Loss of Euro spot will be 'significant setback' - Lawlor

Northern Ireland Football League CEO Gerard Lawlor says member clubs "cannot continue doing the same things" after falling to 51st in Uefa's association coefficient rankings.

Larne were the final Irish Premiership side in European competition this season before losing in the Conference League play-offs

Iberia 1999's 1-1 draw at home to Mjallby in the Uefa Conference League on Thursday night moved Georgia's domestic league up the standings, dropping Northern Ireland out of the crucial top 50.

While NIFL have said that their "final position remains subject to UEFA's rankings and access arrangements", as it stands that would mean the Irish Premiership will have only three European spots in the 2028-29 season.

Currently the Irish Premiership's top two and Irish Cup winners automatically qualify for the next season's Uefa competitions, while the league's final spot is decided by an end-of-season play-off.

Lawlor called the expected loss of a European spot "a major concern and a potentially significant setback" for the game in Northern Ireland.

Source: BBC Sport