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Sunderland is preparing to embark on their first European journey since 1973, beginning with a challenging away match at the iconic San Siro against AC Milan in the Europa League. The Black Cats secured their spot by finishing seventh in the Premier League last season and will compete against the storied seven-time European champions among their eight league-stage fixtures. Additionally, Sunderland’s schedule will include an away game against Portuguese newcomers Torreense, who have recently qualified for the Europa League after a surprising victory in the Portuguese Cup final against Sporting CP. However, due to their home ground’s limited capacity and inability to meet UEFA standards, Torreense will host their matches at the Estadio Algarve in Faro, which is located 193 miles away from their base.
Bournemouth is also set to face AC Milan, but unlike Sunderland, their encounter will take place at their home stadium. This marks the first time the Cherries have qualified for European competition, and among their eight fixtures, Real Sociedad will feature prominently. Meanwhile, Crystal Palace, who lifted the Conference League trophy last season, face arguably the toughest draw. The London club will square off against Lyon, Real Sociedad, and Besiktas in the Europa League, making for a rigorous test of their European credentials. This is Palace’s debut in the Europa League, following their relegation last year due to breaches in multi-club ownership regulations.
Celtic, who dropped into the Europa League after surrendering a four-goal lead to LASK in the Champions League play-off, will lock horns with Marseille, Benfica, and Besiktas. In the Conference League, Brighton will contest fixtures against AS Monaco and Getafe, while Hearts will also face Monaco and take on a trip to Turkish club Trabzonspor, where Mohamed Salah plays. The culmination of the Europa League will be a final held in Frankfurt on 26 May, whereas the Conference League final is scheduled for six days later in Istanbul.
The structure of the Europa League involves each of the 36 teams playing eight matches in the league phase—split evenly between home and away games. The top eight teams at this stage earn a direct place in the round of 16, while those finishing between ninth and 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off round. Teams finishing 25th or lower in the standings will be eliminated outright and won’t have the opportunity to compete in other European contests. The Conference League operates similarly, with its 36 teams playing six matches each during the league phase—three at home and three away—with the top eight also moving to the last 16 and the ninth to 24th placed clubs entering play-offs. Last season, Aston Villa claimed the Europa League title, and Crystal Palace triumphed in the Conference League after an impressive knockout run that ended with a victory over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig, securing their first European trophy
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