The UEFA Europa League is an annual football club competition organized by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It is the second-tier competition of European club football, ranking below the UEFA Champions League and above the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The Europa League was introduced in 1971 as the UEFA Cup, replacing the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It was renamed the UEFA Europa League in 2009.
The competition is open to clubs from UEFA member associations, and qualification is based on a club's performance in its domestic league and cup competitions. The top teams from the top European leagues qualify automatically, while other teams qualify through play-off rounds.
The Europa League group stage consists of 48 teams, which are divided into 12 groups of four. The top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stage, which consists of two-legged ties. The winner of the Europa League qualifies for the UEFA Champions League in the following season.
The Europa League is one of the most popular football competitions in the world, and it is often seen as a stepping stone to the Champions League. Some of the biggest clubs in Europe have won the Europa League, including Sevilla, Atlético Madrid, Manchester United, and Chelsea.
The current Europa League champions are Rangers, who defeated Real Betis in the 2023 final.
The 2023/24 Europa League group stage is currently underway, with some of the top teams in Europe competing for a place in the knockout stage. The following are some of the most notable matches from the group stage so far:
* Liverpool 5-1 Toulouse
* Roma 2-0 Slavia Prague
* Ajax 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
* Bayer Leverkusen 5-1 Qarabağ
* Rennes 2-1 Panathinaikos
The Europa League knockout stage will begin in February 2024, with the final scheduled to be played on May 29, 2024, in Budapest, Hungary.
