2025/26 Europa League: Meet the semi-finalists

Only four teams remain in the hunt to win the 2025/26 UEFA Europa League following the conclusion of the quarter-finals.

Here's an in-depth look at the contenders.

UEFA coefficient rankings accurate as of 16 April.

Semi-finalists

Aston Villa (ENG)

Quarter-finals: 7-1agg vs Bologna
Round of 16: 3-0agg vs Lille
League phase position: 2
UEFA coefficient ranking: 20
How they qualified: Sixth in England
Last season: Champions League quarter-finals (L4-5agg vs Paris)
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Quarter-finals (1977/78, 1997/98, 2025/26)

European Cup winners in 1982, Villa are making their first appearance in the semi-finals of this competition, though they did reach the semis of the 2023/24 Conference League and the final eight of last season's Champions League. Coach Unai Emery has won the Europa League four times – three times with Sevilla and once with Villarreal – making him the most successful manager in the competition's history.

Campaign so far: Unai Emery has guided his side to a second European semi-final in three seasons and, if this is the year he takes them all the way, will win his fifth Europa League title as a coach. Villa finished second in the league phase table behind Lyon, having won seven of the eight games, and kept two clean sheets while eliminating Lille 3-0 on aggregate in the round of 16. Their quarter-final opponents, Bologna, had already lost at Villa Park on Matchday 1 and suffered again at the hands of the English side, who followed up a hard-fought 3-1 away victory with a confident 4-0 home win.
– Faye Hackwell, Aston Villa reporter 

How they play: With seven clean sheets this campaign, only matched by Braga, Villa are tough to break down. They typically line up with four at the back, transitioning to a back line of five under pressure, and utilise a high defensive line. Unai Emery likes his players to build out from the back, drawing opponents before breaking through midfield. The squad's long-range shooting ability and set-piece routines are two of Villa's key strengths and the goals have been shared around, with 13 different players finding the net this campaign.
– Faye Hackwell, Aston Villa reporter

Braga (POR) 

Quarter-finals: 5-3agg vs Real Betis
Round of 16: 4-2agg vs Ferencváros
Last season: League phase (25/36)
UEFA coefficient ranking: 36
How they qualified: Qualifying play-offs
League phase position: 6
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Runners-up (2010/11)

Finalists in 2011, Braga were only denied a place in the knockout phase of last season's competition on goal difference, as they finished 25th in the inaugural league phase on ten points. The Arsenalistas had managed to equal that tally by Matchday 5 this time around, and picked up 17 points to finish sixth in the league phase under the guidance of Pep Guardiola's former assistant at Manchester City, Carlos Vicens. That formidable form has continued in the knockout phase.

Campaign so far: Braga's Europa League run has been built on belief, progress and big moments. They came through the qualifiers with authority, then found real consistency in the league phase with calm, controlled displays. The knockout rounds brought their character to the fore, overturning a first-leg deficit against Ferencváros with a commanding performance at home. Under Carlos Vicens, Braga have blended structure with intensity, making European nights count and earning their place among the final contenders.
– Inês De Oliveira Martins, Braga reporter

How they play: Braga typically line up in a 4-3-3, with a strong positional structure under Carlos Vicens. Their attack is fluid and mobile, led by Pau Víctor, Ricardo Horta and Rodrigo Zalazar, who constantly rotate and occupy central spaces. The full-backs push high to provide width, allowing the front line to drift inside and combine. Braga look to control through short passing, press aggressively after loss and create overloads in advanced areas, making them dangerous when they sustain pressure around the box.
– Inês De Oliveira Martins, Braga reporter

Freiburg (GER)

Quarter-finals: 6-1agg vs Celta
Round of 16: 5-2agg vs Genk
League phase position: 7
UEFA coefficient ranking: 48
How they qualified: Fifth in Germany
Last season: Not in European competition
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Round of 16 (2022/23, 2023/24)

After battling their way up to the Bundesliga in the 1990s, Freiburg were nicknamed the Breisgau-Brazilians for their attractive style of play. Current coach Julian Schuster spent ten years at the club as a midfielder, then worked as assistant to his predecessor Christian Streich before taking command in 2024. Five league phase victories and two draws secured a top eight position for the German team and confident knockout phase triumphs over Genk and Celta followed.

Campaign so far: With victory over Celta, Freiburg have added to their historic season in which they made it into the last eight – and now the last four – of the Europa League for the first time ever. Perennial underdogs, Julian Schuster's men always have something to prove and have been showing their best side in Europe. Having only reached one final in club history thus far, this season they're just one step away in two competitions, and motivation is at an all-time high.
– Judith Tuffentsammer, Freiburg reporter

How they play: Freiburg have been a defensive powerhouse in this year's competition, boasting the best defence in the league phase and conceding seven goals in their 12 matches to date, while winning all six of their home games. Defensive midfielders Maximilian Eggestein and Johan Manzambi with centre-back Matthias Ginter behind them are the backbone of this excellent record, with a combination of youthful and experienced options in several key positions giving them different dynamics across the pitch.
– Judith Tuffentsammer, Freiburg reporter

Nottingham Forest (ENG)

Quarter-finals: 2-1agg vs Porto
Round of 16: 2-2agg vs Midtjylland, Forest win 3-0 on pens
Knockout phase play-off: 4-2agg vs Fenerbahçe
League phase position: 13
UEFA coefficient ranking: 85
How they qualified: Seventh in England
Last season: Not in European competition
Best UEFA Cup/Europa League performance: Semi-finals (1983/84)

Founded in 1865 by athletes who had been playing the traditional gaelic sport of shinty but were keen to switch to football, Forest were European Champions in 1979 and 1980 under the inspirational leadership of manager Brian Clough. This is their first continental campaign since they reached the quarter-finals of the 1995/96 UEFA Cup but they are within touching distance of another European final after gritty successes against Fenerbahçe, Midtjylland and Porto.

Campaign so far: It has been a rollercoaster season for Forest, with Vítor Pereira their fourth coach of the campaign following the departures of Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou and then Sean Dyche. The Europa League has been a safe haven from the stresses of Premier League football, though there was nothing relaxing about their round of 16 success against Midtjylland, the Danish side only succumbing on penalties after Forest overturned a 1-0 deficit in Herning, nor their narrow quarter-final victory over Porto.
– Steve Bates, Forest reporter

How they play: Pereira has brought a structured, possession-focused style to the City Ground, his side regularly rotating between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formation. Morgan Gibbs-White provides the attacking impetus in the No10 role, while Igor Jesus has thrived in the lone striker role. Forest also seem to have a new stability under Pereira, with the likes of Murillo and Nikola Milenković providing a dominant presence in the centre of defence.
– Steve Bates, Forest reporter