The 2024–25 UEFA Conference League is the fourth season of the UEFA Conference League, Europe's tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA.
.jpg) Stadion Wrocław in Wrocław will host the final. | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 10 July – 29 August 2024 Competition proper: 3 October 2024 – 28 May 2025 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 36 (from 54 associations) |
This will be the first UEFA Conference League played under a new format involving a 36-team league stage.[1] The new format also does not allow teams to transfer from the Europa League to the Conference League knockout stage, and thus Conference League winners (Olympiacos in the 2023–24 edition) cannot defend their title as would all future Conference League champions as Conference League champions automatically qualify for the Europa League. From this season, the competition is renamed to UEFA Conference League from the UEFA Europa Conference League.[2]
The final will be played in Stadion Wrocław in Wrocław, Poland.[3] The winners of the tournament will automatically qualify for the 2025–26 UEFA Europa League league stage, unless they qualify for the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League through their league performance. (In which case the access list will be rebalanced).
Association team allocation
editA total of 164 teams from 54 of the 55 UEFA member associations are expected to participate in the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League. The association ranking based on the UEFA association coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[4]
- Associations 1–12 each have one team.
- Associations 13–33 and 51–55 (except Russia)[Note RUS] each have two teams.
- Associations 34–50 each have three teams (except Liechtenstein, which has one).[Note LIE]
- 14 teams eliminated from the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League and 41 teams eliminated from the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League will be transferred to the Conference League.
Association ranking
editFor the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2023 UEFA association coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 2018–19 to 2022–23.[5]
Apart from the allocation based on the association coefficients, associations may have additional teams participating in the Conference League, as noted below:
- (UCL) – Additional teams transferred from the UEFA Champions League
- (UEL) – Additional/vacated teams transferred from/to the UEFA Europa League
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Distribution
editThe following is the access list for this season.
| Teams entering in this round | Teams advancing from previous round | Teams transferred from Champions League | Teams transferred from Europa League | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First qualifying round (50 teams) |
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| Second qualifying round (98 teams) |
Champions path (12 teams) |
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| League path (86 teams) |
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| Third qualifying round (60 teams) |
Champions path (8 teams) |
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| League path (52 teams) |
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| Play-off round (48 teams) |
Champions path (10 teams) |
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| League path (38 teams) |
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| League stage (36 teams) |
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The information here reflects the ongoing suspension of Russia in European football, and so the following changes to the default access list have been made:
- The cup winners of associations 39 to 44 (Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Luxembourg, Faroe Islands and Northern Ireland) will enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.
- As a result of corresponding changes to the Champions League access list, there will be one fewer loser from the Champions League first qualifying round transferred to the Conference League second qualifying round (Champions Path) so one transferred team will receive a bye to the third qualifying round (Champions Path).
As the Champions League title holders (Real Madrid) qualified for the Champions League via their domestic league's standard berth allocation, the following changes to the default access list have been made:
- As a result of corresponding changes to the Champions League access list, there will be one fewer loser from the Champions League first qualifying round (two fewer in total) transferred to the Conference League second qualifying round (Champions Path) so one transferred team (two in total) will receive a bye to the third qualifying round (Champions Path).
As the Europa Conference League title holders (Olympiacos) entered the Europa League, the berth they qualified for via league position (Conference League second qualifying round) was vacated, and the following changes to the default access list have been made:
- The cup winners of associations 45 (Malta) and 46 (Georgia) will enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.
Teams
editThe labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:
- CW: Domestic cup winners
- 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.: League position of the previous season
- LC: League cup winners
- RW: Regular season winners
- PW: End-of-season Conference League play-offs winners
- UCL: Transferred from the Champions League
- Q1: Losers from the first qualifying round
- UEL: Transferred from the Europa League
- PO: Losers from the play-off round
- CH/MP Q3: Losers from the third qualifying round (Champions/Main Path)
- MP Q2: Losers from the second qualifying round (Main Path)
- MP Q1: Losers from the first qualifying round (Main Path)
The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round are divided into Champions Path (CH) and Main Path (MP).
One team not playing in a national top division took part in the competition: Vaduz (2nd tier).
Notes
- ^ Champions League (UCL Q1): Two of the Champions League first qualifying round losers will be drawn to receive byes to the third qualifying round (Champions Path), as two fewer losers were transferred to the second qualifying round (Champions Path), due to Champions League league phase berths vacated following the Champions League Title Holders (Real Madrid) qualifying via league position and the suspension of Russia from the 2024–25 European season.
- ^ Albania (ALB): Skënderbeu, who finished third in the 2023–24 Kategoria Superiore, are currently banned from entering UEFA competitions. As a result, their berth in the competition was passed onto the fifth placed team, Tirana.
