UEFA Conference League

Last updated

UEFA Conference League
UEFA Conference League 2024.png
Organising body UEFA
Founded2021;3 years ago (2021)
(rebranded in 2024)
RegionEurope
Number of teams36 (league phase)
184 (total)
Qualifier for UEFA Europa League
Related competitions UEFA Champions League (1st tier)
UEFA Europa League (2nd tier)
Current champions Flag of Greece.svg Olympiacos (1st title)
Most successful club(s) Flag of Italy.svg Roma
Flag of England.svg West Ham United
Flag of Greece.svg Olympiacos
(1 title each)
Website uefa.com/uefaconferenceleague
Soccerball current event.svg 2024–25 UEFA Conference League

The UEFA Conference League (previously known as the UEFA Europa Conference League), abbreviated as UECL, [1] is an annual football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It is the third tier of continental club football in Europe, behind the second-tier Europa League, and the first-tier Champions League.

Contents

Introduced in 2021 as the UEFA Europa Conference League, the competition was initially intended as the bottom level of the Europa League. The competition is primarily contested by teams from lower-ranked UEFA member associations. [2] No teams qualify directly for the league phase: instead the teams eliminated in the Europa League play-off round qualify, with the rest coming from the Conference League qualifying and play-off rounds. The winners of the competition qualify for the following season's Europa League, unless they also qualify for the Champions League via their domestic league position. [3]

From the 2024–25 season, the competition was rebranded to UEFA Conference League, and the group stage was replaced with an expanded league phase.

Roma were the inaugural winners of the competition, having beaten Feyenoord 1–0 in the 2022 final. The current holder of the title is Olympiacos.

History

Winners UEFA Conference League
SeasonWinner
2021–22 Flag of Italy.svg Roma
2022–23 Flag of England.svg West Ham United
2023–24 Flag of Greece.svg Olympiacos
The UEFA Europa Conference League trophy on display in Rome UEFA Europa Conference League Trophy.jpg
The UEFA Europa Conference League trophy on display in Rome

UEFA had reportedly considered adding a third-tier competition since at least 2015, believing that a bottom-level tournament could act as a means of giving clubs from lower-ranked UEFA member countries a chance of progressing beyond their customary elimination from the Champions League and Europa League. [4] In mid-2018, talk of an announcement intensified, with news sources claiming an agreement had already been reached for the competition to be launched and that the 48-team Europa League group stage would be split in two, with the lower half forming the nucleus of what would be the new event. [5]

On 2 December 2018, UEFA announced that the competition – provisionally known as "Europa League 2" or just "UEL2" – was to be launched as part of the 2021–24 three-year competition cycle, with UEFA adding that the new tournament would bring "more matches for more clubs and more associations". [3]

The original official name of the competition, "UEFA Europa Conference League", was announced on 24 September 2019. [6]

On 24 May 2021, UEFA revealed the competition's trophy and brand identity. The Europa Conference League Trophy stands 57.5 cm (22.6 in) tall and weighs 11 kg (24 lb). [7]

The first goal in the then-named Europa Conference League qualifiers was scored on 6 July 2021 by Mosta player Evo Chris in a 2021–22 qualifying round match against Spartak Trnava. [8] The first goal in the then-named Europa Conference League group stage was scored on 14 September 2021 by Maccabi Tel Aviv player Stipe Perica in a 2021–22 group stage match against Alashkert. [9] On 30 September 2021, the competition's first hat-trick was scored by Harry Kane for Tottenham Hotspur in a group stage match against NS Mura. Kane came on as a 59th minute substitute at 2–1 before scoring three goals within 20 minutes of each other to finish off the game (5–1). [10]

On 5 May 2022, Feyenoord and Roma became the first teams ever to reach the Europa Conference League final, ending with Roma being crowned the inaugural champions. [11]

On 3 November 2022, West Ham United became the first side to win all six of their Europa Conference League group stage matches, picking up wins against FCSB, Silkeborg and Anderlecht. [12] They went on to win the competition by defeating Fiorentina 2–1 in the 2023 final, in the process becoming the first side to finish the competition undefeated, with 12 wins and one draw.

