Bohemians Under-19 Head Coach Craig Sexton is delighted to be handed a 'glamourous tie' after they were drawn against PAOK FC in the UEFA Youth League. The draw, which took place in Nyon, Switzerland earlier today, saw the SSE Airtricity League Unde
Bohemians Under-19 Head Coach Craig Sexton is delighted to be handed a 'glamourous tie' after they were drawn against PAOK FC in the UEFA Youth League.
The draw, which took place in Nyon, Switzerland earlier today, saw the SSE Airtricity League Under-19 Champions drawn against the Champions of Greece jn the first round of the Domestic Champions path.
It will be the second time Bohemians will compete in the competition after they suffered a narrow two-legged defeat against Danish Champions FC Midtjylland last season, who went on to beat Roma and Manchester United, and reach the quarter-finals.
"Travel-wise, it's going to be a challenge for us. It'll be a long way to go for the team but that will be part of the experience which this tournament offers and we're looking forward to it," said Bohemians U-19 Head Coach Craig Sexton.
"We don't know too much about PAOK at the moment so we'll do our homework on them. But, they're a big name in European football and it's great for everybody. It's great for the club, players and the entire league that we're represented in the competition.
"We're going to get to test ourselves against the very best and it is a glamorous tie which will definitely get the lads excited and it'll be another fantastic opportunity for them to play on the European stage."
Bohemians U-19 are currently having another fantastic season with the team set to finish top of the Northern Elite Division with the finals stage to follow. Bohemians have also reached the final of the U-19 Enda McGuill Cup where they're set to face Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers.
"We've got a number of players from last season who will still be eligible to play this season which is great. It's fantastic, it's brilliant for the entire league," said Sexton.
"It's not just about Bohemians, it's about everyone in under-age football in Ireland and that the league gets to have these experiences.
"We need to share what we're doing as a league to benefit everybody across youth football and hopefully this is an experience we can bring back into the league which will benefit everybody."
