The Andorran club making history with a Pochettino in the team

The return of the UEFA Conference League may be inconsequential for some, but for Maurizio Pochettino it represents the culmination of a lifelong ambition. Pochettino spent much of his childhood watching Espanyol, where his father Mauricio - now United States head coach - was first a player and then manager. As Espanyol reached the 2007 UEFA Cup final, Pochettino dreamed of playing in Europe. On Thursday, he will realize that ambition when Inter Club d'Escaldes become the first Andorran side to play in the league or group phase of a European competition.

It feels like it hasn't sunk in yet, Pochettino, 25, tells BBC Sport. For such a small country, such a small league that isn't known around Europe, it's a dream come true. Not only is Inter's achievement significant for those involved, but it could prove key for the development of an international football minnow.

Inter made history on a late August evening. After the first leg of their Conference League play-off against Drita in Kosovo ended 2-2, Inter dominated the return leg without scoring and the tie went to penalties. Mauricio Pochettino watched from the stands as his son found the bottom corner, before a Drita miss allowed striker Faysal Chouaib to finish the job and spark wild celebrations at Andorra's national stadium.

It was the crowning moment of an extraordinary period in the club's history. Inter were founded in 1991 and helped form Andorra's top flight four years later, where they remained until relegation in 2015. They returned to the Primera Divisió under new ownership in 2017 and won their first league title in 2019-20. Five titles in the past seven seasons have emphatically ended the dominance of FC Santa Coloma.

Few people are as synonymous with Andorran football as Ildefons Lima. The former defender represented Andorra for 26 years - the longest international career in men's football history - and leads the nation in appearances and goals. Not only was he part of the boardroom group that oversaw Inter's rise, he helped win titles on the pitch during the final years of his playing career.

Inter's qualification shows it is possible for people to believe that reaching the final stages of the Conference League is a realistic objective, Lima tells BBC Sport. Lima stepped away from the club after he retired in 2023, and a year later Felip Ortiz was appointed manager. After spending much of his life connected with Barcelona as a youth player and later a coach, the 49-year-old instilled a possession-based style which has paid dividends.

I never thought about it, he says. When you think about it, you don't only think about getting there but also the way you want to get to these competitions. Being at Barcelona made me brave in my tactics - I am happy because playing this type of football has helped us achieve our goal.

The Primera Divisió draws limited attention in Andorra, never mind outside its borders. Most locals prefer to watch Andorra FC - the club owned by former Barcelona and Spain defender Gerard Pique that plays in the Spanish second tier. Several teams share stadiums in Andorra's 10-team top flight, so it's common for matches to take place back-to-back on the same day. Each side plays each other three times, but players end up seeing the same faces every weekend.

Perhaps the feel of the league is not as professionalized, but the end result can be better than anywhere else, said Pochettino. After coming up through the academies at Southampton and Tottenham before spending six months at Watford, the defender moved to Spain and played in the semi-professional third and fourth tiers. When the chance to join Inter came about in 2025, the prospect of European football was something he couldn't ignore.