Torrance will play European football in the second division

There are more examples of second tier teams playing in UEFA competitions than you might think.

Torino will not be the only second division club competing in Europe next season – the westBased in a village of less than 3,000 people, 2025 beat Valur in the final of the Icelandic Cup. They will enter the Europa League in the first qualifying round.

of Liechtenstein FC Vaduz The Swiss have spent most of the 21st century playing in the second division, but are regular participants in the Europa League qualifiers, winning 21 of the past 22 editions of the Liechtenstein Cup.

However, they will be playing top flight football next season after being crowned Swiss Challenge League champions.

USV Eschen/Mauren Vaduz took root in Europe in 2012 when they beat the perennial cup winners while playing in the Swiss third division, but were defeated in the first qualifying round of the Europa League.

Millwall Lost to Manchester United in the 2004 FA Cup final, but qualified for the UEFA Cup as their opponents had already secured a place in the Champions League.

The London side qualified for the first round proper – a round that preceded the group stage – where they were beaten 4–2 on aggregate by Ferencvaros.

of Birmingham City A League Cup final victory over Arsenal in 2011 earned them a place in the play-off round of the 2011–12 Europa League, but they were relegated from the Premier League a few months later.

After defeating Portugal’s Nacional 3-0 on aggregate, Birmingham missed out on a place in the knockout rounds after finishing third in their group with 10 points.

Wigan Athletic A similar journey began two years later – days after beating Manchester City in the FA Cup final and booking their place in Europe for the first time in club history, Roberto Martinez’s side were relegated from the Premier League.

Latics’ group stage campaign in the 2013–14 Europa League did not go to plan, as one win from six games left them bottom of a group featuring Rubin Kazan, Maribor and Zulte Waregem.

Ipswich Town Relegated from the Premier League in 2001–02 but earned a place in the following season’s UEFA Cup through the UEFA Respect Fair Play rankings – they reached the second round.

The Swiss giant FC Zurich Finished bottom of the Swiss Super League in 2015–16 but won the Swiss Cup in the group stage to qualify for the Europa League, where they failed to reach the knockouts.

Achen in Germany Werder Bremen lost in the 2004 German Cup final, but qualified for the UEFA Cup as Bremen qualified for the Champions League.

They successfully navigated the first round and group stage to reach the last-32, where they were eventually eliminated by semi-finalists AZ Alkmaar.

FC Guignon France shocked Paris Saint-Germain in the 1999–2000 French League Cup final, but lost in the first round of the UEFA Cup the following season.

Wisla Krakow Poland and Karvinu Hunedwara Romania also played in European qualifiers while outside their country’s top tier.