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The UEFA Europa League is European club football's second-tier competition and, since the 2024–25 season, uses a revamped league phase format mirroring the Champions League. English clubs qualify through their Premier League finish and cup results, with Sky Sports broadcasting the majority of matches in the UK. This guide explains how the tournament works from start to finish.
The UEFA Europa League sits one rung below the Champions League in European football's hierarchy, but it remains a competition of genuine prestige. For Premier League clubs that fall short of a Champions League place, the Europa League represents a chance to test themselves against continental opposition, earn significant prize money, and — for the winners — secure a route into the Champions League the following season.
From the 2024–25 season, the Europa League abandoned its traditional group stage format in favour of a league phase model that mirrors the restructured Champions League. The key details of the new format are:
From the round of 16 onwards, the competition follows a standard knockout format with two-legged ties until the single-match final, which is held at a pre-selected stadium in May.
English clubs earn Europa League places through several different routes:
The Europa League distributes substantial prize money across participating clubs, though it is considerably less than the Champions League. Clubs receive payments for simply entering the league phase, with additional performance-based bonuses for each win and draw accumulated during the eight-match phase. Reaching the knockout rounds and progressing deep into the competition unlocks further prize money, with the winner receiving a total prize package in the region of €20–25m across all distributions. These figures are set by UEFA and can change between seasons, so the official UEFA website should be consulted for precise current figure
English clubs have a respectable record in the Europa League. Chelsea won the competition in 2018–19, defeating Arsenal in the final — a remarkable all-English final played in Baku, Azerbaijan. Manchester United won the Europa League in 2016–17, beating Ajax 2–0 in the final in Stockholm under José Mourinho. These victories entitled those clubs to enter the following season's Champions League, underscoring the strategic value of winning the competition.
Below the Europa League sits the UEFA Europa Conference League, introduced in the 2021–22 season as a third tier of European club competition. The Conference League gives clubs that would not ordinarily reach the Europa League — particularly those from smaller footballing nations — a realistic chance to compete in European knockout football. For English clubs, a Premier League finish of 7th place typically earns a Europa Conference League spot, though this depends on cup winners' qualification routes. Aston Villa qualified for the Conference League in 2022–23 and reached the semi-finals in their first European campaign for many years, demonstrating that the competition is taken seriously despite its lower profile.
In the United Kingdom, UEFA Europa League matches are broadcast by Sky Sports, which holds the primary rights to the competition. Selected matches are also available on TNT Sports (formerly BT Sport). Highlights and a selection of matches may also be available on free-to-air television, though live coverage is predominantly behind a pay-TV subscription. The UEFA website also streams some Europa League matches for free via the UEFA.tv platform in certain markets, though availability varies. Supporters should check broadcaster schedules for the current season's specific arrangements, as rights deals are periodically renewed.
For Premier League clubs, Europa League participation creates a demanding schedule that typically requires three competitive fixtures per week during the autumn and winter months. This places a premium on squad depth — clubs without sufficient quality across 20–25 players will find it difficult to sustain performance on both the domestic and European fronts simultaneously. However, the rewards for success — prize money, global exposure, and a possible Champions League route — make the Europa League an important strategic target for clubs aiming to grow in stature and revenue.
From 2024–25, the Champions League expanded to 36 clubs and replaced the old group stage with a single league phase. We explain how the new format works from start to finish.