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    Cole Palmer ‘becomes instant meme’ with coldest response yet to Servette fans’ fireworks show against Chelsea

    COLE PALMER’S ice cool reaction to Servette fans’ in-game firework show has gone viral.The Blues qualified for the Europa Conference League 3-2 on aggregate despite losing 2-1 to the Swiss side in the second leg.Cole Palmer’s reaction to the fireworks show has gone viralServette ultras let off fireworks inside the groundCredit: EPAWith just a few minutes to go until the final whistle, play was temporarily suspended as Servette ultras caused gave the match a deafening crescendo.Their fans positioned behind Chelsea stopper Filip Jorgensen’s goal let off flares and fireworks inside the ground.Players from both teams stood and watched from the other side of the pitch – but it was the reaction of Palmer that stunned fans.The England star looked as cool as a cucumber, sitting on the ball at the side of the pitch to watch Servette’s Guy Fawkes-inspired display.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLSupporters loved it, with one saying: “Palmer is just too funny.”Another added: “This is going to become an instant meme.”A third commented: “Palmer watching the fireworks was so cute actually like awww.”More reacted: “Best part of the match.”Most read in FootballFOOTBALL FREE BETS AND SIGN UP DEALSChelsea fans were able to watch the fireworks and the match after a technical problem saw the club’s £4.99 stream ditched.An error message occurred for supporters tuning in and eventually they decide to broadcast the match for free. Mykhailo Mudryk reveals his cheat meal and best Chelsea pals in Q&A Players signed under Boehly at ChelseaRaheem Sterling – £50mKalidou Koulibaly £33mGabriel Slonina – £8mCarney Chukweumeka – £20mMarc Cucurella – £57.5mCesare Casadei – £13.3mWesley Fofana – £70mPierre-Emerick Aubameyang – £10.3mDenis Zakaria – £2.7m (Loan fee)David Datro Fofana – £10.6mBenoit Badiashile – £33.7mAndrey Santos – £11.1mJoao Felix – £9.7m (Loan fee)Mykhailo Mudryk – £62m Noni Madueke – £30mMalo Gusto – £26.75mEnzo Fernandez – £107.8mChristopher Nkunku – £52mDiego Moreira – FREENicolas Jackson – £31.5mAngelo Gabriel – £13mLesley Ugochukwu – £23.3mAxel Disasi – £38.9mRobert Sanchez – £20mMoises Caicedo – £115mRomeo Lavia – £53.2mDeivid Washington – £13.7mCole Palmer – £40.1mDjordje Petrovic – £13.6mTosin Adarabioyo – FREEMarc Guiu – £5.1mCaleb Wiley – £8.63mRenato Veiga – £12mAarón Anselmino – £14mOmari Kellyman – £19.2mFilip Jorgensen – £21mKiernan Dewsbury-Hall – £30.2mPedro Neto – £51mJoao Felix – £42.6mMike Penders – £17m More

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    Chelsea player ratings: Nkunku shows he’s worth the wait but Dewsbury-Hall struggles as Maresca’s Blues avoid shock exit

