Torreense secured a place in the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League league phase by winning the Portuguese Cup final 2-1 against Sporting CP. The club earned its first major trophy in 109 years and finished third in the Portuguese second division, which gave it a chance to win promotion through play-offs. After a goalless first leg, Torreense lost 2-0 away to Casa Pia, ending its promotion hopes. As a second division club, it will play European football next season, but its 2,500-seat stadium does not meet UEFA requirements. Home matches will be played 193 miles away at Estadio Algarve in Faro. Other second-tier clubs also reach UEFA competitions through domestic cup success.
"There are more examples of second tier sides playing in Uefa competitions than you might think. Torreense will not be the only second division club competing in Europe next season - Vestri, based in a village of less than 3,000 people, beat Valur in the 2025 Icelandic Cup final. They will enter the Europa League in the first qualifying round."
Read at www.bbc.com
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