Europa League format: How will the new system work?
- Europa League has adopted a Swiss model from the 2024/25 season
- Group stage ditched in favour of league table
- 36 teams taking part in this season's competition
It's all change in Europe in 2024/25, with UEFA's club competitions undergoing significant format alterations.
Much of the discourse surrounding UEFA's newly introduced 'Swiss model' has centred around the Champions League. However, its younger sibling, the Europa League, has also adopted the new system.
While the Champions League remains the top dog, there's no denying the Europa's increased prestige in recent years. Sure, Sevilla might win it every other year, but the competition typically boasts teams more than capable of competing at the continent's top table.
The introduction of a third UEFA club competition, the Conference League, in 2021 aided the Europa League from a competitive standpoint. A streamlining of participants boosted its average quality and has ensured the journey from start to finish is less arduous but still incredibly rewarding.
So, what's the 'Swiss model' all about? Here are the format changes that have been made to the 2024/25 Europa League.
2024/25 Europa League format
Following the Conference League's emergence, 32 teams made up the Europa League's group stage. From 2024/25, 36 teams qualify for what UEFA are calling a 'league stage'.
There are no more groups and a team's position in the league table will instead determine whether they progress into the knockout rounds.
Each team plays eight league stage games - four apiece home and away - in a bid to finish as high as they can in the league table. The top eight advance directly into the round of 16, with teams finishing between ninth and 24th qualifying for the knockout play-off round. The remaining teams are eliminated and do not drop into the Conference League.
The eight winners of the play-off ties will join the top eight in the last 16.
From that stage on, the usual knockout format will ensue. Two legs - home and away - up until the final in Bilbao.
How did the 2024/25 Europa League league stage draw work?
The Europa League draw took place on 30 August, with the 36 qualified teams divided into four pots of nine based on their UEFA coefficients.
Teams weren't drawn into groups of four. Instead, the draw determined their eight league stage opponents. Each team was drawn against two teams from all four pots.
The 2024/25 league stage draw provided some tantalising match-ups, with the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur discovering their opponents.
2024/25 Europa League league stage fixtures
Matchday 1
Date & kick-off time (BST) | Fixture |
|---|---|
25/09/24 - 17:45 | AZ Alkmaar vs Elfsborg |
25/09/24 - 17:45 | Bodo/Glimt vs Porto |
25/09/24 - 20:00 | Anderlecht vs Ferencvaros |
25/09/24 - 20:00 | Dynamo Kyiv vs Lazio |
25/09/24 - 20:00 | Midtjylland vs Hoffenheim |
25/09/24 - 20:00 | Galatasaray vs PAOK |
25/09/24 - 20:00 | Ludogorets vs Slavia Prague |
25/09/24 - 20:00 | Man Utd vs FC Twente |
25/09/24 - 20:00 | Nice vs Real Sociedad |
26/09/24 - 17:45 | Fenerbahce vs Union Saint-Gilloise |
26/09/24 - 17:45 | Malmo vs Rangers |
26/09/24 - 20:00 | Ajax vs Besiktas |
26/09/24 - 20:00 | Braga vs Maccabi Tel Aviv |
26/09/24 - 20:00 | Eintracht Frankfurt vs Viktoria Plzen |
26/09/24 - 20:00 | FCSB vs RFS |
26/09/24 - 20:00 | Lyon vs Olympiacos |
26/09/24 - 20:00 | Roma vs Athletic Club |
26/09/24 - 20:00 | Tottenham vs Qarabag |
