The 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League was the inaugural season of the UEFA Europa Conference League, Europe's tertiary club football tournament organised by UEFA.
The final was played at the Arena Kombëtare in Tirana, Albania, with Roma defeating Feyenoord 1–0. As winners, Roma automatically qualified for the 2022–23 UEFA Europa League group stage, although they had already done so through their league position.
This season was the first since 1998-1999, where three major European club competitions (UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League) took place.
On 24 June 2021, UEFA approved the proposal to abolish the away goals rule in all UEFA club competitions, which had been used since 1965. Therefore, if in a two-legged tie, two teams scored the same number of aggregate goals, the winner was not decided by the number of away goals scored by each team, but always by 30 minutes of extra time, and if the two teams scored the same number of goals in extra time, the winner was decided by a penalty shoot-out.
Association team allocation A total of 181 teams from 54 of the 55 UEFA member associations participated in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League (the exception being Spain, as none of their teams finished third in the Europa League group stage). The association ranking based on the UEFA country coefficients was used to determine the number of participating teams for each association: Associations 1–5 each had one team qualify. Association 1 (Spain) did not have any team qualify for this season, as the team which would have participated, Villarreal, won the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League and earned a place in the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League. Associations 6–15 and 51–55 each had two teams qualify. Associations 16–50 (except Liechtenstein) each had three teams qualify. As the UEFA Europa Conference League title holders' berth in the UEFA Europa League was vacant this season, association 16 (Cyprus) had their domestic cup winner promoted from the Europa Conference League to the Europa League, so they only had two teams qualify. Liechtenstein had one team qualify (Liechtenstein organised only a domestic cup and no domestic league). Moreover, 20 teams eliminated from the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League and 26 teams eliminated from the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League were transferred to the Europa Conference League. For this season, only 19 teams eliminated from the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League were transferred, as there was one fewer team competing in the Champions Path qualifying of the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League.
Association ranking For the 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference League, the associations were allocated places according to their 2020 UEFA country coefficients, which took into account their performance in European competitions from 2015–16 to 2019–20.
Apart from the allocation based on the country coefficients, associations could have additional teams participating in the Europa Conference League, as noted below: – Additional/vacated teams transferred from/to the UEFA Champions League – Additional teams transferred from the UEFA Europa League
+Association ranking for 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference LeagueRankAssociationCoeff.TeamsNotes1102.2831290.462374.784470.653559.248649.4492745.549837.900936.1001035.7501133.6001232.9251329.2501427.8751527.3001626.7501726.40031826.3001925.500RankAssociationCoeff.TeamsNotes2024.87532122.7502221.7502319.6252419.2502518.8752618.7502717.3752816.7002916.6253015.8753113.50013213.00033312.875348.000357.875367.625377.625RankAssociationCoeff.TeamsNotes387.3753397.375406.875416.750426.700436.500445.750455.750465.375475.000484.875494.750504.375514.3752524.000533.750542.831550.666
Distribution The following is the access list for this season. In the default access list, the title holders of the Europa Conference League qualify for the Europa League group stage. However, since this berth was vacant this season, the following changes to the access list were made: The cup winners of association 16 (Cyprus) enter the Europa League third qualifying round instead of the second qualifying round. The cup winners of associations 30 (Slovakia) and 31 (Liechtenstein) enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.
As Villarreal, which otherwise would have qualified for the Europa Conference League play-off round via their domestic league, won the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League, thereby earning an automatic spot in the Champions League group stage as the Europa League title holders, thus vacating a berth in the play-off round and not passed down to any other Spanish club. The following changes were confirmed by UEFA: The domestic cup winners of associations 17 (Switzerland) and 18 (Greece) enter the third qualifying round instead of the second qualifying round. The domestic cup winners of associations 32 to 35 (Slovenia, Hungary, Luxembourg, Lithuania) enter the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round.
Moreover, in the default access list, originally 17 losers from the Champions League first qualifying round were transferred to the Europa Conference League second qualifying round (Champions Path). However, since the Champions League title holders, Chelsea, which were guaranteed a berth in the Champions League group stage, already qualified via their domestic league, only 16 losers from the Champions League first qualifying round were transferred to the Europa Conference League second qualifying round (Champions Path) after the Champions League access list was rebalanced. As a result, only 19 teams entered the Champions Path second qualifying round (one of the losers from the Champions League first qualifying round was drawn to receive a bye to the third qualifying round).
