Torreense to play Europa League from second tier, a not uncommon scenario | OneFootball

Torreense will contest next season’s Europa League while still in Portugal’s second tier, after winning the Taça de Portugal but failing to secure promotion.

They upset Sporting 2-1 after extra time on Sunday, then lost their play-off to Casa Pia, drawing 0-0 in the first leg and losing 0-2 in the return. L'Équipe notes this scenario is not uncommon, with several recent precedents.

In 2022-23 FC Vaduz, a Liechtenstein club playing in Switzerland, came through qualifiers to reach the Europa Conference League groups, then finished bottom against AZ Alkmaar, Dnipro-1 and Apollon Limassol, recording two draws and four defeats.

FC Zurich lifted the Swiss Cup in 2016 while being relegated, then took six points in the 2016-17 Europa League groups, finishing third behind Osmanlispor and Villarreal but ahead of Steaua Bucharest.

England has seen similar tales. Wigan won the FA Cup in 2013 yet went down to the Championship, then ended last in their Europa League group with five points. Birmingham, relegated in 2011, amassed 10 points in the 2011-12 groups but missed the knockouts by one point behind Club Bruges and Sporting Braga.

Lausanne Sport reached Europe in 2010 despite losing the Swiss Cup final 0-6 to Basel, and later took only one point in a daunting group with CSKA Moscow, Sparta Prague and Palermo. In France, recent examples include Guingamp in 2009, Gueugnon in 2000, Nîmes in 1996-97 and Nice the following season.

Source: L'Équipe