The students rubbing shoulders with Europe's elite

Cardiff Met Under-19s are making history in the Uefa Youth League [Sam Jones Media] For most students, university is a balancing act between studying and socialising, but for Cardiff Met's Under-19s the challenge extends far beyond the classroom. By beating Luxembourg's UNA Strassen, the Students became the first Welsh club to reach the Uefa Youth League Domestic Champions Path second round. Met laid the foundations for their success with a stunning 4-0 first-leg victory in front of a record crowd at Cyncoed Stadium, and held on to win 4-1 on aggregate in Luxembourg. That triumph has set up a second-round tie against Norwegian side Stabaek, who count RB Leipzig's Antonio Nusa among their academy graduates. It also means Met will rub shoulders with European football giants, as former Champions League winners Chelsea and Benfica's juniors join the competition at this stage. It is an achievement that left Cardiff Met director of football Dr Chris Baker beaming at the draw ceremony in Geneva. "To be surrounded by representatives from clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and to see Cardiff Met in the same round of the draw as Chelsea and Benfica, filled me with an immense sense of pride," he told BBC Sport. Welsh football sets out new aims - and says it needs more money Fishlock and Coleman enter Welsh Sports Hall of Fame Cardiff Met compete in the FAW Academy Development League South, and head into Wednesday's first leg against Stabaek in Oslo as the clear underdogs. "We've done our homework and are pragmatic enough to recognise that there will be long periods in the game where we'll have to suffer," Baker added. "But the players have already demonstrated their ability to remain disciplined, execute a game plan and compete against quality opposition. "The challenge now is to manage the tie intelligently, remain competitive and give ourselves the opportunity of returning to Cardiff with everything still to play for. "Ultimately, we want to give the people of Cardiff, our University, and supporters of Welsh football another memorable European occasion at Cyncoed Stadium." Juggling studies with football Five of Cardiff Met's Under-19s are studying at the university alongside playing football [FAW/Samueljmedia] Tomos Lloyd is one of five players studying at the affiliated Cardiff Metropolitan University, while many of his teammates are in full-time education or apprenticeships. Lloyd featured in both legs of the Archers' first-round tie and relished a maiden experience in Europe. And like many of his team-mates, he has had to juggle the club's historic European campaign with studies as he undertakes a sports performance analysis degree. "It was surreal. I don't think I've ever played in a crowd that big before," said Lloyd. "I'm so proud of the boys and what we've achieved so far. They all performed so well." Now he says he is looking forward to doing it all again. "It's not easy. I'm in an extremely fortunate position where we've got staff and tutors around us who help you out if you ever need anything," Lloyd added. "We are lucky that we have that around us, and we have that full support. It was tough missing 10 hours of lectures. "Luckily, I have a meeting with my personal tutor, and support from our full-time performance service team, so I'll be able to catch up. Everyone's extremely helpful." Reaping their reward Dr Chris Baker (top right) featured in Met's 2019-20 Europa League preliminary round tie [TL Sports Photography] European conquests are nothing new to Cardiff Met. Baker was part of the senior team which famously reached the preliminary round of the 2019-20 Europa League for the first time, losing out to Luxembourg's Progres Niederkorn on away goals. The young Archers have already gone one step further, and Baker believes they are now reaping the rewards of the club's improved infrastructure behind the scenes. "I remember a time when our Academy was very much in its infancy, when we were struggling to field teams consistently at weekends," he recalled. "To see how far we've come, and to now be competing on the European stage, is incredibly rewarding." He says what excites him most is that Met's progress extends beyond their European campaign. "We've just experienced our most successful year of players progressing into our first-team environment, securing professional contracts and beginning their academic journeys at Cardiff Metropolitan University," Baker added. "That, for me, is the real measure of our success. Our distinctive dual-career model is central to everything we're trying to build here." With considerable improvement in recent years, the future now looks bright for a club whose senior team has competed in Wales' top flight for a decade. Met are one of only five Category A academies in Wales, something Baker feels reflects the "significant progress" they have made to raise academy standards. "We want to establish a high-performing pathway that consistently develops dual-career athletes capable of making a meaningful impact at first-team level," he said. "The real litmus test is whether we can sustain that success over a number of years." Wales fail to regain European place after poor results Big crowds a boost to Cymru Premier, say Penybont Baker hopes the Archers' European run will shine a light on Welsh domestic football, after all four Cymru Premier representatives went out of their respective competitions in the first qualifying round earlier this season. And despite the under-19s' remarkable progress, he acknowledged the need for further investment for clubs to compete consistently with Europe's best. "There's still considerable work to be done if we're going to compete consistently at senior level in European competition," he said. "Greater investment and increased visibility are fundamental to that progress, but ultimately, it's about raising standards on the pitch and strengthening the quality and competitiveness of our domestic leagues."