Read all about the newest of the European club competitions, the UEFA Conference League, and check for all the latest odds and predictions.
The fifth edition of the Conference League, previously known as the Europa Conference League, will be held in 2025/26 and, alongside the more prestigious European trophies, this competition also had a makeover last year. There was a league phase in the new structure, which replaced the group stage. Unlike the Champions League and Europa League, there is no automatic passage into this new league phase. Every team has to play at least one qualifying round to move into the league phase.
Roma were the first team to win this competition when they defeated Feyenoord in the 2022 final. A year later, West Ham were the victors, with Fiorentina finishing runners-up. In the 2024 final, Olympiacos became the first ever Greek side to win a major European trophy, with Fiorentina once again the losing finalists. Last season, there was another English winner, as Chelsea proved too strong for Real Betis in the final.
A total of 167 teams will contest the 2025/26 Conference League. This will include 15 of the teams eliminated from the 2025/26 Champions League, along with 41 of the teams eliminated from the 2025/26 Europa League.
The top-12 ranked football associations will have one representative each in this competition, allowing more teams from the lower-ranked associations to take part. However, that number could increase based on which teams are transferred to the tournament after being eliminated from the Champions League and Europa League.
Conference League: Matchday 2 predictions and tips
The first matchday in the the league phase of this season’s Conference League has been completed.
The first six teams in the betting prior to the tournament starting all won their opening matches. Crystal Palace began with an excellent 2-0 away win against Dyname Kyiv, whilst Fiorentina had a comfortable 2-0 home success over Sigma Olomouc.
A few of the matches to look out for on Matchday 2 include Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca, Rapid Wien vs Fiorentina, Shakhtar Donetsk vs Legia Warsaw and Strasbourg vs Jagiellonia Białystok.
Who will win the 2025/26 Conference League?
The 36 teams who will contest the league phase of the UEFA Conference League are now known.
The five teams who received a bye into the play-off round, based on their finish in their domestic leagues, have all progressed into the league stage:
- Crystal Palace (England)
- Fiorentina (Italy)
- Rayo Vallecano (Spain)
- Mainz (Germany)
- Strasbourg (France)
Of these sides, Fiorentina have competed in three of the opening four Conference League tournaments. They reached the final twice, in 2023 and 2024, but lost on both occasions, to West Ham and Olympiacos respectively. They came close to reaching a third successive final earlier this year, before being defeated by Real Betis after extra-time at the semi-final stage.
Crystal Palace were demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League due to rules about multi-club ownership, and subsequently lost their appeal against that decision on 11th August. Nottingham Forest, who originally qualified for the Conference League, have now moved up to the Europa League.
Rayo Vallecano have appeared in European competitions just once before, when they reached the quarter-finals of the 2000/01 UEFA Cup. Despite winning the home leg 2-1, Rayo lost to fellow Spanish side Alavés 4-2 on aggregate.
Mainz have competed in Europe more recently, but with little success. They were eliminated in the qualifying rounds in their first matches in both the 2011/12 and 2014/15 Europa Leagues, to Romanian and Greek opponents respectively. They qualified directly for the group stage of the 2016/17 Europa League, but despite winning two and drawing three of their six group-stage matches, they only finished third and didn’t progress to the knockout rounds.
Strasbourg have qualified for eight previous European competitions, dating back to 1966/67. Their best placing to date was a quarter-final appearance in the 1979/80 European Cup. Most recently, they qualified for the 2019/20 Europa League, but were eliminated by Eintracht Frankfurt in the play-off round and consequently failed to make the group stage.
