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What is the Europa Conference League and will Man Utd have to play in it?

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THERE is a new Uefa competition on the block this season – the Europa Conference League.

Here’s all you need to know about the tournament, which this season saw two English teams take part – Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.

Cristiano Ronaldo could be playing in the Europa Conference League next seasonCredit: Reuters

What is the Europa Conference League?

The Europa Conference League is Uefa’s third tier European competition, formed in 2021.

The idea of it is 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.

The slot is allocated to the side which wins the Carabao Cup, assuming they have not already qualified for Europe through the league.

However, in 2022/23 it will be allocated to the seventh placed Premier League team as Champions League sides Liverpool and Chelsea have faced off in both the League and FA Cup final.

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin says the Europa Conference League gives more clubs than ever before the chance to play in EuropeCredit: EPA

Which other teams qualify for the Europa Conference League?

European football now involves 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.

After European football’s winter break, the Conference League also welcomes third placed teams from the Europa League group stage, which is how Leicester reached the 2022 semi-final.

Will Man Utd end up in the Europa Conference League?

As of May 13, West Ham sit in seventh place in the Premier League, three points behind Man Utd in sixth – a Europa League spot.

However, the Hammers have a game in hand at home to Man City and and a far superior goal difference.

Should West Ham win both their remaining games or earn three points more than Man Utd do before the end of the season, they will reach Europe’s second tier competition and condemn incoming United boss Erik ten Hag to the Conference League.

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How has the Europa League changed?

The Europa League group stage has been reduced to 32 teams from the current 48.

Group winners 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

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