UEFA Europa League group stage draw: Where was it, when was it, who was involved?
Friday, September 1, 2023
Article summary
All you need to know about the 2023/24 Europa League group stage draw.
Article top media content
Article body
The 2023/24 UEFA Europa League group stage draw took place on Friday 1 September.
Which teams were in the group stage draw?
The draw featured 32 teams – 12 automatic qualifiers, ten Europa League play-off winners and ten sides transferring from the UEFA Champions League play-offs or third qualifying round League path.
AUT: LASK, Sturm Graz
AZE: Qarabağ
BEL: Union SG
CYP: Aris Limassol
CZE: Slavia Praha, Sparta Praha
ENG: Brighton, Liverpool, West Ham
ESP: Real Betis, Villarreal
FRA: Marseille, Rennes, Toulouse
GER: Freiburg, Leverkusen
GRE: AEK Athens, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos
ISR: Maccabi Haifa
ITA: Atalanta, Roma
MDA: Sheriff Tiraspol
NED: Ajax
NOR: Molde
POL: Raków Częstochowa
POR: Sporting CP
SCO: Rangers
SRB: TSC
SUI: Servette
SWE: Häcken
When was the Europa League group stage draw?
The draw ceremony began at 13:00 CET on Friday 1 September.
How did the group stage draw work?
The 32 teams were split into four seeding pots based on the club coefficient rankings.
No team could play a side from their own association. Paired clubs from the same country play at separate times. The full draw procedure is available here.
Pot 1
West Ham United FC (ENG) – pairing A
Liverpool FC (ENG) – A
AS Roma (ITA) – B
AFC Ajax (NED) – UECL C
Villarreal CF (ESP) – D
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) – E
Atalanta BC (ITA) – B
Rangers FC (SCO) – UECL F
Pot 2
Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR)
SK Slavia Praha (CZE) – G
Stade Rennais FC (FRA) – H
Olympiacos FC (GRE) – I
Real Betis Balompié (ESP) – D
LASK (AUT) – J
Olympique de Marseille (FRA) – H
Qarabağ FK (AZE)
Pot 3
Molde FK (NOR) – UECL K
Brighton & Hove Albion (ENG) – UECL L
FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
R. Union Saint-Gilloise (BEL) – UECL M
SC Freiburg (GER) – E
AC Sparta Praha (CZE) – G
Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR) – UECL N
SK Sturm Graz (AUT) – J
Pot 4
Toulouse FC (FRA) – UECL O
AEK Athens FC (GRE) – UECL P
FK TSC Bačka Topola (SRB) – UECL Q
Servette FC (SUI) – UECL R
Panathinaikos FC (GRE) – I
Raków Czestochowa (POL) – UECL S
Aris Limassol (CYP)
BK Häcken (SWE)
The UEFA Europa Conference League pots and pairings are here.
Where was the Europa League draw?
After three years away, the draw returned to the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
How could I watch the draw?
The draw was streamed live on UEFA.com.
What happens after the draw?
Fixtures will be confirmed after the draw. The group stage is played on Thursdays from 21 September to 14 December on the same night as the UEFA Europa Conference League games, kicking off at 18:45 CET and 21:00 CET.
The group winners advance to the round of 16. The runners-up contest the knockout round play-offs against the third-placed sides from the UEFA Champions League. The third-placed sides in each Europa League group transfer to the Europa Conference League knockout round play-offs, where they will face the Europa Conference League group runners-up for places in the last 16.
What are the Europa League group stage dates?
Matchday 1: 21 September
Matchday 2: 5 October
Matchday 3: 26 October
Matchday 4: 9 November
Matchday 5: 30 November
Matchday 6: 14 December
When is the next Europa League draw?
The draw for the knockout round play-off, featuring the group runners-up and eight teams transferring from the Champions League, takes place on 18 December.
Where it the 2023/24 final?
The 2023/24 Europa League season will conclude at the Dublin Arena. With a capacity in excess of 50,000, the venue is the home of the Republic of Ireland's national football and Ireland's rugby union team.