UEFA Europa League play-off round draw

The 2022/23 UEFA Europa League play-off round draw took place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.

Play-off round ties

The line-up is subject to final confirmation by UEFA.

Dnipro-1 (UKR) vs AEK Larnaca FC (CYP)
KAA Gent (BEL) vs Omonoia FC (CYP)
FK Austria Wien (AUT) vs Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)
FC Zürich (SUI) vs Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)
HJK Helsinki (FIN) vs Silkeborg IF (DEN)
Malmö FF (SWE) vs Sivasspor (TUR)
Ferencvárosi TC (HUN) vs Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)
Apollon Limassol FC (CYP) vs Olympiacos FC (GRE)
FC Pyunik (ARM) vs FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL) vs FK Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU)

Which teams were involved in the draw?

The draw featured 20 teams:
• Seven teams entering at this stage: six as Priority 1, one as Priority 4
• Six teams eliminated from the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round (Champions path): Priority 2
• Five winners from the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (Champions path): Priority 3
• Two winners from the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (Main path): Priority 4

Pot 1 (Priority 1)
KAA Gent (BEL)
FK Austria Wien (AUT)
Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)
Sivasspor (TUR)
Dnipro-1 (UKR)
Silkeborg IF (DEN)

Pot 2 (Priority 2)
PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL)/GNK Dinamo (CRO)
FK Crvena zvezda (SRB)/FC Pyunik (ARM)
FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)/FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
Qarabağ FK (AZE)/Ferencvárosi TC (HUN)
FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR)/FK Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU)
Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)/Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)

Pot 3 (Priority 3)
Malmö FF (SWE)/F91 Diddeleng (LUX)
Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)/FC Shkupi 1927 (MKD)
Linfield FC (NIR)/FC Zürich (SUI)
Olympiacos FC (GRE)/ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
NK Maribor (SVN)/HJK Helsinki (FIN)

Pot 4 (Priority 4)
Omonoia FC (CYP)
AEK Larnaca FC (CYP)/FK Partizan (SRB)
Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)/1. FC Slovácko (CZE)

How the draw worked

• One bowl was prepared for each priority group from Priority 1 to Priority 4, containing balls representing the teams in that priority group.

• To produce pairings, one ball was taken from each of the two relevant bowls and placed in an empty bowl, where they were shuffled. The first team drawn from the central bowl plays its first match at home, against the second team drawn.

• The draw produced pairings in the following order:
- Three teams from Pot 1 (Priority 1) were paired with the three teams in Pot 4 (Priority 4).
- The three remaining Pot 1 (Priority 1) teams were then paired with teams from Pot 3 (Priority 3).
- The two remaining Pot 3 (Priority 3) teams were then paired with teams from Pot 2 (Priority 2).
- The four remaining Pot 2 (Priority 2) balls were then drawn one after another to complete the ninth and tenth pairings (open draw).

• Country protection was not applied.

• Due to the rebalancing of this year's access list (which led to only two teams qualifying from the Europa League third qualifying round (Main path) and seven teams instead of the six foreseen by the regulations directly qualified for the Europa League play-offs), in compliance with the decision of the Club Competitions Committee, the seventh team directly qualified for the play-offs (i.e. the domestic cup winners of the 15th-ranked member association) remained priority 4, as originally foreseen.

• As decided by the UEFA Executive Committee, teams from Azerbaijan and Armenia could be drawn against each other. Further restrictions were announced before the draw.

What happens next?

Winners Advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage.

Beaten sides Transfer to the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage.

What are the key dates?

Play-offs: 18 & 25 August
Group stage draw: 26 August