UEFA Conference League 2025/26 outright winner odds
These are the latest odds on teams to win the 2025/26 Conference League.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| 🏴 Crystal Palace | 4.85 |
| 🇮🇹 Fiorentina | 6.20 |
| 🇫🇷 Strasbourg | 8.60 |
| 🇩🇪 Mainz | 10.75 |
| 🇪🇸 Rayo Vallecano | 11.00 |
| 🇺🇦 Shakhtar Donetsk | 11.50 |
| 🇳🇱 AZ Alkmaar | 15.25 |
| 🇨🇿 Sparta Prague | 25.00 |
| 🇹🇷 Samsunspor | 31.00 |
| 🇬🇷 AEK Athens | 32.00 |
| 🇺🇦 Dynamo Kyiv | 32.00 |
| 🇦🇹 Rapid Wien | 35.00 |
| 🇵🇱 Legia Warsaw | 38.00 |
| 🇵🇱 Lech Poznań | 41.00 |
| 🇵🇱 Raków Częstochowa | 41.00 |
| 🇵🇱 Jagiellonia Białystok | 43.00 |
| 🇨🇾 AEK Larnaca | 64.00 |
| 🇷🇴 Universitatea Craiova | 64.00 |
| 🇸🇪 Häcken | 71.00 |
| 🇨🇾 Omonia Nicosia | 71.00 |
| 🇨🇭 Lausanne-Sport | 78.00 |
| 🇨🇿 Sigma Olomouc | 81.00 |
| 🇸🇮 Celje | 111.00 |
| 🇭🇷 Rijeka | 111.00 |
| 🇸🇰 Slovan Bratislava | 121.00 |
| 🏴 Aberdeen | 176.00 |
| 🇧🇦 Zrinjski Mostar | 201.00 |
| 🇮🇪 Shamrock Rovers | 226.00 |
| 🇫🇮 KuPS | 265.00 |
| 🇮🇸 Breiðablik | 326.00 |
| 🇦🇲 Noah | 401.00 |
| 🇮🇪 Shelbourne | 415.00 |
| 🇲🇰 Shkëndija | 575.00 |
| 🇽🇰 Drita | 625.00 |
| 🇲🇹 Hamrun Spartans | 751.00 |
| 🇬🇮 Lincoln Red Imps | 1151.00 |
Where is the Conference League Final 2025/26 being held?
The final will be held on the 27th of May 2026 at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig, Germany.
The stadium was constructed between 2000 and 2004 and was further expanded in 2021.
The stadium has previously hosted matches in big tournaments. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, five matches were held there. These comprised four group matches and one from the round of 16. In Euro 2024, the Red Bull Arena was also used for three group matches, as well as the round-of-16 clash between Austria and Turkey.
What is the new format for the Conference League?
The format for the Conference League changed last season, with a single 36-team league stage replacing what used to be the group stage. Each team will play matches against six different teams, three at home and three away.
The 36 teams will be comprised of:
- 5 winners from the play-off round (Champions Path)
- 19 winners from the play-off round (League Path)
- 12 teams eliminated from the Europa League playoff round.
How do teams qualify from the league phase of the Conference League?
- The top eight sides in the league phase will qualify for the knockout phase and move directly into the round of 16.
- The sides finishing in 9th to 24th place will compete in a two-legged playoff round to determine the other eight teams to qualify for the round of 16.
- Those sides finishing in 25th or lower will be eliminated.
What happens to the winner of Conference League?
This year’s winners will gain a place in the league stage of next season’s Europa League, provided they have not already qualified for the Champions League through their domestic league placing.
Can teams drop from the Europa League to the Conference League?
Up until the 2024/25 season, the teams who finished third in the Europa League groups were then transferred to the Conference League. With both competitions now having a league stage, rather than a group stage, that will no longer happen, and the teams finishing in the bottom-eight places in the league phase of the Europa League will be eliminated from all European competitions.
However, the 12 teams eliminated from the Europa League playoff round will move directly into the league phase of the Conference League.
Has the name of the Conference League changed?
For the start of the 2024/25 tournament, the competition has been rebranded as the UEFA Conference League. In previous seasons, it was known as the Europa Conference League.
UEFA Conference League schedule (2025/26)
First qualifying round
First leg: 10th July, Second leg: 17th July ✅
Second qualifying round
First leg: 24th July, Second leg: 31st July ✅
Third qualifying round
First leg: 7th August, Second leg: 14th August ✅
Playoff round
Draw date: 4th August ✅
First leg: 21st August, Second leg: 28th August ✅
League phase
Draw date: 29th August ✅
Matchday 1: 2nd October
Matchday 2: 23rd October
Matchday 3: 6th November
Matchday 4: 27th November
Matchday 5: 11th December
Matchday 6: 18th December
Knockout phase
Draw date: 16th January
Knockout round playoffs: First leg: 19th February, Second Leg 26th February
Draw date for round of 16 onwards: 27th February
Round of 16: First leg: 12th March, Second Leg 19th March
Quarter-finals: First leg: 9th April, Second Leg 16th April
Semi-finals: First leg: 30th April, Second Leg 7th May
Final: 27th May
Which teams will compete in the league phase of the 2025/26 UEFA Conference League?
