The return of the Europa League is imminent as the first few stones are paved on the road to the 2021/22 final in Seville.
Last season’s final saw Villarreal overcome Manchester United in a dramatic penalty shootout to lift the trophy for the first time in their history. As such, the La Liga side qualified for this term’s Champions League, while United will also play in that competition after finishing second in the Premier League.
The groups for this season’s Europa League are set to be revealed this week, with Leicester City and West Ham having qualified as the two English teams.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2021/22 Europa League group-stage draw.
When is it?
The draw for the group stage will take place in Istanbul on Friday 27 August at 11am BST.
How can I watch it?
European football governing body Uefa will stream the draw live on their website.
In the UK, BT Sport will also air the draw live.
Which teams are involved?
Thirty-two clubs will take part in the group stage, compared to 64 in previous seasons.
The 32 teams include those who gained direct entry into the competition via their domestic league performances last season, and will also include those who successfully navigate the qualifying play-offs this week, as well as a number of sides who come up short in Champions League qualifying.
The Europa League qualifiers will be completed on Thursday 26 August, while the final Champions League qualifiers will take place on 24 and 25 August.
The teams to have already qualified for the Europa League group stage are:
Belgium: Genk
Czech Republic: Sparta Prague
Denmark: Midtjylland
Spain: Real Sociedad, Real Betis
England: Leicester City, West Ham
France: Lyon, Marseille
Germany: Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen
Italy: Napoli, Lazio
Portugal: Braga
Russia: Lokomotiv Moskow, Spartak Moskow
How does the draw work?
The 32 clubs are seeded into four pots of eight in accordance with club coefficient rankings established at the start of the season.
Clubs from the same league cannot be drawn into the same group.
When does the Europa League group stage take place?
Matchday 1: 16 September
Matchday 2: 30 September
Matchday 3: 21 October
Matchday 4: 4 November
Matchday 5: 25 November
Matchday 6: 9 December
Who are the favourites to win the competition?
Leicester: 12/1
Napoli: 14/1
Lazio: 16/1
Leverkusen: 25/1
