El Inter Club d'Escaldes: first Andorran into Conference League

El Inter Club d'Escaldes celebrated a historic milestone on Thursday as the Andorran champions secured a place in the Conference League knockout stage, becoming the first club from Andorra to reach that phase of a European competition. The feat was highlighted by the presence of Maurizio Pochettino, son of Estados Unidos manager Mauricio Pochettino.

First Andorran club in Conference League knockout

Inter Club d'Escaldes earned the spot after a dramatic second‑leg victory over Kosovo’s Drita. The match ended 0‑0, and the Andorrans prevailed 4‑2 in the penalty shoot‑out following a 2‑2 draw in the first leg. En la ida, the result was 2‑2.

Coach and staff behind the success

The side is led by Catalan manager Felip Ortiz, who previously served as assistant to Sergi Barjuan with Barcelona’s first team. Ortiz guided the champions through the preliminary rounds, including a solid performance against Flora Tallinn of Estonia in the third qualifying round of the Conference League.

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Earlier in the season the Andorrans were knocked out of the Champions League first qualifying round by Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps, but they rebounded by entering the Conference League third qualifying round, where they eliminated Flora Tallinn with confidence.

Key players include right‑back Maurizio Pochettino, the son of Estados Unidos coach Mauricio Pochettino and former Espanyol midfielder, former Barcelona midfielder Juan Cámara who debuted under Luis Enrique, and goalkeeper Javi Díaz, who previously featured for Sevilla and the Andalusian first team.

With this achievement only Montenegro and San Marino remain without a club in the Conference League group stage, Inter Club d'Escaldes’ progress underscores the growing competitiveness of smaller football nations in Europe.