2024–25 UEFA Europa League league phase
The 2024–25 UEFA Europa League league phase will begin on 25 September 2024 and end on 30 January 2025. A total of 36 teams will compete in the league phase to decide the 24 places in the knockout phase of the 2024–25 UEFA Europa League.
RFS will make their debut appearance since the introduction of the group stage. A total of 23 national associations will be represented in the league phase.
This will be the first season with the single-league format, which replaces the group format used until the previous season.[1] With the format change, the number of matches prior to the knockout phase will increase from 96 to 144.
Format
editEach team will play eight matches, four at home and four away, against eight different opponents, with all 36 teams ranked in a single league table. Teams will be separated into four pots based on their 2024 UEFA club coefficients, and each team will play two teams from each of the four pots – one at home and one away. The top eight ranked teams will receive a bye to the round of 16. The teams ranked from 9th to 24th will contest the knockout phase play-offs, with the teams ranked from 9th to 16th seeded for the draw. Teams ranked from 25th to 36th are eliminated from all competitions, with no access to the 2024–25 UEFA Conference League.
Tiebreakers
editTeams will be ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw, 0 points for a loss). If two or more teams are equal on points upon completion of the league phase, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine their rankings:[2]
- Goal difference;
- Goals scored;
- Away goals scored;
- Wins;
- Away wins;
- Higher number of points obtained collectively by league phase opponents;
- Superior collective goal difference of league phase opponents;
- Higher number of goals scored collectively by league phase opponents;
- Lower disciplinary points total (direct red card = 3 points, yellow card = 1 point, expulsion for two yellow cards in one match = 3 points);
- UEFA club coefficient.
Teams and seeding
editThe 36 teams were divided into four pots of nine teams each, with teams allocated to pots based on their 2024 UEFA club coefficients.[3][4] The participants include:
- 13 teams which entered at this stage
- 12 winners of the play-off round
- 7 losers of the Champions League play-off round (5 from the Champions Path, 2 from the League Path)
- 4 losers of the Champions League third qualifying round (League Path)
| Key to colours |
|---|
| Teams ranked 1 to 8 advance to the round of 16 as a seeded team |
| Teams ranked 9 to 16 advance to the knockout phase play-offs as a seeded team |
| Teams ranked 17 to 24 advance to the knockout phase play-offs as an unseeded team |
|
|
|
|
Notes
- ECL Europa Conference League title holders (now known as the Conference League)
- EL-PO Winners of play-off round
- CL-CP Losers of Champions League play-off round (Champions Path)
- CL-LP Losers of Champions League play-off round (League Path)
- CL-L3 Losers of Champions League third qualifying round (League Path)
Draw
editThe draw for the league phase pairings was held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on 30 August 2024, 13:00 CEST.[5][6] All 36 teams were manually drawn using physical balls. For every team manually drawn, automated software digitally drew their opponents at random, determining which of their matches were at home and which ones away. Each team will face two opponents from each of the four pots, one of which they will face at home and one away. Teams could not face opponents from their own association, and could only be drawn against a maximum of two sides from the same association. The draw started with Pot 1, assigning opponents to all teams, one after the other, and continued with the other pots in descending order until all teams were assigned their opponents.[7][8][9]
The switch to a primarily computer-based draw was made due to issues with the complexity and duration required by a manual draw.[10] The draw software, developed by AE Live, will guarantee total randomness within the framework of the draw conditions and prevent any deadlock situations. The software was reviewed by external auditor Ernst & Young, which will also provide review and control of the manual and digital draw operations on-site.[7]
League phase table
edit
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Roma
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to round of 16 (seeded) |
| 2 |  Manchester United
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 |  Porto
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 |  Ajax
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 |  Rangers
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 |  Eintracht Frankfurt
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Lazio
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 |  Slavia Prague
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout phase play-offs (seeded) |
| 10 |  Real Sociedad
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | AZ
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Braga
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 |  Olympiacos
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 |  Lyon
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | PAOK
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 |  Fenerbahçe
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 |  Maccabi Tel Aviv
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Advance to knockout phase play-offs (unseeded) |
| 18 |  Ferencváros
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 19 |  Qarabağ
