The third European Cup competition of the European football association UEFA was introduced in the 2021/22 season under the name “Europa Conference League”. This competition is positioned below the major European cup competitions Champions League and Europa League and is intended to enable clubs from smaller football nations in particular to play internationally. “The new UEFA club competition makes access to the European Cup easier than ever. There will be more games for more clubs and more associations will be represented in the group stages than before,” said UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin at the presentation of the Conference League.
What is different this time than before?
Not only has the name of the competition changed (instead of “Europa Conference League” it is now called “Conference League”). As with the Champions League and the Europa League, the format has also been changed: the group phase, in which four teams played against each other in eight groups, has now been replaced by a league phase.
Instead of 32 teams, there are now 36. Each team will face a total of six different opponents in the league phase in three home and three away games. The eight best teams will go straight into the round of 16, and the teams in places ninth to 24 can qualify for the round of 16 in a play-off round.
When does the Conference League start?
The qualifying rounds began on July 11th. This will be followed by the play-off round with a first leg on August 22nd and a second leg on August 29th. The league phase starts on October 3rd, and the draw will take place on August 30th.
All dates and matches of the Conference League
Where will the Conference League final take place?
The final of the Conference League will take place on May 28, 2025 at the Wrocław Stadium in Wroclaw, Poland. Slask Wroclaw’s home stadium was opened in 2011 and has a capacity of around 45,000 spectators. Previously, three preliminary round matches of the 2012 European Football Championship took place here, among other events.
What does the winner of the Conference League get?
The winner of the competition not only receives a trophy, but is also allowed to participate directly in the league phase of the Europa League in the following season.
Who is the reigning winner of the Conference League?
Where can you watch the Conference League on TV and stream?
The RTL Media Group has secured the full TV rights to the Conference League. These include the rights for broadcasts on both free TV and pay TV. SWR will also show Heidenheim’s first game.
Which teams from Germany are taking part?
One of the participants is 1. FC Heidenheim. In the play-off round on August 22 and 29, the club from Baden-Württemberg will face Sweden’s BK Häcken. 1. FC Heidenheim is taking part for the first time. It was promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time in 2023. The first international game in Heidenheim’s club history can be seen on Südwestrundfunk (SWR) on Thursday, August 22 from 6:55 p.m. on SWR.de/Sport, Sportschau.de and in the ARD media library.
