UEFA Europa Conference League 2021/22

[Lineker]

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The next steps have become clearer for Anderlecht, PAOK, Rubin, Trabzonspor and Vitesse after the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round draw was made in Nyon.

Shamrock Rovers were the only team certain of a place in the champions path section of the draw, while just nine of the 54 sides in the main path were confirmed, including European stalwarts Anderlecht, PAOK and Trabzonspor.

Champions path
Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO) / Maccabi Haifa (ISR) vs HB Tórshavn (FRO) / Budućnost Podgorica (MNE)
Linfield (NIR) / Borac Banja Luka (BIH) vs Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) / Fola Esch (LUX)
Shamrock Rovers (IRL) vs Teuta (ALB) / Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND)
Riga FC (LVA) / Shkëndija (MKD) vs Folgore (SMR) / Hibernians (MLT)
Prishtina (KOS) / Connah's Quay Nomads (WAL) vs Valur (ISL) / Bodø/Glimt (NOR)

Main path
Dinamo Batumi (GEO) / BATE Borisov (BLR) vs Petrocub-Hincesti (MDA) / Sivasspor (TUR)
KuPS Kuopio (FIN) / Vorskla Poltava (UKR) vs Astana (KAZ) / Aris Thessaloniki (GRE)
Sochi (RUS) / Keşla (AZE) vs Partizan (SRB) / Dunajská Streda (SVK)
Ararat Yerevan (ARM) / Śląsk Wrocław (POL) vs Arda Kardzhali (BUL) / Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)
Shkupi (MKD) / Santa Clara (POR) vs Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) / Birkirkara (MLT)
Újpest (HUN) / Vaduz (LIE) vs Basel (SUI) / Partizani (ALB)
Kolos Kovalivka (UKR) vs FCSB (ROU) / Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ)
Elfsborg (SWE) / Milsami Orhei (MDA) vs Velež (BIH) / AEK Athens (GRE)
Paços de Ferreira (POR) vs Larne (NIR) / AGF Aarhus (DEN)
FC Luzern (SUI) vs Drita (KOS) / Feyenoord (NED)

RFS (LVA) / Puskás Akadémia (HUN) vs Gent (BEL) / Vålerenga (NOR)
Hibernian (SCO) / Santa Coloma (AND) vs Gżira United (MLT) / Rijeka (CRO)
Austria Wien (AUT) / Breidablik (ISL) vs Aberdeen (SCO) / BK Häcken (SWE)
Trabzonspor (TUR) vs Molde (NOR) / Servette (SUI)
Dudelange (LUX) / Bohemians (IRL) vs PAOK (GRE)
Kauno Žalgiris (LTU) / The New Saints (WAL) vs Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) / Dynamo Brest (BLR)
Sūduva (LTU) / Raków Czestochowa (POL) vs Rubin (RUS)
Lokomotiv Plovdiv (BUL) / Slovácko (CZE) vs Copenhagen (DEN) / Torpedo-Belaz Zhodino (BLR)
Čukarički (SRB) / Sumgait (AZE) vs Hammarby (SWE) / Maribor (SVN)
Hajduk Split (CRO) / Tobol Kostanay (KAZ) vs Apollon Limassol (CYP) / Žilina (SVK)

CSKA-Sofia (BUL) / Liepāja (LVA) vs Pogoń Szczecin (POL) / Osijek (CRO)
Panevezys (LTU) / Vojvodina (SRB) vs LASK (AUT)
Limassol (CYP) / Vllaznia (ALB) vs Qarabağ (AZE) / Ashdod (ISR)
Spartak Trnava (SVK) / Sepsi OSK Sfantu Gheorghe (ROU) vs Sutjeska (MNE) / Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)
Hafnarfjördur (ISL) / Rosenborg (NOR) vs Domžale (SVN) / Honka Espoo (FIN)
Universitatea Craiova (ROU) / Laç (ALB) vs Anderlecht (BEL)
Vitesse (NED) vs Dundalk (IRL) / Levadia Tallinn (EST) 

EUROPA CONFERENCE LEAGUE EXPLAINED

When are the games?
Ties are to be played on 5 and 12 August. The winners will advance to the champions path and main path play-offs.