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 20 | Galatasaray
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 21 | Viktoria Plzeň
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 22 |  Bodø/Glimt
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 23 |  Union Saint-Gilloise
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 |  Dynamo Kyiv
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 |  Ludogorets Razgrad
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 26 |  Midtjylland
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 27 |  Malmö FF
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 28 | Athletic Bilbao
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 29 | TSG Hoffenheim
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 30 | Nice
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 31 | Anderlecht
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 32 | Twente
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 33 | Beşiktaş
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 34 |  FCSB
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 35 |  RFS
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 36 | IF Elfsborg
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: League phase tiebreakers
Results summary
editMatches
editThe fixture list was announced on 31 August 2024, the day after the draw.[12] This was to ensure no calendar clashes with teams in Champions League and Conference League playing in the same cities.[7]
In principle, each team will not play more than two home matches or two away matches in a row, and will play one home match and one away match across both the first and last two matchdays. The matches will be played on 25–26 September (exclusive week),[note 1] 3 October, 24 October, 7 November, 28 November, 12 December 2024, 23 January and 30 January 2025. All matches will be played on Thursdays, except for the competition's exclusive week, which also includes Wednesday fixtures. In principle, the scheduled kick-off times will be 16:30, 18:45 and 21:00 CET/CEST. All fixtures on the final matchday will be played simultaneously at 21:00.[14][15]
Times are CET or CEST,[note 2] as listed by UEFA (local times, if different, are in parentheses).
Matchday 1
editMatchday 2
editMatchday 3
editMatchday 4
editMatchday 5
editMatchday 6
editMatchday 7
editMatchday 8
editNotes
edit- ^ As part of the scheduling for the 2024–25 UEFA men's club season, each competition will have an "exclusive week" in the calendar, with no other competitions scheduled during this week. For the Europa League, this will take place on matchday 1 (25–26 September 2024).[13]
- ^ CEST (UTC+2) for dates up to 26 October 2024 (matchdays 1–3), and CET (UTC+1) for dates thereafter (matchdays 4–8).
- ^ a b c d Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian teams are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[16]
- ^ a b c d Due to the Israel–Hamas war, Israeli teams are required to play their home matches at neutral venues until further notice.[17]
- ^ a b c d Union Saint-Gilloise will play their home matches at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels, instead of their regular stadium, Joseph Marien Stadium, Brussels, which did not meet UEFA requirements.
References
edit- ^ "UEFA approves final format and access list for its club competitions as of the 2024/25 season". UEFA.com. 10 May 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
- ^ "Article 18 Equity of points – league phase". UEFA.com. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Europa League: League phase draw pots confirmed". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "Club coefficients". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 3 August 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
- ^ "UEFA Europa League: League phase draw". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "UEFA: Men's Club Competition Season Kick-Off". Grimaldi Forum. Archived from the original on 27 August 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ a b c "UEFA Club Competitions 2024/25 onwards: new league phase draw procedures explained". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Champions League, Europa League and Conference League league phase draws: All you need to know about the European Club Football Season Kick-off in Monaco". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "UEFA Europa League – Draw procedure: League phase" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "New Champions League format: Getting to grips with the maths". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ "Europa League league phase draw: Contenders set for competition's new era". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ "2024/25 UEFA Europa League: League phase match calendar (by matchday)" (PDF). UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "How does the new-format UEFA Champions League work?". Bundesliga. Deutsche Fußball Liga. 3 June 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ "New format for Champions League post-2024: Everything you need to know". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 12 June 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ "Article 25 Stadium announcements and kick-off times". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
- ^ "Decisions from today's extraordinary UEFA Executive Committee meeting". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ "European Qualifier match between Belgium and Sweden declared abandoned with half-time result confirmed as final". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.