UEFA has released the 2022-2023 UEFA Europa League and Conference League group stage draws with some top English clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal involved. Italian giants, AS Roma, led by Jose Mourinho, are not also left out.
Despite its lesser publicity when compared to the Champions League, the Conference League offers a platform for clubs without Champions League football to compete with other European clubs outside their domestic leagues.
The second-tier club competition has been in existence since 1971 and was referred to as UEFA Cup. The name was changed in the 2009 football season, as the Union Of European Football Association effected some changes to the UEFA Cup.
The winner of the Europa League qualifies for the group stage of the next Champions League season. The current title holder is Eintracht Frankfurt. Eintracht Frankfurt have won the competition twice. They defeated Scottish giants Rangers 5-4 on penalties to lift the trophy last season.
Spanish clubs have won the competition more than any country, with a combined total of 14 trophies. English clubs and Italian clubs have clinched 9 each.
Sevilla, currently in the Champions League, is the most successful club in the tournament, with six trophies.
Group A: Istanbul Basaksehir ,Fiorentina, Hearts, RFS
Group B: West Ham, FCSB, Anderlecht, Silkeborg
Group C: Villarreal, Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Austria Wien, Lech Poznan
Group D: Partizan Belgrade, FC Cologne, Nice, Slovacko
Group E: AZ Alkmaar, Apollon Nicosia, Vaduz, Dnipro-1
Group F: Gent, More, Shamrock Rovers, Djurgarden
Group G: Slavia Prague, CFR Cluj, Sivas, Ballkani
Group H: Basel, Slovan, Bratislava, Zalgiris, Pyunik
Teams
- Austria: Sturm Graz
- Azerbaijan: Qarabag
- Belgium: Union Saint-Gilloise
- Bulgaria: Ludogorets
- Cyprus: AEK Larnaca, Omonia
- Denmark: Midtjylland
- England: Manchester United, Arsenal
- France: Rennes, Nantes, Monaco
- Finland: HJK Helsinki
- Germany: Union Berlin, Freiburg
- Greece: Olympiakos
- Hungary: Ferencvaros
- Italy: Roma, Lazio
- Moldova: FC Sheriff
- Netherlands: Feyenoord, PSV
- Norway: Bodo/Glimt
- Portugal: Braga
- Serbia: Red Star Belgrade
- Spain: Real Sociedad, Real Betis
- Sweden: Malmo FF
- Switzerland: FC Zurich
- Ukraine: Dynamo Kyiv
- Turkey: Trabzonspor, Fenerbahce
Europa Conference League
After Champions League and Europa League, the UEFA Conference is the third and lowest tier of European club competition. It is just a year in existence, and it was first inaugurated on 24th May 2021, with Roma of Italy emerging as the winner of the maiden edition of the tournament.
As the other two tiers of the competition, the group stages of the Europa conference League are made up of 32 teams. Unlike the Champions League and the Europa League, no team directly qualifies for the Conference League group stages. Some teams pass through the qualifying round. 10 teams eliminated from the Europa League qualifying round are allowed to join the group stages.
The winner of the Conference League automatically qualifies for the second tier unless they have qualified for the Champions League.
Teams
- Austria: Austria Wien
- Belgium: Gent, Anderlecht
- Cyprus: Apollon
- Czech Republic: Slavia Prague, Slovacko
- Denmark: Silkeborg
- England: West Ham
- France: Nice
- Germany: Cologne
- Ireland: Shamrock
- Israel: Hapoel Be’er Sheva
- Italy: Fiorentina
- Kosovo: Ballkani
- Latvia: RFS
- Liechtenstein: Vaduz
- Lithuania: Zalgiris
- Netherlands: AZ Alkmaar
- Norway: Molde
- Poland: Lech Poznan
- Romania: Cluj, FCSB
- Scotland: Hearts
- Serbia: Partizan
- Slovakia: Slavia Bratislava
- Spain: Villarreal
- Sweden: Djugardens
- Switzerland: Basel
- Turkey: Istanbul Basaksehir, Sivasspor
- Ukraine: Dnipro-1
Group A: Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, Bodo/Glimt, Zurich
Group B: Dynamo Kyiv, Rennes, Fenerbahce, Larnaca
Group C: Roma, Ludogorets, Real Betis, Helsinki
Group D: Braga, Malmo, Union Berlin, Union Saint-Gilloise
Group E: Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sheriff Tiraspol, Omonoia
Group F: Lazio, Feyenoord, Midtjylland, Sturm Graz
Group G: Olympiacos, Qarabag, Freiburg, Nantes
Group H: Crvena zvezda, Monaco, Ferencvaros, Trabzonspor
Both competitions will kick off on Thursday September 8, 2022.
