The UEFA Europa League (also known as the UEFA Cup) is an annual football club competition held by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs since 1971. It is Europe’s second-tier club football competition, ranked behind the UEFA Champions League and above the UEFA Europa League. Before the UEFA Cup Cup Winners’ Cup was canceled in 1999, the UEFA Cup was the third-tier competition. Clubs qualify for the tournament depending on their performances in their respective national leagues and cup competitions.
The UEFA Europa League, since its inception, has established itself as an attractive and competitive option for European teams that have failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
What is the UEFA Europa League?
The UEFA Europa League is a six-round tournament in which 48 European club teams fight for the right to be named champions and an automatic spot in the UEFA Champions League the following season.
Until 2009, the competition was known as the UEFA Cup. It was formerly a 64-team knockout tournament, with two-legged knockout ties played at home and away until the competition was whittled down to just two teams. Until 1997–98, when the showdown became a one-off encounter, the final was played over 2 legs.
The league was renamed the UEFA Europa League for the 2009–10 season in an attempt to raise its profile.
How are the Teams selected?
Since 2009, there has been a considerable shift in qualifications. All Europa League participants are chosen based on their final standings in their respective domestic leagues or their success in domestic cup tournaments.
In general, the higher a club’s UEFA coefficient ranking, the later its teams begin the qualification process (there are four qualifying rounds in total). The results of teams representing each association during the past five UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League seasons are used to create the complex coefficient system.
Aside from the teams that qualify directly for the Europa League, every team that qualifies for the Champions League is offered a second opportunity at European competition by being added to the Europa League qualification.
The following is a detailed breakdown of the 48 qualified teams:
- Due to their association and club coefficients, 17 teams qualify directly for the group stage.
- The UEL qualifying process produced 21 teams.
- Six losers from the fourth qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League
- 4 non-domestic cup winners from the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League Latest Matches
Quarter Final: Leg 2 of 2
- Atalanta : Thursday, 14 April. 10:15 pm.
RB Leipzig
- Lyon : Friday, 15 April. 12:30 am.
West Ham
- Barcelona : Friday, 15 April. 12:30 am.
Eintracht Frankfurt
- Rangers : Friday, 15 April. 12:30 am.
Braga
- The semi-finals are on 29th April and 9th May
- The Final is on the 19th of May
Quarter Final Teams:
- Atalanta
- Barcelona
- Braga
- Frankfurt
- Leipzig
- Lyon
- Rangers
- West Ham
Prize money for the UEFA Europa League
The prize money collected by the clubs is divided into fixed rewards based on participation and results, and variable amounts based on the value of their TV market, similar to the UEFA Champions League.
The base fee for group stage participation in the Europa League for the 2021–22 season is €3,630,000. A victory in the group gets €630,000, while a tie pays €210,000. In addition, each group winner receives €1,100,000, with the runner-up receiving €550,000. Additional bonuses are awarded for reaching the knockout stage: €500,000 in the round of 32, €1,200,000 in the round of 16, €1,800,000 in the quarter-finals, and €2,800,000 in the semi-finals. The losers receive €4,600,000, while the winners receive €8,600,000.