How the draw worked
There are two paths at this stage: champions path and main path.

Champions Path

• Shamrock Rovers and the nine champions path second qualifying round winners (matches played on 22 and 29 July) were drawn into ties without seeding. The first ball drawn designated the home team for the first leg.
• As decided by the UEFA Executive Committee, clubs from Bosnia & Herzegovina and Kosovo could not be drawn against each other.

Main path

• The nine teams entering at this stage were joined by the 45 second qualifying round winners.
• The clubs were divided into six groups of eight teams (Groups 1 to 6) and one group of six teams (Group 7). Within each group, the teams were split into an equal number of seeded and unseeded sides, in accordance with the club coefficient rankings established at the beginning of the season.
• As the second qualifying round matches are not played until 22 and 29 July, the coefficient of the club with the higher coefficient of the two clubs involved in an undecided tie was used for the purposes of the draw.
• For Groups 1 to 6, each of the teams was randomly assigned a number: 1 to 4 for the seeded teams and 5 to 8 for the unseeded teams. Two bowls were prepared, one for the seeded teams and the other for unseeded.
• One ball was taken from each bowl and placed into an empty bowl, where the two were shuffled. One was drawn first at random, and the second was picked out to complete the tie. The result applied to all six groups, and the same procedure was carried out with the remaining balls to complete the pairings.
• The procedure was then repeated for Group 7, where the clubs were randomly given a number from 1 to 3 for the seeded teams and 4 to 6 for the unseeded. In all seven groups, the first ball drawn designated the home team for the first leg.
• Teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other.

Road to Tirana: season calendar
Third qualifying round draw: 19 July
Second qualifying round: 22 & 29 July
Play-off round draw: 2 August
Third qualifying round: 5 & 12 August
Play-offs: 19 & 26 August

Group stage draw: 27 August
Group stage: 16 & 30 September, 21 October, 4 & 25 November, 9 December

Knockout round play-off draw: 13 December
Knockout round play-offs: 17 & 24 February
Round of 16 draw: 25 February
Round of 16: 10 & 17 March
Quarter-finals & Semi-final draw: 18 March
Quarter-finals: 7 & 14 April
Semi-finals: 28 April & 5 May
Final: 25 May (National Arena, Tirana)

Special COVID rules 
Please be aware of the special rules applicable to the qualifying phase and play-offs of the competition due to COVID-19, which can be found here.

With regard to travelling fans being admitted to matches, more information can be found here.

 

[Hobo]

Go Shamrock Rovers and Bohemians, I guess. Or whatever.

[DanishmadePunk]

is this a new fancy name for the toto cup ?

[DFF]

Bring back the Cup Winner's Cup!

[Bobfoc]

The Anglo-Italian Cup was the best.

[Hobo]

On 20/07/2021 at 11:05, DanishmadePunk said:

is this a new fancy name for the toto cup ?

It's The Europa League 2: The Road To Albania!

 

[lanky316]

On 20/07/2021 at 18:15, Bobfoc said:

The Anglo-Italian Cup was the best.

fond memories of '94, right up until stupid rotten Notts County had to go and ruin it by knocking Southend out in the semi 

[Bobfoc]

2 hours ago, lanky316 said:

fond memories of '94, right up until stupid rotten Notts County had to go and ruin it by knocking Southend out in the semi 

They ended up losing in the final, but won the competition the next year. With two consecutive victories in the playoffs as well, the early-to-mid nineties were a golden time for Wembley finals for Notts.

[Lineker]

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The UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round draw took place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland on Monday 2 August.

The teams were drawn into 22 ties, with the winners advancing to the group stage along with the ten teams eliminated in the UEFA Europa League play-offs.

