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2020–21 UEFA Europa League
UEFA Europa League Logo
Tournament details
DatesQualifying:
20 August 2020 – 2 October 2020
Competition proper:
22 October 2020 – 26 May 2021
TeamsCompetition proper: 48+8
Total: 158+55
Final positions
ChampionsFlag of Spain Villarreal (1st title)
Runner-upFlag of England Manchester United
Tournament statistics
Matches played24
Goals scored73 (3.04 per match)
Top scorer(s)Flag of Turkey Yusuf Yazıcı
Flag of Uruguay Darwin Núñez
(3 goals each)

The 2020–21 UEFA Europa League was the 50th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 12th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.

The tournament was won by La Liga side Villarreal who defeated Premier League side Manchester United on penalties after a 1–1 draw.

The final was played at the Stadion Miejski in Gdańsk, Poland. The stadium was originally appointed to host the 2020 UEFA Europa League Final, but this was moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League will automatically qualify for the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League group stage, and also earn the right to play against the winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup.

Association team allocation[]

A total of 215 (expected) teams from all 55 UEFA member associations participate in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League. The association ranking based on the UEFA country coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:

  • Associations 1–50 (except Liechtenstein) each have three teams qualify.
  • Associations 51–55 each have two teams qualify (starting from this season, with association 51 losing one spot and association 55 gaining one spot).
  • Liechtenstein have one team qualify (Liechtenstein organises only a domestic cup and no domestic league).
  • Moreover, 57 teams eliminated from the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League are transferred to the Europa League.

Association ranking[]

For the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2019 UEFA country coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 2014–15 to 2018–19.

Apart from the allocation based on the country coefficients, associations may have additional teams participating in the Champions League, as noted below:

  • (UCL) – Additional teams transferred from the UEFA Champions League
Association ranking for 2020–21 UEFA Europa League
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
1 Flag of Spain Spain 103.569 3
2 England England 85.462
3 Flag of Italy Italy 74.725
4 Germany Germany 71.927
5 Flag of France France 58.498
6 Flag of Russia Good One Russia 50.549
7 Flag of Portugal Portugal 48.232
8 Belgium Belgium 39.900
9 Flag of Ukraine Ukraine 38.900
10 Flag of Turkey Turkey 34.600
11 Netherlands Netherlands 32.433
12 Flag of Austria Austria 31.250
13 Flag of Czech Czech Republic 28.675
14 Flag of Greece.svg Greece 27.600
15 Croatia Croatia 27.375
16 Flag of Denmark Denmark 27.025
17 Switzerland Switzerland 26.900
18 Flag of Cyprus Cyprus 24.925
19 Flag of Serbia Serbia 22.250
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
20 Scotland Scotland 22.125 3
21 Belarus Flag Belarus 21.875
22 Flag of Sweden Good one Sweden 20.900
23 Flag of Norway Norway 20.200
24 Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan 19.250
25 Flag of Poland Poland 19.250
26 Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan 19.000
27 Flag of Israel Israel 18.625
28 Flag of Bulgaria Bulgaria 17.500
29 Romania Romania 15.950
30 Slovakia Slovakia 15.625
31 Flag of Slovenia Slovenia 15.000
32 Liechtenstein Liechtenstein 13.500 1
33 Flag of Hungary Hungary 10.500 3
34 Flag of Macedonia North Macedonia 8.000
35 Flag of Moldova Moldova 7.750
36 Flag of Albania Albania 7.500
37 Flag of Republic Ireland Republic of Ireland 7.450
Rank Association Coeff. Teams Notes
38 Flag of Finland Finland 7.275 3
39 Flag of Iceland Iceland 7.250
40 Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina 7.125
41 Flag of Lithuania Lithuania 6.750
42 Latvia Latvia 5.625
43 Luxembourg Luxembourg 5.500
44 Flag of Armenia Armenia 5.250
45 Malta Malta 5.125
46 Flag of Estonia Estonia 5.000
47 Flag of Georgia Georgia 4.750
48 Flag of Wales Wales 4.125
49 Flag of Montenegro Montenegro 4.125
50 Faroe Islands Faroe Islands 4.000
51 Flag of Gibraltar Gibraltar 4.000 2
52 Flag of Northern Ireland Northern Ireland 3.875
53 Flag of Kosovo Kosovo 2.500
54 Flag of Andorra Andorra 1.831
55 San Marino San Marino 0.666

Distribution[]

The following is the default access list.

Access list for 2020–21 UEFA Europa League
Teams entering in this round Teams advancing from previous round Teams transferred from Champions League
Preliminary round
(16 teams)
  • 6 domestic cup winners from associations 50–55
  • 7 domestic league runners-up from associations 49–55
  • 3 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 48–50
First qualifying round
(94 teams)
  • 25 domestic cup winners from associations 25–49
  • 30 domestic league runners-up from associations 18–48 (except Liechtenstein)
  • 31 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 16–47 (except Liechtenstein)
  • 8 winners from preliminary round
Second qualifying round Champions Path
(20 teams)
  • 17 teams eliminated from Champions League first qualifying round
  • 3 teams eliminated from Champions League preliminary round
Main Path
(74 teams)
  • 7 domestic cup winners from associations 18–24
  • 2 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–17
  • 3 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 13–15
  • 9 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 7–15
  • 2 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 5–6 (League Cup winners for France)
  • 4 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–4 (League Cup winners for England)
  • 47 winners from first qualifying round
Third qualifying round Champions Path
(20 teams)
  • 10 winners from second qualifying round (Champions Path)
  • 10 teams eliminated from Champions League second qualifying round (Champions Path)
Main Path
(52 teams)
  • 5 domestic cup winners from associations 13–17
  • 6 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 7–12
  • 1 domestic league fourth-placed team from association 6
  • 37 winners from second qualifying round (Main Path)
  • 3 teams eliminated from Champions League second qualifying round (League Path)
Play-off round Champions Path
(16 teams)
  • 10 winners from third qualifying round (Champions Path)
  • 6 teams eliminated from Champions League third qualifying round (Champions Path)
Main Path
(26 teams)
  • 26 winners from third qualifying round (Main Path)
Group stage
(48 teams)
  • 12 domestic cup winners from associations 1–12
  • 1 domestic league fourth-placed team from association 5
  • 4 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 1–4
  • 8 winners from play-off round (Champions Path)
  • 13 winners from play-off round (Main Path)
  • 4 teams eliminated from Champions League play-off round (Champions Path)
  • 2 teams eliminated from Champions League play-off round (League Path)
  • 4 teams eliminated from Champions League third qualifying round (League Path)
Knockout phase
(32 teams)
  • 12 group winners from group stage
  • 12 group runners-up from group stage
  • 8 third-placed teams from Champions League group stage

Changes were made to the default access list since the Champions League title holders, Bayern Munich, and the Europa League title holders, Sevilla, which were guaranteed berths in the Champions League group stage, already qualified for the Champions League group stage via their domestic leagues, meaning there were fewer teams transferred from the Champions League due to changes in the Champions League access list. However, as a result of schedule delays to both the 2019–20 and 2020–21 European seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 European season started before the conclusion of the 2019–20 European season. Therefore, the changes to the access list that should be made based on the Champions League and Europa League title holders could not be certain until matches of the earlier qualifying rounds had been played and/or their draws had been made. UEFA used "adaptive re-balancing" to change the access list once the berths for the Champions League and Europa League title holders were determined, and rounds which had already been drawn or played by the time the title holders were determined would not be impacted (Regulations Article 3.07) The following changes were made:

  • Since the Champions League title holder berth in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage was vacated, only five losers of the Champions League third qualifying round (Champions Path), instead of the original six, were transferred to the Europa League play-off round (Champions Path). In this case, two losers of Champions League second qualifying round (Champions Path), determined by draw, received a bye to the play-off round (Champions Path) instead of entering the third qualifying round (Champions Path).
  • At the time when the draws for the preliminary round and first qualifying round were held on 9 and 10 August 2020, it was not certain whether the Europa League title holder berth in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage would be vacated as four of the quarter-finalists of the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bayer Leverkusen, Copenhagen and Basel, did not qualify for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic leagues. Therefore, these draws proceeded as normal per the default access list, and the matches drawn, which were played on 18–21 and 25–27 August 2020, were not changed even though after the quarter-finals of the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, which were played on 10–11 August 2020, it was confirmed all four semi-finalists, Sevilla, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk, already qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic leagues, meaning the Europa League title holder berth would be vacated. As a result, only three losers of the Champions League third qualifying round (League Path), instead of the original four, were transferred to the Europa League group stage, and "adaptive re-balancing" started from the second qualifying round (Main Path), whose draw was held on 31 August 2020, and the following changes to the access list were made:
    • The cup winners of association 13 (Czech Republic), Sparta Prague, entered the group stage instead of the third qualifying round (Main Path).
    • The second-placed team of association 18 (Cyprus), Anorthosis (which qualified for the cup winner berth), and the cup winners of association 19 (Serbia), Vojvodina, entered the third qualifying round (Main Path) instead of the second qualifying round (Main Path).

Redistribution rules[]

A Europa League place is vacated when a team qualifies for both the Champions League and the Europa League, or qualifies for the Europa League by more than one method. When a place is vacated, it is redistributed within the national association by the following rules:

  • When the domestic cup winners (considered as the "highest-placed" qualifier within the national association with the latest starting round) also qualify for the Champions League, their Europa League place is vacated. As a result, the highest-placed team in the league which have not yet qualified for European competitions qualify for the Europa League, with the Europa League qualifiers which finish above them in the league moved up one "place".
  • When the domestic cup winners also qualify for the Europa League through league position, their place through the league position is vacated. As a result, the highest-placed team in the league which have not yet qualified for European competitions qualify for the Europa League, with the Europa League qualifiers which finish above them in the league moved up one "place" if possible.
  • For associations where a Europa League place is reserved for either the League Cup or end-of-season European competition play-offs winners, they always qualify for the Europa League as the "lowest-placed" qualifier. If the League Cup winners have already qualified for European competitions through other methods, this reserved Europa League place is taken by the highest-placed team in the league which have not yet qualified for European competitions.

Teams[]

NOTE: The following list of qualified teams is provisional, subject to final confirmation by UEFA, as each participating team must obtain a UEFA club license. All qualified teams are included in this list as long as they have not been banned by UEFA or have not failed their final appeal with their football association on obtaining a license.

In early April 2020, UEFA announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the deadline for entering the tournament had been postponed until further notice. UEFA also sent a letter to all member associations that domestic leagues must be completed in full without ending prematurely in order to qualify for European competitions. After meeting with the 55 UEFA associations on 21 April 2020, UEFA strongly recommended them to finish domestic top league and cup competitions, although in some special cases where it is not possible, UEFA would develop guidelines concerning participation in its club competitions in case of a cancelled league or cup. After the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 23 April 2020, UEFA announced that if a domestic competition is prematurely terminated for legitimate reasons in accordance with conditions related to public health or economic problems, the national associations concerned are required to select their participating teams for the 2020–21 UEFA club competitions based on sporting merit in the 2019–20 domestic competitions, and UEFA reserves the right to refuse their admission if UEFA deems the termination of the competitions not legitimate, or the selection procedure not objective, transparent and non-discriminatory, or the team is perceived by the public as qualifying unfairly. A suspended domestic competition may also be restarted with a different format from the original one in a manner which would still facilitate qualification on sporting merit. All leagues should communicate to UEFA by 25 May 2020 whether they intend to restart their competitions, but this deadline was later extended. On 17 June 2020, UEFA announced that associations must enter their teams by 3 August 2020. If a cup is abandoned or not completed by the UEFA registration deadline, the Europa League places are distributed by league positions only.

The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round are divided into Champions Path (CH) and Main Path (MP).