+Access list for 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference LeagueTeams entering in this roundTeams advancing from previous roundTeams transferred from Champions League or Europa LeagueFirst qualifying round(66 teams)20 domestic cup winners from associations 36–55 25 domestic league runners-up from associations 30–55 (except Liechtenstein) 21 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 29–50 (except Liechtenstein)Second qualifying round(108 teams)Champions Path(18 teams)3 teams eliminated from Champions League preliminary round 15 teams eliminated from Champions League first qualifying roundMain Path(90 teams)17 domestic cup winners from associations 19–35 14 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–29 16 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 13–28 9 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 7–15 1 domestic league fifth-placed team from association 633 winners from the first qualifying roundThird qualifying round(64 teams)Champions Path(10 teams)9 winners from the second qualifying round (Champions Path)1 team eliminated from Champions League first qualifying roundMain Path(54 teams)2 domestic cup winners from associations 17–18 6 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 7–12 1 domestic league fourth-placed team from association 645 winners from the second qualifying round (Main Path)Play-off round(44 teams)Champions Path(10 teams)5 winners from the third qualifying round (Champions Path)5 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round (Champions Path)Main Path(34 teams)1 domestic league fifth-placed team from association 5 3 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–4 (EFL Cup winners for England) (except Europa League title holder)27 winners from the third qualifying round (Main Path)3 teams eliminated from Europa League third qualifying round (Main Path)Group stage(32 teams)5 winners from the play-off round (Champions Path) 17 winners from the play-off round (Main Path)10 teams eliminated from Europa League play-off roundPreliminary knockout round(16 teams)8 group runners-up from the group stage8 group third-placed teams from Europa League group stageKnockout phase(16 teams)8 group winners from the group stage 8 winners from the preliminary knockout round
Teams
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round: CW: Domestic cup winners 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.: League position of the previous season LC: League cup winners RW: Regular season winners PW: End-of-season Europa Conference League play-offs winners UCL: Transferred from the Champions League Q1: Losers from the first qualifying round PR: Losers from the preliminary round (F: final; SF: semi-finals) UEL: Transferred from the Europa League GS: Third-placed teams from the group stage PO: Losers from the play-off round CH/MP Q3: Losers from the third qualifying round (Champions/Main Path) Abd-: League positions of abandoned season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe as determined by the national association; all teams were subject to approval by UEFA as per the guidelines for entry to European competitions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round were divided into Champions Path (CH) and Main Path (MP).
+Qualified teams for 2021–22 UEFA Europa Conference LeagueEntry roundTeamsKnockout round play-offs Sparta Prague PSV Eindhoven Leicester City Fenerbahçe Marseille Midtjylland Celtic Rapid Wien Group stage Zorya Luhansk AZ Randers Slavia Prague Omonia CFR Cluj Slovan Bratislava Mura Alashkert HJK Play-off round Kairat Neftçi Žalgiris Lincoln Red Imps Flora Tottenham Hotspur Union Berlin Roma Rennes St Johnstone Jablonec Anorthosis Famagusta Third qualifying round Shamrock Rovers Paços de Ferreira Rubin Kazan Anderlecht Kolos Kovalivka Vitesse Trabzonspor LASK Luzern PAOK Second qualifying round Bodø/Glimt Maccabi Haifa Shakhtyor Soligorsk Fola Esch Riga Teuta Shkëndija Borac Banja Luka Dinamo Tbilisi Hibernians Valur Connah's Quay Nomads Linfield Budućnost Podgorica Prishtina Inter Club d'Escaldes HB Folgore Santa Clara Sochi Gent Vorskla Poltava Feyenoord Sivasspor Austria Wien Copenhagen AGF Hibernian Aberdeen Slovácko Viktoria Plzeň Apollon Limassol AEL Limassol Basel Servette Aris AEK Athens Partizan Čukarički Vojvodina Osijek Rijeka Hajduk Split Hammarby IF IF Elfsborg BK Häcken Molde Vålerenga Rosenborg Maccabi Tel Aviv Ashdod Hapoel Be'er Sheva Tobol Astana Shakhter Karagandy BATE Borisov Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino Dynamo Brest Keşla Qarabağ Sumgayit CSKA Sofia Lokomotiv Plovdiv Arda Universitatea Craiova FCSB Sepsi OSK Raków Częstochowa Pogoń Szczecin DAC Dunajská Streda Vaduz Olimpija Ljubljana Újpest F91 Dudelange Panevėžys First qualifying round Śląsk Wrocław Spartak Trnava Žilina Maribor Domžale Puskás Akadémia MOL Fehérvár Swift Hesperange Racing Union Sūduva Kauno Žalgiris Ararat Yerevan Noah Urartu Liepāja RFS Valmiera Vllaznia Partizani Laçi Sileks Shkupi Struga Sarajevo Velež Mostar Široki Brijeg Sfîntul Gheorghe Petrocub Hîncești Milsami Orhei Dundalk Bohemians Sligo Rovers Inter Turku KuPS Honka Gagra Dinamo Batumi Dila Gori Gżira United Birkirkara Mosta FH Stjarnan Breiðablik The New Saints Bala Town Newtown Coleraine Glentoran Larne Europa St Joseph's Mons Calpe Sutjeska Dečić Podgorica FCI Levadia Paide Linnameeskond Llapi Drita NSÍ KÍ Sant Julià FC Santa Coloma La Fiorita Tre Penne
Three teams not playing in a national top division took part in the competition: Gagra (2nd tier), Sileks (2nd tier) and Vaduz (2nd tier).
Notes
Schedule The schedule of the competition was as follows. Matches were scheduled for Thursdays apart from the final, which took place on a Wednesday, though exceptionally could take place on Tuesdays or Wednesdays due to scheduling conflicts (especially featuring teams from countries where there were very few sufficient stadiums, such as Gibraltar and Wales). Scheduled kick-off times starting from the group stage were 18:45 (instead of 18:55 previously) and 21:00 CEST/CET, though exceptionally could take place at 16:30 due to geographical reasons.