All you need to know about the 2023-24 Europa Conference League

Mitchell Fretton
LiveScore
West Ham are the current holders of the Europa Conference League
West Ham are the current holders of the 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?

Unai Emery has guided Aston Villa into the Europa Conference League for the first time
Unai Emery has guided Aston Villa into the Europa Conference League for the first time

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?

The Europa Conference League finalists will face off in Athens
The Europa Conference League finalists will face off in Athens

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.

Tags

Europa Conference LeagueAston VillaFenerbahceLilleGentDinamo ZagrebClub BruggeAZ AlkmaarFerencvarosEintracht FrankfurtSlovan BratislavaOlimpija LjubljanaMaccabi Tel AvivZoryaBreidablikViktoria PlzenFC AstanaBallkaniBodoe/GlimtBesiktasFC LuganoLegia WarszawaZrinjski MostarFiorentinaGenkCukarickiPAOK Thessaloniki FCHJKAberdeenLudogorets RazgradSpartak TrnavaFC Nordsjaelland