Annual association football contest in Europe

Football tournament
The UEFA Europa League ( abbreviated as UEL ) is an annual football club contest organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA ) for eligible european football clubs. It is the second-tier rival of european club football, ranking below the UEFA Champions League and above the UEFA Europa Conference League after being the third-tier competition from 1971 to 1999 before the UEFA Cup Winners ‘ Cup was discontinued. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] Clubs qualify for the contest based on their performance in their national leagues and cup competitions.

Introduced in 1971 as the UEFA Cup, it replaced the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. In 1999, the UEFA Cup Winners ‘ Cup was abolished and merged with the UEFA Cup. [ 3 ] From the 2004–05 season a group stage was added before the hard phase. The rival has been known as the Europa League since the 2009–10 season, [ 4 ] [ 5 ] following a change in format. [ 6 ] The 2009 re-branding included a blend with the UEFA Intertoto Cup, producing an blow up contest format, with an expanded group stage and a change in qualifying criteria. The winner of the UEFA Europa League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and, since the 2014–15 temper, the following season ‘s UEFA Champions League, entering at the group stage. spanish clubs have the highest number of victories ( thirteen wins ), followed by England and Italy ( nine wins each ). The deed has been won by 29 clubs, thirteen of which have won it more than once. The most successful clubhouse in the rival is Sevilla, with six titles. Villarreal are the reigning champions, having beaten Manchester United 11–10 on penalties in the 2021 final .

history [edit ]

The UEFA Cup was preceded by the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was a european football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition grew from 11 teams during the first edition ( 1955–58 ) to 64 teams by the survive edition which was played in 1970–71, being abolished and replaced by the UEFA Cup, a new seasonal confederation contest which have a different regulation, format and disciplinary committee. [ 7 ] The UEFA Cup was first played in the 1971–72 season, ended with an all-English final of Wolverhampton Wanderers against Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs taking the first honor. The rival gained since then a bigger prestige and interest between the bulk media than the Fairs Cup. [ 8 ] The title was retained by another English baseball club, Liverpool, in 1973, who defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the final. Gladbach would win the competition in 1975 and 1979, and reach the final again in 1980. Feyenoord won the cup in 1974 after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4–2 on aggregate ( 2–2 in London, 2–0 in Rotterdam ). Liverpool won the rival for the irregular time in 1976 after defeating Club Brugge in the concluding. During the 1980s, IFK Göteborg ( 1982 and 1987 ) and real Madrid ( 1985 and 1986 ) won the rival doubly each, with Anderlecht reaching two back-to-back finals, winning in 1983 and losing to Tottenham Hotspur in 1984. The year 1989 saw the beginning of the italian golf club ‘ domination, when Diego Maradona ‘s Napoli defeated VfB Stuttgart. The 1990s started with two all-Italian finals, and in 1992, Torino lost the final to Ajax on the away goals rule. Juventus won the contest for a one-third meter in 1993 and Internazionale kept the cup in Italy the follow year. The year 1995 saw a one-third all-Italian concluding, with Parma proving their consistency, after two straight Cup Winners ‘ Cup finals. The alone concluding with no Italians during that decade was in 1996. Internazionale reached the final the take after two years, losing in 1997 to Schalke 04 on penalties, and winning however another all-Italian final in 1998, taking home the cup for the third time in alone eight years. Parma won the cup in 1999, which ended the Italian-domination era. By luck, it was the last UEFA Cup/Europa League final appearance for any italian club until Internazionale reached the 2020 concluding .
The earned run average of the 2000s began with victory for Galatasaray, the first Turkish team to win the trophy. Liverpool won the competition for the third base fourth dimension in 2001. In 2002, Feyenoord became winners for the moment time in cabaret history by defeating Borussia Dortmund 3–2 in the final toy in their own stadium, De Kuip in Rotterdam. Porto triumphed in the 2003 and 2011 tournaments, with the latter victory against mate portuguese side Braga. In 2004, the cup returned to Spain with Valencia being triumphant, and then Sevilla succeeded on two straight occasions in 2006 and 2007, the latter in a final against companion Spaniards Espanyol. Either side of Sevilla ‘s achiever, two russian teams, CSKA Moscow in 2005 and Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2008, had their aura and so far another former soviet cabaret, Ukraine ‘s Shakhtar Donetsk, won in 2009, the first ukrainian side to do so. Atlético Madrid would themselves win twice in three seasons, in 2010 and 2012, the latter in another all-Spanish concluding between them and Athletic Bilbao. In 2013, Chelsea would become the first Champions League holders to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League the follow year. In 2014, Sevilla won their third base cup in eight years after defeating Benfica on penalties. equitable one year later, in 2015, Sevilla won their one-fourth UEFA Cup/Europa League and, in an unprecedented feat, they defended their championship a one-third class in a quarrel beating Liverpool in the 2016 final, making them the most successful team in the history of the contest with five titles. They added a further one-sixth victory in 2020, after defeating Inter Milan .The 2019 all London final examination between Chelsea and Arsenal was the first Uefa Cup/Europa League final between two teams from the lapp city. Since the 2009–10 season, the rival has been known as the UEFA Europa League. [ 4 ] [ 5 ] At the lapp time, the UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA ‘s third-tier competition, was discontinued and merged into the new Europa League .