- ^ Georgia (GEO): Georgian Cup winners FC Saburtalo Tbilisi changed their name to FC Iberia 1999 on 27 February 2024.
- ^ Greece (GRE): Olympiacos qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League league phase by winning the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League, so their third place berth is vacated.
- ^ Latvia (LVA): Valmiera, who finished 4th in the 2023 Latvian Higher League, were denied a UEFA license. As a result, their place in the competition was passed onto the 5th-placed team, Liepāja.
- ^ Liechtenstein (LIE): The seven teams affiliated with the Liechtenstein Football Association (LFV) all play in the Swiss football league system. The only competition organised by the LFV is the Liechtenstein Football Cup – the winners of which qualify for the UEFA Conference League for the 2024–25 season.
- ^ Lithuania (LTU): Due to the three-year rule, cup winners FK TransINVEST were not expected to compete as they were less than three years old. However, they were granted an exception and allowed to participate in European competitions.[6]
- ^ Luxembourg (LUX): Swift Hesperange, who finished second, were denied a UEFA license. Consequently, their place in the competition was passed onto the next highest-ranked team granted a UEFA licence by the FLF, UNA Strassen, who finished sixth.
- ^ Russia (RUS): On 28 February 2022, Russian football clubs and national teams were suspended from FIFA and UEFA competitions due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[7] The tables reflect Russia's ongoing suspension from UEFA competitions.[8]
Schedule
editThe schedule of the competition is as follows.[9][1] Matches are scheduled for Thursdays, with an exclusive day of December 19, apart from the final, which takes place on a Wednesday, though exceptionally can take place on Tuesdays or Wednesdays due to scheduling conflicts.[10][11][12]
| Phase | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | First qualifying round | 18 June 2024 | 11 July 2024 | 18 July 2024 |
| Second qualifying round | 19 June 2024 | 25 July 2024 | 1 August 2024 | |
| Third qualifying round | 22 July 2024 | 8 August 2024 | 15 August 2024 | |
| Play-offs | Play-off round | 5 August 2024 | 22 August 2024 | 29 August 2024 |
| League phase | Matchday 1 | 30 August 2024 | 3 October 2024 | |
| Matchday 2 | 24 October 2024 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 7 November 2024 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 28 November 2024 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 12 December 2024 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 19 December 2024 | |||
| Knockout phase | Knockout phase play-offs | 20 December 2024 | 13 February 2025 | 20 February 2025 |
| Round of 16 | 21 February 2025 | 6 March 2025 | 13 March 2025 | |
| Quarter-finals | 10 April 2025 | 17 April 2025 | ||
| Semi-finals | 1 May 2025 | 8 May 2025 | ||
| Final | 28 May 2025 at Stadion Wrocław, Wrocław | |||
Qualifying rounds
editFirst qualifying round
editThe draw for the first qualifying round was held on 18 June 2024. The first legs were played on 10 and 11 July, and the second legs were played on 17 and 18 July 2024.
The winners of the ties advanced to the Main Path second qualifying round. The losers were eliminated from European competitions for the season.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Velež Mostar  | 2–6 |  Inter Club d'Escaldes | 1–1 | 1–5 |
Floriana  | 4–2 |  Tre Penne | 3–1 | 1–1 |
Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino  | 2–4 |  Milsami Orhei | 2–4 | 0–0 |
Šiauliai  | 0–2 |  FCI Levadia | 0–2 | 0–0 |
Bala Town  | 2–3 | Paide Linnameeskond | 1–2 | 1–1 (a.e.t.) |
| La Fiorita | 1–1 (4–2 p)[A] | Isloch Minsk Raion | 0–1 | 1–0 (a.e.t.) |
| Caernarfon Town | 3–3 (8–7 p) |  Crusaders | 2–0 | 1–3 (a.e.t.) |
| Tallinna Kalev | 1–4 |  Urartu | 1–2 | 0–2 |
Valur  | 6–2 |  Vllaznia | 2–2 | 4–0 |
Bruno's Magpies  | 3–2 |  Derry City | 2–0 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) |
Malisheva  | 1–3 |  Budućnost | 1–0 | 0–3 |
| Atlètic Club d'Escaldes | 0–3 |  F91 Dudelange | 0–1 | 0–2 |
| Partizani | 3–2[A] | Marsaxlokk | 1–1 | 2–1 |
Auda  | 3–0 |  B36 Tórshavn | 2–0 | 1–0 |
| Stjarnan | 4–3 | Linfield | 2–0 | 2–3 |
Torpedo Kutaisi  | 2–1 | Tirana | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| Shelbourne | 3–2 | St Joseph's | 2–1 | 1–1 |
Aktobe  | 3–3 (3–4 p) | Sarajevo | 0–1 | 3–2 (a.e.t.) |
Bravo  | 2–1 | Connah's Quay Nomads | 0–1 | 2–0 (a.e.t.) |
| Liepāja | 1–3[A] | Víkingur | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| Noah | 4–1 |  Shkëndija | 2–0 | 2–1 |
| Tikvesh | 4–5 | Breiðablik | 3–2 | 1–3 |
| Mornar Bar | 3–2 | Dinamo Tbilisi | 2–1 | 1–1 |
| UNA Strassen | 0–5 |  KuPS | 0–0 | 0–5 |
| VPS | 1–3 | Žalgiris | 1–2 | 0–1 |
Second qualifying round
editThe draw for the second qualifying round was held on 19 June 2024. The first legs were played on 23, 24 and 25 July, and the second legs were played on 30, 31 July and 1 August 2024.