    CHELSEA made it through to the group stage of the Europa Conference League by the skin of their teeth.The Blues went into the second leg of their qualifier for Europe’s tertiary club competition leading Swiss side FC Servette 2-0 on aggregate.Chelsea travelled to Switzerland for the second leg of their Europa Conference League qualifier with ServetteCredit: APChristopher Nkunku broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 14th minuteCredit: GettyEnzo Crivelli fired Servette into a 2-1 leadCredit: EPAChristopher Nkunku appeared to kill the tie from the penalty spot 14 minutes into the match.But Jeremy Guilleme’s neat finish in the 32nd minute breathed new life into Servette’s bid to overturn the first-leg deficit.And Enzo Crivelli set up a nervy finish in the 72nd minute with a stunning header that fired them into a 2-1 lead.But the Blues held firm to avoid conceding a fatal third goal that would’ve handed them an embarrassing exit.READ MORE CHELSEA NEWSAnd SunSport is on hand to rate and slate the performances of Enzo Maresca’s troops.Filip Jorgensen – 6/10Had very little to do other than pick the ball out of the net when Guilleme and Crivelli struck. Made a couple of routine saves either side of half-time and commanded his box well during the few set pieces he had to deal with.Axel Disasi – 5Was solid for large portions of the match but allowed Dereck Kutesa to breeze past him too easily in the build-up to Guilleme’s goal.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSTosin Adarabiyo – 6A steady Eddie when called upon. Put himself about when needed and showcased great positional awareness throughout the match.Noni Madueke says ‘I’m sure Wolverhampton is a lovely town’ after Chelsea star’s accidental X-rated postBenoit Badiashile – 6Looked a more reassured figure and showcased better positional awareness than he has done since his return from injury.Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall – 5A quiet night at the office as he struggled to stamp any authority on the game – despite the Blues’ early dominance of the midfield.Renato Veiga – 6Anchored the midfield well and was positionally sound. It’s early days yet, but he looks to be a solid addition to the squad.Enzo Fernandez – 6Forced a fine save from the Servette keeper early in the first half with a long-range drive. But he was also guilty of allowing Kutesa to ghost past him in the build-up to Servette’s first goal.Enzo Fernandez was as steady as everCredit: GettyNoni Madueke – 6Got himself in dangerous positions on numerous occasions but let himself down with poor first touches.Christopher Nkunku – 8Was a constant threat from the outset and made several intelligent runs in behind.Made no mistake from the penalty spot but should’ve doubled his and Chelsea’s haul in the 34th minute.Christopher Nkunku made no mistake from the penalty spotCredit: ReutersMykhailo Mudryk – 6Won the first-half penalty by ghosting in on the defender’s blindside as the ball became loose in the box. But other than that, and an average finish after a neat breakaway in the 52nd minute, he was an anonymous figure.Marc Guiu – 5Was seldom on the ball but wasn’t wasteful with possession when he had it. In fairness to the teenager, he wasn’t given the best service.Mykhailo Mudryk was anonymous for large portions of the matchCredit: GettySubsNicolas Jackson – 6 Thought he’d put the Blues back on level terms not long after Crivelli’s strike but was – as he’s so often been during his Chelsea career – offside.Moises Caicedo – 6 Was brought on to sure up the midfield but offered very little in terms of the defensive shield Maresca wanted him to be.Tyrique George – 6 The teen failed to make any sort of impact in the time given to him by his manager. But in his defence, the Blues were very much on the ropes when he came on in the second half.READ MORE SUN STORIES Cole Palmer – 6 Oozed quality when he came on late in the second half. Should have levelled the scores in the 82nd minute but somehow hit the crossbar when it looked easier to score.Players signed under Boehly at ChelseaRaheem Sterling – £50mKalidou Koulibaly £33mGabriel Slonina – £8mCarney Chukweumeka – £20mMarc Cucurella – £57.5mCesare Casadei – £13.3mWesley Fofana – £70mPierre-Emerick Aubameyang – £10.3mDenis Zakaria – £2.7m (Loan fee)David Datro Fofana – £10.6mBenoit Badiashile – £33.7mAndrey Santos – £11.1mJoao Felix – £9.7m (Loan fee)Mykhailo Mudryk – £62m Noni Madueke – £30mMalo Gusto – £26.75mEnzo Fernandez – £107.8mChristopher Nkunku – £52mDiego Moreira – FREENicolas Jackson – £31.5mAngelo Gabriel – £13mLesley Ugochukwu – £23.3mAxel Disasi – £38.9mRobert Sanchez – £20mMoises Caicedo – £115mRomeo Lavia – £53.2mDeivid Washington – £13.7mCole Palmer – £40.1mDjordje Petrovic – £13.6mTosin Adarabioyo – FREEMarc Guiu – £5.1mCaleb Wiley – £8.63mRenato Veiga – £12mAarón Anselmino – £14mOmari Kellyman – £19.2mFilip Jorgensen – £21mKiernan Dewsbury-Hall – £30.2mPedro Neto – £51mJoao Felix – £42.6mMike Penders – £17m More

