Amsterdam the Europa League aim
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
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A total of 217 teams will take part in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League and 117 of them were involved in the first and second qualifying round draws on Monday 25 June.
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The 2012/13 UEFA Europa League final will be played at the Amsterdam ArenA next 15 May and the season began with the first and second qualifying round draws in Nyon on Monday 25 June.
In all 217 teams will take part, including 32 who began their campaigns in the UEFA Champions League. The first qualifying round draw involved 74 sides, and 43 others will be began their campaigns in the next stage.
Under a new format, six teams were given access straight to the group stage alongside holders Club Atlético de Madrid as the domestic cup winners in the top ranked nations. They are SSC Napoli, Olympique Lyonnais, A. Académica de Coimbra and FC Rubin Kazan plus Tottenham Hotspur FC and Bayer 04 Leverkusen, taking over the places that would have been filled by UEFA Champions League-bound Chelsea FC and Borussia Dortmund.
Also in the group stage are 31 play-off winners and ten sides beaten at that round of the UEFA Champions League. The 24 teams that advance will join eight teams from the UEFA Champions League group stage.
| Draw schedule | ||
| Tine, date | Location | Draw details |
| 13.30CET, 25/06/12 | Nyon | First and second qualifying rounds |
| 13.30CET, 20/07/12 | Nyon | Third qualifying round |
| 13.30CET, 10/08/12 | Nyon | Play-offs |
| 13.00CET, 31/08/12 | Monaco | Group stage |
| 14.00CET, 20/12/12 | Nyon | Round of 32, round of 16 |
| 12.40CET, 15/03/13 | Nyon | Quarter-finals |
| 11.00CET, 12/04/13 | Nyon | Semi-finals |
| Match calendar | |
| Stage | Dates |
| First qualifying round, 1st leg | 05/07/12 |
| First qualifying round, 2nd leg | 12/07/12 |
| Second qualifying round, 1st leg | 19/07/12 |
| Second qualifying round, 2nd leg | 26/07/12 |
| Third qualifying round, 1st leg | 02/08/12 |
| Third qualifying round, 2nd leg | 09/08/12 |
| Play-off, 1st leg | 23/08/12 |
| Play-off, 2nd leg | 30/08/12 |
| Group stage, Matchday 1 | 20/09/12 |
| Group stage, Matchday 2 | 04/10/12 |
| Group stage, Matchday 3 | 25/10/12 |
| Group stage, Matchday 4 | 08/11/12 |
| Group stage, Matchday 5 | 22/11/12 |
| Group stage, Matchday 6 | 06/12/12 |
| Round of 32, 1st leg | 14/02/13 |
| Round of 32, 2nd leg | 21/02/13 |
| Round of 16, 1st leg | 07/03/13 |
| Round of 16 2nd leg | 14/03/13 |
| Quarter-finals, 1st leg | 04/04/13 |
| Quarter-finals, 2nd leg | 11/04/13 |
| Semi-finals, 1st leg | 25/04/13 |
| Semi-finals, 2nd leg | 02/05/13 |
| Final (Amsterdam ArenA) | 15/05/13 |