All you need to know about the 2023-24 Europa Conference League
The Europa Conference League returns for its third season in 2023-24 as teams from across the continent battle it out to follow in the footsteps of previous winners Roma and West Ham.
We have pulled together all the key information and dates for your diary.
Europa Conference League 2023-24 group stage draw
Group A
Lille, Slovan Bratislava, Olimpija Ljubljana, KI Klaksvik
Group B
Gent, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Zorya Luhansk, Breidablik
Group C
Dinamo Zagreb, Viktoria Plzen, FC Astana, FC Ballkani
Group D
Club Brugge, Bodo/Glimt, Besiktas, FC Lugano
Group E
AZ Alkmaar, Aston Villa, Legia Warsaw, HSK Zrinjski
Group F
Ferencvaros, Fiorentina, Genk, Cukaricki
Group G
Eintracht Frankfurt, PAOK, HJK Helsinki, Aberdeen
Group H
Fenerbahce, Ludogorets, Spartak Trnava, Nordsjaelland
When are the 2023-24 Europa Conference League group stage fixtures?
The group stage will kick off in September and conclude in mid-December.
During this stage, the teams in each group will play each other home and away, with the top team qualifying for the last 16 and the second-placed team having to go through a knockout round play-off against a team from the Europa League.
The dates for all six matchdays are as follows:
Matchday 1: Thursday, September 21
Matchday 2: Thursday, October 5
Matchday 3: Thursday, October 26
Matchday 4: Thursday, November 9
Matchday 5: Thursday, November 30
Matchday 6: Thursday, December 14
When are the 2023-24 Europa Conference League knockout draws?
The draw for the last 16 will not take place until February, due to the knockout round play-off fixtures that will see the group runners-up face those who have exited the Europa League.
Those that top each of the eight groups will then face the winners of those play-offs for a place in the quarter-finals.
The full list of draw dates are as follows:
Knockout round play-off draw: Monday, December 18, 2023
Last 16 draw: Friday, February 23, 2024
Quarter-finals and semi-finals draw: Friday, March 15, 2024
When are the 2023-24 Europa Conference League knockout fixtures?
The Europa Conference League will take its usual break over Christmas and resume in 2024 for the knockout phase of the competition.
The knockout fixtures will take place in February, March, April and May.
The full list of dates are as follows:
Knockout round play-offs first legs: Thursday, February 15
Knockout round play-offs second legs: Thursday, February 22
Last 16 first legs: Thursday, March 7
Last 16 second legs: Thursday, March 14
Quarter-final first legs: Thursday, April 11
Quarter-final second legs: Thursday, April 18
Semi-final first legs: Thursday, May 2
Semi-final second legs: Thursday, May 9
When is the 2023-24 Europa Conference League final?
This season, the Europa Conference League final will be played at the Agia Sofia Stadium in Athens, Greece on Wednesday, May 29.
It is home to AEK Athens and can hold up to 32,500 spectators, making it the third-largest stadium in the country.
The Greek national team have used the arena in the past for their matches and they will visit three more times in 2023.
Who won last season's Europa Conference League?
West Ham were the victors of last season's Europa Conference League, beating Fiorentina in Prague last June.
The East Londoners ended their 43-year wait for a major trophy thanks to Jarrod Bowen who netted the winner late on to the delight of manager David Moyes and the travelling contingent from England.
The win earned the Hammers a place in the Europa League this season and they will be looking to go one step further than their semi-final appearance in 2021-22.