Higgins warns Irish league after Coleraine European exit

Coleraine’s 8‑0 aggregate defeat at the hands of HJK Helsinki ends their UEFA Conference League campaign, and manager Ruaidhri Higgins used the loss to warn that without a shift to a summer calendar the Irish league will never improve in Europe.

HJK Helsinki’s ruthless 3‑0 win at Inver Park completed the 8‑0 aggregate, eliminating Coleraine from the UEFA Conference League.

The Finnish side entered the second leg with a five‑goal cushion after a 5‑0 victory in the first match, giving them a comfortable advantage to protect.

Their clinical edge left Coleraine unable to recover the deficit, sealing a 3‑0 win that ended the tie.

The loss made Coleraine the third Irish Premiership club to bow out of the Conference qualifiers, joining Linfield and Glentoran, while Larne remains the only Northern Irish team still in contention for a group‑stage berth.

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The Irish Premiership currently runs from August to early May, but Higgins argues that a summer calendar would better align clubs for European competition.

“A worry for me is if we do not move to summer football, then it is never going to improve,” Higgins said.

Higgins, who previously managed League of Ireland side Derry City, noted that the Irish league’s European fortunes have lagged since the League of Ireland adopted a summer schedule. He told NI that Shelbourne and Bohemians’ recent progress illustrate the advantage of a summer calendar.

Injury concerns also loom, with captain Mark Coyle suffering a ruptured ACL, Aidan Wilson also hurt, and stopper Ryan Schofield slated for surgery after a training collision.

Higgins said he will seek additional defensive reinforcements before the domestic season begins and believes moving to a summer schedule would bring the Irish league into line with other European competitions, potentially improving clubs’ chances in future UEFA tournaments and helping Northern Irish sides avoid early‑round exits like the 8‑0 aggregate loss.