Fiorentina’s Big Test: Can The New Saints Cause an Upset in the Conference League?
Fiorentina, one of Italy’s most recognizable clubs, are set to face a daunting task in the Conference League as they take on Welsh Premier League side The New Saints (TNS) on Thursday evening. The Italian outfit, known for their iconic violet kit and legendary ex-players like Gabriel Batistuta and Manuel Rui Costa, are expected to cruise to victory against a team that has never played in the group stage of a European competition before. However, TNS centre-back Danny Davies is relishing the challenge and believes his team can cause an upset.
From Wagon Driver to Professional Footballer
Davies’ journey to professional football is a remarkable one. Just five years ago, he was working as a driver for a builder’s merchant, but he has since turned his life around to become a full-time footballer. Speaking to 90min, Davies explained how he got his start in football: "I was in the reserves at Prestatyn, but I got pretty good at cricket. A few opportunities came my way in Australia when I turned 18, and I took that. Then it was all cricket from there. I pretty much gave up on football."
However, an injury to his left arm forced him to give up cricket, and he eventually returned to football. He joined Connah’s Quay and won the league with them before moving to TNS, where he has been playing for the past two years. Davies believes that his journey has given him a unique perspective on the game: "I get a bit more than I was getting working full-time with the part-time wages from Connah’s Quay. I re-signed a new deal after two years, which was improved. The contracts at TNS are pretty good, the owner puts a lot of money in and wants the best players to stay there."
TNS’ Preparations
Davies believes that TNS’ preparation and professionalism are the key to their success domestically, having won the league in every season he’s played for the club. He also believes that his team has the talent to cause an upset against Fiorentina: "We can go and get a result. We’ve been working on shape and game situations. We’ve spoken about making the qualifying round. We spoke about it and think we need about six points to get in that qualifying round. We have got players who can do something special. We aim to be in that top 24."
The Reality Check
However, Davies knows that playing against teams like Fiorentina is a different beast altogether. He explained the difference between playing in the Welsh Premier League and the Conference League: "It’s sharpness, playing against those wingers. I am one of the quickest players in the team, if someone’s fast, it won’t really scare me, but the sharpness of like the double-movements and when they shift the ball from their feet – it’s that instant sharpness. When I played against a team like Ferencvaros, my legs throbbed after it because there was that much changing direction. That’s the biggest difference from playing in the Welsh Premier League."
What’s Next for TNS?
After their trip to Italy, TNS will face Briton Ferry, a club based near Cardiff with an average attendance of less than 600 spectators, a world away from Thursday’s venue, which at capacity can hold just over 43,000 fans. As their European journey continues, the Welsh side will face Djurgardens, Astana, Shamrock Rovers, Panathinaikos, and NK Celje in the group phase of the competition.
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