Here is a brief summary for each of the teams that have qualified for the league phase:
Fiorentina (Italy)
The Italian side are one of the favourites to win the Conference League this season, after losing in the semi-finals to Real Betis last season (after extra-time) and being the defeated finalists in the two seasons prior to that (losing to West Ham and Olympiacos respectively). Fiorentina reached the final in their first European competition, the 1956/57 European Cup, but were defeated 2-0 by Real Madrid. In total, they have reached six European finals, with their solitary success coming in the 1960/61 Cup Winners’ Cup final against Rangers.
Crystal Palace (England)
FA Cup winners Crystal Palace will feel they have a point to prove after being demoted from the Europa League due to issues surrounding multi-club ownership, but this still provides the London side with their first chance to compete in a major European competition. Their only previous venture into Europe was in 1998, during the now defunct Intertoto Cup, where they lost both legs 2-0 in a third-round tie against Samsunspor. The Eagles made hard work of progressing to the league stage this season, as they defeated Fredrikstad 1-0 at home before holding on to a goalless draw in Norway.
Rayo Vallecano (Spain)
Rayo Vallecano will forever live in the shadows of their illustrious Madrid neighbours, Real and Atlético, and this marks just the second time they have qualified for a European competition in their history. The previous time was in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup, when they progressed as far as the quarter-final stage, before being eliminated by fellow Spanish side Alavés. Rayo qualified with ease through the play-off round in this season’s Conference League when they defeated Belarusian side Neman Grodno 5-0 on aggregate.
Strasbourg (France)
Strasbourg have qualified for a European competition for just the second time in the last 20 years, with their last participation coming in the Europa League five seasons ago. On that occasion, they were eliminated by Eintracht Frankfurt in the play-off round and thus failed to reach the group stage. In 2023, the consortium that owns Chelsea purchased a majority stake in Strasbourg, which has resulted in several promising Chelsea youngsters being loaned to the French side. Strasbourg’s best European finish was when they reached the quarter-finals in the 1979/80 European Cup.
Mainz (Germany)
This will be the fifth time that Mainz have played in Europe, with the previous occasion resulting in a group-stage exit in the 2016/17 Europa League. Prior to that, the German side had not progressed beyond the qualifying rounds. In the play-off round, Mainz had a tricky tie with Rosenborg to overcome. Despite losing the first leg 2-1 to the Norwegian side, Mainz won the second leg 4-1 at home to progress to the league phase.
AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)
AZ have now qualified for Europe for the last eleven seasons, having competed in the Europa Conference League for four of the last five seasons. They reached the semi-finals in 2022/23 before being eliminated 3-1 on aggregate by the eventual winners, West Ham. They did reach the UEFA Cup final in 1980/81, but lost over two legs to Ipswich. Last season, AZ Alkmaar finished in 19th place in the league phase of the Europa League and then beat Galatasaray in the knockout round play-off before losing to Tottenham in the round of 16. The Dutch side have already progressed through three rounds just to reach the league stage of this season’s Conference League.
AEK Athens (Greece)
AEK Athens have been regular European competitors dating back to the 1960s, with a semi-final appearance in the 1976/77 UEFA Cup being the height of their achievements so far. They featured in the group stage of the 2023/24 Europa League but had a tough draw, competing against Ajax, Marseille and Brighton, and were unable to progress further. AEK have already played three rounds, in which they won every home game and drew every away game, to reach this stage of the Conference League. Their most impressive performance was in the play-off round, when they eliminated Anderlecht.
