The latest draws for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League have been completed, and British clubs now know which teams they will face in the upcoming group stages. Sunderland have been paired with Italian giants AC Milan for an away fixture, while Bournemouth will host the same Serie A powerhouse at their home ground. Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion and Hearts have also learned the opponents that await them in the Conference League.
The group‑stage draws were conducted on Friday, setting the schedule for the two tournaments. In the Europa League, each participating club will contest eight matches – four at home and four away – between September 2026 and January 2027. The Conference League will follow a similar format, with six matches per club – three on their own turf and three on the road – over the same period. Sunderland’s appearance marks a historic moment for the club: it is their first foray into European competition in more than half a century, the last time being 53 years ago.
Their opening trip will take them to the iconic San Siro stadium, where they will face the storied AC Milan. By contrast, Bournemouth are embarking on their inaugural European campaign and will welcome AC Milan to their own stadium, giving the English side a chance to test themselves against a club with a rich continental pedigree. Celtic have been drawn into a group that sees them host French side Marseille before traveling to Portugal to play Marco Silva’s Benfica.
Their eight‑match itinerary also includes fixtures against Ferencváros in Hungary, Union Saint‑Gilloise in Belgium, Celta Vigo in Spain, Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus, Besiktas in Turkey and Torreense in Portugal. Sunderland’s full slate of opponents is equally diverse: they will host AZ Alkmaar from the Netherlands, travel to face AC Milan, host Dinamo Zagreb from Croatia, travel to Anderlecht in Belgium, host Jagiellonia Białystok from Poland, travel to Lech Poznań, host Levski Sofia from Bulgaria and finish the group with a trip to Torreense.
Bournemouth’s schedule pits them against AC Milan at home, then an away clash with Real Sociedad from Spain, a home game versus Viktoria Plzeň of the Czech Republic, an away encounter with Sparta Prague, a home fixture against Sturm Graz from Austria, an away match versus Celta Vigo, a home tie with Hapoel Be’er Sheva from Israel and an away game against Norway’s Lillestrøm. Crystal Palace, the defending Conference League champions, will host La Liga side Real Sociedad and travel to face Lyon in France. Their remaining group opponents include Sparta Prague, Salzburg, Lech Poznań, Jagiellonia Białystok, Hoffenheim and Besiktas, creating a balanced mix of challenges across Europe.
The group‑stage calendar is laid out as follows: Matchday 1 will be played 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, with the final two rounds taking place on 21 January and 28 January 2027. The knockout phase will commence 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 slated for 26 May 2027 at the Frankfurt Stadium in Germany. Brighton & Hove Albion are making their second ever appearance in European competition after overcoming Tromsø in the qualifying rounds to secure a place in the Conference League group stage.
Their group, drawn by Fabian Hürzeler, presents a tough test: they will host Monaco from Ligue 1, travel to face Panathinaikos of Greece and later host Getafe of La Liga. Additional fixtures include home games against Universitatea Craiova from Romania, Kauno Žalgiris from Lithuania and an away match at Jablonec in the Czech Republic. Hearts, the Scottish Premiership side owned by Brighton’s chairman Tony Bloom, have also been drawn against Monaco at home and will travel to meet Trabzonspor, the Turkish club featuring Manchester United’s loan goalkeeper André Onana.
Their remaining opponents comprise Pafos from Cyprus, Borac Banja Luka from Bosnia‑Herzegovina, Nordsjælland from Denmark and Thun from Switzerland. The Conference League schedule for these clubs starts on 15 October, with subsequent matchdays on 22 October, 5 November, 26 November, 10 December and 17 December. The knockout phase mirrors that of the Europa League, beginning with play‑offs in February 2027 and culminating in a final on 2 June 2027 at the newly built Besiktas Park in Istanbul, Turkey.
Fans of the British clubs can follow the action via the Sky Sports app if they have a subscription, or they can obtain a contract‑free instant access pass to watch the matches live. The draws have set the stage for an exciting season of European football, offering clubs like Sunderland and Bournemouth a chance to write new chapters in their histories, while established sides such as Celtic, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Hearts aim to build on recent successes and challenge some of the continent’s most storied teams.