Matchday 2
Date & kick-off time (BST) | Fixture |
|---|---|
03/10/24 - 17:45 | Ferencvaros vs Tottenham |
03/10/24 - 17:45 | Hoffenheim vs Dynamo Kyiv |
03/10/24 - 17:45 | Lazio vs Nice |
03/10/24 - 17:45 | Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Midtjylland |
03/10/24 - 17:45 | Olympiacos vs Braga |
03/10/24 - 17:45 | Qarabag vs Malmo |
03/10/24 - 17:45 | Real Sociedad vs Anderlecht |
03/10/24 - 17:45 | RFS vs Galatasaray |
03/10/24 - 17:45 | Slavia Prague vs Ajax |
03/10/24 - 20:00 | Athletic Club vs AZ Alkmaar |
03/10/24 - 20:00 | Besiktas vs Eintracht Frankfurt |
03/10/24 - 20:00 | Elfsborg vs Roma |
03/10/24 - 20:00 | Porto vs Man Utd |
03/10/24 - 20:00 | FC Twente vs Fenerbahce |
03/10/24 - 20:00 | PAOK vs FCSB |
03/10/24 - 20:00 | Rangers vs Lyon |
03/10/24 - 20:00 | Union Saint-Gilloise vs Bodo/Glimt |
03/10/24 - 20:00 | Viktoria Plzen vs Ludogorets |
Matchday 3
Date & kick-off time (BST) | Fixture |
|---|---|
23/10/24 - 15:30 | Braga vs Bodo/Glimt |
23/10/24 - 15:30 | Galatasaray vs Elfsborg |
24/10/24 - 17:45 | Eintracht Frankfurt vs RFS |
24/10/24 - 17:45 | Midtjylland vs Union Saint-Gilloise |
24/10/24 - 17:45 | Ferencvaros vs Nice |
24/10/24 - 17:45 | Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Real Sociedad |
24/10/24 - 17:45 | PAOK vs Viktoria Plzen |
24/10/24 - 17:45 | Qarabag vs Ajax |
24/10/24 - 17:45 | Roma vs Dynamo Kyiv |
24/10/24 - 20:00 | Anderlecht vs Ludogorets |
24/10/24 - 20:00 | Athletic Club vs Slavia Prague |
24/10/24 - 20:00 | Porto vs Hoffenheim |
24/10/24 - 20:00 | FC Twente vs Lazio |
24/10/24 - 20:00 | Fenerbahce vs Man Utd |
24/10/24 - 20:00 | Lyon vs Besiktas |
24/10/24 - 20:00 | Malmo vs Olympiacos |
24/10/24 - 20:00 | Rangers vs FCSB |
24/10/24 - 20:00 | Tottenham vs AZ Alkmaar |
Matchday 4
Date & kick-off time (GMT) | Fixture |
|---|---|
06/11/24 - 15:30 | Besiktas vs Malmo |
07/11/24 - 17:45 | Bodo/Glimt vs Qarabag |
07/11/24 - 17:45 | Eintracht Frankfurt vs Slavia Prague |
07/11/24 - 17:45 | Elfsborg vs Braga |
07/11/24 - 17:45 | FCSB vs Midtjylland |
07/11/24 - 17:45 | Galatasaray vs Tottenham |
07/11/24 - 17:45 | Ludogorets vs Athletic Club |
07/11/24 - 17:45 | Nice vs FC Twente |
07/11/24 - 17:45 | Olympiacos vs Rangers |
07/11/24 - 17:45 | Union Saint-Gilloise vs Roma |
07/11/24 - 20:00 | Ajax vs Maccabi Tel Aviv |
07/11/24 - 20:00 | AZ Alkmaar vs Fenerbahce |
07/11/24 - 20:00 | Dynamo Kyiv vs Ferencvaros |
07/11/24 - 20:00 | Hoffenheim vs Lyon |
07/11/24 - 20:00 | Lazio vs Porto |
07/11/24 - 20:00 | Man Utd vs PAOK |
07/11/24 - 20:00 | RFS vs Anderlecht |
07/11/24 - 20:00 | Viktoria Plzen vs Real Sociedad |
Matchday 5
Date & kick-off time (GMT) | Fixture |
|---|---|
28/11/24 - 17:45 | Anderlecht vs Porto |
28/11/24 - 17:45 | Athletic Club vs Elfsborg |
28/11/24 - 17:45 | AZ Alkmaar vs Galatasaray |
28/11/24 - 17:45 | Besiktas vs Maccabi Tel Aviv |
28/11/24 - 17:45 | Dynamo Kyiv vs Viktoria Plzen |
28/11/24 - 17:45 | Lazio vs Ludogorets |
28/11/24 - 17:45 | Qarabag vs Lyon |
28/11/24 - 17:45 | RFS vs PAOK |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | Braga vs Hoffenheim |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | FCSB vs Olympiacos |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | Midtjylland vs Eintracht Frankfurt |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | FC Twente vs Union Saint-Gilloise |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | Ferencvaros vs Malmo |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | Man Utd vs Bodo/Glimt |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | Nice vs Rangers |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | Real Sociedad vs Ajax |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | Slavia Prague vs Fenerbahce |