Qualified teams for 2020–21 UEFA Europa League
Entry round Teams
R32 ? (UCL GS) ? (UCL GS) ? (UCL GS) ? (UCL GS)
? (UCL GS) ? (UCL GS) ? (UCL GS) ? (UCL GS)
GS Spain Villarreal (5th) Spain Real Sociedad (6th)[Note ESP] England Arsenal (CW) England Leicester City (5th)
Italy Napoli (CW) Italy Roma (5th) Germany Bayer Leverkusen (5th) Germany 1899 Hoffenheim (6th)
France Lille (Abd-4th)[Note FRA] France Nice (Abd-5th)[Note FRA] Russia CSKA Moscow (4th) Portugal Braga (3rd)
Belgium Antwerp (CW) Ukraine Zorya Luhansk (3rd) Turkey Sivasspor (4th)[Note TUR] Netherlands Feyenoord (Abd-3rd)[Note NED]
Austria Wolfsberger AC (3rd) Czech Republic Sparta Prague (CW) Czech Republic Slavia Prague (UCL CH PO) Cyprus Omonia (UCL CH PO)
Norway Molde (UCL CH PO) Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv (UCL CH PO) Belgium Gent (UCL LP PO) Greece PAOK (UCL LP PO)
Portugal Benfica (UCL LP Q3) Netherlands AZ (UCL LP Q3) Austria Rapid Wien (UCL LP Q3)
PO CH Croatia Dinamo Zagreb (UCL CH Q3) Switzerland Young Boys (UCL CH Q3) Serbia Red Star Belgrade (UCL CH Q3) Belarus Dynamo Brest (UCL CH Q3)
Azerbaijan Qarabağ (UCL CH Q3) Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad (UCL CH Q2)[Note CH] Albania Tirana (UCL CH Q2)[Note CH]
Q3 CH Scotland Celtic (UCL CH Q2) Poland Legia Warsaw (UCL CH Q2) Romania CFR Cluj (UCL CH Q2) Slovenia Celje (UCL CH Q2)
Moldova Sheriff Tiraspol (UCL CH Q2) Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo (UCL CH Q2) Lithuania Sūduva (UCL CH Q2) Faroe Islands (UCL CH Q2)
MP Russia Rostov (5th) Portugal Sporting CP (4th) Belgium Charleroi (Abd-3rd)[Note BEL] Ukraine Desna Chernihiv (4th)
Turkey Alanyaspor (5th)[Note TUR] Netherlands PSV Eindhoven (Abd-4th)[Note NED] Austria LASK (4th) Greece AEK Athens (3rd)[Note GRE]
Croatia Rijeka (CW) Denmark SønderjyskE (CW) Switzerland St. Gallen (2nd)[Note SUI] Cyprus Anorthosis (Abd-2nd)[Note CYP]
Serbia Vojvodina (CW) Turkey Beşiktaş (UCL LP Q2) Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň (UCL LP Q2) Croatia Lokomotiva (UCL LP Q2)
Q2 CH Sweden Djurgårdens IF (UCL Q1) Kazakhstan Astana (UCL Q1) Slovakia Slovan Bratislava (UCL Q1) North Macedonia Sileks (UCL Q1)
Republic of Ireland Dundalk (UCL Q1) Finland KuPS (UCL Q1) Iceland KR (UCL Q1) Latvia Riga (UCL Q1)
Luxembourg Fola Esch (UCL Q1) Armenia Ararat-Armenia (UCL Q1) Malta Floriana (UCL Q1) Estonia Flora (UCL Q1)
Georgia Dinamo Tbilisi (UCL Q1) Wales Connah's Quay Nomads (UCL Q1) Montenegro Budućnost Podgorica (UCL Q1) Gibraltar Europa (UCL Q1)
Northern Ireland Linfield (UCL Q1) Kosovo Drita (UCL PR F) Andorra Inter Club d'Escaldes (UCL PR SF) San Marino Tre Fiori (UCL PR SF)
MP Spain Granada (7th)[Note ESP] England Tottenham Hotspur (6th) Italy Milan (6th) Germany VfL Wolfsburg (7th)
France Reims (Abd-6th)[Note FRA] Russia Dynamo Moscow (6th) Portugal Rio Ave (5th) Belgium Standard Liège (Abd-5th)[Note BEL]
Ukraine Kolos Kovalivka (PW) Turkey Galatasaray (6th)[Note TUR] Netherlands Willem II (Abd-5th)[Note NED] Austria Hartberg (PW)
Czech Republic Jablonec (4th) Czech Republic Slovan Liberec (PW) Greece Aris (5th) Greece OFI (6th)[Note GRE]
Croatia Osijek (4th) Croatia Hajduk Split (5th) Denmark Copenhagen (2nd) Switzerland Basel (3rd)[Note SUI]
Scotland Rangers (Abd-2nd)[Note SCO] Belarus BATE Borisov (CW) Sweden IFK Göteborg (CW) Norway Viking (CW)
Kazakhstan Kaisar (CW)
Q1 Denmark AGF (PW) Switzerland Servette (4th)[Note SUI] Cyprus APOEL (Abd-3rd)[Note CYP] Cyprus Apollon Limassol (Abd-4th)[Note CYP]
Serbia Partizan (2nd) Serbia TSC Bačka Topola (4th) Scotland Motherwell (Abd-3rd)[Note SCO] Scotland Aberdeen (Abd-4th)[Note SCO]
Belarus Shakhtyor Soligorsk (3rd) Belarus Dinamo Minsk (4th) Sweden Malmö FF (2nd) Sweden Hammarby IF (3rd)
Norway Bodø/Glimt (2nd) Norway Rosenborg (3rd) Kazakhstan Kairat (2nd) Kazakhstan Ordabasy (3rd)
Poland Cracovia (CW) Poland Lech Poznań (2nd) Poland Piast Gliwice (3rd) Azerbaijan Neftçi (Abd-2nd)[Note AZE]
Azerbaijan Keşla (Abd-3rd)[Note AZE] Azerbaijan Sumgayit (Abd-4th)[Note AZE] Israel Hapoel Be'er Sheva (CW) Israel Maccabi Haifa (2nd)
Israel Beitar Jerusalem (3rd) Bulgaria Lokomotiv Plovdiv (CW) Bulgaria CSKA Sofia (2nd) Bulgaria Slavia Sofia (PW)
Romania FCSB (CW) Romania Universitatea Craiova (2nd) Romania Botoșani (4th)[Note ROU] Slovakia Žilina (2nd)
Slovakia DAC Dunajská Streda (3rd) Slovakia Ružomberok (PW) Slovenia Mura (CW) Slovenia Maribor (2nd)
Slovenia Olimpija (3rd) Liechtenstein Vaduz (Abd-Cup)[Note LIE] Hungary Honvéd (CW) Hungary Fehérvár (2nd)
Hungary Puskás Akadémia (3rd) North Macedonia Shkëndija (Abd-3rd)[Note MKD] North Macedonia Renova (Abd-4th)[Note MKD] North Macedonia Shkupi (Abd-5th)[Note MKD]
Moldova Petrocub Hîncești (CW) Moldova Sfântul Gheorghe (2nd) Moldova Dinamo-Auto (4th) Albania Teuta (CW)
Albania Kukësi (2nd) Albania Laçi (3rd) Republic of Ireland Shamrock Rovers (CW) Republic of Ireland Bohemians (3rd)
Republic of Ireland Derry City (4th)[Note IRL] Finland Ilves (CW) Finland Inter Turku (2nd) Finland Honka (PW)
Iceland Víkingur Reykjavík (CW) Iceland Breiðablik (2nd) Iceland FH (3rd) Bosnia and Herzegovina Željezničar (Abd-2nd)[Note BIH]
Bosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar (Abd-3rd)[Note BIH] Bosnia and Herzegovina Borac Banja Luka (Abd-4th)[Note BIH] Lithuania Žalgiris (2nd) Lithuania Riteriai (3rd)
Lithuania Kauno Žalgiris (4th) Latvia RFS (CW) Latvia Ventspils (3rd) Latvia Valmiera (4th)
Luxembourg Progrès Niederkorn (Abd-2nd)[Note LUX] Luxembourg Differdange 03 (Abd-3rd)[Note LUX] Luxembourg Union Titus Pétange (Abd-4th)[Note LUX] Armenia Noah (CW)
Armenia Alashkert (3rd) Armenia Shirak (4th) Malta Valletta (Abd-2nd)[Note MLT] Malta Hibernians (Abd-3rd)[Note MLT]
Malta Sirens (Abd-4th)[Note MLT] Estonia FCI Levadia (2nd) Estonia Nõmme Kalju (3rd) Estonia Paide Linnameeskond (4th)
Georgia Saburtalo Tbilisi (CW) Georgia Dinamo Batumi (2nd) Georgia Locomotive Tbilisi (4th) Wales The New Saints (Abd-2nd)[Note WAL]
Wales Bala Town (Abd-3rd)[Note WAL] Montenegro Sutjeska Nikšić (Abd-2nd)[Note MNE]
PR Wales Barry Town United (Abd-4th)[Note WAL] Montenegro Iskra Danilovgrad (Abd-3rd)[Note MNE] Montenegro Zeta (Abd-4th)[Note MNE] Faroe Islands HB Tórshavn (CW)
Faroe Islands B36 Tórshavn (2nd) Faroe Islands NSÍ Runavík (3rd) Gibraltar St Joseph's (Abd-2nd)[Note GIB] Gibraltar Lincoln Red Imps (Abd-3rd)[Note GIB]
Northern Ireland Glentoran (CW) Northern Ireland Coleraine (Abd-2nd)[Note NIR] Kosovo Prishtina (CW) Kosovo Gjilani (2nd)
Andorra FC Santa Coloma (2nd) Andorra Engordany (3rd) San Marino Tre Penne (Abd-3rd)[Note SMR] San Marino La Fiorita (Abd-4th)[Note SMR]

