Johnny Nicholson: What's not to love about the Europa Conference League without corporate big boys?

Turku versus Puskás Akadémia might not seem so, but it is a chance to welcome a team from far away to your ground. That is a special moment in any season

Bohemians players celebrate after the final whistle during the UEFA Europa Conference. It might have a terrible name, but it looks like a really good competition, writes Johnny Nicholson. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Despite the fact that the Europa Conference League’s name makes it sound like a three-day gathering of paper towel representatives in a provincial town, it is, quietly, one of UEFA’s better, more hip, ideas and it hits the second qualifying round this week, having already played one round.

It may seem convoluted with 184 clubs - yes 184! - being entered in total, via UEFA’s impenetrable country coefficient rankings, eventually being whittled down to a 32-team group stage, with losers from the Champions League and Europa League qualifying rounds getting parachuted into the competition at various points.