Europa Conference League - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. The Europa Conference League is a new UEFA club competition that was introduced in 2021. It sits below the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Champions League in terms of prestige.
- 2. The competition was created to provide more clubs from smaller European nations with the opportunity to compete in European competition.
- 3. The Europa Conference League features a total of 32 teams in the group stage, with teams qualifying from domestic leagues across Europe.
- 4. The competition consists of three qualifying rounds, a playoff round, a group stage, knockout rounds, and a final.
- 5. The group stage is made up of eight groups of four teams each, with teams playing each other home and away.
- 6. The knockout rounds consist of a round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final, which is typically held in May.
- 7. The winner of the Europa Conference League earns a spot in the following season's UEFA Europa League group stage.
- 8. The prize money for the Europa Conference League is significantly lower than that of the Europa League and Champions League, but it still provides clubs with a valuable source of revenue.
- 9. The competition has been met with mixed reactions from fans and clubs, with some criticizing it for diluting the quality of European competition, while others see it as a chance for smaller clubs to shine on the continental stage.
- 10. The inaugural season of the Europa Conference League was won by Roma, who defeated Vitesse in the final to lift the trophy.