trophy [edit ]

The UEFA Cup, besides known as the Coupe UEFA, is the trophy awarded per annum by UEFA to the football club that wins the UEFA Europa League. Before the 2009–10 season, both the competition and the trophy were known as the ‘UEFA Cup ‘. Before the competition was renamed the UEFA Europa League in the 2009–10 temper, the UEFA regulations stated that a club could keep the original trophy for a year before returning it to UEFA. After its return, the club could keep a four-fifths scale replica of the original trophy. Upon their third consecutive win or fifth win overall, a cabaret could retain the trophy permanently. [ 9 ] however, under the new regulations, the trophy remains in UEFA ‘s keeping at all times. A life-size replica trophy is awarded to each achiever of the rival. Furthermore, a club that wins three consecutive times or five times overall will receive a multiple-winner badge. [ 10 ] As of 2016–17, only Sevilla has earned the honor to wear the multiple-winner badge, having achieved both prerequired feats in 2016. [ 11 ] The trophy was designed and crafted by Bertoni for the 1972 UEFA Cup Final. It weighs 15 kilogram ( 33 pound ) and is silver on a yellow marble pedestal. [ 12 ]

anthem [edit ]

A musical composition for the competition, the Anthem, is played before every Europa League game at a stadium hosting such an event and besides ahead every television receiver broadcast of a Europa League crippled as a musical element of the rival ‘s open sequence. [ 13 ] The competition ‘s first anthem was composed by Yohann Zveig and recorded by the Paris Opera in early 2009. The theme for the re-branded UEFA Cup competition was first officially unveiled at the Grimaldi Forum on 28 August 2009 before the 2009–10 temper group stage puff. A new hymn was composed by Michael Kadelbach and recorded in Berlin and was launched as separate of the contest ‘s rebranding at the depart of the 2015–16 season. [ 14 ] A new hymn created by MassiveMusic was composed for the start of the 2018–19 temper. [ 15 ]

format [edit ]

reservation [edit ]

qualification for the competition is based on UEFA coefficients, with better capture rounds being offered to the more successful nations. In practice, each association has a standard numeral of three berths, except :

  • Nations ranked 52 and 53 (Andorra and San Marino in the 2013–14 season), which have two berths
  • The nation ranked 54 (Gibraltar in the 2014–15 season) which has one berth.
  • Liechtenstein, which qualifies only the Cup winners