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    Servette 2 Chelsea 1 (agg 2-3): Blues limp into Conference League as they cling on to pitiful loss to Swiss minnows

    CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU booked Chelsea’s place in the poor man’s Champions League from a billionaire’s playground.The Frenchman’s first-half penalty was enough to see off a stubborn fightback from Swiss opposition to make it into the Conference League proper.Christopher Nkunku opened the scoring in the clashCredit: ReutersHe powered a strike home from the spotCredit: GettyJeremy Guillemenot levelled the game for ServetteCredit: APBut Chelsea will need to up their game from a distinctly two bob performance if their latest bid to rejoin Europe’s elite isn’t done for by Christmas.Watching co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali and sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart will have noted the stuttering football from the two-times Champions League winners.These three big-spenders will have felt right at home in stylish Switzerland where it can set you back £25 for a rum and coke. And with today being transfer deadline day expect last-minute business being done to throw money at the problem.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLMaresca left a smattering of his big stars out, with Cole Palmer, Marc Cucurella, Nicolas Jackson and Moises Caicedo on the bench thinking it was job done.Without them Nkunku’s early goal provided the single goal cushion to see them through from an unconvincing display, when in reality it should have been the patchy pitch providing the toughest obstacle to a comprehensive away win.The penalty should have been the catalyst for Maresca’s fledglings to run riot and enjoy getting to know each other.Left back Renato Veiga played Mykhailo Mudryk through into the box and the Ukrainian was upended by Keigo Tsunemoto for a stonewall spot kick.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSNkunku slotted home – just like he did in the first leg at Stamford Bridge last week – making it 3-0 on aggregate.But the gameplan took a wobbly turn on 32 minutes when Servette equalised and turned the screw a little on Chelsea’s hopes of a chilled performance in humid conditions.Conference League clash suspended as police evacuate entire away stand after shameful scenesFrom attack to conceding took barely 20 seconds when a Blues attack crumbled.Servette passed their way through a non-existent midfield with Dereck Kutesa bursting through before slipping the ball right for forward Jeremy Guillemenot to drill a shot under Filip Jorgensen before the keeper could react.Nine minutes later, Chelsea were on the back foot again when dangerous Kutesa charged free down the left, causing the Premier League side more anxious moments.Mudryk was again hit and miss and mainly miss, spooning one shot wildly over the bar from the edge of the box.New England recruit Noni Madueke combined well with Nkunku in parts and they were by far Chelsea’s most dangerous pairing with rookie striker Marc Guiu looking lost.Madueke came off as part of a triple substitution at 63 minutes, with Fernandez and Guiu joining him.As part of the triple swap, highly-rated teenage winger Tyrick George was handed his first-team debut in place of Madueke.The wobbly Blues then cracked again with 18 minutes left when Enzo Crivelli squeezed between Tosin and Benoit Badiashile to head in from six yards.By the final whistle, all of Maresca’s big guns were on and England star Palmer rattled the bar with seven minutes to go.READ MORE SUN STORIESPlay was halted with a minute to go when hundreds of noisy fireworks were fired from the home end in a deafening crescendo.Chelsea’s underwhelming players deserved a rocket from Maresca in the dressing room after the final whistle for just scraping through.Enzo Crivelli made it nervy as he put Servette ahead on the nightCredit: EPAChelsea were able to hang on to win on aggregateCredit: EPAThe Blues will now be in to the Conference League properCredit: Reuters More

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    Conference League clash suspended as police evacuate entire away stand after shameful scenes

