Europa League and Conference League Group Stage Draws: Seven British Clubs Set to Compete

Europa League and Conference League Draws: What to Expect

Today marks an exciting day for fans of British football, as seven clubs, including prominent names like Manchester United, Tottenham, Chelsea, and Rangers, will discover their opponents in the Europa League and Conference League league phase draws.

When is the Draw?

The draws are scheduled as follows:

• Europa League Draw: 12:00 PM UK time
• Conference League Draw: 1:30 PM UK time

Format Changes in the Europa League and Conference League

This season, both leagues have seen significant changes. Similar to the Champions League, the number of participating teams will expand from 32 to 36, transitioning from a traditional group stage to a single league phase that includes all teams.

Specific Changes:

• In the Europa League, each club will have at least eight league-stage games against different opponents (four home and four away), compared to the previous format of six matches against three teams.
• In the Conference League, each team will face six different teams (three home and three away).

The top eight teams in the league will qualify automatically for the knockout stages, while those finishing from ninth to 24th will enter a two-legged playoff to secure advancement to the last 16.

Who is Competing?

Europa League Draw - Teams and Pots

• Pot One: AS Roma, Manchester United, Porto, Ajax, Rangers, Eintracht Frankfurt, Lazio, Tottenham, Slavia Prague.
• Pot Two: Real Sociedad, AZ Alkmaar, Braga, Olympiakos, Lyon, PAOK, Fenerbahce, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Ferencvaros.
• Pot Three: Qarabag, Galatasaray, Viktoria Plzen, Bodo/Glimt, Union SG, Dynamo Kyiv, Ludogorets, Midtjylland, Malmo.
• Pot Four: Athletic Club, Hoffenheim, Nice, Anderlecht, Twente, Besiktas, FK RFS, Steaua Bucharest, Elfsborg.

Conference League Draw - Teams and Pots

• Pot One: Chelsea, Copenhagen, Gent, Fiorentina, LASK, Real Betis.
• Pot Two: Istanbul Basaksehir, Molde, Legia Warsaw, Heidenheim, Djurgarden, APOEL Nicosia.
• Pot Three: Rapid Vienna, Omonia Nicosia, HJK Helsinki, Vitoria, Astana, Olimpija Ljubljana.
• Pot Four: Cercle Brugge, Shamrock Rovers, The New Saints, Lugano, Mlada Boleslav, Hearts.
• Pot Five: Petrocub, St Gallen, Panathinaikos, TSC Backa Topola, Borac Banja Luka, Jagiellonia.
• Pot Six: Celje, Larne, Dinamo Minsk, Pafos, Vikingur Reykjavik, Noah.

Nation Restrictions

During the league phase, teams cannot compete against others from their own nation and can face a maximum of two teams from the same country.

Fixture Dates Announcement

The finalized fixture list for the league phase will be released on Saturday, August 31.

League Phase Game Dates

Europa League Matches

• Matchday 1: September 25/26
• Matchday 2: October 3
• Matchday 3: October 24
• Matchday 4: November 7
• Matchday 5: November 28
• Matchday 6: December 12
• Matchday 7: January 23, 2025
• Matchday 8: January 30, 2025

Conference League Matches

• Matchday 1: October 3
• Matchday 2: October 24
• Matchday 3: November 7
• Matchday 4: November 28
• Matchday 5: December 12
• Matchday 6: December 19

Important Dates to Remember

• Europa League Final: May 21, 2025, at the Estadio de San Mames, Bilbao.
• Conference League Final: May 28, 2025, at Stadion Wroclaw, Poland.

Knockout Stages Schedule

Europa League

• Knockout round play-offs: February 13 & 20, 2025
• Round of 16: March 6 & 13, 2025
• Quarter-finals: April 10 & 17, 2025
• Semi-finals: May 1 & 8, 2025
• Final: May 21, 2025

Conference League

• Knockout round play-offs: February 13 & 20, 2025
• Round of 16: March 6 & 13, 2025
• Quarter-finals: April 10 & 17, 2025
• Semi-finals: May 1 & 8, 2025
• Final: May 28, 2025

Mark your calendars for these key dates and stay tuned as the draws will reveal who will compete in the early stages of European football this season!