Lincoln Red Imps not quite the minnows

Not yet having started their domestic league campaign and now heading into the international break, Lincoln Red Imps are counting down the days before their Conference League group stage matches begin.
This will be the second time in four years that the Gibraltar champions have reached this stage of the competition. While they will be rubbing their hands in anticipation of the potential financial benefits, there is also concern that these could be significantly reduced if they are forced to play their matches outside Gibraltar.
Although their previous group stage fixtures were held at the Victoria Stadium, demolition works there have left the Europa Sports Complex as the only available venue. The stadium has recently been upgraded to increase its capacity and has obtained a license to host both the international friendly against Albania and the group qualifiers match against the Faroe Islands. However, no official confirmation has yet been given as to whether it will be approved for the UEFA Conference League group matches.
Discussions are ongoing, with sources close to the matter indicating optimism that the matches will indeed be played on the Rock, though it remains unclear whether tickets will be available for the general public.
The last European match Lincoln Red Imps played at the same stadium, against Noah in the Champions League, was held under restrictions on public ticket sales. While this resulted in lost gate revenue, officials pointed out that the alternative—playing in Faro, Portugal—would have been even more costly. The expenses of transport, accommodation, security, and hiring the facilities would have outweighed any income from visiting fans’ tickets.
This season, Lincoln Red Imps have been drawn against sides that do not command the same travelling support as the likes of Copenhagen, whom they have hosted in the past. The hope is that this, along with the upgraded facilities at Europa Point, will allow them to host their group stage matches in Gibraltar.
Although Lincoln Red Imps are widely seen as underdogs in their six group matches— with even newspapers in Malta claiming that Hamrun Spartans, one of their opponents, expect to take three points from them—the Gibraltar club are in fact ranked higher and boast more European experience than three of their group rivals.
Lincoln currently sit 168th in the UEFA coefficient ranking, above Zrinjski (178), Hamrun Spartans (239), and Sigma Olomouc (175). They are also the only one of the four to have previously reached this stage of the competition. Croatian side Rijeka, Maltese side Hamrun Spartans, and Sigma Olomouc have yet to make their group stage debut.
Ironically, while Maltese fans are optimistic about their chances, history favours Lincoln. The two clubs met in last season’s Champions League first qualifying round, where Lincoln won the away leg 1–0, lost 1–0 at home, and progressed on penalties.
This season, Lincoln will also face two Polish clubs—Lech Poznań and Legia Warsaw—as well as teams from Croatia, the Czech Republic, Malta, and Bosnia. Their travels will take them far from the western coastlines of Europe, but this is something the Gibraltarian side has grown accustomed to after many trips across Eastern Europe in recent years.
While few expect them to finish near the top of the table, Lincoln Red Imps will be aiming to make their own history by securing valuable points—each one adding to both their sporting legacy and their financial rewards.
We now look at who they will be facing.

Lincoln Red Imps league phase fixtures

02/10/2025: Zrinjski vs Lincoln Red Imps (18:45)
23/10/2025: Lincoln Red Imps vs Lech Poznań
06/11/2025: Lincoln Red Imps vs Rijeka
27/11/2025: Hamrun Spartans vs Lincoln Red Imps (18:45)
11/12/2025: Lincoln Red Imps vs Sigma Olomouc
18/12/2025: Legia Warszawa vs Lincoln Red Imps

HŠK Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 178
How they qualified: Europa League qualifying play-offs
Last season: Qualifying play-offs (L0-7agg vs Vitória SC)
Best Conference League performance: Group stage (2023/24)

History & Titles: Originally founded in 1905 and re-established in 1992, Zrinjski Mostar are among Bosnia’s most decorated clubs, having claimed nine Premier League titles, three national cups, and one Super Cup .

European Presence: They hold the record for the most Champions League appearances by a Bosnian side, with nine campaigns . In 2023, they became the first independent Bosnian club to reach the group stage of a UEFA competition (Europa Conference League) .

Lech Poznań (Poland)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 99
How they qualified: Europa League qualifying play-offs
Last season: N/A
Best Conference League performance: Quarter-finals (2022/23)

History & Titles: A major Polish club, Lech Poznań have multiple Ekstraklasa championships and Polish Cup wins (Transfermarkt lists titles across several decades) .

European Campaigns: Regular participants in UEFA competitions, including historic runs in the UEFA Cup and European Cup . Their best recent run in the Conference League was reaching the quarter-finals in 2022/23.

Rijeka (Croatia)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 163
How they qualified: Europa League qualifying play-offs
Last season: Qualifying play-offs (L1-6agg vs Olimpija Ljubljana)
Best Conference League performance: Qualifying play-offs (2021/22, 2023/24, 2024/25)

History & Titles: Rijeka have won the Croatian league twice, the Croatian Cup seven times, plus additional domestic honors .

Europe: Active in UEFA tournaments over many years; notable matches include a 5–0 home win against Prestatyn (Europa League 2013) . Recent Conference League exploits have ended in play-off exits.

Ħamrun Spartans (Malta)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 239
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
Last season: Second qualifying round (L0-2agg vs Ballkani)
Best Conference League performance: Qualifying play-offs (2022/23)

History & Titles: Founded in 1907, the Spartans have secured around 9 Maltese championships, 6 FA Cups, and 6 Super Cups .

European Milestones: In 2025, they became the first Maltese club to qualify for a UEFA group-phase or league-phase competition—a historic entry into the Conference League . Additionally, they set a unique record in Champions League qualifying: a nerve-wracking shoot-out requiring 28 penalties—UEFA’s longest—in a qualifier vs Zalgiris .

SK Sigma Olomouc (Czech Republic)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 175
How they qualified: Europa League qualifying play-offs
Last season: N/A
Best Conference League performance: Debut

History & Titles: The club most recently lifted the Czech Cup (MOL Cup) in 2024/25 .

European Campaigns: Participated in UEFA competitions intermittently since the late 1980s. Notable runs include reaching the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup (1991/92), defeating Bangor, Torpedo Moscow, and challenging Real Madrid . This season marks their debut in the Conference League.

Legia Warszawa (Poland)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 68
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
Last season: Quarter-finals (L2-4agg vs Chelsea)
Best Conference League performance: Quarter-finals (2024/25)

History & Titles: Poland’s most successful club, boasting 15 Ekstraklasa titles, a record 21 Polish Cups, and 6 Super Cups .
European Record: Frequently featured in Champions League and Europa League qualifiers; reached the Champions League group stage in 2016/17 . In the 2024/25 Conference League, they advanced to the quarter-finals before losing to Chelsea .

Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)

UEFA coefficient ranking: 168
How they qualified: Europa League qualifying play-offs
Last season: Qualifying play-offs (L3-4agg vs Larne)
Best Conference League performance: Group stage (2021/22)

History & Titles: Founded in 1976 (as Blue Batons), Lincoln Red Imps have become Gibraltar’s most successful club—they’ve won a record 29 league titles, including 14 in a row between 2003 and 2016, along with numerous domestic cups, trebles, and doubles

European Journey: Made history in 2014 as the first Gibraltarian team in UEFA Champions League qualifying. Their most notable European result came with a shock win over Celtic in 2016—termed the “Shock of Gibraltar”
In 2021, they became the first from Gibraltar to reach a group stage in a European competition (Europa Conference League)