When is the 2022/23 Europa Conference League knockout play-offs draw?
By Max Parsons
Last season's introduction of the Europa Conference League has undeniably been beneficial for the lower echelons of European football.
The 2022/23 campaign's competition (including qualifying rounds) has featured clubs from a whopping 54 associations and, while we can't claim to have followed Lithuanian outfit Valmiera's 5-2 aggregate defeat to Macedonian side Shkendija in the second qualifying round too closely, it's undoubtedly brilliant to see these teams compete in European competition.
The first port of call after the group stage are the knockout play-offs, with 16 teams vying to join the eight group winners in the last 16. Here's all you need to know.
- When is the 2022/23 Champions League last 16 draw?
- When is the 2022/23 Europa League knockout stage draw?
When is the 2022/23 Europa Conference League knockout play-offs draw?
The draw for the Europa Conference League knockout playoffs draw will take place on Monday 7 November at 13:00 (GMT).
It will take place at UEFA headquarters, located in Nyon, Switzerland.
Who is in the 2022/23 Europa Conference League knockout play-offs draw?
Eight teams have earned the right to avoid slogging through a play-off, having finish top of their groups in the 2022.23 Europa Conference League. Those teams are:
- Istanbul Basaksehir
- West Ham United
- Villarreal
- Nice
- AZ Alkmaar
- Djugardens IF
- Sivaspor
- Slovan Bratislava
Much like the Europa League, the knockout phase will be beefed up by some competitors dropping down a rung on the intercontinental football pyramid.
One potential bout stands out, with the possibility of Fiorentina and Braga shaping up against each other.
Europa League group runners-up
- Fiorentina
- Anderlecht
- Lech Poznan
- Partizan
- Dnipro-1
- Gent
- CFR Cluj
- Basel
Europa League group third-placed teams
- Bodo-Glimt
- AEK Larnaca
- Ludogorets
- Braga
- Sheriff Tiraspol
- Lazio
- Qarabag
- Trabzonspor
How does the 2022/23 Europa Conference League knockout play-offs draw work?
The eight runners-up from the Europa Conference League groups will be seeded in the draw, being while the sides that finished third in their respective Europa League groups are unseeded.
The subsequent draw is as you'd expect, pulling balls out of bowls to determine the match-ups.
The seeded sides will all host the second legs of these ties, while no two teams from the same Association can be drawn against each other - eliminating the possibility of a very interesting-looking battle between Fiorentina and Lazio.
When are the 2022/23 Europa League knockout play-offs?
The first legs of the 2022/23 Europa Conference League knockout play-offs will take place on 16 February, with the second legs scheduled for the 23 February.