Notes

  1. ^ Champions Path (CH): Tirana and Ludogorets Razgrad, two of the ten losers of 2020–21 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round (Champions Path), were determined by a draw held on 31 August 2020 after the Europa League second qualifying round draw, to receive a bye to the play-off round.
  2. ^ Azerbaijan (AZE): The 2019–20 Azerbaijan Premier League and the 2019–20 Azerbaijan Cup were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Azerbaijan. The second-placed, third-placed and fourth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Neftçi, Keşla and Sumgayit, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan, entering the first qualifying round.
  3. ^ Belgium (BEL): The 2019–20 Belgian First Division A was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium. The third-placed and fifth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Charleroi and Standard Liège, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Royal Belgian Football Association, entering the third qualifying round and second qualifying round respectively.
  4. ^ Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH): The 2019–20 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the 2019–20 Bosnia and Herzegovina Football Cup were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The second-placed, third-placed and fourth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Željezničar, Zrinjski Mostar and Borac Banja Luka, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entering the first qualifying round.
  5. ^ Cyprus (CYP): The 2019–20 Cypriot First Division and the 2019–20 Cypriot Cup were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus. The second-placed, third-placed and fourth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Anorthosis, APOEL and Apollon Limassol, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Cyprus Football Association, entering the third qualifying round (second-placed team) and first qualifying round respectively.
  6. ^ France (FRA): The 2019–20 Ligue 1 was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France. The fourth-placed, fifth-placed and sixth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per matches played for each team, Lille, Nice and Reims, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the French Football Federation, entering the group stage and second qualifying round (sixth-placed team) respectively.
  7. ^ Gibraltar (GIB): The 2019–20 Gibraltar National League and the 2020 Rock Cup were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Gibraltar. The second-placed and third-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, St Joseph's and Lincoln Red Imps, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Gibraltar Football Association, entering the preliminary round.
  8. ^ Greece (GRE):
    • The 2019–20 Greek Football Cup could not be completed by the UEFA registration deadline of 3 August 2020. However, since both finalists, Olympiacos and AEK Athens, were in the top three of the 2019–20 Super League Greece, the result of the final would have no impact on qualification for the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League.
    • Panathinaikos, the fourth-placed team of the 2019–20 Super League Greece, would have qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round, but were banned from UEFA club competitions for the first season they would qualify between the 2018–19 and 2020–21 seasons by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body on 24 April 2018 due to overdue payables, which turned out to be the 2020–21 season since they did not qualify for either the 2018–19 or 2019–20 season. As a result, OFI, the sixth-placed team, qualified for this berth.
  9. ^ Liechtenstein (LIE): The 2019–20 Liechtenstein Cup was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Liechtenstein. The team remaining in the cup with the highest UEFA club coefficient, Vaduz, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Liechtenstein Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.
  10. ^ Luxembourg (LUX): The 2019–20 Luxembourg National Division and the 2019–20 Luxembourg Cup were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg. The second-placed, third-placed and fourth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Progrès Niederkorn, Differdange 03 and Union Titus Pétange, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Luxembourg Football Federation, entering the first qualifying round.
  11. ^ Malta (MLT): The 2019–20 Maltese Premier League and the 2019–20 Maltese FA Trophy were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta. The second-placed, third-placed and fourth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Valletta, Hibernians and Sirens, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Malta Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.
  12. ^ Montenegro (MNE): The 2019–20 Montenegrin First League and the 2019–20 Montenegrin Cup were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro. The second-placed, third-placed and fourth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Sutjeska Nikšić, Iskra Danilovgrad and Zeta, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Football Association of Montenegro, entering the first qualifying round (second-placed team) and preliminary round respectively.
  13. ^ Netherlands (NED): The 2019–20 Eredivisie and the 2019–20 KNVB Cup were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. The third-placed, fourth-placed and fifth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Feyenoord, PSV Eindhoven and Willem II, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Royal Dutch Football Association, entering the group stage, third qualifying round and second qualifying round respectively.
  14. ^ North Macedonia (MKD): The 2019–20 Macedonian First Football League and the 2019–20 Macedonian Football Cup were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia. The third-placed, fourth-placed and fifth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Shkëndija, Renova and Shkupi, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Football Federation of North Macedonia, entering the first qualifying round, as the second-placed team, Sileks, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League to replace the top team, Vardar, who failed to obtain a UEFA licence.
  15. ^ Northern Ireland (NIR): The 2019–20 NIFL Premiership was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland. The second-placed team of the league at the time of the abandonement, Coleraine, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Irish Football Association, entering the preliminary round.
  16. ^ Republic of Ireland (IRL): Derry City are a club based in Northern Ireland but play in the Republic of Ireland's league system, and qualify for the Europa League through one of the berths for the Republic of Ireland.
  17. ^ Romania (ROU): Astra Giurgiu, the third-placed team of the 2019–20 Liga I, would have qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round, but failed to obtain a UEFA licence. As a result, Botoșani, the fourth-placed team, qualified for this berth.
  18. ^ San Marino (SMR): The 2019–20 Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio and the 2019–20 Coppa Titano were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino. The second-placed and third-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Folgore and Tre Penne, were originally selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the San Marino Football Federation, entering the preliminary round. However, Folgore were banned by UEFA due to previous match-fixing, and were replaced by the fourth-placed team, La Fiorita.
  19. ^ Scotland (SCO): The 2019–20 Scottish Premiership was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland, and the 2019–20 Scottish Cup was postponed and could not be completed by the UEFA registration deadline of 3 August 2020. The second-placed, third-placed and fourth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per matches played for each team, Rangers, Motherwell and Aberdeen, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Scottish Football Association, entering the second qualifying round (second-placed team) and first qualifying round respectively.
  20. ^ Spain (ESP): The 2019–20 Copa del Rey was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain and could not be completed by the UEFA registration deadline of 3 August 2020. As a result, the sixth-placed and seventh-placed teams of the 2019–20 La Liga entered the group stage and second qualifying round respectively.
  21. ^ Switzerland (SUI): The 2019–20 Swiss Cup was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland and could not be completed by the UEFA registration deadline of 3 August 2020. As a result, the second-placed, third-placed and fourth-placed teams of the 2019–20 Swiss Super League entered the third qualifying round, second qualifying round and first qualifying round respectively.
  22. ^ Turkey (TUR): Trabzonspor, the second-placed team of the 2019–20 Süper Lig, would have qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, but were banned from all UEFA club competitions for the 2020–21 season by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body on 3 June 2020 due to breaches of the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations. Trabzonspor appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but on 30 July 2020, it was announced that the ban on them participating in UEFA club competitions was upheld. As a result, Beşiktaş, the third-placed team, qualified for this berth instead of entering the Europa League group stage, Sivasspor, the fourth-placed team, entered the Europa League group stage instead of the third qualifying round, Alanyaspor, the fifth-placed team, entered the third qualifying round instead of the second qualifying round, and Galatasaray, the sixth-placed team, qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.
  23. ^ Wales (WAL): The 2019–20 Cymru Premier and the 2019–20 Welsh Cup were abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. The second-placed, third-placed and fourth-placed teams of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per matches played for each team, The New Saints, Bala Town and Barry Town United, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League by the Football Association of Wales, entering the first qualifying round and preliminary round (fourth-placed team) respectively.

Schedule[]

The tournament would originally have started in June 2020, but had been delayed to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe. The new schedule was announced by UEFA on 17 June 2020.

All qualifying matches, including the play-off round, will be played in single leg matches.

Schedule for 2020–21 UEFA Europa League
Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Qualifying Preliminary round TBD 20 August 2020
First qualifying round TBD 27 August 2020
Second qualifying round TBD 17 September 2020
Third qualifying round TBD 24 September 2020
Play-off Play-off round TBD 1 October 2020
Group stage Matchday 1 2 October 2020
(Athens)
22 October 2020
Matchday 2 29 October 2020
Matchday 3 5 November 2020
Matchday 4 26 November 2020
Matchday 5 3 December 2020
Matchday 6 10 December 2020
Knockout phase Round of 32 14 December 2020 18 February 2021 25 February 2021
Round of 16 26 February 2021 11 March 2021 18 March 2021
Quarter-finals 19 March 2021 8 April 2021 15 April 2021
Semi-finals 29 April 2021 6 May 2021
Final 26 May 2021 at Stadion Energa Gdańsk, Gdańsk

The original schedule of the competition, as planned before the pandemic, was as follows (all draws held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, unless stated otherwise). Matches may also be played on Tuesdays or Wednesdays instead of the regular Thursdays due to scheduling conflicts.