On 28 June 2023, UEFA announced that the competition would be renamed to the UEFA Conference League from the 2024–25 season onwards. According to UEFA, removing 'Europa' from the name of the competition would enable further development as a stand-alone competition in their research amongst fans and commercial partners. [13] [14] . In the same season, the 32-team group stage was replaced with a 36-team league phase, in line with similar changes made to the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

In the 2024 final, Olympiacos beat Fiorentina 1–0, becoming the first Greek club to win a major European competition. [15]

A match between CSKA Sofia and Roma in the inaugural 2021-22 season UEFA Europa Conference League CSKA Sofia - Roma, 2021-12-09 03.jpg
A match between CSKA Sofia and Roma in the inaugural 2021–22 season

Trophy

UEFA Conference League trophy Trofeo UEFA Europa Conference League.svg
UEFA Conference League trophy

The Conference League trophy, designed by Pentagram, is made from brass, with galvanic steel and silver plating. It features 32 hexagonal columns, to represent the 32 teams in the original group stage, curving upwards in a manner intended to resemble a football curling through the air towards the goal. [16]

Format

Qualification

A map of UEFA associations whose teams reached the league phase or group stage of the UEFA Conference League
.mw-parser-output .legend{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .legend-color{display:inline-block;min-width:1.25em;height:1.25em;line-height:1.25;margin:1px 0;text-align:center;border:1px solid black;background-color:transparent;color:black}.mw-parser-output .legend-text{}
UEFA member association that has been represented in the league phase or group stage
UEFA member association that has not been represented in the league phase or group stage UEFA CL teams.png
A map of UEFA associations whose teams reached the league phase or group stage of the UEFA Conference League
  UEFA member association that has been represented in the league phase or group stage
  UEFA member association that has not been represented in the league phase or group stage

Similar to the UEFA Champions League, qualification to the Conference League is split into two paths – separating champions and non-champions – and contains three rounds plus a play-off. [17] However, unlike the Champions League, the Champions Path will only be contested by teams eliminated from Champions League qualifying and consequently relegated either directly into the Conference League [note 1] or via a second relegation from the UEFA Europa League as a result of two straight eliminations. [note 2] [17]

The association ranking based on the UEFA country coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams in main path qualification for each association: [note 3] [17]

Based on this reorganisation, no association benefits from more berths to continental football than they had before the 2021–24 competition cycle, with the tournament essentially being the lower orders of the previous Europa League tournament split off into a secondary tournament.

League phase and knockout phase

The format involves a league phase and a knockout phase consisting of preliminary knockout play-offs, followed by a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final (all of the knockout games except the final are played over two legs). The top eight teams from the league phase receive a bye to the round of 16, while the teams ranked 9th to 24th contest the knockout play-offs with the winners advancing to the round of 16. The teams ranked 25th to 26th in the league phase and the losers of the play-offs are eliminated from the competition. [18]

The final is played at a neutral venue. The winner of the competition is entitled to participate in the UEFA Europa League the following season. The competition's matches are played on Thursdays. [3]

Distribution (from 2021–22 to 2023–24)

All qualification berths are based on UEFA's default assumption that each association will submit one domestic cup winner as its highest-ranked qualifier after those eligible to enter the Europa League, and will define its remaining entrants by their league position in the previous year. England allocates its lowest-ranked qualification place to the winners of the EFL Cup or, if they already qualified for the Champions League or Europa League, to the sixth or seventh placed in the Premier League.

Distribution (from 2024–25)

[19]

Teams entering in this roundTeams advancing from previous roundTeams transferred from Champions LeagueTeams transferred from Europa League
First qualifying round
(58 teams)
  • 17 domestic cup winners from associations 39–55
  • 21 domestic league runners-up from associations 34–55 (except Liechtenstein)
  • 20 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 30–50 (except Liechtenstein)
Second qualifying round
Champions
(16 teams)
  • 16 teams eliminated from Champions League first qualifying round
Non-champions
(88 teams)
  • 5 domestic cup winners from associations 34–38
  • 18 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–33
  • 17 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 13–29
  • 9 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 7–15
  • 1 domestic league fifth-placed team from association 6
  • 29 winners from the first qualifying round
  • 9 teams eliminated from Europa League first qualifying round
Third qualifying round
Champions
(8 teams)
  • 8 winners from the second qualifying round for champions
Non-champions
(52 teams)
  • 44 winners from the second qualifying round for non-champions
  • 8 teams eliminated from Europa League second qualifying round
Play-off round
Champions
(10 teams)
  • 4 winners from the third qualifying round for champions
  • 6 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round for champions
Non-champions
(38 teams)
  • 5 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–5 (EFL Cup winners for England)
  • 26 winners from the third qualifying round for non-champions
  • 7 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round for non-champions
League phase
(36 teams)
  • 5 winners from the play-off round for champions
  • 19 winners from the play-off round for non-champions
  • 12 teams eliminated from Europa League play-off round

Changes will be made to the access list above if the Conference League title holder qualifies for the tournament via their domestic leagues.

