Naxxar Lions will meet Gibraltar champions Lincoln Red Imps in the first round of the UEFA Youth League Domestic Champions Path, following Monday’s draw at the House of European Football in Nyon. The two-legged tie is scheduled for 17 September (first leg in Malta) and 1 October (return in Gibraltar), with precise kick-off times to be confirmed by the clubs.
Should the Lions progress, they will face Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in Round 2, with those matches pencilled in for 22 October and 5 November. The second-round pairings were drawn on the same day.
The club said Director Omar Borg and Team Coordinator Adrian Ciappara represented Naxxar Lions at the draw in Switzerland.
Speaking to Malta Sport, Technical Director Omar Borg underlined the significance of the draw for a club operating with limited resources:
“Although as a player I was fortunate to compete in various competitions, I had never experienced a draw like this. It’s a dream, something truly special, and nobody could have predicted that a modest club like ours, with limited resources, still waiting for our own ground and without a clubhouse, would be representing our town in such a prestigious competition. This is the result of a great deal of hard work and sacrifice to keep a club like ours operating and competing.”
This season marks Naxxar’s first-ever appearance in a European draw, earned after winning last season’s BOV Youth League A.
What the draw means
- The Domestic Champions Path consists of three rounds of two-legged ties. There is no seeding, and ties are played on a home-and-away basis, with the aggregate winners advancing.
- Key dates (subject to confirmation): Round 1 – 17 Sept & 1 Oct; Round 2 – 22 Oct & 5 Nov.
Naxxar’s opening leg is slated for the Centenary Stadium, offering the Maltese champions an early chance to set the tone before a tricky trip to Gibraltar. If successful, a glamour tie with AZ Alkmaar awaits.
