Great news for the students, and a huge financial boost.
UCD may have been relegated to the First Division at the end of last season, but they’re in line to play European football this summer, after Ireland were awarded an extra Europa League spot in the Fair Play table.
Subject to licencing, the club will enter the competition along with Shamrock Rovers, Cork City and St Pats, with a guaranteed €200,000 windfall for reaching the competition.
Ireland have today been awarded an additional UEFA Europa League spot for the Fair Play Award! UCD will get this spot subject to licensing!!
— UCD FC (@UCDAFC) May 8, 2015
UCD are currently third in the First Division of the SSE Airtricity League, seven points back from leaders Finn Harps.
The club’s only ever appearance in Europe came in the 1984/85 European Cup Winners Cup, where they held Everton scoreless at Tolka Park before losing 1-0 in the second leg.
And Everton could also find themselves in next season’s competition. England were also awarded a Fair Play place in the competition, and it looks to be between them and West Ham in the Premier League’s Fair Play table, with the Hammers leading the race.
The third Europe League place awarded via the Fair Play league went to the Netherlands.
