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UEFA Europa League and Conference League League Phase Draws Completed

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9 sources across 8 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • Le Monde France · Centre-left · Fonds pour l'independance de la presse
  • France 24 France · Centre · Public · France Medias Monde (French state holding)
  • Frankfurter Allgemeine Germany · Centre-right · FAZIT-Stiftung (foundation)
  • Telex Hungary · Centre · Reader-funded, staff-owned
  • ANSA Italy · Centre · Publisher cooperative
  • Aftenposten Norway · Centre-right · Schibsted, Tinius Trust foundation
  • Al Jazeera Qatar · Centre-left · State-affiliated · Qatari government funded
  • El Pais Spain · Centre-left · Grupo PRISA
  • BBC News United Kingdom · Centre · Public · Licence fee, royal charter

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

The draws for the league phases of the UEFA Europa League and Conference League took place on Friday in Monaco. The Europa League final is scheduled for May 26, 2027, in Frankfurt, while the Conference League final will follow on June 2, 2027, in Istanbul. Under the new format, 36 teams compete in the Europa League league phase, each playing eight different opponents: four at home and four away. The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, while those finishing between ninth and 24th enter a two legged play off round. In the Conference League, teams play six matches: three at home and three away.

Among the high profile matchups, AC Milan will face both Bournemouth and Sunderland. Bournemouth will host Milan, while Sunderland will travel to the San Siro. Crystal Palace, the reigning Conference League winners, will compete in the Europa League and face opponents including Lyon, Real Sociedad, and Besiktas. In France, Olympique de Marseille and Olympique lyonnais both drew Bayer Leverkusen. Stade rennais will face Juventus Turin. Spanish sides Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo also face a demanding schedule, with both teams drawn against Juventus.

Other notable fixtures include Ferencvaros facing Juventus at home and AC Milan away. In the Conference League, Brighton and Hearts will both face Monaco. Getafe will face Ajax, a matchup that marks Getafe's return to European competition. Norwegian side Lillestrøm will compete in the Europa League, facing Lyon and Real Sociedad, while Brann will participate in the Conference League against Braga and Gent.

Perspectives on the draw varied by region and political lean. Center leaning sources focused on the general difficulty of the brackets for French teams and the glamour of the English ties. Center left sources emphasized the financial difficulties at Marseille and the specific challenges facing Spanish and French clubs. Center right sources highlighted the prospects of German clubs like Bayer Leverkusen and SC Freiburg, as well as the specific narratives surrounding Norwegian players and coaches.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
Highlighted the financial struggles of Marseille and the demanding nature of the league phase for Spanish and French clubs.
Centre
Focused on the overall difficulty of the brackets for French teams and the prestige of the English matchups.
Centre-right
Emphasized the outlook for German clubs and detailed personal narratives involving Norwegian football figures.

Sources

92% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.