normally, each state ‘s places are awarded to teams who finish in respective runner-up places in its top-flight league and the winner of the independent cup rival. typically the teams qualifying via the league are those in the highest places not eligible for the UEFA Champions League ; however, the belgian league awards one place via a playoff between First A and First B teams. Before its discontinuance in 2020–21, France offered a place to the winners of the Coupe de la Ligue. A team may qualify for european competitions through more than one route. In all cases, if a golf club is eligible to enter the UEFA Champions League then the Champions League place takes precession and the club does not enter the UEFA Europa League. The UEFA Europa League space is then granted to another club or vacated if the utmost limit of teams qualifying for european competitions is exceeded. If a team qualifies for european competition through both winning a cup and league place, the “ spare ” UEFA Europa League place will go to the highest located league team which has not already qualified for european competition, depending on the rules of the national association, or vacated, if the trace limit is reached. The top three ranked associations may qualify for the fourth mooring if both the Champions League and Europa League champions are from that association and do not qualify for european rival through their domestic performance. In that font, the fourth-placed team in that affiliation will join the Europa League alternatively of the Champions League, in addition to their other qualifying teams. More recently, clubs that are knocked out of the qualify attack and the group stage of the Champions League can besides join the UEFA Europa League, at different stages ( see below ). once, the reigning champions qualified to defend their deed, but since 2015 they qualify for the Champions League. From 1995 to 2015, three leagues gained one extra seat via the UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking .

background [edit ]

UEFA coefficients were introduced in 1980 and, until 1999, they gave a greater number of berths in UEFA Cup to the more successful nations. Three nations had four places, five nations had three places, thirteen nations had two places, and eleven nations only one identify. Since 1999, a exchangeable arrangement has been used for the UEFA Champions League. Before 1980, the entrance standard of the last Fairs Cup was used .

diachronic formats [edit ]

The contest was traditionally a pure hard tournament. All ties were two-legged, including the concluding. Starting with the 1997–98 season, the final became a one-off match, but all early ties remained two-legged. Before the 2004–05 season, the tournament consisted of one qualifying polish, followed by a series of smasher rounds. The sixteen non-qualifiers from the concluding qualify round of the Champions League entered at the first round proper ; later in the tournament, the survivors were joined by third-place finishers from the ( first ) group phase of the Champions League. From the 2004–05 season, the competition started with two knockout qualifying rounds held in July and August. Participants from associations ranked 18 and lower entered the foremost qualify orotund with those from associations ranked 9–18 joining them in the second gear modification round. In addition, three places in the foremost qualify round were reserved for the UEFA Fair Play ranking winners ( until 2015–16 ), and eleven places in the second qualify rung for the UEFA Intertoto Cup winners. Winners of the qualifying rounds then joined teams from the associations ranked 1–13 in the beginning round proper. In addition, non-qualifiers in the third qualifying polish of the Champions League besides joined the rival at this target along with the current title-holders ( unless they had qualified for the Champions League via their national league ), for a total of 80 teams in the foremost round. After the first hard round, the 40 survivors entered a group phase, with the clubs being drawn into eight groups of five each. Unlike the Champions League group phase, the UEFA Cup group phase was played in a single round-robin format, with each club playing two home and two away games. The lead three teams in each of the eight groups qualified for the independent knockout orotund along with the eight third-placed teams in the Champions League group phase. From then on a series of two-legged smasher ties were played before a single-legged concluding, traditionally held on a Wednesday in May, precisely one week before the Champions League final examination .

current format [edit ]

See caption

 

UEFA member nation that has been represented in the group stage

 

UEFA member state that has not been represented in the group stagecoach Map of UEFA countries whose teams reached the group stage of the UEFA Europa League