    POLICE have evacuated away yobs after a Conference League clash was suspended.The tie between NK Olimpija Ljubljana and HNK Rijeka was brought to a halt after flares were thrown into the home stands.A Conference League clash was suspendedCredit: xFlares were thrown into one of the standsCredit: xThe Rijeka hooligans were escorted out by policeCredit: xThe match was stopped in the 65th minute, and the players were taken into the dressing rooms.Reports online have claimed that the Rijeka hooligans started to fight with police who were confronting them.The yobs were then escorted out of the Stožice Stadium in Slovenia.The suspension of the match lasted 26 minutes and was restarted with the away stand empty of fans.READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSFans slammed the actions of the away hooligans as they reacted on social media.One posted: “Just call off the game.”A second wrote: “This is the biggest disaster in Croatian football since I can remember. Shame.”A third commented: “Croatia should be banned from football.”Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSA fourth said: “Those idiots have acted shamefully.”Another added: “I hope those supporters that were near the flares are okay.”The Sun’s Shaun Custis and Martin Lipton break down the new changes for the UEFA Champions League format for 2024/25The yobs were slammed by fans onlineThe match was suspended for nearly half an hourThe incident did little to dampen the joy of the Olimpija supporters.Their team has romped into a 5-0 lead inside the first half with the score 6-1 on aggregate.Raul Florucz opened the scoring in the 2nd minute before goals from Thalisson Charles Alves Moreira (x2), Dino Kojic and Perdo Lucas put the result to bed.Elsewhere in the competition, Chelsea took on Swiss side Servette in the second leg of their play-off tie.The Blues were forced to stream the match for free for their supporters due to a website error.New Champions League formatEach club will play eight matches in the opening phase – against seeded opposition, in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.The top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last 16, where they will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.The new Champions League format also sees the implication of two additional qualifying spots.They will be awarded to the nations that are top of the “country coefficient” chart each season. More

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    Chelsea forced to stream Servette clash for FREE as website error leaves fans unable to buy £4.99 broadcast

    CHELSEA were forced into streaming their clash against Servette for free due to an error after initially charging £4.99The Blues face the Swiss side in the Europa Conference League play-off round tonight.Chelsea fans were greeted by an error messageThe club eventually performed a U-turn and streamed the game for freeCredit: GettyWith the game not live on TV, supporters tuned in to the club’s stream and paid £4.99 for access. But fans were left unable to watch the match as the website displayed an error message.The technical problem saw fans stuck on a screen that said: “Stream temporarily unavailable.”Others supporters were left unable to purchase the match. READ MORE IN FOOTBALLThe Chelsea faithful raged: “Brought the stream earlier now says I don’t have it. Tried to log out to log back in and now it won’t even let me do that.”Another added: “Chelsea won’t let me buy the stream, it’s almost like they don’t want me spending £4.99.”More raged: “Would love to watch on the official Chelsea app and website but we physical cannot. Your s*** isn’t working.”Eventually, the club performed a U-turn on their decision to charge for the game and streamed it to supporters for free.Most read in FootballBEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERSPeople who paid are now expected to be refunded.Chelsea came into the tie 2-0 up after the first leg at Stamford Bridge. A win will see the Blues qualify for the group stages of the Conference League.SunSport’s Latest Transfer HeadlinesPlayers signed under Boehly at ChelseaRaheem Sterling – £50mKalidou Koulibaly £33mGabriel Slonina – £8mCarney Chukweumeka – £20mMarc Cucurella – £57.5mCesare Casadei – £13.3mWesley Fofana – £70mPierre-Emerick Aubameyang – £10.3mDenis Zakaria – £2.7m (Loan fee)David Datro Fofana – £10.6mBenoit Badiashile – £33.7mAndrey Santos – £11.1mJoao Felix – £9.7m (Loan fee)Mykhailo Mudryk – £62m Noni Madueke – £30mMalo Gusto – £26.75mEnzo Fernandez – £107.8mChristopher Nkunku – £52mDiego Moreira – FREENicolas Jackson – £31.5mAngelo Gabriel – £13mLesley Ugochukwu – £23.3mAxel Disasi – £38.9mRobert Sanchez – £20mMoises Caicedo – £115mRomeo Lavia – £53.2mDeivid Washington – £13.7mCole Palmer – £40.1mDjordje Petrovic – £13.6mTosin Adarabioyo – FREEMarc Guiu – £5.1mCaleb Wiley – £8.63mRenato Veiga – £12mAarón Anselmino – £14mOmari Kellyman – £19.2mFilip Jorgensen – £21mKiernan Dewsbury-Hall – £30.2mPedro Neto – £51mJoao Felix – £42.6mMike Penders – £17m More

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    What is the new Champions League format and how does it work?

