| French flair ends Derry
City’s European adventure  By
David Thorpe
Derry City’s great run in the Uefa Cup ended in defeat away to
Paris St. Germain last week but the Foylesiders have received a massive
financial boost from their European adventure.
Jim Roddy Chief Executive of the Candystripes says that the club received
a “high six-figure sum” from their in-
volvement in European competition but he believes that the long-term financial
benefits will be even greater.
He said: “The profile of the club has been raised dramatically at
home and abroad, more people are aware of the club and that should generate
more revenue in the coming years and give Derry City the chance to develop
even further in the coming seasons.”
Having earned a 0-0 draw in the first leg Derry needed only a score-draw
in the away leg to progress to the group stages of the UEFA Cup and go
one better than Shelbourne two years ago.
It wasn’t to be however as goals from Portuguese World Cup star
Pauletta and Cisse were enough to see the French giants through to the
group stages. Two-nil down at half-time Derry enjoyed plenty of second-half
possession but never looked like breaking down a classy and resolute PSG
defence.
Manager Steven Kenny hailed the efforts of his team in getting this far.
He said: “If you look at the wages their players would be on I’d
say their strikers alone would be paid more in a year than our entire
first-team squad yet we matched them in both games and just didn’t
get the breaks at the right time.”
The Derry boss believes that the Candystripes efforts in Europe this season
have helped to improve their form in domestic competition.
He said: “The players have been boosted. After the Gothenburg game
they were buzzing in training all week, their confidence was up and that
has been reflected by their good run at home — winning the League
Cup and moving up the Premier Division table.
“It shows how much better the attitudes are among players in the
Eircom League that my lads have come off the pitch thinking they could
have won. Other teams over the years would just have been delighted not
to be humiliated when they came to a place like PSG.”
The Eircom League outfit slayed some giants as they progressed in Europe
this season knocking out twice tournament winners IFK Gothenburg in the
previous round.
With Cork City and Drogheda United also having acquitted themselves well
in European competition this season the profile and standard of Irish
domestic soccer can only increase further and with it the quality of players
who choose to ply their footballing trade in Ireland.
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