This year, Welsh clubs will not have the right to taste European glory. Last hopes rested with The New Saints, who were knocked out in the qualifiers by Luxembourg club Differdange 03.

Last season, TNS had managed to get through the preliminary stages and into the huge UEFA Conference League pool. A creditable performance, even if the club failed to qualify for the rest of the competition. The reigning champions of the Cymru Premier League managed to save themselves by not finishing last in the tournament (31st out of 36), but also by beating Astana, a club from Kazakhstan who are no strangers to European competition. Despite this being their only victory, the Welsh club also lost with their heads held high as they were still in touch with their opponents (no more than two goals apart).

But back to reality, as Tuesday 29 July marked the end of The New Saints’ European season with their elimination at the hands of Differdange 03. It was a rather short and disappointing campaign for TNS, who will have to make do with the Welsh league and cup, where they are both overwhelming favourites. The rest of the Cymru Premier League was equally unremarkable. In July, Penybont, runners-up last season, were eliminated by Lithuanian club Kauno Zalgiris (1-4 on aggregate). At the same time, Haverfordwest saw their European dreams dashed by Floriana from Malta (3-5 on aggregate).

Apart from the Cymru Premier League, the other Welsh clubs in the English league failed to qualify for Europe via the FA Cup. It was a blank season for Welsh football on the European stage, and they will have to wait until next season to hope to once again rub shoulders with Europe’s big boys.

Image source : UEFA via Getty Images