Starting with the 2021/22 season, an annual competition called the UEFA Conference League will be held. Clubs that are members of UEFA participate in the tournament.
Teams can qualify for this league based on their performance in national leagues and cup competitions. This is the third tier of European club football after the Champions League and the Europa League. In its early stages, the tournament was called the Europa League 2, but in September 2019, UEFA renamed it the Conference League.
How it all began
UEFA began considering the creation of another tournament ten years ago.
The idea behind the new tournament was to give lower-level clubs from UEFA member countries the chance to continue playing in European competitions despite their defeats in the Champions League and Europa League.
At the end of 2018, UEFA announced that the tournament, previously called ‘Europa League 2’, would be launched as part of the 2021-2024 three-year competition cycle. UEFA also noted that the new competition would feature more matches for a larger number of teams and associations.
The official name of the tournament, the UEFA Conference League, was announced on 24 September 2019.
In the second half of May 2021, the trophy and corporate identity of the tournament were presented.
Format
The format of the new competition is no different from that of the Champions League and Europa League. However, there is one difference: all participants in the group stage are determined by the results of the qualifying stages.
Each tournament will feature 32 teams, which will increase the minimum guaranteed representation in the three tournaments from 26 to 34 associations. The main tournament bracket will consist of a group stage (8 groups of 4 teams) and a preliminary round playoff (featuring teams that finished second in the Conference League group stage and third in the Europa League group stage), 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 finals and the final.
A total of 141 matches and 15 match weeks will be held on Thursdays, as in the Europa League, where the number of teams in the group stage will be reduced from 48 to 32.
The winner of the Conference League will qualify for the Europa League next season.
Conference League Trophy
The UEFA Conference League is not only a unique opportunity for young talents to prove themselves on the world stage, but also to receive prestigious rewards.
The UEFA Conference League trophy is 57.5 cm high and weighs 11 kg. It consists of 32 hexagonal spikes — one for each team in the group stage of the competition — that twist and curve from the base of the trophy. The curved shape of the spikes was inspired by the flight of a football as it heads towards the goal — the most thrilling moment for fans.
The base and top are made of hand-finished brass with a matt electroplated steel effect, while the sides have a glossy silver finish. The trophy was designed by London-based studio Pentagram.
With the advent of the UEFA Conference League, the UEFA Europa League’s brand identity has also been updated to reflect the more competitive and selective nature of the competition. It features a bolder logo and a more dynamic wave of energy, both with a more angular shape.
