UEFA will be starting a new European competition from next season – the Europa Conference League.
Here’s all you need to know about the tournament, which will see one English team take part.
What is the Europa Conference League?
The Europa Conference League is Uefa’s new third tier European competition.
The idea is theoretically to give more clubs from more countries the chance to play European football.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: “The new UEFA club competition makes UEFA’s club competitions more inclusive than ever before.
“There will be more matches for more clubs, with more associations represented in the group stages.”
Like the Champions League and Europa League, the competition will consist of a group and knockout stage.
Which English teams qualify for the Europa Conference League?
England has been granted one Europa Conference League place.
That will go to the Carabao Cup winner, should they not finish in the top 6.
If a top 6 side wins the Carabao Cup, the Conference League spot will go to the team finishing seventh in the Premier League.
All other Premier League European spots are unchanged, with the top 4 entering the Champions League and fifth and sixth being granted Europa League spots.
Which other teams qualify for the Europa Conference League?
The 2021-22 European season will involve a slimmed down Europa League with more teams entering the Conference League.
Just 57 teams will compete in the Europa League compared to 184 in the Europa Conference League.
While the champions of every country will get the chance to qualify for the Champions League, all other teams from countries ranked below 15th in the Uefa Coefficients will enter the Europa Conference League rather than the Europa League.
Teams eliminated from the Champions League preliminary round and first qualifying rounds will also go to the Conference League, as well as those eliminated from the Europa League third qualifying round, play-off round and third place finishers in the group stage.
How will the Europa League change?
The Europa League group stage will be reduced to 32 teams from the current 48.
Group winners will now advance to the last 16 of the tournament while runners-up will have to play a preliminary knockout stage against the third placed Champions League teams.
Does the winner of the Europa Conference League qualify for any other tournaments?
The Europa Conference League winner will qualify for the following season’s Europa League.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
