Quevilly dismiss Europe

The small-town club, who play at the tiny Stade Lozai in Le Petit-Quevilly, won their regional division last season and are mid-table in France’s Championnat National, the semi-professional third division.

But after beating Rennes 2-1 in the semi-final, they are in a showpiece final against giants Lyon at Paris’ Stade de France on Saturday night.

Victory would hand them Europa League qualification and even if they lose there is an outside chance of a route into Europe, provided Lyon – currently fourth in Ligue 1 – close down Lille for a Champions League slot.

“I haven’t got a fixed position on this subject,” club president Michel Mallet admitted. “The UEFA dossier lies in a corner somewhere in my office. It’s really large, and we’d have to meet a number of criteria to be eligible for participation.

“In terms of where we are now, it is improbable that we would get authorisation from UEFA. We would have to conduct an internal revolution in terms of our organisation and funding to be able to conduct a European campaign.”