When is the Europa League group stage draw 2023/24: date, time and how to watch
A number of European giants are waiting to discover their fate in the Europa League group stage draw.This year’s competition will feature three teams from England with three-time winners Liverpool, Europa Conference League winners West Ham and tournament debutants Brighton all preparing for a European adventure.
Aberdeen are also battling it out for a place in the Europa League draw in a highly anticipated second-leg clash against Swedish champions BK Haken. Rangers could join them in the Europa League if they are unsuccessful in their Champions League play-off tie with PSV Eindhoven.
The Europa League is a hugely demanding and testing competition and the winners will earn an automatic place in the Champions League next year. But when is the Europa League draw and what are the key dates for fans to watch out for?
Here is everything you need to know.
When is the Europa League group stage draw?
The Europa League group stage draw will take place on Friday 1 September.
It takes place 24 hours after the Champions League draw and it is held at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco.
The group stage draw will feature a total of 32 teams who are all split into eight four-team groups.
The qualification play-off round, where the final six teams will qualify, will be completed the day before the draw takes place.
How to watch the Europa League group stage draw?
TNT Sports will broadcast the group stage draw live from Monaco on 1 September at 12pm UK time.
The broadcasting giant, which replaces BT Sports, will also provide coverage of every match throughout the tournament from the group stage all the way through to the final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
When does the Europa League group stage start?
The Europa League group stage begins in September and the action will commence shortly after the first international break of the season which runs from 4 September to 12 September.
The key group stage dates to watch out for are as follows:
Matchday one - 21 September
Matchday two - 5 October
Matchday three - 26 October
Matchday four - 9 November
Matchday five - 30 November
Matchday six - 14 December
Who has qualified for the Europa League?
Liverpool, West Ham and Brighton have all secured their place in the Europa League group stage.
They could potentially be joined by Aberdeen who are locked level at 2-2 with Swedish champions BK Hacken ahead of a mouth-watering second leg at Pittodrie Stadium.
Rangers could also join the competition in the group stage if they are unsuccessful in the second leg of their Champions League play-off. The 2022 finalists are also level at 2-2 as they prepare to travel to PSV Eindhoven in the second league.
Here is a list of all the teams competing in the Europa League, including those who could potentially qualify:
Confirmed:
Liverpool
West Ham
Brighton
Real Betis
Villarreal
SC Freiburg
Bayer Leverkusen
Genk
Atlanta
Roma
Servette
Sturm Graz
Sporting CP
Toulouse
Rennes
Marseille
Teams in play-off round
Aberdeen
Union Saint-Gilloise
BK Hacken
Ajax
Cukaricki
Zorya Luhansk
LASK
Lugano
Sparta Prague
Slavia Prague
Dinamo Zagreb
Aris Limassol
Slovan Bratislava
Olimpija Ljubljana
Ludogorets
KI Klaksvik
Qarabag
Sheriff Tiraspol
Zrinjski Mostar
Olympiacos