So when is the Europa League draw taking place then, given that we're all set with most of the clubs having qualified?
(Image credit: Sebastian Widmann/Bongarts/Getty Images)
So… when is the Europa League draw? We're ready for the competition already, with the season already having kicked off.
This year sees English chances in the competition increased with three sides in the group stage for the first time. Favourites for the competition, Liverpool, are joined in the mix by Brighton and Hove Albion qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history – and both sides will be looking at a realistic chance of going far in the competition.
And then there's the not-so-small matter of West Ham United, fresh from a European trophy win last season and poised to do it all again in a bigger competition. It's going to be a good'un.
Zoltan Gera draws Manchester United in the Europa League last season (Image credit: Getty Images)
When is the Europa League draw?
The Europa League group draw for 2023/24 takes place on September 1 at 12pm UK time. It'll be streamed live from Grimaldi Forum, Monaco.
There, it'll likely be regular presenter Pedro Pinto alongside Deputy General Secretary of UEFA, Giorgio Marchetti, choosing the teams for this autumn's group stage draw alongside a very special guest.
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As is tradition, one team from each pot will be drawn into eight groups. The first games will be played on September 21 with the final for this year being held at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.
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The draw balls of quarter-final matches of last season's Europa League (Image credit: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)
2023/24 is the last edition of the tournament to feature 32 teams, with the format to be expanded for the following season. Next year, 36 clubs will qualify for the competition, with a "Swiss-style" group stage taking place.
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Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