Europa Conference League play-off draw
Champions path
Mura (SVN) / Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU) vs Prishtina (KOS) / Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
Neftçi (AZE) / HJK Helsinki (FIN) vs Maccabi Haifa (ISR) / HB Tórshavn (FRO)
Omonoia (CYP) / Flora Tallinn (EST) vs Shamrock Rovers (IRL) / Teuta (ALB)
Riga (LVA) / Hibernians (MLT) vs Lincoln Red Imps (GIB) / Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Linfield (NIR) / Fola Esch (LUX) vs Kairat Almaty (KAZ) / Alashkert (ARM)

Main path
AEL Limassol (CYP) / Qarabağ (AZE) vs Breidablik (ISL) / Aberdeen (SCO)
Újpest (HUN) / Basel (SUI) vs Čukarički (SRB) / Hammarby (SWE)
TNS (WAL) / Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) vs CSKA-Sofia (BUL) / Osijek (CRO)
Paços de Ferreira (POR) / Larne (NIR) vs Tottenham (ENG)

Stade Rennais (FRA) vs Rosenborg (NOR) / Domžale (SVN)
Laç (ALB) / Anderlecht (BEL) vs Vitesse (NED) / Dundalk (IRL)
Vojvodina (SRB) / LASK (AUT) vs Galatasaray (TUR) / St Johnstone (SCO)
Kolos Kovalivka (UKR) / Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ) vs Spartak Trnava (SVK) / Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR)

Bohemian (IRL) / PAOK (GRE) vs Hibernian (SCO) / HNK Rijeka (CRO)
KuPS Kuopio (FIN) / Astana (KAZ) vs Union Berlin (GER)
Luzern (SUI) / Feyenoord (NED) vs Elfsborg (SWE) / Velež (BIH)
Raków Czestochowa (POL) / Rubin (RUS) vs RFS (LVA) / Gent (BEL)

Dinamo Batumi (GEO) / Sivasspor (TUR) vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv (BUL) / Copenhagen (DEN)
Santa Clara (POR) / Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs Sochi (RUS) / Partizan (SRB)
Trabzonspor (TUR) / Molde (NOR) vs Roma (ITA)
Śląsk Wrocław (POL) / Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) vs Rapid Wien (AUT) / Anorthosis Famagusta (CYP)
Jablonec (CZE) / Celtic (SCO) vs Tobol Kostanay (KAZ) / MŠK Žilina (SVK)

Ties take place on 19 and 26 August, with extra time and a penalty shoot-out if required after the second leg. The 22 winners advance to the UEFA Europa Conference League draw on 27 August.

 

[Roster Depth Sicko No. 2]

I know they might be playing your lot but it's a bit harsh not to highlight Larne when you've highlighted the other Northern Irish team.

[Naitch]

It's a shame to see the mighty Qarabag having to compete in such a lowly tournament like this.

[Lineker]

13 minutes ago, Bad News Jericode said:

I know they might be playing your lot but it's a bit harsh not to highlight Larne when you've highlighted the other Northern Irish team.

The phone rang, I actually had to do some work for a change

[DanishmadePunk]

The fact that Larne sent the second city of Denmarks best team out of the competition makes me smile. 
"Do you know Larne?" 
no
But Aarhus sure does 😅

[Lineker]

Can't wait.

[Twist]

I know this isn’t the most reputable of competitions but Spurs have to take this seriously, right? Given how genuine a chance at a trophy it is?

There are what 3 or 4 teams that you wouldn’t say ‘they should absolutely win this game’. The obvious one being Roma, which feels like an inevitable match up.

[Chris2K]

48 minutes ago, Twist said:

I know this isn’t the most reputable of competitions but Spurs have to take this seriously, right? Given how genuine a chance at a trophy it is?

Spurs XI: Gollini, Doherty, Carter-Vickers, Romero, John, Davies, Gil, Winks, Lo Celso, Sessegnon, Scarlett.

Apparently not. I have also only heard on one of the substitutes before. The lowest squad number is 40.

 

 

Also, we're losing.

[Hobo]

Shamrock Rovers lost their first leg 4-2 to Flora Tallinn.

Which puts them in a tough spot for getting through. Which is a shame because it'd be nice to see a LOI team get into the groups. There were 3 LOI teams in in the last round.

[Gorka]

So who has Joe Rodon pissed off to not even make that Spurs squad?

[Adam]

50 minutes ago, Gorka said:

So who has Joe Rodon pissed off to not even make that Spurs squad?

Nobody, he's injured.

[Kyle]

So that's not an ideal start for Spurs.