Samsunspor (Turkey)
This season is the first time Samsunspor have qualified for one of the main European competitions, although they did reach the semi-final of the Intertoto Cup in 1998. After returning to the Süper Lig in 2023, following an 11-year absence, a third-place finish last season saw the Turkish side gain entry into this year’s Europa League play-off round. However, they faced strong opponents in Greek-side Panathinaikos and lost 2-1 on aggregate, which saw them transferred into the league phase of the Conference League.
Aberdeen (Scotland)
Aberdeen have been regular European competitors over the years and can boast a Cup Winners’ Cup trophy from 1983, when they defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in the final. Two seasons ago, the Scottish side reached the group stage in the Europa Conference League, which marked the first time they had reached a group stage for 15 years, but they failed to progress after finishing third out of the four teams. Aberdeen lost 5-2 on aggregate to Romanian side FCSB in the Europa League play-off, which gives the Scottish side another shot at this season’s Conference League.
Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
Prior to this season, Shakhtar had qualified for every Champions League since 2000/01. Their best performance was in the 2010/11 season, when they topped their group and then beat Roma 6-2 on aggregate in the round of 16 before losing to Barcelona in the quarter-finals. This season, they started in the Europa League but had a tough run of qualifying matches. They managed to defeat Beşiktaş before losing to Panathinaikos. However, they then defeated Servette in the Conference League play-off round to reach the league phase. Having won the UEFA Cup in 2009 by defeating Werder Bremen in the final, the Ukrainian side have one previous European success.
Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine)
Dynamo Kyiv have two European titles to their name, as they claimed the Cup Winners’ Cup in both 1975 and 1986. More recently, they lost to fellow Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk in the semi-finals of the 2008/09 UEFA Cup. Since then, they have had two quarter-final appearances in the Europa League. Last season, Dynamo played in the league phase of the Europa League, but finished in 34th place out of the 36 teams after losing their opening six matches. This season, they have already been eliminated from the qualifying rounds for the Champions League (by Pafos) and the Europa League (by Maccabi Tel Aviv) and find themselves competing in the Conference League.
Rapid Wien (Austria)
Rapid Wien have reached the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup twice, but were unsuccessful on both occasions. They were defeated 3-1 by Everton in 1984/85 and 1-0 by PSG in 1995/96. Last season, Rapid Wien were eliminated from the Europa League by Sporting Braga in the play-off round, but then finished in fourth place in the league phase of the Conference League by winning four of their six matches. Rapid were eventually eliminated by Djurgårdens in the quarter-finals, despite winning the first leg 1-0 in Sweden. A 4-1 defeat in Austria saw their participation in the tournament end.
Legia Warsaw (Poland)
Legia Warsaw have been regular European participants over the years, with two semi-final appearances to their name. Those came in the 1969/70 European Cup and the 1990/91 Cup Winners’ Cup. Last season, Legia Warsaw finished in seventh place in the Conference League table and then defeated Molde in the round of 16. However, their quarter-final opponents were Chelsea, and the English team cruised to a 3-0 first leg win in Poland although Legia did earn some glory with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge in the return match. This season, the Polish side were eliminated by AEK Larnaca in the Europa League qualifying round, before a hard-fought 5-4 aggregate win over Hibernian saw them qualify for the league phase of this competition.
Lech Poznań (Poland)
Despite first playing in Europe in 1978, Lech Poznań had to wait until the 2022/23 season before achieving a quarter-final place in any competition. They reached that milestone in the Conference League, but were eliminated 6-4 on aggregate by Fiorentina. Last season, the Polish side were eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the Conference League, and this year they have already failed to qualify for the Champions League (having lost to Crvena Zvezda) and the Europa League (having lost to Genk). Prior to those two defeats, Lech Poznań had been strong at home in Europe, having won 12 of their previous 14 home ties.
Jagiellonia Białystok (Poland)
Jagiellonia Białystok are playing in their seventh European campaign, with last season’s quarter-final appearance in this competition being their best performance to date. The Polish side finished in ninth position in the league stage, before defeating Serbian side TSC 3-1 in both the home and away legs in the knockout round play-off. Jagiellonia then defeated Cercle Brugge in the round of 16 before losing to the eventual runners-up, Real Betis, in the quarter-finals. They have already eliminated three teams in this season’s competition to reach the league phase: Novi Pazar, Silkeborg and Dinamo City.