The winners of the ties advanced to the third qualifying round of their respective path. The losers were eliminated from European competitions for the season.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HJK | Bye | N/A | — | — |
| Larne | Bye | N/A | — | — |
| Differdange 03 | 4–4 (3–4 p) | Ordabasy | 1–0 | 3–4 (a.e.t.) |
| Víkingur Reykjavík | 2–1 | Egnatia | 0–1 | 2–0 |
| Virtus | 2–5 | Flora | 0–0 | 2–5 (a.e.t.) |
| Struga | 3–4 | Pyunik | 2–1 | 1–3 |
| Dinamo Batumi | 0–2 | Dečić | 0–2 | 0–0 |
| Ballkani | 2–0 | Ħamrun Spartans | 0–0 | 2–0 |
Third qualifying round
editThe draw for the third qualifying round was held on 22 July 2024. The first legs were played on 6, 7 and 8 August, and the second legs were played on 13, 14 and 15 August 2024.
The winners of the ties advanced to the play-off round of their respective path. The losers were eliminated from European competitions for the season.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Víkingur Reykjavík | 3–2 | Flora | 1–1 | 2–1 |
| Ordabasy | 0–2 | Pyunik | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Ballkani | 1–1 (1–4 p) | Larne | 0–1 | 1–0 (a.e.t.) |
| HJK | 2–2 (4–3 p) | Dečić | 1–0 | 1–2 (a.e.t.) |
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mladá Boleslav  | 5–3 |  Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 1–1 | 4–2 |
Kilmarnock  | 3–2 |  Tromsø | 2–2 | 1–0 |
| Ararat-Armenia | 3–4 |  Puskás Akadémia | 0–1 | 3–3 |
Zürich  | 0–5 |  Vitória de Guimarães | 0–3 | 0–2 |
| Paks | 5–2 | Mornar | 3–0 | 2–2 |
BK Häcken  | 7–2 | Paide Linnameeskond | 6–1 | 1–1 |
| Maribor | 2–2 (4–2 p) |  Vojvodina | 2–1 | 0–1 (a.e.t.) |
Spartak Trnava  | 4–4 (11–12 p) |  Wisła Kraków | 3–1 | 1–3 (a.e.t.) |
| St Patrick's Athletic | 2–0 |  Sabah | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| St Mirren | 2–4 | Brann | 1–1 | 1–3 |
CSKA 1948  | 2–5 |  Pafos | 2–1 | 0–4 (a.e.t.) |
| Ilves | 2–4 | Djurgården | 1–1 | 1–3 |
Corvinul Hunedoara  | 2–8 | Astana | 1–2 | 1–6 |
| Ružomberok | 1–0 |  Hajduk Split | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Noah | 3–2 |  AEK Athens | 3–1 | 0–1 |
| Auda | 2–3 | Drita | 1–0 | 1–3 (a.e.t.) |
| Iberia 1999 | 0–3 |  İstanbul Başakşehir | 0–1 | 0–2 |
Brøndby  | 3–4 | Legia Warsaw | 2–3 | 1–1 |
| Maccabi Petah Tikva | 0–2 | CFR Cluj | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| Silkeborg | 4–5 |  Gent | 2–2 | 2–3 (a.e.t.) |
| Osijek | 3–3 (1–2 p) | Zira | 1–1 | 2–2 (a.e.t.) |
| St. Gallen | 4–3 | Śląsk Wrocław | 2–0 | 2–3 |
| Botev Plovdiv | 2–3 | Zrinjski Mostar | 2–1 | 0–2 |
| Omonia | 3–0 | Fehérvár | 1–0 | 2–0 |
| Copenhagen | 1–1 (2–1 p) | Baník Ostrava | 1–0 | 0–1 (a.e.t.) |
| Olimpija Ljubljana | 4–0 | Sheriff Tiraspol | 3–0 | 1–0 |
Play-off round
editThe draw for the play-off round was held on 5 August 2024. The first legs were played on 20, 21 and 22 August, and the second legs will be played on 28 and 29 August 2024.
