Rijeka to face Derry City in Conference League second‑qualifying round

Croatian club HNK Rijeka will meet Irish side Derry City in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League. The first leg is scheduled for 23 July at Rijeka’s Rujevica stadium, with the return match on 30 July at Derry’s Brandywell Park. Derry qualified as the opponent after losing 5‑3 on aggregate to CSKA Sofia in the first round of the Europa League qualifiers. The first‑leg encounter was disrupted by a clash between supporters, forcing a fifteen‑minute halt before play resumed.

Ahead of the European tie, Rijeka held a preparatory friendly against Slovenian second‑division team Jadran Dekani, winning 2‑0 with goals from Toni Fruk (21′) and Amer Gojak (52′). The club’s squad includes recent loanee Niko Janković, while Derry’s most valuable player is listed as Gavin Whyte.