Prize money

Similar to the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, the prize money received by the clubs is divided into fixed payments based on participation and results, and variable amounts that depend on the value of their TV market. [20]

For the 2022–23 season, group stage participation in the then-named Europa Conference League was awarded a base fee of €2,940,000. A victory in the group pays €500,000 and a draw €166,000. Also, each group winner earned €650,000 and each runner-up €325,000. Reaching the knock-out stage triggered additional bonuses: €300,000 for the round of 32, €600,000 for the round of 16, €1,000,000 for the quarter-finals and €2,000,000 for the semi-finals. The losing finalists received €3,000,000 and the champions received €5,000,000. [21]

Also, each domestic champion not qualifying for the group stages of any tournament received an additional €260,000.

Records and statistics

Performances by club

Performance in the UEFA Conference League by club
ClubWinnersRunners-upYears wonYears runner-up
Flag of Italy.svg Roma 10 2022
Flag of England.svg West Ham United 10 2023
Flag of Greece.svg Olympiacos 10 2024
Flag of Italy.svg Fiorentina 02 2023, 2024
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Feyenoord 01 2022

Performances by nation

Performance in finals by nation
NationWinnersRunners-upTotal
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 123
Flag of England.svg  England 101
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 101
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 011

Number of participating clubs of the Conference League

The following is a list of clubs that have played or will be playing in the Conference League league phase (group stage prior to the 2024–25 season).

