EUROPA LEAGUE
Why are there Europa League games on a Wednesday?
Like the Champions League, changes have also been made to Europa League, which features Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur this season.
For as long as most of us can remember, Champions League fixtures have been played on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with the Europa League, and more recently the Conference League, taking centre stage on Thursdays. However, UEFA has decided to mix things up as the competitions get underway in 2024/25.
UCL, UEFL and UECL fixture schedule in 2024/25
Generally speaking, the above statements will continue to be true. But there are two exceptions. We already saw the first of them last week, when matchday 1 of the league phase of the ‘new’ Champions League was held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. That was part of the UCL’s ‘exclusive week,’ in which it was the only UEFA competition taking place.
This week, it’s the turn of the Europa League, with matchday 1 of its own league phase to be played on Wednesday (September 25) and Thursday (September 26). As was the case last week with the Champions League, it is the only one of the three tournaments in which there is any action.
As for the Conference League, its ‘exclusive week’ actually only takes place on one day, Thursday, December 19, which is when matchday 6 of the league phase will be held.
In other weeks when matches are scheduled, the fixture list will revert back to ‘normal,’ with Champions League games on Tuesday and Wednesday, and Europa League and Conference League matches on Thursday.
What is the format for the 2024/25 Europa League?
The new Europa League format is exactly the same as the new Champions League format.
36 teams take part in the first round, which is now a ‘league phase’ rather than the ‘group stage’ we were all so accustomed to. The Swiss model system means teams will play against seven different opponents either home or away, and be ranked in a 36-club table once they have played those eight fixtures.
The top eight teams will advance directly to the round of 16, clubs finishing 9th to 16th will be seeded for the playoff round and face those ranked 17th to 24th, who will be unseeded. The bottom 12 teams will be eliminated.
Which teams are playing in the 2024/25 Europa League?
- Ajax (Netherlands)
- Anderlecht (Belgium)
- Athletic Club de Bilbao (Spain)
- AZ (Netherlands)
- Beşiktaş (Turkey)
- Bodø/Glimt (Norway)
- Braga (Portugal)
- Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)
- IF Elfsborg (Sweden)
- FCSB (Romania)
- Fenerbahçe (Turkey)
- Ferencváros (Hungary)
- Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
- Galatasaray (Turkey)
- TSG Hoffenheim (Germany)
- Lazio (Italy)
- Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria)
- Lyon (France)
- Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
- Malmö FF (Sweden)
- Manchester United (England)
- Midtjylland (Denmark)
- Nice (France)
- Olympiacos (Greece)
- PAOK (Greece)
- Porto (Portugal)
- Qarabağ (Azerbaijan)
- Rangers (Scotland)
- Real Sociedad (Spain)
- RFS (Latvia)
- Roma (Italy)
- Slavia Prague (Czechia)
- Tottenham Hotspur (England)
- Twente (Netherlands)
- Union Saint-Gilloise (Belgium)
- Viktoria Plzeň (Czechia)
Premier League duo Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will be fancied by many to do well, while both Lazio and Roma, the 2023 runners-up, will hope to take the trophy to the Italian capital. Bundesliga team Eintracht Frankfurt will be looking to repeat their 2022 triumph.
Where will the 2024/25 Europa League final be held?
The final of the 2024/25 Europa League will be played at San Mamés in Bilbao, Spain, the stadium of Athletic Club, who are in the competition. Fellow Basque team Real Sociedad are also in with a chance of lifting the trophy at the home of their local rivals.