Original schedule for 2020–21 UEFA Europa League
Phase Round Draw date First leg Second leg
Qualifying Preliminary round 9 June 2020 25 June 2020 2 July 2020
First qualifying round 16 June 2020 9 July 2020 16 July 2020
Second qualifying round 17 June 2020 23 July 2020 30 July 2020
Third qualifying round 20 July 2020 6 August 2020 13 August 2020
Play-off Play-off round 3 August 2020 20 August 2020 27 August 2020
Group stage Matchday 1 28 August 2020
(Monaco)
17 September 2020
Matchday 2 1 October 2020
Matchday 3 22 October 2020
Matchday 4 5 November 2020
Matchday 5 26 November 2020
Matchday 6 10 December 2020
Knockout phase Round of 32 14 December 2020 18 February 2021 25 February 2021
Round of 16 26 February 2021 11 March 2021 18 March 2021
Quarter-finals 19 March 2021 8 April 2021 15 April 2021
Semi-finals 29 April 2021 6 May 2021
Final 26 May 2021 at Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán, Seville

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic[]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the following special rules are applicable to the qualifying phase and play-offs:

  • Prior to each draw, UEFA will publish the list of known travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. All teams must inform UEFA if there are other existing restrictions other than those published. If a team fails to do so which as a consequence the match cannot take place, the team is considered responsible and to have forfeited the match.
  • If travel restrictions imposed by the home team's country prevent the away team from entering, the home team must propose an alternative venue that allows the match to take place without any restrictions. Otherwise they are considered to have forfeited the match.
  • If travel restrictions imposed by the away team's country prevent the away team from leaving or returning, the home team must propose an alternative venue that allows the match to take place without any restrictions. Otherwise UEFA will decide on a venue.
  • If after the draw, new restrictions imposed by either the home team's or away team's country prevent the match from taking place, the team of that country are considered to have forfeited the match.
  • If either team refuses to play the match, they are considered to have forfeited the match. If both teams refuse to play or are responsible for a match not taking place, both teams are disqualified.
  • If a team has players and/or officials tested positive for SARS-2 coronavirus preventing them from playing the match before the deadline set by UEFA, they are considered to have forfeited the match.
  • In all cases, the two teams may agree to play the match at the away team's country or at a neutral country, subject to UEFA's approval. UEFA has the final authority to decide on a venue for any match, or to reschedule any match if necessary.
  • If, for any reason, the qualifying phase and play-offs cannot be completed before the deadline set by UEFA, UEFA will decide on the principles for determining the teams qualified for the group stage.

Four countries (Poland, Hungary, Greece and Cyprus) have provided neutral venue hubs which allow matches to be played at their stadiums without restrictions.

Preliminary round[]

Main article: 2020–21 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase and play-off round#Preliminary round

The draw for the preliminary round was held on 9 August 2020, 13:00 CEST. The matches were played on 18, 20 and 21 August 2020.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Tre Penne Flag of San Marino 1–3 Flag of Kosovo Gjilani
Lincoln Red Imps Flag of Gibraltar 3–0
(awd.)
Flag of Kosovo Prishtina
FC Santa Coloma Flag of Andorra 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(3–4 p)
Flag of Montenegro Iskra Danilovgrad
Engordany Flag of Andorra 1–3 Flag of Montenegro Zeta
Glentoran Flag of Northern Ireland 1–0 Flag of Faroe Islands HB Tórshavn
St Joseph's Flag of Gibraltar 1–2 Flag of Faroe Islands B36 Tórshavn
Coleraine Flag of Northern Ireland 1–0 Flag of San Marino La Fiorita
NSÍ Runavík Flag of Faroe Islands 5–1 Flag of Wales Barry Town United

Qualifying rounds[]

Main article: 2020–21 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase and play-off round#First qualifying round

First qualifying round[]

The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 10 August 2020, 13:00 CEST. Most matches were played on 25, 26 and 27 August 2020, however two matches were postponed to 9 and 10 September 2020.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Maribor Flag of Slovenia 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)
Flag of Northern Ireland Coleraine
Olimpija Flag of Slovenia 2–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Iceland Víkingur Reykjavík
B36 Tórshavn Flag of Faroe Islands 4–3 (a.e.t.) Flag of Estonia FCI Levadia
Riteriai Flag of Lithuania 3–2 (a.e.t.) Flag of Republic of Ireland Derry City
Žalgiris Flag of Lithuania 2–0 Flag of Estonia Paide Linnameeskond
Honvéd Flag of Hungary 2–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Finland Inter Turku
Zrinjski Mostar Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina 3–0 Flag of Luxembourg Differdange 03
Valletta Flag of Malta 0–1 Flag of Wales Bala Town
Lincoln Red Imps Flag of Gibraltar 2–0 Flag of Luxembourg Union Titus Pétange
Rosenborg Flag of Norway 4–2 Flag of Iceland Breiðablik
Aberdeen Flag of Scotland 6–0 Flag of Faroe Islands NSÍ Runavík
Motherwell Flag of Scotland 5–1 Flag of Northern Ireland Glentoran
Hammarby IF Flag of Sweden 3–0 Flag of Hungary Puskás Akadémia
Malmö FF Flag of Sweden 2–0 Flag of Poland Cracovia
Kukësi Flag of Albania 2–1 Flag of Bulgaria Slavia Sofia
Ventspils Flag of Latvia 2–1 Flag of Moldova Dinamo-Auto
Shakhtyor Soligorsk Flag of Belarus 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(1–4 p)
Flag of Moldova Sfântul Gheorghe
Dinamo Minsk Flag of Belarus 0–2 Flag of Poland Piast Gliwice
AGF Flag of Denmark 5–2 Flag of Finland Honka
Shamrock Rovers Flag of Republic of Ireland 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(12–11 p)
Flag of Finland Ilves
FH Flag of Iceland 0–2 Flag of Slovakia DAC Dunajská Streda
The New Saints Flag of Wales 3–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Slovakia Žilina
Vaduz Flag of Liechtenstein 0–2 Flag of Malta Hibernians
Servette Flag of Switzerland 3–0 Flag of Slovakia Ružomberok
Neftçi Flag of Azerbaijan 2–1 Flag of North Macedonia Shkupi
Keşla Flag of Azerbaijan 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)
Flag of Albania Laçi
Hapoel Be'er Sheva Flag of Israel 3–0 Flag of Georgia Dinamo Batumi
Nõmme Kalju Flag of Estonia Postponed Flag of Slovenia Mura
Bodø/Glimt Flag of Norway 6–1 Flag of Lithuania Kauno Žalgiris
Fehérvár Flag of Hungary 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
Flag of Republic of Ireland Bohemians
Apollon Limassol Flag of Cyprus 5–1 Flag of Georgia Saburtalo Tbilisi
Maccabi Haifa Flag of Israel Postponed Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željezničar
Alashkert Flag of Armenia 0–1 Flag of North Macedonia Renova
Partizan Flag of Serbia 1–0 Flag of Latvia RFS
Lech Poznań Flag of Poland 3–0 Flag of Latvia Valmiera
Ordabasy Flag of Kazakhstan 1–2 Flag of Romania Botoșani
FCSB Flag of Romania 3–0 Flag of Armenia Shirak
Progrès Niederkorn Flag of Luxembourg 3–0 Flag of Montenegro Zeta
CSKA Sofia Flag of Bulgaria 2–1 Flag of Malta Sirens
Petrocub Hîncești Flag of Moldova 0–2 Flag of Serbia TSC Bačka Topola
Sumgayit Flag of Azerbaijan 0–2 Flag of North Macedonia Shkëndija
Kairat Flag of Kazakhstan 4–1 Flag of Armenia Noah
Locomotive Tbilisi Flag of Georgia 2–1 Flag of Romania Universitatea Craiova
Teuta Flag of Albania 2–0 Flag of Israel Beitar Jerusalem
Borac Banja Luka Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–0 Flag of Montenegro Sutjeska Nikšić
Iskra Danilovgrad Flag of Montenegro 0–1 Flag of Bulgaria Lokomotiv Plovdiv
Gjilani Flag of Kosovo 0–2 (a.e.t.) Flag of Cyprus APOEL

