Former Wales international and Cymru Premier product Owain Tudur Jones is optimistic about The New Saints' prospects for an extended European campaign this season. The Cymru Premier champions recently triumphed over FK Decic with a 4-1 aggregate score, advancing to the Champions League second qualifying round where they will face Hungary's Ferencvaros.
The New Saints have been open about their goal of becoming the first Welsh club to reach the group stages of a European competition. Speaking to us Wales Breakfast, Jones emphasized the importance of luck in the draw, noting that the Saints' journey to Hungary presents them with an opportunity. He highlighted that even if they are eliminated from the Champions League qualifiers, they have the safety net of dropping into the Europa Conference League stages, giving them a solid chance to progress further.
"All eyes will be on New Saints to progress, but Caernarfon Town for the excitement and let’s see what the Cofis can do over in Poland," Jones said.
Caernarfon Town, making their European debut, advanced to the Europa Conference League second qualifying round by defeating Northern Ireland's Crusaders on penalties. They will now face Polish giants Legia Warsaw, though the away leg will be played behind closed doors due to UEFA sanctions on Legia for fan misconduct during a match against Aston Villa last season.
Jones reflected on Legia's stature as a previous European semi finalist and lamented the absence of fans, noting that players miss out on the electrifying atmosphere they work hard to experience.
Jones, who played in Europe as a teenager for Bangor City, observed that Welsh teams have often faced disappointment in European competitions. Connah’s Quay Nomads and Bala Town both experienced narrow exits in the Europa Conference League, with Nomads falling to FK Bravo 2-1 on aggregate after conceding late goals and Bala losing to Paide of Estonia in extra time.
Reflecting on the overall performance of the Welsh clubs, Jones remarked, "Now this one was so close to be a summer of 10 out of 10 in the first round for all four clubs." He praised the efforts of The New Saints and Caernarfon Town, while acknowledging the heartbreak faced by Connah’s Quay and Bala.
Jones concluded that despite the setbacks, it has been a successful period for Welsh clubs in Europe, rating it an eight out of ten collectively. He attributed the narrow losses to the challenges of facing full time teams with greater fitness levels and the mental hurdles at crucial moments.
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