UEFA Europa League group stage draw: Where is it, when is it, who is involved?

The 2022/23 UEFA Europa League group stage draw is streamed live from 13:00 CET on 26 August. It takes place in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Which teams will line up in the group stage draw?

Pot 1

Roma (ITA)
Manchester United (ENG)
Arsenal (ENG)
Lazio (ITA)
Braga (POR)
Crvena zvezda (SRB)
Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
Olympiacos (GRE)

Pot 2

Feyenoord (NED)
Rennes (FRA)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
Monaco (FRA)
Real Sociedad (ESP)
Qarabağ (AZE)
Malmö (SWE)
Ludogorets (BUL)

Pot 3

Sheriff (MDA)
Real Betis (ESP)
Midtjylland (DEN)
Bodø/Glimt (NOR)
Ferencváros (HUN)
Union Berlin (GER)
Freiburg (GER)
Fenerbahçe (TUR)

Pot 4

Nantes (FRA)
HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Sturm Graz (AUT)
AEK Larnaca (CYP)
Omonoia (CYP)
Zürich (SUI)
Saint-Gilloise (BEL)
Trabzonspor (TUR)

The draw features 12 automatic qualifiers, ten Europa League play-off winners and ten sides transferring from the UEFA Champions League play-offs or third qualifying round League path.

How the Europa League group stage draw works

• For the group stage draw, the 32 clubs involved are seeded in four pots of eight, in accordance with the following principles.

• The first pot comprises the UEFA Europa Conference League titleholders (Roma) and the top seven clubs in the club coefficient rankings, the second group the next eight clubs in the rankings, and so on for groups 3 and 4.

• To ensure that paired clubs from the same association kick off at different times as per the aforementioned pairing principles, the eight groups will be distinguished by colour: groups A to D will be red and groups E to H blue.

• When a paired club is allocated, for example, to a red group (A, B, C or D), the other paired club – once it has been drawn – will automatically be assigned to one of the four blue groups (E, F, G or H).

• The matches in the red groups and the blue groups will be at alternate kick-off times (18:45 or 21:00 CET).

Why are some clubs paired?

In the case of associations with two representatives, these clubs will be paired so that their matches kick off at different times.

In the case of associations with three representatives, only two clubs will be paired.

In the case of associations with one representative in the UEFA Europa League group stage and one representative in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage, these clubs will also be paired so that their matches kick off at different times.

In the case of associations with one representative in the UEFA Europa League group stage and three representatives in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage, the unpaired UEFA Europa Conference League club will be paired with the club in the UEFA Europa League group stage.

In the case of associations with three representatives in the UEFA Europa League group stage and one representative in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage, the unpaired UEFA Europa League club will be paired with the club in the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage.

All these pairings will be based on TV audiences.

A Roma & Lazio
B Man United & Arsenal
C Crvena zvezda & Partizan (UECL)
D Dynamo Kyiv & Dnipro-1 (UECL)
E Feyenoord & PSV Eindhoven
F Rennes & Monaco
G Real Sociedad & Real Betis
H Malmö & Djurgården (UECL)
I Midtjylland & Silkeborg (UECL)
J Bodø/Glimt & Molde (UECL)
K Union Berlin & Freiburg
L Fenerbahçe & Trabzonspor
M Nantes & Nice (UECL)
N Sturm Graz & Austria Wien (UECL)
O AEK Larnaca & Omonoia
P Zürich & Basel (UECL)

What happens next?

Group winners Advance directly to the round of 16.

Group runners-up Progress to the knockout stage play-off round, where they will face one of eight teams transferring from the UEFA Champions League having finished third in their groups.

Third-placed teams Transfer to the UEFA Europa Conference League, where they will face the group runners-up from that competition in the knockout round play-offs.

What are the Europa League group stage dates?

Group stage
Matchday 1: 8 September 2022
Matchday 2: 15 September 2022
Matchday 3: 6 October 2022
Matchday 4: 13 October 2022
Matchday 5: 27 October 2022
Matchday 6: 3 November 2022

Knockout phase
Knockout round play-offs: 16 & 23 February 2023
Round of 16: 9 & 16 March 2023
Quarter-finals: 13 & 20 April 2023
Semi-finals: 11 & 18 May 2023
Final: 31 May 2023