28/11/24 - 20:00 | Tottenham vs Roma |
Matchday 6
Date & kick-off time (GMT) | Fixture |
|---|---|
11/12/24 - 15:30 | Fenerbahce vs Athletic Club |
12/12/24 - 17:45 | Hoffenheim vs FCSB |
12/12/24 - 17:45 | Ludogorets vs AZ Alkmaar |
12/12/24 - 17:45 | Malmo vs Galatasaray |
12/12/24 - 17:45 | Olympiacos vs FC Twente |
12/12/24 - 17:45 | PAOK vs Ferencvaros |
12/12/24 - 17:45 | Roma vs Braga |
12/12/24 - 17:45 | Union Saint-Gilloise vs Nice |
12/12/24 - 17:45 | Viktoria Plzen vs Man Utd |
12/12/24 - 20:00 | Ajax vs Lazio |
12/12/24 - 20:00 | Bodo/Glimt vs Besiktas |
12/12/24 - 20:00 | Elfsborg vs Qarabag |
12/12/24 - 20:00 | Porto vs Midtjylland |
12/12/24 - 20:00 | Lyon vs Eintracht Frankfurt |
12/12/24 - 20:00 | Maccabi Tel Aviv vs RFS |
12/12/24 - 20:00 | Rangers vs Tottenham |
12/12/24 - 20:00 | Real Sociedad vs Dynamo Kyiv |
12/12/24 - 20:00 | Slavia Prague vs Anderlecht |
Matchday 7
Date & kick-off time (GMT) | Fixture |
|---|---|
21/01/25 - 15:30 | Galatasaray vs Dynamo Kyiv |
22/01/25 -15:30 | Besiktas vs Athletic Club |
23/01/25 - 17:45 | AZ Alkmaar vs Roma |
23/01/25 - 17:45 | Bodo/Glimt vs Maccabi Tel Aviv |
23/01/25 - 17:45 | Porto vs Olympiacos |
23/01/25 - 17:45 | Fenerbahce vs Lyon |
23/01/25 - 17:45 | Hoffenheim vs Tottenham |
23/01/25 - 17:45 | Malmo vs FC Twente |
23/01/25 - 17:45 | Qarabag vs FCSB |
23/01/25 - 17:45 | Viktoria Plzen vs Anderlecht |
23/01/25 - 20:00 | Eintracht Frankfurt vs Ferencvaros |
23/01/25 - 20:00 | Elfsborg vs Nice |
23/01/25 - 20:00 | Lazio vs Real Sociedad |
23/01/25 - 20:00 | Ludogorets vs Midtjylland |
23/01/25 - 20:00 | Man Utd vs Rangers |
23/01/25 - 20:00 | PAOK vs Slavia Prague |
23/01/25 - 20:00 | RFS vs Ajax |
23/01/25 - 20:00 | Union Saint-Gilloise vs Braga |
Matchday 8
Date & kick-off time (GMT) | Fixture |
|---|---|
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Ajax vs Galatasaray |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Anderlecht vs Hoffenheim |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Athletic Club vs Viktoria Plzen |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Braga vs Lazio |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Dynamo Kyiv vs RFS |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | FCSB vs Man Utd |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Midtjylland vs Fenerbahce |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | FC Twente vs Besiktas |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Ferencvaros vs AZ Alkmaar |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Lyon vs Ludogorets |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Maccabi Tel Aviv vs Porto |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Nice vs Bodo/Glimt |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Olympiacos vs Qarabag |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Rangers vs Union Saint-Gilloise |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Real Sociedad vs PAOK |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Roma vs Eintracht Frankfurt |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Slavia Prague vs Malmo |
30/01/25 - 20:00 | Tottenham vs Elfsborg |
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