NationNo.ClubsSeasons
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium (5)4 Gent 2021–22 , 2022–23 , 2023–24 , 2024–25
1 Anderlecht 2022–23
1 Club Brugge 2023–24
1 Genk 2023–24
1 Cercle Brugge 2024–25
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic (5)2 Slavia Prague 2021–22 , 2022–23
1 Jablonec 2021–22
1 Slovácko 2022–23
1 Viktoria Plzeň 2023–24
1 Mladá Boleslav 2024–25
Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus (5)2 Omonia 2021–22, 2024–25
1 Anorthosis 2021–22
1 Apollon Limassol 2022–23
1 APOEL 2024–25
1 Pafos 2024–25
Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark (4)2 Copenhagen 2021–22 , 2024–25
1 Randers 2021–22
1 Silkeborg 2022–23
1 Nordsjælland 2023–24
Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey (4)2 İstanbul Başakşehir 2022–23 , 2024–25
1 Sivasspor 2022–23
1 Fenerbahçe 2023–24
1 Beşiktaş 2023–24
Flag of England.svg England (4)1 Tottenham Hotspur 2021–22
1 West Ham United 2022–23
1 Aston Villa 2023–24
1 Chelsea 2024–25
Flag of Germany.svg Germany (4)1 Union Berlin 2021–22
1 1. FC Köln 2022–23
1 Eintracht Frankfurt 2023–24
1 1. FC Heidenheim 2024–25
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands (3)3 AZ 2021–22 , 2022–23 , 2023–24
1 Feyenoord 2021–22
1 Vitesse 2021–22
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland (3)2 Basel 2021–22 , 2022–23
2 Lugano 2023–24, 2024–25
1 St. Gallen 2024–25
Flag of Israel.svg Israel (3)2 Maccabi Tel Aviv 2021–22 , 2023–24
1 Maccabi Haifa 2021–22
1 Hapoel Be'er Sheva 2022–23
Flag of Serbia.svg Serbia (3)2 Partizan 2021–22 , 2022–23
1 Čukarički 2023–24
1 TSC 2024–25
Flag of Austria.svg Austria (3)2 LASK 2021–22 , 2024–25
1 Austria Wien 2022–23
1 Rapid Wien 2024–25
Flag of Slovenia.svg Slovenia (3)2 Olimpija Ljubljana 2023–24, 2024–25
1 Mura 2021–22
1 Celje 2024–25
Flag of Poland.svg Poland (3)2 Legia Warsaw 2023–24 , 2024–25
1 Lech Poznań 2022–23
1 Jagiellonia Białystok 2024–25
Flag of France.svg France (3)1 Rennes 2021–22
1 Nice 2022–23
1 Lille 2023–24
Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia (3)1 Alashkert 2021–22
1 Pyunik 2022–23
1 Noah 2024–25
Flag of Slovakia.svg Slovakia (2)3 Slovan Bratislava 2021–22, 2022–23 , 2023–24
1 Spartak Trnava 2023–24
Flag of Italy.svg Italy (2)3 Fiorentina 2022–23 , 2023–24 , 2024–25
1 Roma 2021–22
Flag of Norway.svg Norway (2)2 Bodø/Glimt 2021–22 , 2023–24
2 Molde 2022–23, 2024–25
Flag of Romania.svg Romania (2)2 CFR Cluj 2021–22, 2022–23
1 FCSB 2022–23
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine (2)2 Zorya Luhansk 2021–22, 2023–24
1 Dnipro-1 2022–23
Flag of Greece.svg Greece (2)2 PAOK 2021–22 , 2023–24
1 Panathinaikos 2024–25
Flag of Kazakhstan.svg Kazakhstan (2)2 Astana 2023–24, 2024–25
1 Kairat 2021–22
Flag of Scotland.svg Scotland (2)2 Heart of Midlothian 2022–23, 2024–25
1 Aberdeen 2023–24
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria (2)1 CSKA Sofia 2021–22
1 Ludogorets Razgrad 2023–24
Flag of Spain.svg Spain (2)1 Villarreal 2022–23
1 Real Betis 2024–25
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.svg Bosnia and Herzegovina (2)1 Zrinjski Mostar 2023–24
1 Borac Banja Luka 2024–25
Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland (2)1 Breiðablik 2023–24
1 Víkingur Reykjavík 2024–25
Flag of Finland.svg Finland (1)3 HJK 2021–22, 2023–24, 2024–25
Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo (1)2 Ballkani 2022–23, 2023–24
Flag of Ireland.svg Republic of Ireland (1)2 Shamrock Rovers 2022–23, 2024–25
Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden (1)2 Djurgårdens IF 2022–23 , 2024–25
Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan (1)1 Qarabağ 2021–22
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia (1)1 Flora 2021–22
Flag of Gibraltar.svg Gibraltar (1)1 Lincoln Red Imps 2021–22
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia (1)1 RFS 2022–23
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein (1)1 Vaduz 2022–23
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania (1)1 Žalgiris 2022–23
Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia (1)1 Dinamo Zagreb 2023–24
Flag of the Faroe Islands.svg Faroe Islands (1)1 2023–24
Flag of Hungary.svg Hungary (1)1 Ferencváros 2023–24
Flag of Belarus.svg Belarus (1)1 Dinamo Minsk 2024–25
Flag of Moldova.svg Moldova (1)1 Petrocub Hîncești 2024–25
Ulster Banner.svg Northern Ireland (1)1 Larne 2024–25
Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal (1)1 Vitória de Guimarães 2024–25
Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Wales (1)1 The New Saints 2024–25

Season in Bold: Team qualified for knockout phase

Most goals

As of 29 May 2024 [22]
Players taking part in the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League are highlighted in bold.
Players still active but not in this year's Conference League are highlighted in italics.
The table below does not include goals scored in the qualification phase of the competition.
RankPlayerGoalsAppsRatioYearsClub(s) (Goals/Apps)
1 Flag of Israel.svg Eran Zahavi 12140.862021– PSV Eindhoven (4/6), Maccabi Tel Aviv (8/8)
Flag of Brazil.svg Arthur Cabral 200.62021– Basel (5/6), Fiorentina (7/14)
Flag of Greece.svg Vangelis Pavlidis 210.572021– AZ
4 Flag of Morocco.svg Ayoub El Kaabi 1191.222023– Olympiacos
5 Flag of Nigeria.svg Gift Orban 10110.912022– Gent
Flag of Nigeria.svg Cyriel Dessers 130.772021– Feyenoord
7 Flag of England.svg Tammy Abraham 9130.692021– Roma
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Hugo Cuypers 160.562022– Gent
Flag of Serbia.svg Aleksandar Čavrić 200.452021– Slovan Bratislava
10 Flag of Cape Verde.svg Ricardo Gomes 8160.52021– Partizan
Flag of France.svg Gaëtan Laborde 170.472021– Rennes (5/7), Nice (3/10)
Flag of Norway.svg Amahl Pellegrino 190.422021– Bodø/Glimt
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Antonín Barák 220.362022– Fiorentina

Awards

Starting from the first edition of the competition, UEFA introduced an award that will presumably now be called the UEFA Conference League Player of the Season award, having previously been the UEFA Europa Conference League Player of the Season award prior to the renaming of the league.

