Image source, InphoImage caption, Lynch's side will welcome HNK Rijeka to the Brandywell for the second leg on Thursday, 30 July
ByJana McCabeBBC Sport NI journalist- Published53 minutes ago
Derry City manager Tiernan Lynch says Thursday's Uefa Conference League second qualifying round first leg against HNK Rijeka is going to be a "great experience" for his side.
The Candystripes return to European action (19:45 BST) aiming to bounce back after defeat against CSKA Sofia ended their Europa League qualifying hopes.
Croatian outfit Rijeka finished fourth in their domestic league last season and reached the Conference League league phase last year.
"They have a couple of big players in there that probably make them tick. They have a player that just came back from the World Cup with the Croatian national team (Toni Fruk)," Lynch told BBC Sport NI.
"They're a very good side, a very technical side and they're very possession based. They want to get on the ball, they want to play and they want to keep the ball. All the things that you probably expect from those European teams.
"We always have to look at these as a great experience and what we can learn from them. You always want to test yourselves against better players and better teams. I think this is going to be a great opportunity for us."
CSKA Sofia match 'should be remembered for football reasons'
Lynch's side entered the second round of Conference League qualifiers after losing 5-3 on aggregate to CSKA Sofia in the Europa League first qualifying round.
The second leg of the Europa League qualifier at the Brandywell was marred by trouble between rival supporters in the stands with the match temporarily stopped and police deployed.
Despite the defeat and the disturbances, Lynch added that his side can look back and use the match to build ahead of their opening Conference League qualifying game.
"The atmosphere last week was utterly electric. It's the best night I've had in the Brandywell. We lost the game, but I thought the fans were phenomenal," the 50-year-old continued.
"They were squeezed in there, they were loud, they kept going. They stayed with us, they pulled us over the line at times.
"I think if we can get back in the same place, ideally you would even take a draw off to be told and get yourself back on a level playing field to go into the second tie. That would be ideal for us."
As a result of the crowd trouble, Derry have been given a suspended partial stadium closure for a probationary period of two years.
They have also been fined 20,000 euro (£17,000) with CSKA Sofia handed a ban on bringing away fans to their next European fixture and a further one-game sanction suspended for two years.
"I think it's a game that probably should be remembered for football reasons," added Lynch, who was speaking before the punishment confirmed on Tuesday.
"Unfortunately, it will probably be remembered for the crowd trouble and the disturbances and the CSKA, Sofia supporters and ultras or whatever they're called.
"That's unfortunate. It wasn't nice to see as everybody has now seen the families. How intimidating it was, it was scary. My own family were in the crowd so I know how people felt."
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