The recent draws for the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Conference League have set the stage for an exciting autumn of continental football for several English and Scottish clubs. Sunderland, making a historic return to European competition after a 53‑year absence, have been paired with the storied Italian side AC Milan in the Europa League group phase.
Their first fixture will take place at the iconic San Siro, where the Black Cats will travel to face the Rossoneri. In a parallel development, Bournemouth, who are embarking on their inaugural European campaign, will host Milan at the Vitality Stadium, giving the south‑coast club a chance to welcome one of Europe’s most successful clubs onto English soil. The draws, conducted on Friday, outlined the full schedule of group‑stage matches for both competitions.
In the Europa League, each of the participating clubs 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, with six matches per team, also split evenly between home and away venues. These fixtures will determine which sides progress to the knockout rounds later in the season.
Celtic, representing the Scottish Premiership, have been drawn into a group that sees them host Olympique de Marseille before travelling to face Marco Silva’s Benfica in Portugal. Their remaining fixtures include matches against Ferencváros in Hungary, Union SG in Belgium, Celta Vigo in Spain, Omonia in Cyprus, Besiktas in Turkey, and Torreense in Portugal. The breadth of opponents reflects the pan‑European nature of the competition and promises a diverse set of challenges for the Glasgow side.
Crystal Palace, the defending champions of the Conference League, will defend their title with a schedule that pits them against La Liga side Real Sociedad at Selhurst Park and then sends them to France to take on Olympique Lyonnais. Additional fixtures include games versus Sparta Prague, Red Bull Salzburg, Lech Poznań, Jagiellonia Białystok, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, and Besiktas. Their experience from last season’s triumph should serve them well as they navigate a demanding itinerary. The full list of matchdays is as follows: Matchday 1 will be played on 16–17 September, followed by 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, and the final two group fixtures on 21 January and 28 January 2027.
The knockout phase will commence with play‑offs on 18 and 25 February 2027, then the round of 16 on 11 and 18 March, quarter‑finals on 8 and 15 April, semi‑finals on 29 April and 6 May, culminating in a final on 26 May 2027 at the Frankfurt Stadium in Germany. Brighton & Hove Albion are also back in Europe, this time in the Conference League after a successful qualifying campaign that saw them defeat Tromsø.
Their group includes a home tie against Ligue 1 giants Monaco, which promises to be the most high‑profile match of their European season. They will also travel to face Panathinaikos of Greece and Getafe of Spain, while hosting Universitatea Craiova, Kauno Žalgiris, and Jablonec. The Seagulls will need to balance domestic commitments with a demanding continental schedule. Hearts, the Scottish club owned by Brighton chief Tony Bloom, have also secured a place in the Conference League.
They will host Monaco at Tynecastle and travel to face Pafos from Cyprus, Borac Banja Luka from Bosnia, Trabzonspor from Turkey (the club that recently signed Manchester United’s goalkeeper André Onana on loan), Nordsjælland from Denmark, and Thun from Switzerland. Their group offers a mix of established European sides and emerging teams, providing a platform for the Hearts squad to showcase their talent on a broader stage. The scheduling for the Conference League mirrors that of the Europa League, with the first round of matches slated for 15 October and the final group game on 17 December.
The knockout play‑offs will begin 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 a final on 2 June 2027 at the new Besiktas Park in Istanbul, Turkey. For fans eager to follow the action, Sky Sports will broadcast many of the fixtures on its platform, and a subscription can be obtained without a long‑term contract for those without existing Sky access. The draws have generated considerable excitement, as clubs like Sunderland and Bournemouth prepare to test themselves against some of Europe’s most storied teams, while Celtic, Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Hearts look to build on recent successes and make deep runs in their respective tournaments. The upcoming months promise a blend of historic match‑ups, emerging rivalries, and the chance for British clubs to leave a lasting imprint on the European stage.