Raków Częstochowa (Poland)
Raków Częstochowa make up the quartet of Polish teams in this competition—the highest number of teams from any nation. Raków are making only their fourth European appearance, after qualifying for the first time in the 2021/22 season. In their last appearance, they progressed through three Champions League qualifying rounds before losing a close encounter with F.C. København by a scoreline of 2-1 on aggregate. That moved them into the group stage of the Europa League, where they finished bottom after winning one of their six group matches. This season, they have qualified for the league phase of the Conference League by virtue of passing three qualifying rounds, during which they won all three of their away ties.
Sparta Prague (Czech Republic)
Sparta Prague competed in the league phase of the Champions League last season, but finished in 31st place with just one victory from their eight matches. Amongst their defeats were a 5-0 loss away to Manchester City and a 6-0 rout at home to Atlético Madrid. The previous season, Sparta reached the Europa League round of 16, only to encounter a Liverpool side in dominant form, and the Czech side lost 11-2 on aggregate. Sparta have progressed through three qualifying rounds this season to reach this stage, but in doing so have already lost away legs against both Aktobe and Riga.
Sigma Olomouc (Czech Republic)
The Czech cup winners Sigma Olomouc will be appearing in a European competition for just the third time in the last 20 years. However, they did produce a big result in the third qualifying round of the 2009/10 Europa League, when they won 5-1 away to Aberdeen and followed that with a 3-0 home victory in the second leg. Sigma Olomouc have struggled in the 1. Liga in recent times, having failed to finish better than sixth in any of the previous seven seasons. This season, they started in the Europa League play-off round but lost both legs to Malmö by an aggregate score of 5-0.
Universitatea Craiova (Romania)
Universitatea Craiova have qualified for four of the previous five Conference League competitions, but this is the first time they have progressed beyond the qualifying rounds. They were made to work hard in the third qualifying round, after seemingly having done the hard part in a 3-0 home victory over Spartak Trnava. At the end of 90 minutes in the away leg, a 4-1 scoreline in favour of the Slovakian side took the match into extra time, where Universitatea Craiova sealed the tie with two further goals. Their play-off victory to reach this stage was impressive, as they defeated Turkish side İstanbul Başakşehir both home and away.
Häcken (Sweden)
Häcken first qualified for European competitions in 2007, but have progressed to the group stage just once before. That success came in the 2023/24 Europa League but ended in an early exit, as the Swedish side lost all six group matches. This season, Häcken started in the Europa League qualifying rounds and produced an excellent result in the second round, when they defeated Anderlecht after a penalty shootout. However, they were then eliminated by Brann in the third qualifying round. Then, in the Conference League play-off round, Häcken again showed what they’re capable of with a 7-2 first-leg home win over CFR Cluj, before losing the away leg 1-0.
Lausanne-Sport (Switzerland)
Lausanne have been infrequent competitors in European competitions recently, with this season marking just the second time they have qualified in the last 25 years. In the 2010/11 Europa League, the Swiss side finished bottom of their group, taking just one point from their six matches and conceding 16 goals across those games. In qualifying for this season’s league phase of the Conference League, Lausanne defeated Vardar 6-2 on aggregate before beating Astana home and away. Then, in the play-off round, they draw 1-1 at home to Beşiktaş before an excellent 1-0 win in Turkey ensured they progressed to the league phase.
KuPS (Finland)
Although KuPS (Kuopion Palloseura) made their European debut back in 1967, the Finnish team have rarely progressed beyond the first couple of qualifying rounds. They did compete in the Champions League qualifiers this season and thought they were on the way to the third qualifying round after defeating Kairat 2-0 at home. However, a 3-0 away loss in Kazakhstan ended their UCL qualification hopes. KuPS then moved into the Europa League, but after defeating RFS with home and away victories, they found Danish rivals Midtjylland too strong, losing 6-0 on aggregate and thus taking a place in the league phase of the Conference League.
Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)
Slovan Bratislava competed in the 1956/57 European Cup and have been regular European combatants since. They have one trophy to their name, as they captured the 1968/69 Cup Winners’ Cup title by defeating Barcelona 3-2 in the final. However, in each season they have played in Europe since, Slovan’s best finish was to reach the round of 16 in the 2022/23 Conference League. Last season, the Slovakian side competed in the league phase of the Champions League, but were one of the two sides to lose all their eight matches. They started this season in the Champions League again, but lost in the third qualifying round to Kairat, and then were defeated by Young Boys in the Europa League play-off round.
Celje (Slovenia)
Celje had never previously reached the group stage of one of the main European competitions before taking part in the league stage of last season’s Conference League. The Slovenian side finished in 21st place, despite losing all three of their away matches, before progressing through two knockout rounds in which they eliminated APOEL and Lugano. They were eventually undone in a narrow 4-3 aggregate loss to Fiorentina in the quarter-finals. Celje were eliminated from this season’s Europa League by AEK Larnaca, but then defeated both Lugano and Baník Ostrava in Conference League qualifying rounds to reach the league phase.
Rijeka (Croatia)
Rijeka have competed in 13 consecutive European competitions since 2013/14, with their best-ever finish being a quarter-final appearance in the 1978/79 European Cup Winners’ Cup. Last season, Rijeka were eliminated in the Conference League play-off round by Olimpija Ljubljana with an aggregate score of 6-1. This season, the Croatian side started in the Champions League qualifiers but lost to Ludogorets Razgrad. That saw them move into the Europa League, where they defeated Shelbourne but then lost 5-1 on aggregate to PAOK to move into the league stage of the Conference League.
Omonia Nicosia (Cyprus)
Omonia have been playing in European competitions since 1965, but it was not until the 2020/21 season that they managed to reach the group stage of any competition. However, in the four times that they have since reached the group stage of a European competition, they only progressed any further one time courtesy of a 22nd-place finish in the league stage of last season’s Conference League. That achievement set them up with a tie against fellow Cypriot side Pafos, which Omonia lost 3-2 on aggregate. To qualify for this season’s league phase, Omonia dismissed Georgian and Azerbaijani opponents by a combined aggregate score of 14-0, before a penalty shootout victory over Wolfsberger saw them reach the league phase again.
AEK Larnaca (Cyprus)
AEK first appeared in Europe in 1997 and have one round-of-16 appearance to their name, which came in the 2022/23 Conference League. On that occasion, the Cypriot side lost 6-0 on aggregate to West Ham. Last season they were defeated in the second qualifying round of this competition when they lost 2-0 at home and 3-0 away to Hungarian side Paksi. This season, AEK started in the Europa League qualifying stage and progressed through each of the first three rounds, defeating some decent opponents in each round: Partizan Belgrade, Celje and Legia Warsaw. However, a 6-1 aggregate loss to Brann on the play-off round saw AEK move to the Conference League.
Noah (Armenia)
Noah made their European debut in the 2020/21 Europa League, but were eliminated in the first qualifying round. Last season, Noah progressed through four rounds to reach the league stage of the Conference League, with their most impressive result being a 3-2 aggregate win over AEK Athens. However, they struggled in the league stage and eventually finished 31st out of the 36 teams. The Armenian side lost all three away matches, which included a one-sided 8-0 defeat against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This season, Noah have already been eliminated in qualifying rounds for both the Champions League and Europa League, but put in an improved performance to defeat Olimpija Ljubljana 7-3 on aggregate and qualify for the league phase in this competition again.
Drita (Kosovo)
Drita qualified for European competition for the first time in 2018/19, and had not progressed beyond the qualifying rounds in six attempts before this season. They started in the Champions League qualifying rounds this season and managed a victory over Luxembourg side Differdange 03 before being eliminated by F.C. København, and then lost out to FCSB in the Europa League qualifiers. However, by a quirk of the new format in these European competitions, Drita then faced Differdange 03 again in the Conference League play-off round. The Kosovan side again won both legs against their Luxembourg opponents to progress to the league phase.
