The recent draws for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League have set the stage for a series of intriguing matchups involving several British clubs. Sunderland, making a historic return to continental competition after a 53‑year absence, have been paired with Italian giants AC Milan, while Bournemouth, embarking on their maiden European adventure, will welcome the same Milan side at their home ground. In addition, Brighton & Hove Albion and Heart of Midlothian have learned the identities of the teams they will face in the Conference League group phase. The draws took place on Friday and determined the full schedule for the league phases of both tournaments.
In the Europa League, each club will contest eight games – four at home and four away – spread across a period that runs from September 2026 through to January 2027. The Conference League follows a similar format, but with six matches per team, again split evenly between home and away fixtures.
Sunderland's qualification marks a remarkable milestone for the club, which has not participated in any European competition since the early 1970s. Their opening fixture will see them travel to the iconic San Siro stadium to take on AC Milan, a side with a storied pedigree in European football. Conversely, Bournemouth will host Milan later in the group stage, offering the English newcomers a chance to test themselves against world‑class opposition on familiar turf.
Celtic, representing the Scottish Premiership, have been drawn into a group that includes Marseille, Benfica, Ferencvaros, Union SG, Celta Vigo, Omonia, Besiktas and Torreense. Their schedule features a home game against Marseille and an away trip to Marco Silva’s Benfica, among other challenging encounters.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace, the defending champions of the Conference League, will host Spanish side Real Sociedad and travel to face French club Lyon, adding to a demanding itinerary that also includes fixtures against Sparta Prague, Salzburg, Lech Poznan, Jagiellonia, Hoffenheim and Besiktas. The full list of fixtures for the clubs is as follows: Celtic: Marseille (H), Benfica (A), Ferencvaros (H), Union SG (A), Celta Vigo (H), Omonia (A), Besiktas (H), Torreense (A). Sunderland: AZ Alkmaar (H), AC Milan (A), GNK Dinamo (H), Anderlecht (A), Jagiellonia (H), Lech Poznan (A), Levski Sofia (H), Torreense (A). Bournemouth: AC Milan (H), Real Sociedad (A), Viktoria Plzen (H), Sparta Prague (A), Sturm Graz (H), Celta (A), Hapoel Be'er Sheva (H), Lillestrom (A).
Crystal Palace: Real Sociedad (H), Lyon (A), Sparta Prague (H), Salzburg (A), Lech Poznan (H), Jagiellonia (A), Hoffenheim (H), Besiktas (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 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 set for 26 May 2027 at the Stadion Frankfurt in Germany.
Brighton & Hove Albion have secured a place in the Conference League for only the second time in their history, having progressed through qualifying by defeating Tromso. Their group stage schedule pits them against Monaco at home, a daunting test against the French Ligue 1 side, as well as away fixtures against Greek club Panathinaikos and Spanish outfit Getafe. Additional matches include home games versus Universitatea Craiova and Kauno Žalgiris, and away trips to Jablonec.
Hearts, who are owned by Brighton’s chief executive Tony Bloom, will also compete in the Conference League. They will host Monaco in their opening match and travel to face Trabzonspor, a Turkish club featuring Manchester United’s loanee goalkeeper Andre Onana. Their group also contains Pafos, Borac, Nordsjaelland and Thun, providing a diverse set of opponents across the six‑game schedule.
The Conference League matchdays for both Brighton and Hearts are: Matchday 1 on 15 October, Matchday 2 on 22 October, Matchday 3 on 5 November, Matchday 4 on 26 November, Matchday 5 on 10 December and Matchday 6 on 17 December. The knockout phase mirrors the Europa League timeline, with play‑offs in 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 Besiktas Park in Istanbul, Turkey.
Fans of these clubs can follow the action via the Sky Sports app, and those without a Sky subscription have the option to obtain instant access without a long‑term contract. The draws promise a blend of historic clubs and emerging sides, offering British teams the chance to test themselves against some of Europe’s most respected football institutions while providing supporters with a thrilling international campaign.