Derry City manager Tiernan Lynch expressed his disappointment after his team's 1-0 defeat to Rijeka in the Uefa Conference League second qualifying round, which ended their European campaign. "I think we need to be a team that plays a little bit more and becomes a little bit braver," Lynch stated.

Rijeka extended their aggregate lead to 2-0 early in the second leg at the Brandywell through Daniel Adu-Adjei's goal. Derry struggled to create significant chances, with Lynch lamenting missed opportunities, including one for Liam Boyce who reportedly felt a hamstring twinge. "We got punished," Lynch admitted, feeling the concession of the goal significantly impacted the team's momentum.

The Croatian side then managed the game effectively, securing their passage to the third qualifying round to face Ilves of Finland. Lynch highlighted the goal as the turning point, believing it "knocked the steam out of us a little bit" and made the task of recovery feel like a "mountain to climb."