Sunderland will embark on a trip to the iconic San Siro to face AC Milan in the Europa League, while Bournemouth will welcome the Italian giants on their home turf, marking the English side's debut in European competition. The draws for the group stages of both the Europa League and the Conference League were conducted on Friday, setting the schedule for a series of fixtures that will run from September 2026 through to January 2027. In the Europa League, each club will contest eight matches – four at home and four away – whereas the Conference League participants will play six games, also split evenly between home and away venues.
For Sunderland, this represents a historic moment: the club has not competed in a European tournament for 53 years, and their first assignment is a daunting away fixture against one of Italy's most storied clubs. Meanwhile, Bournemouth, who have never before taken part in a continental competition, will host AC Milan, giving their supporters a rare chance to see the Serie A titans on their own ground. Celtic’s itinerary includes a home clash with Marseille and an away trip to Benfica, managed by Marco Silva, as part of their eight‑match Europa League programme.
Crystal Palace, fresh from winning the Conference League last season, will host Spain’s Real Sociedad and travel to face Lyon in France. The full list of fixtures for the Scottish and English clubs is as follows: Celtic: Marseille (H), Benfica (A), Ferencváros (H), Union SG (A), Celta Vigo (H), Omonia (A), Beşiktaş (H), Torreense (A).
Sunderland: AZ Alkmaar (H), AC Milan (A), GNK Dinamo Zagreb (H), Anderlecht (A), Jagiellonia Białystok (H), Lech Poznań (A), Levski Sofia (H), Torreense (A). Bournemouth: AC Milan (H), Real Sociedad (A), Viktoria Plzeň (H), Sparta Prague (A), Sturm Graz (H), Celta Vigo (A), Hapoel Be'er Sheva (H), Lillestrøm (A).
Crystal Palace: Real Sociedad (H), Lyon (A), Sparta Prague (H), Salzburg (A), Lech Poznań (H), Jagiellonia Białystok (A), Hoffenheim (H), Beşiktaş (A). The Europa League matchdays are scheduled as follows: Matchday 1 on 16‑17 September, Matchday 2 on 15 October, Matchday 3 on 22 October, Matchday 4 on 5 November, Matchday 5 on 26 November, Matchday 6 on 10 December, Matchday 7 on 21 January 2027, and Matchday 8 on 28 January 2027. The knockout phase will begin with play‑offs on 18 and 25 February 2027, followed by the round of 16 in March, quarter‑finals in April, semi‑finals at the end of April and early May, and the final set for 26 May 2027 at the Frankfurt Stadium in Germany.
Brighton & Hove Albion are also back in Europe for only the second time in their history, having progressed through qualifying by defeating Tromsø to reach the Conference League group stage. Their manager, Fabian Hürzeler, knows that the toughest test will be a home game against Monaco, while they also face challenging away trips to Greek side Panathinaikos and Spanish side Getafe. Hearts, the Scottish Premiership club owned by Brighton chairman Tony Bloom, share a similar schedule: they will host Monaco and travel to face Trabzonspor, a team that features former Liverpool and Manchester United striker Mohamed Salah and loan goalkeeper André Onana. Brighton’s group fixtures are: Monaco (H), Panathinaikos (A), Universitatea Craiova (H), Getafe (A), Kauno Žalgiris (H), Jablonec (A).
Hearts will play: Monaco (H), Pafos (A), Borac Banja Luka (H), Trabzonspor (A), Nordsjælland (H), Thun (A). The Conference League matchdays for these clubs are set for 15 October, 22 October, 5 November, 26 November, 10 December, and 17 December. Their knockout phase mirrors the Europa League, with play‑offs on 18 and 25 February 2027, round‑of‑16 in March, quarter‑finals in April, semi‑finals at the end of April and early May, and a final slated for 2 June 2027 at Beşiktaş Park in Istanbul, Turkey. Fans with a Sky Sports subscription can stream all these fixtures via the Sky Sports app, while those without a contract can obtain instant access through a flexible, no‑commitment offer.
This comprehensive schedule not only highlights the historic milestones for clubs like Sunderland and Bournemouth but also underscores the growing presence of British teams across Europe’s secondary competitions, promising a season filled with memorable encounters and the chance for under‑dogs to make a mark on the continental stage.