Second qualifying round[]

The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 31 August 2020, 13:00 CEST. The matches were played on 16, 17 and 18 September 2020.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Champions Path
Inter Club d'Escaldes Flag of Andorra 0–1 Flag of Republic Ireland Dundalk
KuPS Flag of Finland 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(4–3 p)
Flag of Slovakia Slovan Bratislava
Linfield Flag of Northern Ireland 0–1 Flag of Malta Floriana
Riga Flag of Latvia 1–0 Flag of San Marino Tre Fiori
Djurgårdens IF Flag of Sweden 2–1 Flag of Gibraltar Europa
Flora Flag of Estonia 2–1 Flag of Iceland KR
Sileks Flag of North Macedonia 0–2 Flag of Kosovo Drita
Astana Flag of Kazakhstan 0–1 Flag of Montenegro Budućnost Podgorica
Ararat-Armenia Flag of Armenia 4–3 (a.e.t.) Flag of Luxembourg Fola Esch
Connah's Quay Nomads Flag of Wales 0–1 Flag of Georgia Dinamo Tbilisi
Team 1  Score  Team 2
Main Path
Hammarby IF Flag of Sweden 0–3 Flag of Poland Lech Poznań
Kaisar Flag of Kazakhstan 1–4 Flag of Cyprus APOEL
Mura Flag of Slovenia 3–0 Flag of Denmark AGF
Maccabi Haifa Flag of Israel 2–1 Flag of Kazakhstan Kairat
Locomotive Tbilisi Flag of Georgia 2–1 Flag of Russia Dynamo Moscow
Neftçi Flag of Azerbaijan 1–3 Flag of Turkey Galatasaray
B36 Tórshavn Flag of Faroe Islands 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(5–4 p)
Flag of Wales The New Saints
Coleraine Flag of Northern Ireland 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(0–3 p)
Flag of Scotland Motherwell
IFK Göteborg Flag of Sweden 1–2 Flag of Denmark Copenhagen
TSC Bačka Topola Flag of Serbia 6–6 (a.e.t.)
(4–5 p)
Flag of Romania FCSB
Teuta Flag of Albania 0–4 Flag of Spain Granada
OFI Flag of Greece 0–1 Flag of Cyprus Apollon Limassol
Progrès Niederkorn Flag of Luxembourg 0–5 Flag of Netherlands Willem II
Viking Flag of Norway 0–2 Flag of Scotland Aberdeen
Standard Liège Flag of Belgium 2–0 Flag of Wales Bala Town
Sfântul Gheorghe Flag of Moldova 0–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Serbia Partizan
CSKA Sofia Flag of Bulgaria 2–0 Flag of Belarus BATE Borisov
Botoșani Flag of Romania 0–1 Flag of North Macedonia Shkëndija
Lokomotiv Plovdiv Flag of Bulgaria 1–2 Flag of England Tottenham Hotspur
Laçi Flag of Albania 1–2 Flag of Israel Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Aris Flag of Greece 1–2 Flag of Ukraine Kolos Kovalivka
Honvéd Flag of Hungary 0–2 Flag of Sweden Malmö FF
Ventspils Flag of Latvia 1–5 Flag of Norway Rosenborg
Riteriai Flag of Lithuania 1–5 Flag of Czech Republic Slovan Liberec
Lincoln Red Imps Flag of Gibraltar 0–5 Flag of Scotland Rangers
Servette Flag of Switzerland 0–1 Flag of France Reims
Borac Banja Luka Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina 0–2 Flag of Portugal Rio Ave
Renova Flag of North Macedonia 0–1 Flag of Croatia Hajduk Split
Olimpija Flag of Slovenia 2–3 (a.e.t.) Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar
Kukësi Flag of Albania 0–4 Flag of Germany VfL Wolfsburg
DAC Dunajská Streda Flag of Slovakia 5–3 (a.e.t.) Flag of Czech Republic Jablonec
Piast Gliwice Flag of Poland 3–2 Flag of Austria Hartberg
Osijek Flag of Croatia 1–2 Flag of Switzerland Basel
Shamrock Rovers Flag of Republic of Ireland 0–2 Flag of Italy Milan
Hibernians Flag of Malta 0–1 Flag of Hungary Fehérvár
Bodø/Glimt Flag of Norway 3–1 Flag of Lithuania Žalgiris

Third qualifying round[]

The draw for the third qualifying round was held on 1 September 2020, 13:00 CEST. The matches were played on 23 and 24 September 2020.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Champions Path
Tirana Flag of Albania Bye N/A
Ludogorets Razgrad Flag of Bulgaria Bye N/A
Sarajevo Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2–1 Flag of Montenegro Budućnost Podgorica
Sheriff Tiraspol Flag of Moldova 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(3–5 p)
Flag of Republic Ireland Dundalk
Ararat-Armenia Flag of Armenia 1–0 (a.e.t.) Flag of Slovenia Celje
Riga Flag of Latvia 0–1 Flag of Scotland Celtic
KuPS Flag of Finland 2–0 Flag of Lithuania Sūduva
Legia Warsaw Flag of Poland 2–0 Flag of Kosovo Drita
Flag of Faroe Islands 6–1 Flag of Georgia Dinamo Tbilisi
Djurgårdens IF Flag of Sweden 0–1 Flag of Romania CFR Cluj
Floriana Flag of Malta 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 p)
Flag of Estonia Flora
Team 1  Score  Team 2
Main Path
Mura Flag of Slovenia 1–5 Flag of Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
Malmö FF Flag of Sweden 5–0 Flag of Croatia Lokomotiva
Sporting CP Flag of Portugal 1–0 Flag of Scotland Aberdeen
Charleroi Flag of Belgium 2–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Serbia Partizan
Rosenborg Flag of Norway 1–0 Flag of Turkey Alanyaspor
VfL Wolfsburg Flag of Germany 2–0 Flag of Ukraine Desna Chernihiv
Fehérvár Flag of Hungary 0–0 (a.e.t.)
(4–1 p)
Flag of France Reims
Granada Flag of Spain 2–0 Flag of Georgia Locomotive Tbilisi
Rijeka Flag of Croatia 2–0 (a.e.t.) Flag of Ukraine Kolos Kovalivka
St. Gallen Flag of Switzerland 0–1 Flag of Greece AEK Athens
LASK Flag of Austria 7–0 Flag of Slovakia DAC Dunajská Streda
Milan Flag of Italy 3–2 Flag of Norway Bodø/Glimt
Shkëndija Flag of North Macedonia 1–3 Flag of England Tottenham Hotspur
Standard Liège Flag of Belgium 2–1 (a.e.t.) Flag of Serbia Vojvodina
Rostov Flag of Russia 1–2 Flag of Israel Maccabi Haifa
Willem II Flag of Netherlands 0–4 Flag of Scotland Rangers
Apollon Limassol Flag of Cyprus 0–5 Flag of Poland Lech Poznań
Beşiktaş Flag of Turkey 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 p)
Flag of Portugal Rio Ave
FCSB Flag of Romania 0–2 Flag of Czech Republic Slovan Liberec
Hapoel Be'er Sheva Flag of Israel 3–0 Flag of Scotland Motherwell
Copenhagen Flag of Denmark 3–0 Flag of Poland Piast Gliwice
Basel Flag of Switzerland 3–2 Flag of Cyprus Anorthosis
Galatasaray Flag of Turkey 2–0 Flag of Croatia Hajduk Split
Viktoria Plzeň Flag of Czech Republic 3–0 Flag of Denmark SønderjyskE
APOEL Flag of Cyprus 2–2 (a.e.t.)
(4–2 p)
Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar
CSKA Sofia Flag of Bulgaria 3–1 Flag of Faroe Islands B36 Tórshavn