Shamrock Rovers (Rep of Ireland)
Despite being the first Irish club ever to compete in Europe, back in 1957, their best moment before last season was reaching the group stages of the 2011/12 Europa League. However, they went on to lose all six group games on that occasion. Last season, they finished 10th in the league phase of the Conference League to progress to a knockout stage for the first time; however, in a close match, the Irish side lost 5-4 in a penalty shootout to Molde after both legs ended in 1-0 away wins. Shamrock have progressed through three rounds, which included a victory over Portuguese Primeira Liga side Santa Clara, to reach the league phase again.
Shelbourne (Rep of Ireland)
Shelbourne have a long history in European competitions, dating back to 1963, but the Irish side had failed to progress beyond the qualifying rounds in any season until now. This season, they started in the Champions League qualifying rounds with a victory over Northern Irish side Linfield, before losing to Qarabağ in the second qualifying round. A loss to Rijeka in the Europa League qualifiers saw Shelbourne move into the Conference League play-off round where they, like Drita, once again faced their opponent from their earlier Champions League round. This time around, Shelbourne dispatched Linfield more decisively, winning 3-1 at home and 2-0 away, to reach the league phase.
Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Zrinjski Mostar have reached the group stage just once before in European football, during the 2023/24 Conference League. Despite some good home displays when defeating AZ Alkmaar 4-3 and holding Aston Villa to a 1-1 draw, the Bosnian side were unable to progress from the group. This season’s European campaign started in the Champions League, but Zrinjski Mostar were eliminated in the second qualifying round. After moving into the Europa League, they defeated Breiðablik before losing to Dutch side Utrecht in the play-off round, which resulted in a place in the league phase of the Conference League.
Shkëndija (North Macedonia)
This is Shkëndija’s 14th season in European football, and the Northern Macedonian champions had yet to make it through to a group stage before this season. They did progress through the first two qualifying rounds in this season’s Champions League, which included impressive home and away victories over FCSB, before losing 6-1 on aggregate to Qarabağ. Then, in the Europa League play-offs, Shkëndija took Ludogorets Razgrad to extra time before conceding twice in the additional period, which means the Macedonian side now enter the Conference League at the league stage.
Breiðablik (Iceland)
In their brief European history, Breiðablik reached their first group stage in the 2023/24 Conference League. However, the Icelandic side lost all six matches, conceding 18 goals across those games. In the first qualifying round of this season’s Champions League, Breiðablik defeated Albanian side Egnatia 5-1 on aggregate, before finding Lech Poznań far too strong in the next round, as they lost 8-1 on aggregate. In the Europa League, Breiðablik then lost to Zrinjski Mostar before overcoming Virtus of San Marino in the Conference League play-off round to qualify for the league phase.
Hamrun Spartans (Malta)
Hamrun Spartans first played in Europe in 1983/84 but have continually struggled to get past the early qualifying rounds. They scraped through a Champions League qualifying round this season when they defeated Žalgiris 11-10 in a penalty shootout after each side won their home leg 2-0. In the second UCL qualifying round, they lost 6-0 on aggregate to Dynamo Kyiv, before losing again in a Europa League qualifier to Maccabi Tel Aviv. In the Conference League play-off round, the Maltese side defeated RFS 3-2 on aggregate to qualify for their first ever European league or group stage.
Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar)
Lincoln Red Imps have won the Gibraltar football league 29 times in total, and 10 times in the previous 12 seasons. That has given them a shot in many of the first qualifying rounds in the Champions League, although they rarely progress beyond that. This season was no different, as the Red Imps lost 6-1 on aggregate to Crvena Zvezda in the second qualifying round. However, the Gibraltar side did make it through the third qualifying round in the Europa League when they beat Noah on penalties after both legs were drawn. However, they were no match for Sporting Braga in the play-off round, losing 9-1 on aggregate, although that was enough to earn a place in the league phase of the Conference League.
Previous Conference League finals
2024/25: Chelsea 4-1 Real Betis
2023/24: Olympiacos 1-0 Fiorentina (after extra-time)
2022/23: West Ham 2-1 Fiorentina
2021/22: Roma 1-0 Feyenoord
Follow all the European action with the Marathonbet blog. You’ll find previews and tips on the Champions League and Europa League, as well as full weekly coverage of the English Premier League.
