UEFA Conference League: When is the play-off draw and who can Chelsea play?
From the official Chelsea FC website:
Chelsea’s maiden adventure in the UEFA Conference League will begin today when we find out who we could meet in the play-off round.
The Blues’ participation in this competition, and not the Europa League, was confirmed when Manchester United defeated Manchester City in the FA Cup final back in May.
It is the third season of the Conference League and gives Chelsea the chance to add fresh silverware to our trophy cabinet.
When and where is the Conference League play-off round draw?
The Conference League play-off round draw will take place on Monday 5 August at 1pm UK time. The venue is UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
Who can Chelsea play in the Conference League round of 16?
There are 71 teams in Monday’s draw as the third qualifying round is yet to take place. Alongside Chelsea, the four teams guaranteed to participate in the play-off round are Fiorentina (Italy), Real Betis (Spain), Heidenheim (Germany) and Lens (France). Like Chelsea, they will be seeded, so we cannot face them.
The remaining 66 teams are involved in two-legged third qualifying round ties, taking place on 8 August and 15 August. Each tie has been divided into one of five groups by UEFA.
Chelsea will be seeded and in the Main Path of the draw. We have been played in Group 3 and we can now confirm we will play a team from one of the following five ties:
Maribor (Slovenia) or FK Vojvodina (Serbia)
Braga (Portugal) or Servette (Switzerland)
Spartak Trnava (Slovakia) or Wisla Krakow (Poland)
Paksi FC (Hungary) or Mornar (Montenegro)
St Patrick’s Athletic (Ireland) or Sabah (Azerbaijan)
If we draw a team involved in the Conference League third qualifying round (the four ties featuring Maribor, Spartak Trnava, Paksi and St Patrick’s Athletic) we will play the winner of the tie.
If we draw Braga or Servette, we will play the loser of that Europa League third qualifying round tie.
What is the Conference League format?
Like the Champions League and the Europa League, the Conference League format is changing this season.
The biggest change is to the group stage, which will become a single 36-team league stage. Each side faces six different teams (three at home, three away). The top eight overall advance directly to the round of 16; sides finishing from ninth to 24th will contest the knockout round play-offs, with the victors going through to the last 16. From then on it is a straight knockout.
When are the Conference League play-off round matches?
The first leg is scheduled for Thursday 22 August, with the return a week later on Thursday 29 August.
Match dates and kick-off times will be announced by Friday 9 August.
How can I follow the Conference League play-off round draw?
The draw will be broadcast live on UEFA’s website from 1pm UK time. We will have news of the draw on the Chelsea website and app shortly after it has taken place.
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