No Champions League match this week: make way for the Europa League. To launch the new format of its continental competitions, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has planned for each of them a week during which the other two competitions are not on the program. And one week after the resumption of the queen of competitions in Europe, it is the turn of the former UEFA Cup, which became the Europa League in 2009, to begin.
Like the Champions League and its little sister the Conference League, the C3 (nickname of the Europa League) is inaugurating a new format this season, intended to make it more attractive and designed to counter the semi-closed Super League project, supported by some of the richest clubs in Europe – starting with Real Madrid. The competition begins with a single championship seeing 36 teams compete – the “regular season”. The first eight teams will qualify directly for the round of 16; then, those ranked between 9e and the 24e place will play qualifying play-offs. The last teams will be eliminated at the end of this first phase, which will end at the end of January. A final phase will follow in two-legged matches, with the exception of the final, scheduled for May 21, 2025 at the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao (Spain).
In addition to the abandonment of the group stage, no club initially aligned in the Champions League will now be transferred to the Europa League, the two competitions being completely independent of each other. A boon for those who play in the second: since 2009, ten teams re-entered after failing in the Champions League have reached the Europa League final. And five times these transferred clubs have even won: Atlético Madrid in 2010 and 2018, Chelsea in 2013, and FC Sevilla in 2016 and 2023.
Nice and Lyon to represent French football
Latest innovation: as during the Euro and the Champions League, only captains are allowed to speak with the referee during the match. Players who do not respect this instruction are likely to receive a warning.
This season, the French chances will be defended by OGC Nice and Olympique Lyonnais, current 7e and 14e Ligue 1. After celebrating their 120th anniversary by thrashing the promoted Saint-Etienne (8-0), the Aiglons face, on Wednesday September 25, the Basque club Real Sociedad. They will then welcome to the Allianz Riviera the Glasgow Rangers, the Norwegians of FK Bodo-Glimt and the Dutch of FC Twente. They will however travel to face Lazio of Rome, the Hungarians of Ferencvaros, the Belgian club of Union Saint-Gilloise and the Swedes of Elfsborg.
Olympique Lyonnais also avoided the big names Manchester United, Tottenham and AS Roma. Back in Europe after two years of absence, the Rhone club starts its competition on Thursday against Olympiakos. Lyon will then host Eintracht Frankfurt, the Bulgarians of Ludogorets and the Turks of Besiktas. Then they will have to travel to also face Rangers, then the Istanbulites of Fenerbahçe, the Azerbaijanis of Qarabag and the Germans of Hoffenheim.
The poster for this first day of the new competition pits AS Roma against Athletic Bilbao. Roma, finalist in 2023 but currently 10e Serie A, faces the Basque club deprived of its virtuoso Nico Williams and its goalkeeper Unai Simon, respectively injured in the ankle and wrist. But Bilbao will be keen to start well a competition ending on its ground.