The jury is composed of the coaches of the clubs which participate in the league phase (group stage prior to 2024-25 season) of the competition, together with 55 journalists selected by the European Sports Media (ESM) group, one from each UEFA member association.

Pellegrini, the first winner of the Player of the Season award in 2022 FC Salzburg gegen AS Roma Pellegrini.jpg
Pellegrini, the first winner of the Player of the Season award in 2022
Winners
SeasonPlayerClub
UEFA Europa Conference League Player of the Season
2021–22 Flag of Italy.svg Lorenzo Pellegrini Flag of Italy.svg Roma
2022–23 Flag of England.svg Declan Rice Flag of England.svg West Ham United
2023–24 Flag of Morocco.svg Ayoub El Kaabi Flag of Greece.svg Olympiacos
UEFA Conference League Player of the Season
2024–25

In the same season, UEFA also introduced what will likely now be called the UEFA Conference League Young Player of the Season award (previously the UEFA Europa Conference League Young Player of the Season').

Winners
SeasonPlayerClub
UEFA Europa Conference League Young Player of the Season
2021–22 Flag of Colombia.svg Luis Sinisterra Flag of the Netherlands.svg Feyenoord
2022–23 Flag of France.svg Andy Diouf Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Basel
2023–24 Flag of Brazil.svg Igor Thiago Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Club Brugge
UEFA Conference League Young Player of the Season
2024–25

See also

Notes

  1. From Champions League first qualifying round to Conference League second qualifying round.
  2. From Champions League second qualifying round to Europa League third qualifying round, and then to Conference League play-off round.
  3. Excluding three relegations from Europa League third qualifying round out of five runners-up from associations 10–15 and three cup winners from associations 13–15.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UEFA Champions League</span> European association football tournament

The UEFA Champions League is an annual club association football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by top-division European clubs. The competition begins with a round robin league phase to qualify for the double-legged knockout rounds, and a single-leg final. It is the most-watched club competition in the world and the third most-watched football competition overall, behind only the UEFA European Championship and the FIFA World Cup. It is one of the most prestigious football tournaments in the world and the most prestigious club competition in European football, played by the national league champions of their national associations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UEFA Europa League</span> Annual association football competition in Europe

The UEFA Europa League, abbreviated as UEL, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It is the second-tier competition of European club football, ranking below the UEFA Champions League and above the UEFA Conference League.

In European football, the UEFA coefficients are statistics based in weighted arithmetic means used for ranking and seeding teams in club and international competitions. Introduced in 1979 for men's football tournaments, and after applied in women's football and futsal, the coefficients are calculated by UEFA, who administer football within Europe, and the Asian parts of some transcontinental countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UEFA Women's Champions League</span> Football tournament

The UEFA Women's Champions League, previously called the UEFA Women's Cup (2001–2009), is a European women's association football competition. It involves the top club teams from countries affiliated with the European governing body UEFA.

Italian football clubs have entered European association football competitions since the 1955–56 season, when Milan took part in European Cup competition. Nowadays, Italian football is the second force in Europe according to UEFA ranking, following the English league. Italian clubs have also entered worldwide inter-club competitions several times since the 1963 Intercontinental Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 UEFA Champions League</span> 64th season of the UEFA club football tournament

The 2018–19 UEFA Champions League was the 64th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 27th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. For the first time, the video assistant referee (VAR) system was used in the competition from the round of 16 onward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 UEFA Europa League</span> 48th season of Europes secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA

The 2018–19 UEFA Europa League was the 48th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 10th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 UEFA Europa League</span> 52nd season of Europes secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA

The 2022–23 UEFA Europa League was the 52nd season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 14th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 UEFA Europa League</span> 51st season of the club football tournament

The 2021–22 UEFA Europa League was the 51st season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 13th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League</span> 1st season of Europes tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA

The 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League was the inaugural season of the UEFA Europa Conference League, Europe's tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023–24 UEFA Champions League</span> 69th season of the UEFA club football tournament

The 2023–24 UEFA Champions League was the 69th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 32nd season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League</span> 2nd season of Europes tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA

The 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League was the second season of the UEFA Europa Conference League, Europe's tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024–25 UEFA Champions League</span> 70th season of the UEFA club football tournament

The 2024–25 UEFA Champions League is the 70th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 33rd season since it was rebranded from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. This will be the first season under a new format, with 36 participating teams that in the league phase play eight games each against different opponents, but all the teams are ranked in a joint group. This will increase the total number of matches played in the competition proper from 125 to 189.

