UEFA Europa League play-off draw

The UEFA Europa League play-off draw took place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland on Monday 2 August.

The teams were drawn into ten ties, with the winners advancing to the group stage. The ties were finalised on 10 and 12 August with the completion of the third qualifying round for UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League.

Europa League play-off draw

Randers (DEN) vs Galatasaray (TUR)
Rapid Wien (AUT) vs Zorya Luhansk (UKR)
Celtic (SCO) vs AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Fenerbahçe (TUR) vs HJK Helsinki (FIN)
Mura (SVN) vs Sturm Graz (AUT)

Omonoia (CYP) vs Royal Antwerp (BEL)
Olympiacos (GRE) vs Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Rangers (SCO) vs Alashkert (ARM)
Slavia Praha (CZE) vs Legia Warszawa (POL)
Crvena zvezda (SRB) vs CFR Cluj (ROU)

What happens next?

Ties take place between 17 and 26 August, with extra time and a penalty shoot-out if required after the second leg. The ten winners advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage (draw on 27 August), where 12 of the 32 teams are already known.

How the draw worked

The UEFA Europa League has undergone some changes in becoming a competition with a group stage of 32 teams, in combination with the creation of the UEFA Europa Conference League. This has also resulted in substantial changes to the qualification phase, including the play-offs.

The draw for the UEFA Europa League play-offs was conducted in accordance with paragraph 13.05 of the Regulations of the UEFA Europa League 2021/22.

The teams were seeded and drawn based on the principles approved by the Club Competitions Committee to guarantee that eight clubs eliminated from the UEFA Champions League (champions path) were drawn against each other and so ensure a representation of at least four domestic champions from the UEFA Europa League play-offs in the group stage.

Please note that, in accordance with the regulations, no country protection was applied and clubs from the same association could have been drawn against each other.

The draw began by pairing three teams from pot 1 (priority 1) with the three teams in pot 4 (priority 4) as follows:

• One ball was drawn from the priority 1 bowl and another from the priority 4 bowl. The two balls were placed in an empty bowl and shuffled. The first team drawn plays at home in the first leg.

• This procedure was repeated to complete the second and third pairings.

The three remaining pot 1 teams were then paired with teams from pot 3 (priority 3) as follows:

• One ball was drawn from the priority 1 bowl and another from the priority 3 bowl. The two balls were placed in an empty bowl and shuffled. The first team drawn plays at home in the first leg.

• This procedure was repeated to complete the fifth and sixth pairings.

The two remaining pot 3 teams were then paired with teams from pot 2 (priority 2) as follows:

• One ball was drawn from the priority 3 bowl and another from the priority 2 bowl. The two balls were placed in an empty bowl and shuffled. The first team drawn plays at home in the first leg.

• This procedure was repeated to complete the eighth pairing.

The four remaining pot 2 balls were then drawn one after another to complete the ninth and tenth pairings in an open draw). The first and third teams drawn play at home in the first leg.

Any changes of date and fixture reversals will be communicated to clubs and national associations by 18:00 CET on 3 August.

Which teams were involved?

The draw featured 20 teams, who were seeded in the following order of priorities:

• Six teams entering at this stage: Pot 1 (priority 1)

• Six teams eliminated from the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round champions path: Pot 2 (priority 2)

• Five winners from the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round champions path: Pot 3 (priority 3)

• Three winners from the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round main path: Pot 4 (priority 4)

Pot 1 (priority 1)
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Fenerbahçe SK (TUR)
FC Zorya Luhansk (UKR)
Royal Antwerp FC (BEL)
SK Sturm Graz (AUT)
Randers FC (DEN)

Pot 2 (priority 2)
GNK Dinamo (CRO) / Legia Warszawa (POL)
Ferencvárosi TC (HUN) / SK Slavia Praha (CZE)
Olympiacos FC (GRE) / PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL)
CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU) / BSC Young Boys (SUI)
FK Crvena zvezda (SRB) / FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
Malmö FF (SWE) / Rangers FC (SCO)

Pot 3 (priority 3)
Omonoia FC (CYP) / FC Flora Tallinn (EST)
NS Mura (SVN) / FK Žalgiris Vilnius (LTU)
FC Kairat Almaty (KAZ) / Alashkert FC (ARM)
Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) / ŠK Slovan Bratislava (SVK)
Neftçi PFK (AZE) / HJK Helsinki (FIN)

Pot 4 (priority 4)
FK Jablonec (CZE) / Celtic FC (SCO)
SK Rapid Wien (AUT) / Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP)
Galatasaray AŞ (TUR) / St Johnstone FC (SCO)

Special COVID rules

Please be aware of the special rules applicable to the qualifying phase and play-offs of the competition due to COVID-19, which can be found here.

In regards to travelling fans being admitted to matches, more information can be found here.