When is the Europa Conference League group stage draw? Teams, pots, TV and streaming
Nicholas Hughes
- Updated: 13 Aug 2021 11:52 BST
- 3 min read
The European footballing landscape is poised to welcome in a new competition in the 2021/22 season with the inaugural Europa Conference League set to take place.
The competition is designed to bring increased opportunities for smaller European clubs to compete on the continental stage, with the first final set for Tirana in Albania on May 25.
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But who will play in the competition, and when will the group stage draw take place? Here is everything you need to know about the UEFA Europa Conference League.
When is the Europa Conference League group stage draw?
The draw for the group stages of the Europa Conference League will take place on August 27, streaming live from Istanbul.
The draw will place 32 teams into eight groups of four, just as in the Champions League and Europa League.
Which teams are in the Europa Conference League draw?
In a bid to increase competition, no teams automatically qualify for the Europa Conference League through their league position, unlike the Champions League and Europa League.
Teams in Europe’s top five leagues will join at the final qualification stage, while the journey began for the first teams back in July.
Tottenham Hotspur are representing the Premier League while Roma, Union Berlin and Rennes are taking part from Italy, Germany and France respectively.
What are the pots for the Europa Conference League draw?
Once qualification is complete, the 32 teams will be equally divided in four pots based on their UEFA coefficient ranking.
Groups will contain one team from each pot, although clubs from the same association are unable to be placed in the same group.
Where can I watch and stream the draw?
In the United Kingdom, BT Sport 1 will begin coverage of the draw at 12:00 BST.
The draw will also be streamed live via UEFA’s official website.
When are the Europa Conference League games taking place?
Europa Conference League fixtures will coincide with Europa League matches, taking place on Thursdays across the continent.
The group stages will begin on September 16, with the final matchday set for December 9.
Play-offs for the knockout rounds, which will involve the eight second-placed Europa Conference League teams and the eight third-placed Europa League teams, are set for February 17 and 24.
The Round of 16 proper is scheduled for March 10 and 17, quarter-finals on April 7 and 14 and semi-finals April 28 and May 5 ahead of the final on May 25.
Will fans be allowed in the stadiums?
Home fans will be permitted in stadiums for the Europa Conference League.
Away fans are currently not allowed to attend matches through the play-off and qualification stages, though this may change once the actual competition begins.