The 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying phase and play-off round began on 6 July and ended on 26 August 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023–24 UEFA Europa League</span> European club football competition

The 2023–24 UEFA Europa League was the 53rd season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 15th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.

The 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League was the third season of the UEFA Europa Conference League, Europe's tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA.

The 2022–23 UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying phase and play-off round began on 5 July and ended on 25 August 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024–25 UEFA Europa League</span> European club football competition

The 2024–25 UEFA Europa League will be the 54th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 16th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. This will be the first season played under a new format, which replaces the 32-team group stage with a 36-team league phase. This will increase the total number of matches played in the competition proper from 141 to 189. The new format also does not allow teams to transfer from the Champions League league or knockout phase to the Europa League knockout phase, and thus Europa League winners can no longer defend their title as the winner of the Europa League automatically qualifies for the Champions League league phase.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024–25 UEFA Conference League</span> European club football competition

The 2024–25 UEFA Conference League is the fourth season of the UEFA Conference League, Europe's tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA.

The 2024–25 UEFA Conference League qualifying phase and play-off round began on 10 July and ended on 29 August 2024.

References

  1. "Distribution to clubs from the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League and the UEFA Super Cup for the 2024–27 cycle (2024/25 season). Payments for the qualifying phases. Solidarity payments for non-participating clubs" (PDF). UEFA Circular Letter. Union of European Football Associations. 22 March 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024. We are pleased to provide you with information about the distribution of commercial revenues from the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League (UCL), UEFA Europa League (UEL) and UEFA Conference League (UECL) and the 2024 UEFA Super Cup (SCUP).
  2. "'Europa League 2': Uefa confirms new tournament from 2021". BBC Sport. 2 December 2018. Archived from the original on 8 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "UEFA Executive Committee approves new club competition". UEFA.com (Press release). Union of European Football Associations. 2 December 2018. Archived from the original on 13 May 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  4. "Uefa ponders third competition beneath Champions League and Europa League". The Guardian . Associated Press. 16 September 2015. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  5. "Uefa set to introduce third European club competition from 2021–22". The Guardian. PA Media. 11 September 2018. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  6. "Format change for 2020/21 UEFA Nations League". UEFA.com (Press release). Union of European Football Associations. 24 September 2019. Archived from the original on 26 September 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  7. "UEFA Europa Conference League – What Do the Winners Get?". UEFA. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  8. "Mosta vs Spartak Trnava – stats, H2H, lineups". FotMob. 6 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
  9. "Who Scored the First Goals in UEFA's Competitions?". UEFA Europa Conference League. Union of European Football Association. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
  10. "Harry Kane marvels at bonus Europa Conference League hat-trick | Football News". Sky Sports. 1 October 2021. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
  11. "Hein the GOAT Vanhaezebrouck: 'A serial winner who has brought Gent to life'". BBC Sport. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  12. Magee, Will (3 November 2022). "West Ham Score Three to Beat FCSB, Secure Perfect Europa Conference League Run and Top Group". eurosport.co.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  13. Burrows, Ben (28 June 2023). "UEFA Europa Conference League to be renamed". The Athletic. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
  14. "UEFA Europa Conference League to be renamed UEFA Conference League next season | UEFA Europa Conference League". UEFA.com. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
  15. Grez, Matias (30 May 2024). "Olympiacos makes Greek history with victory over Fiorentina in Conference League final". CNN. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  16. "UEFA Europa Conference League trophy – what do the winners get?". UEFA.com. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  17. 1 2 3 "UEL2 Access List 2021–24" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 2 December 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 December 2018. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  18. "Champions League, Europa League and Conference League league phase draws: All you need to know about the European Club Football Season Kick-off in Monaco". uefa.com. UEFA.
  19. "UEFA approves final format and access list for its club competitions as of the 2024/25 season". Return to Play. UEFA. 10 May 2022. Archived from the original on 11 May 2022.
  20. "uefadirect 7/09" (PDF). p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 August 2020.
  21. "Distribution to clubs from the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League and the 2021 UEFA Super Cup Payments for the qualifying phases Solidarity payments for non-participating clubs" (PDF). UEFA.com (Press release). Union of European Football Associations. 20 May 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 August 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  22. "Conference League » All-time Topscorers » rank 1 - 50". WorldFootball.net. 30 May 2024. Retrieved 28 August 2024.