Conference League

Conference League (UEFA) (UEFA Conference League, formerly the UEFA Europa Conference League, founded in 2021) is UEFA’s annual European club competition, ranked below the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League. Regulations: clubs qualify via domestic leagues and cups and through rebalancing under UEFA’s access system, in the current format the competition features a 36-club league phase where each team plays 6 matches against different opponents (3 home and 3 away), the clubs ranked 1-8 qualify directly for the round of 16, the clubs ranked 9-24 contest the knockout phase play-offs for places in the round of 16, and the clubs ranked 25-36 are eliminated. Teams are ranked by points, then goal difference, goals scored, away goals scored, wins, away wins, opponents’ aggregate league-phase metrics (points, goal difference, goals scored), disciplinary points (red card - 3, yellow card - 1, expulsion for two yellows in one match - 3), then the club coefficient. The knockout rounds are typically played over two legs home and away, the away-goals rule is not used, if the aggregate score is level extra time is played in the second leg and, if required, a penalty shoot-out decides the tie, while the final is a single match at a pre-selected neutral venue. The winners qualify for the next season’s UEFA Europa League league phase unless they have already qualified for it via domestic competition.