UEFA Europa Conference League 2022/23

[Lineker]

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The 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round draw took place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland on Monday 18 July.

Champions path
Víkingur Reykjavík (ISL) / The New Saints (WAL) vs Lech Poznań (POL) / Dinamo Batumi (GEO)
RFS (LVA) vs Hibernians (MLT) / Levadia Tallinn (EST)
La Fiorita (SMR) / Ballkani (KOS) vs Sutjeska (MNE) / KÍ (FRO)
Tirana (ALB) / Zrinjski (BIH) vs Tobol Kostanay (KAZ) / Lincoln Red Imps (GIB)
Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) vs CFR Cluj (ROU) / Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND)

Main path
Spartak Trnava (SVK) / Newtown (WAL) vs Raków Czestochowa (POL) / Astana (KAZ)
AIK (SWE) / Vorskla Poltava (UKR) vs Valmiera (LVA) / Shkëndija (MKD)
Sparta Praha (CZE) / Viking (NOR) vs Motherwell (SCO) / Sligo Rovers (IRL)
Breidablik (ISL) / FK Budućnost Podgorica (MNE) vs İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR) / Maccabi Netanya (ISR)
KuPS Kuopio (FIN) / Milsami Orhei (MDA) vs Liepāja (LVA) / Young Boys (SUI)
Ararat-Armenia (ARM) / Paide Linnameeskond (EST) vs Anderlecht (BEL)
Sūduva (LTU) / Viborg (DEN) vs B36 Tórshavn (FRO) / Tre Fiori (SMR)
Hajduk Split (CRO) vs Vitória SC (POR) / Puskás Akadémia (HUN)
Pogoń Szczecin (POL) / Brøndby (DEN) vs Basel (SUI) / Crusaders (NIR)
Seinäjoki (FIN) / Lillestrøm (NOR) vs Royal Antwerp (BEL) / Drita (KOS)
CSKA-Sofia (BUL) / Makedonija (MKD) vs Saint Patrick's Athletic (IRL) / Mura (SVN)
Dundee United (SCO) vs Tuzla City (BIH) / AZ (NED)
Botev Plovdiv (BUL) / APOEL (CYP) vs Kyzylzhar Petropavlovsk (KAZ) / Osijek (CRO)
Víkingur (FRO) / Dunajská Streda (SVK) vs Saburtalo (GEO) / FCSB (ROU)
Ružomberok (SVK) / Riga (LVA) vs Gil Vicente (POR)
Wolfsberger (AUT) vs Gzira United (MLT) / Radnicki Niš (SRB)
PFC Zire (AZE) / Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR) vs Gomel (BLR) / Aris Thessaloniki (GRE)
Molde (NOR) / Elfsborg (SWE) vs Kairat Almaty (KAZ) / Kisvarda (HUN)
Aris Limassol (CYP) / Neftçi (AZE) vs Rapid Wien (AUT) / Lechia Gdańsk (POL)
Lugano (SUI) vs Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR) / Dinamo Minsk (BLR)
Levski Sofia (BUL) / PAOK (GRE) vs Velež (BIH) / Hamrun Spartans (MLT)
Twente (NED) vs Racing FC Union Luxembourg (LUX) / Čukarički (SRB)
Zorya Luhansk (UKR) vs Vllaznia (ALB) / Universitatea Craiova (ROU)
Koper (SVN) / Vaduz (LIE) vs BATE Borisov (BLR) / Konyaspor (TUR)
Sepsi Sfantu Gheorghe (ROU) / Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) vs Rijeka (CRO) / Djurgården (SWE)
Fehérvár (HUN) / Gabala (AZE) vs Petrocub-Hincesti (MDA) / Laçi (ALB)
St Joseph's (GIB) / Slavia Praha (CZE) vs Panathinaikos (GRE)

How the draw worked
Champions path

• The ties will feature eight second qualifying round winners (Champions path) and two teams eliminated from UEFA Champions League first qualifying round.
• Starting with Group 1, the teams were drawn into ties without seeding. The first ball drawn designated the home team for the first leg.

Main path

• The ties will feature nine new entrants and 45 second qualifying round (Main path) winners.
• Ahead of the draw, the teams were split into three groups of eight teams (groups 1 to 3) and three groups of ten teams (groups 4 to 6).
• Within each of the six groups, the teams were divided into an equal number of seeded and unseeded teams. Teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other.
• If any club in a second qualifying round match has a coefficient that would entitle it to be seeded for the third qualifying round draw, the winner of that match was automatically seeded for the draw.
• For groups 1 to 3, all clubs were 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 seeded teams and one for unseeded teams).
• A ball was taken from each bowl and placed in an empty bowl, where they were shuffled. One of the two balls was drawn at random, then opened to display the number it contains. The second ball was drawn and opened to complete the pairing. The first ball drawn designated the home team. The result was applied to all three groups.
• The same procedure applied to groups 4 to 6, where seeded teams were numbered from 1 to 5 and unseeded teams from 6 to 10.

