UEFA have confirmed their new Europa Conference League club competition that is set to run from the 2021/22 season onwards.
UEFA Europa Conference League Competition Announced
184 Teams to Take Part
The announcement of a new European competition means that there will be a third chance for clubs to compete in Europe alongside the Champions League and Europa League.
One side from all of the 55 associations will take part in the new league alongside 46 clubs that will also enter it after transferring from either of the other two European contests.
The setup is as follows: there will be eight groups of four teams and then knockout playoff rounds. This is followed by the usual setup of last 16, quarter-finals, semi-final and then the final.
Each group winner will progress. The runners-up in each group will then face off against the third-placed teams in the Europa League group stages to decide who joins them in the next round.
First Final to Be Held in Tirana
The location for the first-ever final has also been announced. It will be in the National Arena in Tirana, Albania.
If a team manages to win the Europa Conference League, then they will book a place in the group stage of the following seasons Europa League, meaning there is room to progress through the European competitions by winning them.
For English teams, it also means that the winner of the Carabao Cup from the 2021 season or the team that finishes in either 6th or 7th place in the Premier League will secure a place in the new competition.
The plans from UEFA have been in place for a while but the announcement is now official and means that there will be even more club football going on from the 2021/22 season, with games set to play on a Thursday like Europa League games.
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