In the 2009–10 season, the competition was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League to raise its profile. [ 4 ] Eight more teams qualified for the group stage, which consisted of 12 groups with four teams each ( in a double round-robin ) ; the peak two teams in each group advanced. The competition was then similar to the former format, with four rounds of two-legged knockout rounds and a one-off final examination declare at a neutral grind which met UEFA ‘s Category Four stadium criteria. The concluding was played in May, on the Wednesday ten days before the Champions League concluding. qualification changed significantly. Associations ranked 7–9 in the UEFA coefficients sent the cup winners and three ( two since the 2015–16 season ) early teams to the UEFA Europa League qualification ; all other nations sent a cup achiever and two other teams, except for Andorra and San Marino ( who sent a cup winner and a runner-up ) and Liechtenstein ( who sent only a cup achiever ). Since Gibraltar was accepted as a full UEFA member at the 24 May 2013 UEFA Congress in London, their cup winner besides qualified for the Europa League. Although the other teams will be the next-highest-ranked clubs in each domestic league ( after those qualifying for the UEFA Champions League ), France and England will continue to use one spot for their league-cup winners. With the abolition of the Intertoto Cup, all participants in the Europa League are qualified through domestic routes. The higher an association is ranked in the UEFA coefficients, the late its clubs generally begin the reservation. however, every team except for the champion ( until the 2014–15 season ) and the highest-ranked teams ( normally the cup winner or the best europa League-qualified team ) from the crown ( six from 2012 to 2015, 12 since the 2015–16 temper ) associations had to play at least one reservation round. Except for the teams mentioned, all teams eliminated in the Champions League preliminary orotund, qualifying rounds and play-off round are transferred to the Europa League. The 12 winners and the 12 runner-up in the group stage improvement to the hard polish with eight third-place teams from the Champions League group stage. The distribution was changed in 2014 to broaden the competition ‘s invoke, giving the Europa League champions a Champions League reservation mooring ; more teams mechanically qualify for the group degree. If cup winners had already qualified for european competition through league performance, their space in the league is vacated and goes to the best-ranked teams not qualified for european competition ; the cup runner-up is no retentive qualified through the cup berth. [ 16 ] These rules became effective for the 2015–16 season .

distribution ( from 2015–16 to 2017–18 ) [edit ]

Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round Teams transferred from Champions League
First qualifying round
(104 teams)
  • 31 domestic cup winners from associations 24–54
  • 35 domestic league runners-up from associations 18–53 (except Liechtenstein)
  • 35 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 16–51 (except Liechtenstein)
  • 3 teams which qualified via Fair Play ranking
    • (this is no longer applicable as of the beginning of the 2015–16 season, see also UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking).
Second qualifying round
(66 teams)
  • 6 domestic cup winners from associations 18–23
  • 2 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–17
  • 6 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 10–15
  • 52 winners from first qualifying round
Third qualifying round
(58 teams)
  • 5 domestic cup winners from associations 13–17
  • 9 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 7–15
  • 5 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 5–9
  • 3 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 4–6 (League Cup winners for France)
  • 3 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–3 (League Cup winners for England)
  • 33 winners from second qualifying round
Play-off round
(44 teams)
  • 29 winners from third qualifying round
  • 15 losers from Champions League third qualifying round
Group stage
(48 teams)
  • 12 domestic cup winners from associations 1–12
  • 1 domestic league fourth-placed team from association 4
  • 3 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 1–3
  • 22 winners from play-off round
  • 10 losers from Champions League play-off round
Knockout phase
(32 teams)
  • 12 group winners from group stage
  • 12 group runners-up from group stage
  • 8 third-placed teams from Champions League group stage

The access list above is probationary, as changes will need to be made in the follow cases :

  • If the Champions League title holders or the Europa League title holders have qualified for the Europa League through domestic performance, their berth in the Europa League is vacated (not replaced by another team from the same association), and cup winners of the highest-ranked associations are moved to a later round accordingly.[17]
  • In some cases where changes to the access list of the Champions League are made, the number of losers of the Champions League third qualifying round which are transferred to the Europa League is increased or decreased from the default number of 15, which means changes to the access list of the Europa League will also need to be made.[18]
  • Because a maximum of five teams from one association can enter the UEFA Champions League, if both the Champions League title holders and the Europa League title holders are from the same top three ranked association and finish outside the top four of their domestic league, the fourth-placed team of their association will be moved to the Europa League and enter the group stage, which means changes to the access list of the Europa League may also need to be made.[19]

distribution ( from 2018–19 to 2020–21 ) [edit ]

Beginning with the 2018–19 tournament, all domestic champions eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League will transfer to the Europa League, quite than merely teams that are eliminated in the third-qualifying and play-off rounds. Europa League qualify will besides provide a separate champions path for these teams, allowing more opportunities for domestic league champions to compete against each other. [ 20 ]

Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round Teams transferred from Champions League
Preliminary round
(16 teams)
  • 6 domestic cup winners from associations 50–55
  • 6 domestic league runners-up from associations 49–54
  • 4 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 48–51
First qualifying round
(94 teams)
  • 25 domestic cup winners from associations 25–49
  • 30 domestic league runners-up from associations 18–48 (except Liechtenstein)
  • 31 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 16–47 (except Liechtenstein)
  • 8 winners from preliminary round
Second qualifying round Champions
(20 teams)
  • 17 losers from Champions League first qualifying round
  • 3 losers from Champions League preliminary round
Non-champions
(74 teams)
  • 7 domestic cup winners from associations 18–24
  • 2 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–17
  • 3 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 13–15
  • 9 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 7–15
  • 2 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 5–6 (League Cup winners for France)
  • 4 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–4 (League Cup winners for England)
  • 47 winners from first qualifying round
Third qualifying round Champions
(20 teams)
  • 10 winners from second qualifying round for champions
  • 10 losers from Champions League second qualifying round for champions
Non-champions
(52 teams)
  • 5 domestic cup winners from associations 13–17
  • 6 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 7–12
  • 1 domestic league fourth-placed team from association 6
  • 37 winners from second qualifying round for non-champions
  • 3 losers from Champions League second qualifying round for non-champions
Play-off round Champions
(16 teams)
  • 10 winners from third qualifying round for champions
  • 6 losers from Champions League third qualifying round for champions
Non-champions
(26 teams)
  • 26 winners from third qualifying round for non-champions
Group stage
(48 teams)
  • 12 domestic cup winners from associations 1–12
  • 1 domestic league fourth-placed team from association 5
  • 4 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 1–4
  • 21 winners from play-off round
  • 6 losers from Champions League play-off round
  • 4 losers from Champions League third qualifying round for non-champions
Knockout phase
(32 teams)
  • 12 group winners from group stage
  • 12 group runners-up from group stage
  • 8 third-placed teams from Champions League group stage

distribution ( from 2021–22 to 2023–24 ) [edit ]

The announcement of the UEFA Europa Conference League, a third competition which would serve to split off the lower-ranked teams in the Europa League to give them a greater casual to compete, included a document from UEFA listing their intentions for reservation to the Europa League from 2021 onwards. [ 21 ] With a majority of the early entrants into the Europa League now participating entirely in the UECL, the Europa League itself would have a greatly reduced format which will focus primarily around its group degree. [ 22 ] There would besides be an extra hard round before the smasher phase proper, allowing for third-placed teams in the Champions League group stage to fall into the Europa League while still keeping the hard degree itself at only 16 teams full. [ 21 ]

Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round Teams transferred from Champions League
Qualifying round Champions
(10 teams)
  • 10 losers from Champions League second qualifying round for champions
Non-champions
(6 teams)
  • 3 domestic cup winners from associations 13–15
  • 3 losers from Champions League second qualifying round for non-champions
Play-off round
(20 teams)
  • 6 domestic cup winners from associations 7–12
  • 5 winners from qualifying round for champions
  • 3 winners from qualifying round for non-champions
  • 6 losers from Champions League third qualifying round for champions
Group stage
(32 teams)
  • 6 domestic cup winners from associations 1–6
  • 1 domestic league fourth-placed team from association 5
  • 4 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 1–4
  • UEFA Europa Conference League title holders (beginning with the 2022–23 season)
  • 10 winners from play-off round
  • 4 losers from Champions League play-off round for champions
  • 6 losers from Champions League third qualifying round and play-off round for non-champions
Preliminary knockout round
(16 teams)
  • 8 group runners-up from group stage
  • 8 third-placed teams from Champions League group stage
Knockout phase
(16 teams)
  • 8 group winners from group stage
  • 8 winners from preliminary knockout round

Prize money [edit ]

similar to the UEFA Champions League, the prize money received by the clubs is divided into fixed payments based on participation and results, and variable amounts that depend of the prize of their television market. [ 23 ] For the 2021–22 season, group phase engagement in the Europa League awarded a base tip of €3,630,000. A victory in the group pays €630,000 and a draw €210,000. besides, each group achiever earns €1,100,000 and each runner-up €550,000. Reaching the knock-out stagecoach triggers extra bonuses : €500,000 for the rung of 32, €1,200,000 for the turn of 16, €1,800,000 for the quarter-finals and €2,800,000 for the semi-finals. The lose finalists receive €4,600,000 and the champions receive €8,600,000. [ 24 ]