The winners of the ties will advance to the league phase. The losers are eliminated from European competitions for the season.
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lincoln Red Imps | Match 1 | Larne | 2–1 | 29 Aug |
| Pyunik | Match 2 | Celje | 1–0 | 29 Aug |
| Víkingur Reykjavík | Match 3 | UE Santa Coloma | 5–0 | 29 Aug |
| Panevėžys | Match 4 | The New Saints | 0–3 | 29 Aug |
| KÍ | Match 5 | HJK | 2–2 | 29 Aug |
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omonia | Match 1 | Zira | 6–0 | 29 Aug |
| St. Gallen | Match 2 | Trabzonspor | 0–0 | 29 Aug |
Lens  | Match 3 | Panathinaikos | 2–1 | 29 Aug |
| BK Häcken | Match 4 |  1. FC Heidenheim | 1–2 | 29 Aug |
| Copenhagen | Match 5 | Kilmarnock | 2–0 | 29 Aug |
| Vitória de Guimarães | Match 6 | Zrinjski Mostar | 3–0 | 29 Aug |
| Brann | Match 7 | Astana | 2–0 | 29 Aug |
| Legia Warsaw | Match 8 | Drita | 2–0 | 29 Aug |
| Rijeka | Match 9 | Olimpija Ljubljana | 1–1 | 29 Aug |
Fiorentina  | Match 10 | Puskás Akadémia | 3–3 | 29 Aug |
| Djurgården | Match 11 | Maribor | 1–0 | 29 Aug |
| Wisła Kraków | Match 12 | Cercle Brugge | 1–6 | 29 Aug |
| Mladá Boleslav | Match 13 | Paks | 2–2 | 29 Aug |
| St Patrick's Athletic | 0–2 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 0–0 | 0–2 |
Chelsea  | Match 15 | Servette | 2–0 | 29 Aug |
| CFR Cluj | Match 16 | Pafos | 1–0 | 29 Aug |
| Partizan | 0–2 | Gent | 0–1 | 0–1 |
Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih  | Match 18 |  Real Betis | 0–2 | 29 Aug |
| Noah | Match 19 | Ružomberok | 3–0 | 29 Aug |
League phase
edit
The league phase draw for the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League will take place at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on 30 August 2024, 14:30 CEST.[14][15] The 36 teams were divided into six pots of six teams each based on their UEFA club coefficient.
The 36 teams will be manually drawn and then automated software will digitally draw their six different opponents at random, determining which of their matches will be at home and which ones away. Each team will face one opponent from each of the six pots. Teams cannot face opponents from their own association, and can only be drawn against a maximum of two sides from the same association.[16][17]
The top eight ranked teams will receive a bye to the round of 16. The teams ranked from 9th to 24th will contest the knockout phase play-offs, with the teams ranked from 9th to 16th seeded for the draw. Teams ranked from 25th to 36th are eliminated from the competition.
Seeding
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Pot 1
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Pot 1 or 2
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Pot TBD
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Pot 6
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Knockout phase
editFinal
editTBD  | v | TBD |
|---|---|---|
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "2024/25 UEFA Conference League: Matches, final, key dates". UEFA. 30 April 2024. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
- ^ "UEFA Europa Conference League to be renamed UEFA Conference League next season". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ "Athens and Wrocław to stage 2024 and 2025 finals". Union of European Football Associations. 28 June 2023. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
- ^ "Regulations of the UEFA Conference League, 2024/25 Season". Nyon: UEFA. 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ "Association coefficients 2022/23". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
- ^ ""TransINVEST" klubui – palankios žinios dėl dalyvavimo Konferencijų lygos atrankoje". lff.lt (in Lithuanian). Lithuanian Football Federation. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Ukraine crisis: Fifa and Uefa suspend all Russian clubs and national teams". BBC.co.uk. British Broadcasting Corporation. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
- ^ "UEFA decisions for upcoming competitions relating to the ongoing suspension of Russian national teams and clubs" (Press release). Nyon: UEFA. 2 May 2022. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
- ^ "Europejskie puchary od sezonu 2024/25 – część szczegółów potwierdzona" (in Polish). 10 July 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ UEFA.com (25 October 2023). "New format for Champions League post-2024: Everything you need to know | UEFA Champions League". UEFA.com. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Sheldon, Dan. "How the new Champions League format works". The Athletic. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "More national derby games possible when revamped Champions League starts next year". AP News. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ Latest Appeals Body decisions announced — AB meeting of 22 July 2024
- ^ "UEFA Conference League: League phase draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "UEFA: Men's Club Competition Season Kick-Off". Grimaldi Forum. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ "UEFA Club Competitions 2024/25 onwards: new league phase draw procedures explained". UEFA. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
- ^ "UEFA Documents – Article 16 Draw system – league phase". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 1 August 2024.