Dundalk’s Europa League draw may have been tough but the group in which they’ve been placed lacks the big-name clubs that many fans were hoping for.
The Lilywhites avoided the likes of Manchester United, Inter Milan and Ajax as they were drawn into Group D on Friday, where they will play Zenit St Petersburg, AZ Alkmaar and Maccabi Tel Aviv before Christmas.
And Stephen Kenny is quite happy with the competition his side will face after narrowly missing out on a place in the Champions League group stages in a thrilling play-off second leg away to Legia Warsaw.
The Dundalk boss was relieved to see Manchester United drawn into a different group, not out of fear of the Red Devils but due to the fact that there would likely be more fans in the stadium cheering on the Premier League side.
“These are great footballing ties against great football clubs,” Kenny told the Irish Examiner.
“I know people were wondering about drawing Manchester United but that’s not a game I would have particularly wanted personally.
“I think I would have been embarrassed playing in Lansdowne Road with more people there supporting an English team than ourselves.
“I would have found that difficult to comprehend.
“I understand the teams we’ve drawn don’t have the lure of an Inter Milan or a Manchester United but I hope people who love the game will get behind us.
“I know that the recent matches against BATE Borisov and Legia Warsaw have really captured the imagination of people right throughout the country.”
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