After getting a respectable away result against Helsinki, I thought now would be a good time to look back at Motherwell’s past pitfalls and triumphs as they attempt to qualify for the group stages of a European competition for the first time ever.
Starting at 1991/92, after winning the Scottish Cup, Motherwell would make their only appearance in the Cup Winners Cup first round where they would get knocked out on away goals against GKS Katowice.
After three years without any European football, Motherwell qualified for the European Cup in 1994/95. They would hammer HB Torshavn 7-1 on aggregate in the preliminary qualifying stage before being drawn against European giants Borussia Dortmund. A 2-0 loss at home and a 1-0 loss away seen Motherwell put in a respectable performance against a European regular.
The season after they were knocked out again on away goals to MyPA-47
The Steelmen would then need to wait 13 years for another try at European football where they would face up against French side Nancy in 2008/09, where they lost 0-3 on aggregate in Round 1.
The season after however, Motherwell would make it to Round three of qualifying after dispatching Welsh side Llanelli 3-1 on aggregate and Albanian side Flamurtari 8-2 on aggregate. They would be knocked out comfortably by European veterans Steaua Bucharest 6-1 on aggregate.
Season 2010/11 would see the Steelmen make it to the Europa League playoff round. This would see them travel around Scandinavia, beating Icelandic side Breidablik and Norwegian side Aalesund before being knocked out by Danish opposition in Odense 3-1 on aggregate.
2012/13 qualifying seen Motherwell put into the Champions League third qualifying round against Panathinaikos. After losing that, they were drawn against Spanish side Levante who fielded former Real Madrid and PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas amongst some other La Liga regulars.
2013/14 seen them eliminated from the Europa league in round three of qualifying against Russian side Kuban Krasnodar who fielded ex -Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse.
2014/15 was a difficult game against Icelandic side Stjarnan where the well were eliminated 3-2 after extra time. Stjarnan would then eliminate polish side Lech Poznan and then be knocked out in the playoffs against Inter Milan.
A break from European football takes us to football during the pandemic in 2020/21 where Motherwell beat Glentoran 5-1 and Coleraine after penalties before being eliminated against Israeli side Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
Motherwell’s first Europa Conference League qualifier in 2022/23 seen them drawn against Sligo Rovers. Enough Said.
That then takes us up to present day where we have revisited HB Torshavn and earned a good draw away in Helsinki. Hopefully after next Thursday we can look into another away game in Germany against Europa League runners up Freiburg but in the mean time COYW.
THE KIT RAIL 