    CHAMPIONS LEAGUE football has produced some of the best matches the world has ever seen – but this season will be like no other.Jude Bellingham capped off his incredible debut season for Real Madrid by helping Los Blancos seal their 15th Champions League triumph in the 2023/24 final.Real Madrid celebrated their 15th Champions League in styleCredit: GettyCHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW LIVEAnd the midfield maestro will be hoping his side can fend off English giants Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal to retain the title.But all teams are set to have a completely new route to the final courtesy of what will now be a league format.Luckily for fans, SunSport can give a clear explanation on how it will all work below.Read more on Champions League What is the new Champions League format?There will be one league table that all 36 qualified teams will participate in.Each club will play eight matches in the opening phase – four home games and four away games against seeded opposition in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.Clubs will only face other sides based on the pot they have been drawn out of and teams cannot face more than two opponents from the same country or from the same association.The top eight teams in the final table will automatically go through to the last 16.Most read in Champions LeagueThey will then be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides who were placed ninth to 24th in the table.Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from all European competitions this season – meaning that they will not drop into the Europa League similar to previous years.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.The new Champions League format also sees the implication of two additional qualifying spots.How will the knockout stages work?As mentioned earlier, the top eight teams will automatically qualify for the last 16 while those who place ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.Then from the last 16 onwards, the Champions League will continue to follow its previous format with the final taking place in a neutral venue.Teams that finish 25th or lower will be eliminated from the competition and will NOT drop into the Europa League.What does this mean for the Europa League and Europa Conference League?Both competitions will see similar changes to those of the Champions League and will both feature 36 teams.The Europa League will follow the exact same format READ MORE SUN STORIESWhile, teams in the Europa Conference League will play six matches against six different opponents in the league phase. More

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    How much each Premier League club will earn from Europe without even kicking a ball with Chelsea set for paltry payment