  • Qualified to group stage: €3,630,000
  • Match won in group stage: €630,000
  • Match drawn in group stage: €210,000
  • 1st in group stage: €1,100,000
  • 2nd in group stage: €550,000
  • Knockout round play-offs: €500,000
  • Round of 16: €1,200,000
  • Quarter-final: €1,800,000
  • Semi-final: €2,800,000
  • Runner-up: €4,600,000
  • Champion: €8,600,000

The UEFA Europa League is sponsored by seven multinational corporations, which share the same partners with the UEFA Europa Conference League. The tournament ‘s main sponsors for the 2021–24 bicycle are :
Molten is a secondary sponsor and supplies the official match ball. [ 31 ] Since the origin of Europa League brand, the tournament has used its own hoardings ( in that year it debuted in the round of 32 ) like UEFA Champions League. LED hoardings made their debut in the 2012–13 final and would appear in 2015–16 season from the round of 16 ; in the lapp temper, from the group stage, teams are not allowed to show their sponsors. [ 32 ] It would appear in the 2018–19 season for selected matches in the group stages and the round of 32. [ 33 ] person clubs may wear jerseys with ad, even if such sponsors conflict with those of the Europa League. however, only two sponsorships are permitted per new jersey ( plus that of the manufacturer ), at the breast and the exit sleeve. [ 34 ] Exceptions are made for non-profit organisations, which can feature on the front of the shirt, incorporated with the independent presenter, or on the back, either below the squad number or between the player name and the collar .

Records and statistics [edit ]

The UEFA Cup finals were played over two legs until 1997. The first final examination was played on 3 May 1972 in Wolverhampton and 17 May 1972 in London. The first leg between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur was won 2–1 by the away side. The second leg finished as a 1–1 draw, meaning that Tottenham Hotspur became the first base UEFA Cup winners. The one-match finals in pre-selected venues were introduced in 1998. A venue must meet or exceed UEFA Category three standards to host UEFA Cup finals. On two occasions, the final was played at a finalist ‘s home plate land : Feyenoord defeated Borussia Dortmund at De Kuip, Rotterdam, in 2002, and Sporting CP lost to CSKA Moscow at their own Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, in 2005. The winner of the last UEFA Cup final ( before the competition being rebranded as the UEFA Europa League ) was Shakhtar Donetsk on 20 May 2009. The ukrainian team outwit Werder Bremen of Germany 2–1 at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul. The first-ever winner of the rebranded Europa League was Atlético Madrid, beating Premier League side Fulham 2–1 after extra time .

Performances by baseball club [edit ]

Performances by nation [edit ]

Performance in finals by nation
Nation Winners Runners-up Total
 Spain 13 5 18
 England 9 8 17
 Italy 9 7 16
 Germany[A] 6 8 14
 Netherlands 4 3 7
 Portugal 2 5 7
 Russia 2 0 2
 Sweden 2 0 2
 Belgium 1 2 3
 Ukraine 1 1 2
 Turkey 1 0 1
 France 0 5 5
 Scotland 0 3 3
 Austria 0 1 1
 Hungary 0 1 1
 Yugoslavia[B] 0 1 1
Notes

Awards [edit ]

Starting from the 2016–17 edition of the competition, UEFA introduced the UEFA Europa League Player of the Season award. The jury is composed of the coaches of the clubs which participate in the group phase of the rival, in concert with 55 journalists selected by the european Sports Media ( ESM ) group, one from each UEFA extremity association .

Winners [edit ]

See besides [edit ]

Notes [edit ]

  1. ^ 8 clubs join after Champions League group stage : the winners of each group advance to the round of 16, the second-placed teams in each group begin play from the knockout play-offs, where they are joined by the eight third-place teams in the Champions League group phase .

References [edit ]