What should have been a Turkish delight turned out to be a bittersweet experience for St Johnstone as confusion reigned over their Europa League draw.
The Perth men were paired with Eskisehirspor from Turkey in the second qualifying round ceremony in Switzerland on Monday, but it quickly became clear all was not as it seemed.
Chairman Steve Brown, in Nyon representing the McDiarmid Park club, was informed by Turkish officials that the draw was in doubt because of disciplinary action against Besiktas, one of their European contenders.
Eskisehirspor were admitted to Europe when Besiktas were excluded at the end of May on financial fair play grounds. Besiktas have appealed against the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, although the case is not listed to be heard until July 5.
It is understood that if Besiktas win their appeal then Steve Lomas’s team will face another Turkish team, Bursaspor, instead.
As things stand, Saints are due to play Eskisehirspor in Turkey in the first leg on July 19 and the return at McDiarmid on the 26th. However, they understandably advised fans to hold off making travel plans.
Brown said: “It may be Eskisehirspor but we have now been told it may not be. It seems we are definitely playing in Turkey but the opposition will hinge on the outcome of a court case in Turkey on July 5.
“It’s obviously far from ideal for us and our fans looking to travel. We have been seeking clarification but the UEFA top brass are over in Poland and Ukraine for the European Championships.
“We had been hoping to nail down the arrangements with the opposition at the draw but that’s not going to happen.
“There is a lack of clarity, which is very unfortunate, especially for fans looking to make travel arrangements. It is very frustrating but obviously we want to get matters clarified as soon as possible.”
It is a headache manager Lomas could do without and he faces a race against time to get information on the opposition.
Should it turn out to be Eskisehirspor, he hopes to be able to quiz former Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who had a spell with them last year.
Lomas said: “It will be a really tough draw whatever Turkish team it turns out to be but it is something to look forward to. It will be the first Turkish club St Johnstone have ever played and, no matter what, it will be a great experience.
”I will now try to get a bit of prep work done and speak to some friends who might be able to get me DVDs.
”I have a few connections so I might be able to pull a few strings. Kris Boyd played with Eskisehirspor recently so he might be a good one to speak to just to see what they are all about.
”Obviously, we want to go and put in a performance but we also wanted to draw a side that would be easy for the fans to get to as well.”