Play-off round[]

Main article: 2020–21 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase and play-off round#Play-off round

The draw for the play-off round was held on 18 September 2020, 13:00 CEST. The matches were played on 1 October 2020.

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Champions Path
Young Boys Flag of Switzerland 3–0 Flag of Albania Tirana
Dinamo Zagreb Flag of Croatia 3–1 Flag of Estonia Flora
CFR Cluj Flag of Romania 3–1 Flag of Finland KuPS
Ararat-Armenia Flag of Armenia 1–2 Flag of Serbia Red Star Belgrade
Dynamo Brest Flag of Belarus 0–2 Flag of Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad
Sarajevo Flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina 0–1 Flag of Scotland Celtic
Legia Warsaw Flag of Poland 0–3 Flag of Azerbaijan Qarabağ
Dundalk Flag of Republic Ireland 3–1 Flag of Faroe Islands
Team 1  Score  Team 2
Main Path
Hapoel Be'er Sheva Flag of Israel 1–0 Flag of Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň
Basel Flag of Switzerland 1–3 Flag of Bulgaria CSKA Sofia
Rio Ave Flag of Portugal 2–2 (a.e.t.) (8–9 p) Flag of Italy Milan
Rosenborg Flag of Norway 0–2 Flag of Netherlands PSV Eindhoven
Sporting CP Flag of Portugal 1–4 Flag of Austria LASK
Copenhagen Flag of Denmark 0–1 Flag of Croatia Rijeka
AEK Athens Flag of Greece 2–1 Flag of Germany VfL Wolfsburg
Charleroi Flag of Belgium 1–2 Flag of Poland Lech Poznań
Malmö FF Flag of Sweden 1–3 Flag of Spain Granada
Tottenham Hotspur Flag of England 7–2 Flag of Israel Maccabi Haifa
Slovan Liberec Flag of Czech Republic 1–0 Flag of Cyprus APOEL
Standard Liège Flag of Belgium 3–1 Flag of Hungary Fehérvár
Rangers Flag of Scotland 2–1 Flag of Turkey Galatasaray

Group stage[]

Main article: 2020–21 UEFA Europa League group stage

A total of 48 teams play in the group stage: 18 teams which enter in this stage, the 21 winners of the play-off round (eight from Champions Path, thirteen from Main Path), the six losers of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League play-off round (four from Champions Path, two from League Path), and the three League Path losers of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round.

The draw for the group stage was held on 2 October 2020, 13:00 CEST. The 48 teams were drawn into twelve groups of four, with the restriction that teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other. For the draw, the teams were seeded into four pots based on their 2020 UEFA club coefficients.

In each group, teams play against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 32, where they are joined by the eight third-placed teams of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage.

Antwerp, Granada, Leicester City, Omonia and Sivasspor made their debut appearances in the group stage.

Group A[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of Italy Roma 6 4 1 1 13 5 +8 13 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Switzerland Young Boys 6 3 1 2 9 7 +2 10
Flag of Romania CFR Cluj 6 1 2 3 4 10 −6 5
Flag of Bulgaria CSKA Sofia 6 1 2 3 3 7 −4 5

Group B[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of England Arsenal 6 6 0 0 20 5 +15 18 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Norway Molde 6 3 1 2 9 11 −2 10
Flag of Austria Rapid Wien 6 2 1 3 11 13 −2 7
Flag of Republic of Ireland Dundalk 6 0 0 6 8 19 −11 0

Group C[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of Germany Bayer Leverkusen 6 5 0 1 21 8 +13 15 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Czech Republic Slavia Prague 6 4 0 2 11 10 +1 12
Flag of Israel Hapoel Be'er Sheva 6 2 0 4 7 13 −6 6
Flag of France Nice 6 1 0 5 8 16 −8 3

Group D[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of Scotland Rangers 6 4 2 0 13 7 +6 14 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Portugal Benfica 6 3 3 0 18 9 +9 12
Flag of Belgium Standard Liège 6 1 1 4 7 14 −7 4
Flag of Poland Lech Poznań 6 1 0 5 6 14 −8 3

Group E[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 6 4 0 2 12 9 +3 12 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Spain Granada 6 3 2 1 6 3 +3 11
Flag of Greece PAOK 6 1 3 2 8 7 +1 6
Flag of Cyprus Omonia 6 1 1 4 5 12 −7 4

Group F[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of Italy Napoli 6 3 2 1 7 4 +3 11 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Spain Real Sociedad 6 2 3 1 5 4 +1 9
Flag of Netherlands AZ 6 2 2 2 7 5 +2 8
Flag of Croatia Rijeka 6 1 1 4 6 12 −6 4

Group G[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of England Leicester City 6 4 1 1 14 5 +9 13 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Portugal Braga 6 4 1 1 14 10 +4 13
Flag of Ukraine Zorya Luhansk 6 2 0 4 6 11 −5 6
Flag of Greece AEK Athens 6 1 0 5 7 15 −8 3

Group H[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of Italy Milan 6 4 1 1 12 7 +5 13 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of France Lille 6 3 2 1 14 8 +6 11
Flag of Czech Republic Sparta Prague 6 2 0 4 10 12 −2 6
Flag of Scotland Celtic 6 1 1 4 10 19 −9 4

Group I[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of Spain Villarreal 6 5 1 0 17 5 +12 16 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv 6 3 2 1 6 7 −1 11
Flag of Turkey Sivasspor 6 2 0 4 9 11 −2 6
Flag of Azerbaijan Qarabağ 6 0 1 5 4 13 −9 1

Group J[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of England Tottenham Hotspur 6 4 1 1 15 5 +10 13 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Belgium Antwerp 6 4 0 2 8 5 +3 12
Flag of Austria LASK 6 3 1 2 11 12 −1 10
Flag of Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad 6 0 0 6 7 19 −12 0

Group K[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of Croatia Dinamo Zagreb 6 4 2 0 9 1 +8 14 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Austria Wolfsberger AC 6 3 1 2 7 6 +1 10
Flag of Netherlands Feyenoord 6 1 2 3 4 8 −4 5
Flag of Russia CSKA Moscow 6 0 3 3 3 8 −5 3

Group L[]

Team Pld
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
Notes
Flag of Germany 1899 Hoffenheim 6 5 1 0 17 2 +15 16 Advance to knockout phase
Flag of Serbia Red Star Belgrade 6 3 2 1 9 4 +5 11
Flag of Czech Republic Slovan Liberec 6 2 1 3 4 13 −9 7
Flag of Belgium Gent 6 0 0 6 4 15 −11 0

Knockout phase[]

Main article: 2020–21 UEFA Europa League knockout phase

Round of 32[]

The draw for the round of 32 was held on 14 December 2020, 13:00 CET.

Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Wolfsberger AC Flag of Austria 1–8 Flag of England Tottenham Hotspur 1–4 0–4
Dynamo Kyiv Flag of Ukraine 2–1 Flag of Belgium Club Brugge 1–1 1–0
Real Sociedad Flag of Spain 0–4 Flag of England Manchester United 0–4 0–0
Benfica Flag of Portugal 3–4 Flag of England Arsenal 1–1 2–3
Red Star Belgrade Flag of Serbia 3–3 (a) Flag of Italy Milan 2–2 1–1
Antwerp Flag of Belgium 5–9 Flag of Scotland Rangers 3–4 2–5
Slavia Prague Flag of Czech Republic 2–0 Flag of England Leicester City 0–0 2–0
Red Bull Salzburg Flag of Austria 1–4 Flag of Spain Villarreal 0–2 1–2
Braga Flag of Portugal 1–5 Flag of Italy Roma 0–2 1–3
Krasnodar Flag of Russia 2–4 Flag of Croatia Dinamo Zagreb 2–3 0–1
Young Boys Flag of Switzerland 6–3 Flag of Germany Bayer Leverkusen 4–3 2–0
Molde Flag of Norway 5–3 Flag of Germany 1899 Hoffenheim 3–3 2–0
Granada Flag of Spain 3–2 Flag of Italy Napoli 2–0 1–2
Maccabi Tel Aviv Flag of Israel 0–3 Flag of Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk 0–2 0–1
Lille Flag of France 2–4 Flag of Netherlands Ajax 1–2 1–2
Olympiacos Flag of Greece 5–4 Flag of Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 4–2 1–2

Round of 16[]

The draw for the round of 16 was held on 26 February 2021, 13:00 CET.

Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Ajax Flag of Netherlands 5–0 Flag of Switzerland Young Boys 3–0 2–0
Dynamo Kyiv Flag of Ukraine 0–4 Flag of Spain Villarreal 0–2 0–2
Roma Flag of Italy 5–1 Flag of Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk 3–0 2–1
Olympiacos Flag of Greece 2–3 Flag of England Arsenal 1–3 1–0
Tottenham Hotspur Flag of England 2–3 Flag of Croatia Dinamo Zagreb 2–0 0–3 (a.e.t.)
Manchester United Flag of England 2–1 Flag of Italy Milan 1–1 1–0
Slavia Prague Flag of Czech Republic 3–1 Flag of Scotland Rangers 1–1 2–0
Granada Flag of Spain 3–2 Flag of Norway Molde 2–0 1–2

Quarter-finals[]

The first legs were played on 8 April, and the second legs were played on 15 April 2021.

Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Granada Flag of Spain 0–4 Flag of England Manchester United 0–2 0–2
Arsenal Flag of England 5–1 Flag of Czech Republic Slavia Prague 1–1 4–0
Ajax Flag of Netherlands 2–3 Flag of Italy Roma 1–2 1–1
Dinamo Zagreb Flag of Croatia 1–3 Flag of Spain Villarreal 0–1 1–2

Semi-finals[]

The draw for the semi-finals was held on 19 March 2021, 13:00 CET, after the quarter-final draw. The first legs were played on 29 April, and the second legs played on 6 May 2021.

Team #1   Agg.   Team #2   1st leg     2nd leg  
Manchester United Flag of England 8–5 Flag of Italy Roma 6–2 2–3
Villarreal Flag of Spain 2–1 Flag of England Arsenal 2–1 0–0

Final[]

Main article: 2021 UEFA Europa League Final

The final was played on 26 May 2021 at Stadion Energa Gdańsk, Gdańsk. A draw was held on 19 March 2021, after the quarter-final and semi-final draws, to determine the "home" team for administrative purposes.

26 May 2021 (2021-05-26)
21:00 CEST
Villarreal Spain 1–1
(a.e.t.)
England Manchester United Stadion Miejski, Gdańsk
Attendance: 9,412
Referee: Clément Turpin (France)
Gerard Goal 29' Report Cavani Goal 55'
  Penalties  
Gerard Soccerball shad check
Raba Soccerball shad check
Alcácer Soccerball shad check
Moreno Soccerball shad check
Parejo Soccerball shad check
Gómez Soccerball shad check
Albiol Soccerball shad check
Coquelin Soccerball shad check
Mario Soccerball shad check
Torres Soccerball shad check
Rulli Soccerball shad check
11–10 Soccerball shad check Mata
Soccerball shad check Telles
Soccerball shad check Fernandes
Soccerball shad check Rashford
Soccerball shad check Cavani
Soccerball shad check Fred
Soccerball shad check James
Soccerball shad check Shaw
Soccerball shad check Tuanzebe
Soccerball shad check Lindelöf
Missed De Gea

Statistics[]

Statistics exclude qualifying rounds and play-off round.

Top goalscorers[]

Rank Player Team Goals Minutes played
1 Flag of Portugal Pizzi Portugal Benfica 6 265
Flag of Turkey Yusuf Yazıcı France Lille 473
3 Flag of Uruguay Darwin Núñez Portugal Benfica 5 342
Flag of Jamaica Leon Bailey Germany Bayer Leverkusen 382
Flag of Czech Republic Lukáš Juliš Czech Republic Sparta Prague 390
Flag of Sweden Mikael Ishak Poland Lech Poznań 445
Flag of Netherlands Donyell Malen Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 496
8 Flag of Spain Paco Alcácer Spain Villarreal 4 36
Flag of Netherlands Elvis Manu Bulgaria Ludogorets Razgrad 248
Flag of Netherlands Elton Acolatse Israel Hapoel Be'er Sheva 266
Flag of Israel Mu'nas Dabbur Germany 1899 Hoffenheim 295
Flag of Nigeria Olarenwaju Kayode Turkey Sivasspor 311
Flag of France Amine Gouiri France Nice 399
Flag of Austria Michael Liendl Austria Wolfsberger AC 441
Flag of Cameroon Jean-Pierre Nsame Switzerland Young Boys 495

Top assists[]

Rank Player Team Assists Minutes played
1 Flag of Brazil Galeno Portugal Braga 5 425
2 Flag of England Joe Willock England Arsenal 4 344
3 Flag of England James Maddison England Leicester City 3 269
Flag of Brazil Carlos Vinícius England Tottenham Hotspur 324
Flag of France Moussa Diaby Germany Bayer Leverkusen 360
Flag of Czech Republic Bořek Dočkal Czech Republic Sparta Prague 361
Flag of Austria Thorsten Schick Austria Rapid Wien 371
Flag of Portugal Rafa Silva Portugal Benfica 372
Flag of Japan Takefusa Kubo Spain Villarreal 375
Flag of Nigeria Kelechi Iheanacho England Leicester City 389
Flag of Scotland Ryan Christie Scotland Celtic 392
Flag of Austria Stefan Schwab Greece PAOK 406
Flag of Israel Dor Peretz Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv 466
Flag of England James Tavernier Scotland Rangers 474
Flag of North Macedonia Arijan Ademi Croatia Dinamo Zagreb 485
Flag of Croatia Lovro Majer Croatia Dinamo Zagreb 487
Flag of Croatia Borna Barišić Scotland Rangers 491
Flag of Ivory Coast Nicolas Pépé England Arsenal 512
Flag of Poland Tymoteusz Puchacz Poland Lech Poznań 524

See also[]

External links[]

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