What happens next?
Ties take place on 4 and 11 August, with extra time and a penalty shoot-out if required after the second leg. Winners advance to the UEFA Europa Conference League play-offs.

When are Europa Conference League matches?
Qualifying
Second qualifying round: 21 & 28 July
Third qualifying round: 4 & 11 August 2022
Play-offs: 18 & 25 August 2022

Group stage
Matchday 1: 8 September 2022
Matchday 2: 15 September 2022
Matchday 3: 6 October 2022
Matchday 4: 13 October 2022
Matchday 5: 27 October 2022
Matchday 6: 3 November 2022

Knockout phase
Knockout round play-offs: 16 & 23 February
Round of 16: 9 & 16 March 2023
Quarter-finals: 13 & 20 April 2023
Semi-finals: 11 & 18 May 2023
Final: 7 June 2023

 

[Hobo]

Two Irish teams are through to the third qualifying round.

Sligo Rovers beat Motherwell 3-0 and St Patrick's Athletic eliminated Mura on penalties.

In the next round Sligo will face Viking Stravanger and St Pats will play CSKA Sofia

[Adam]

3 minutes ago, Hobo said:

Two Irish teams are through to the third qualifying round.

Sligo Rovers beat Motherwell 3-0 and St Patrick's Athletic eliminated Mura on penalties.

In the next round Sligo will face Viking Stravanger and St Pats will play CSKA Sofia

Defender Shane Blaney scored this absolute screamer for Sligo in that game as well.

Not sure he learned that at Donny...

[The Kraig]

On 29/07/2022 at 10:40, Adam said:

Defender Shane Blaney scored this absolute screamer for Sligo in that game as well.

Not sure he learned that at Donny...

Motherwell sacked Graham Alexander following this 'upset'.

[Lineker]

 

Text article

[DFF]

Shout out to FC Vaduz, the first team from Liechtenstein to ever qualify for a group stage of a Uefa competition!

[The Kraig]

On 26/08/2022 at 08:26, DFF said:

Shout out to FC Vaduz, the first team from Liechtenstein to ever qualify for a group stage of a Uefa competition!

They've had a good run! Then bloody drew with Rapid and ruined my accumulator. 😠

[Hobo]

Shamrock Rovers drew their opening game! They got more money for drawing against Djurgården than they would for winning the League of Ireland.

[The Kraig]

Hearts joining the Glasgow clubs in showing everyone how strong Scottish football is at the moment.

[Colly]

Martin Dubravka moving to Man Utd looking for minutes, burning his bridges on the way out, then not even getting cup games is one of my highlights of this season.

[Lineker]

 

[The Kraig]

On 07/11/2022 at 14:04, Lineker said:

 

Weird seeing Dnipro back from the dead.

[Naitch]

Who are the favourites to win this year? Of these teams I'd expect the Italian clubs to do well, but I have no idea what their current form is like.

West Ham and Villareal seem like the strongest group winners, maybe AZ after them?

I'd love to see a final between two teams that haven't been anywhere near the Champions League knockouts. Feyenoord apparently (and surprisingly, to me) fit that bill but Roma were literally in the CL semi finals 5 seasons ago and the Europa League semis 2 seasons ago, so don't quite have the same underdog vibes.

[The Kraig]

2 hours ago, Naitch said:

Who are the favourites to win this year? Of these teams I'd expect the Italian clubs to do well, but I have no idea what their current form is like.

West Ham and Villareal seem like the strongest group winners, maybe AZ after them?

I'd love to see a final between two teams that haven't been anywhere near the Champions League knockouts. Feyenoord apparently (and surprisingly, to me) fit that bill but Roma were literally in the CL semi finals 5 seasons ago and the Europa League semis 2 seasons ago, so don't quite have the same underdog vibes.

I'd say Villarreal and Lazio are the favourites. But looking at the pool of teams, I think Braga, Başakşehir and AZ are in with chances to realistically win it too. Then there's the part of me that would love it if Djurgårdens or Slovan mount a route to the final, bit of a change from the norm. It's definitely gonna be interesting for a fan like me.

If West Ham were having a better season I might see them as favourites, but not right now.

[Lineker]

Europa Conference League Round of 16 draw

• AEK Larnaca v West Ham
• Fiorentina v Sivasspor
• Lazio v AZ Alkmaar
• Lech Poznan v Djurgardens IF
• Basel v Slovan Bratislava
• Sheriff Tiraspol v Nice
• Anderlecht v Villarreal
• Gent v Istanbul Basaksehir

First legs scheduled for 9th March, with second legs slated for 16th March.

[Lineker]

 

[Lineker]

West Ham are going to win this bloody thing, aren't they.

[Colly]

I wouldn't begrudge them it after contributing this to the world:

 

[Lineker]

 

(Thanks @Szumi - A Polack)

[stokeriño]

If I worked in such a capacity for any football club, the practical need to prepare these kind of celebrations for things that may (or indeed probably will) fail would absolutely crush my soul every time I had to do it.