The four Premier league teams competing in the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League discovered their league-phase opponents at a draw in Monaco on Friday.
AFC Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Sunderland qualified for the UEFA Europa League, while Brighton & Hove Albion will play in the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Bournemouth, playing in Europe for the first time, were drawn against Italian giants AC Milan and will host a mouthwatering tie against the seven-time European Cup winners. Their eight fixtures also include a trip to Czech top-flight runners-up Sparta Prague.
Sunderland, returning to Europe for the first time in 53 years, will travel to the San Siro to take on AC Milan. Other intriguing opponents include Torreense, who play in the Portuguese second tier. Torreense qualified by winning the Portuguese Cup – the first major trophy in their 109-year history – but their 2,500-seater stadium is too small, meaning Sunderland will play them 193 miles away at the Estadio Algarve in Faro.
Crystal Palace – last season’s Europa Conference League winners – have possibly the toughest run, including trips to French side Lyon and Turkish giants Besiktas, both regulars in the Champions League. They also travel to Red Bull Salzburg – regular winners of the Austrian Bundesliga.
In the UEFA Conference League, Brighton were drawn away against Monaco, one of the most successful sides in France and a former UEFA Champions League runner-up, and will travel to 20-time Greek champions Panathinaikos. They will host Universitatea Craiova, last season’s Romanian league and cup double winners, who are playing in Europe for only the second time.
No clubs from the same country could be drawn against one another in the league phase, ruling out any all-Premier League meetings. Teams could face a maximum of two opponents from the same country.
A new rule also prevented any club from hosting a league-phase opponent for three successive years.
Premier League clubs' Europa League opponents
| Pot | Bournemouth | Crystal Palace | Sunderland |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AC Milan (H) | R Sociedad (H) | Alkmaar (H) |
| R Sociedad (A) | Lyon (A) | AC Milan (A) | |
| 2 | Viktoria Plzen (H) | Sparta Prague (H) | Dinamo (H) |
| Sparta Prague (A) | RB Salzburg (A) | Anderlecht (A) | |
| 3 | Sturm Graz (H) | Lech Poznan (H) | Jagiellonia (H) |
| Celta Vigo (A) | Jagiellonia (A) | Lech Poznan (A) | |
| 4 | H Beer Sheva (H) | Hoffenheim (H) | Levski Sofia (H) |
| Lillestrom (A) | Besiktas (A) | Torreense (A) |
UEFA Europa League league phase dates
MD 1: 16-17 September 2026
MD 2: 15 October 2026
MD 3: 22 October 2026
MD 4: 5 November 2026
MD 5: 26 November 2026
MD 6: 10 December 2026
MD 7: 21 January 2027
MD 8: 28 January 2027
Europa League knockout phase dates
Knockout phase play-offs: 18 and 25 February 2027
Round of 16: 11 and 18 March 2027
Quarter-finals: 8 and 15 April 2027
Semi-finals: 29 April and 6 May 2027
Final (Frankfurt): 26 May 2027
Brighton's Conference League opponents
| Pot | Brighton |
|---|---|
| 1 | Monaco (H) |
| Panathinaikos (A) | |
| 2 | Universitatea Craiova (H) |
| Getafe (A) | |
| 3 | Kauno Zalgiris (H) |
|
Jablonec (A)
|
|
| 4 | Viking (H) |
| Slavia Prague (A) |
UEFA Conference League league phase dates
MD 1: 15 October 2026
MD 2: 22 October 2026
MD 3: 5 November 2026
MD 4: 26 November 2026
MD 5: 10 December 2026
MD 6: 17 December 2026
Conference League league knockout phase dates
Knockout phase play-offs: 18 and 25 February 2027
Round of 16: 11 and 18 March 2027
Quarter-finals: 8 and 15 April 2027
Semi-finals: 29 April and 6 May 2027
Final: 2 June 2027 (Istanbul)
How the Europa League and Conference League formats work
In the Europa League, each team plays eight fixtures against two sides from each of four pots. All three Premier League sides were in pot three, based on UEFA’s coefficient rankings from the last five seasons, leaving them likely to face tougher opponents.
In the Conference League, each side plays six fixtures in the league phase – one from each of six pots. Brighton were in pot two.
In both competitions, the top eight automatically qualify for the last 16. The teams finishing from ninth to 24th enter a play-off to determine the next eight teams progressing. The remainder of the sides are eliminated.