    PREMIER LEAGUE clubs are set to earn a pretty penny from Uefa before they even kick a ball in Europe this season.Seven English clubs will be competing across the three Uefa club competitions, which have undergone a radical format change.The format in Uefa competition will see Premier League clubs earn some cool prize money without kicking a ballCredit: AFPPep Guardiola’s Manchester City are in line to earn the mostCredit: RexArsenal will earn a lovely windfall before kicking a ballCredit: GettyChelsea will earn only a comparatively small figure after being bumped down in the Conference League by Man Utd’s FA Cup successCredit: RexThis new set-up puts them in a Swiss-style league system, instead of the previously adopted eight groups of four with the top two progressing.Now, each club will play eight matches in the opening phase – against seeded opposition, in a system designed to ensure that teams overall play opponents of similar difficulty.The top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last 16, where they will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over ten midweek slots.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLBut how much will each team earn from the new Uefa package?Kicking us off are Premier League champions Manchester City.Pep Guardiola is hoping to land a second European title with the club this season.Winning every match in the Champions League alone could see them earn somewhere in the region of £140million-£145m.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSBut before a ball has even been kicked they are in line to receive £53m from the new package.Liverpool will earn at least £51m from the deal, Arsenal about £46m and Aston Villa give or take around £33m.SunSport’s Latest Transfer HeadlinesBy comparison, the Europa League offers a far less bountiful starting prize pool.Tottenham, who qualified for the competition through a fifth-place league finish, will earn £12m.This figure is the same as what Manchester United, who qualified through winning the FA Cup, will also receive.Meanwhile, Chelsea – who were knocked out of the Europa League and into the Europa Conference League because of United’s FA Cup triumph – are in line to earn just £5m.The new automated Champions League league phase draw is due to take place at 5pm on Thursday evening at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, Monaco.The Europa League and Conference League draws are then due to take place the following day at 12pm and 1.30pm respectively.New Champions League formatEach club will play eight matches in the opening phase – against seeded opposition, in a system designed to ensure that teams play opponents of similar difficulty.The top eight teams in the “final” table will automatically go through to the last 16, where they will be joined by the eight play-off winners of ties between the sides placed ninth to 24th in the table.Despite there being just eight matches in the opening phase, European matches will be spread over 10 midweek slots.The new Champions League format also sees the implication of two additional qualifying spots.They will be awarded to the nations that are top of the “country coefficient” chart each season.The pots for the Champions League are as follows:Pot 1:Real MadridBayern MunichParis Saint-GermainInter MilanBorussia DortmundRB LeipzigBarcelonaManchester CityLiverpoolPot 2:Bayer LeverkusenAtletico MadridAtalantaJuventusBenficaClub BruggeShakhtar DonetskAC MilanArsenalPot 3:FeyenoordSporting CPPSV EindhovenCelticWinner of Young Boys v Galatasaray play-offWinner of Dinamo Zagreb v Qarabag play-offWinner of Lille v Slavia Prague play-offTBD (see below)TBD (see below)Pot 4MonacoAston VillaBolognaGironaVfB StuttgartSturm GrazBrestWinner of Malma v Sparta Prague play-offTBD (see below)Who will fill the TBD spots?The spots that you can not accurately predict come down to three play-off games – here are the matches in question:READ MORE SUN STORIESMidtjylland v Slovan BratislavaBodo/Glimt v Red Star BelgradeDynamo Kyiv v Red Bull SalzburgThe qualifying side with the lowest coefficient will go into Pot 4, with the others going into Pot 3. More

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    When is the Conference League 2024/25 draw? Date, time, FREE live stream and TV channel for huge new league phase format

    THE Conference League draw will take place this week as sides await their fate for the brand new league phase.Last year saw Olympiacos take home the title after they beat Fiorentina 1-0 after extra time.Olympiacos lifted the Uefa Europa Conference League Trophy last seasonCredit: GettyThrylos became the first Greek club to win a major European trophy following their triumph in Athens.Chelsea are set to be the only English team competing in the competition this season, should they not slip up against Servette in their play-off second leg later this week.SunSport has all the details you need on the new Conference League format and the upcoming draw.What is the new Conference League format?Like the Champions League and the Europa League, the Conference League will also ditch the traditional group stage format.READ MORE IN FOOTBALLInstead, the three European competitions will adopt a brand new league phase.The Conference League will have a 36-team league stage, with each side facing six different teams, three at home and three away.The top eight of the overall table advance to the round of 16, while sides finishing ninth to 24th will contest the knockout round play-offs, with the victors filling the remaining spots in the last 16.From then on, the traditional knockout rules will apply.Most read in FootballWhen is the Conference League draw?The Conference League league phase draw will take place on Friday, August 30.The draw is set to begin at 1.30pm BST.The Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, will host.How to watch the Conference League draw FREE?The Conference League draw will be broadcast live for free on Uefa.com.TNT Sports 1 will broadcast the draw live on TV.Alternatively, you can follow SunSport’s live blog to find out all the ties from the draw.When are the 2024/25 Conference League league stage matches?Matchday 1: October 3, 2024Matchday 2: October 24, 2024Matchday 3: November, 7, 2024Matchday 4: November, 28, 2024Matchday 5: December, 12, 2024Matchday 6: December, 19, 2024When is the 2024/25 Conference League knockout stage?Knockout round play-offs: February 13 and 20, 2025Round of 16: March 6 and 13, 2025Quarter-finals: April 10 and 17, 2025Semi-finals: May 1 and 8, 2025Final: May 28, 2025 More