Europa Conference League 2021-22: the Road to Tirana, Albania

[PrettyColors]

With today’s 4-2 win Spurs have qualified for Europe. The European Conference League, dubbed as “a step below the Intertoto Cup”

Note: this qualification does not qualify us for the group stage in 21-22. We have been placed in a play off round along with losers from the EL qualifiers and teams from the 5th ranked European league and below.

Edit: Our next matches are August 19 - at winner of Larne/Pacos de Ferreira, and August 26 - home at the same side (two legged playoff affair).
Note that these matches are qualifiers for the group stage and thus must-win.

details below: https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaconf...--europa-conference-league-explained/?iv=true

 

[Col_M]

Here's the lowdown,,,


There will be a First Qualifying Round, Second Qualifying Round, Third Qualifying Round and then a Play-Off round before the Group Stage.

The English team will enter at the Play-Off round, a two-legged affair on August 19 and August 26. The Premier League season starts on the weekend of August 14.

The eight group winners automatically go through to the last 16. Additional knockout round play-offs will then be played before the round of 16 between the eight group runners-up and the third-ranked teams of the Europa League groups.

Qualifying round dates

Phase	First leg	Second leg
First Qualifying	July 8	July 15
Second Qualifying (Scottish teams enter)	July 22	July 29
Third Qualifying	August 5	August 12
Play-offs (English team enters)	August 19	August 26

This means if an English team reaches the Europa Conference League final, they will play an additional 15 games, or 17 games if they finish second in their group.

Group stage dates

Matchday 1	September 16
Matchday 2	September 30
Matchday 3	October 21
Matchday 4	November 4
Matchday 5	November 25
Matchday 6	December 9

The final will take place on May 25 in Tirana, Albania.

Knockout phase dates

Phase	First leg	Second leg
Knockout play-offs	February 17	February 24
Round of 16	March 10	March 17
Quarter-finals	April 7	April 14
Semi-finals	April 28	May 5
Final:	May 25

The new structure for UEFA club competitions will ensure at least 34 UEFA national associations are represented in the group stage of one or more competitions.

Spain, England, Germany, Italy and France all get one team, while Scotland, Portugal, Netherlands, Russia and Belgium get two.

Among the teams already qualified are Vitesse, Basel, AEK Athens, Rubin Kazan, BATE Borisov and Rosenborg. AND
Tottenham Hotspur!

 

[Nine while nine]

It's not a step below the Intertoto. The Intertoto was a pre-season tournament. There were three winners, not one, and they won 'entry into the UEFA Cup'. There wasn't even a trophy most of the time...

It is, however, a step below the Europa League. I may make my peace with it, but, for now, I'm with this tweet.

 

[SpursD22]

You know what, I wouldn’t mind if UEFA banned us from all European football for 1 season. Please do it UEFA

 

[spursfan77]

It probably starts next week

 

[oohaahedgar]

Will it count as a major trophy? My guess is not.

 

[Seafordian Spurs]

Genuinely can't see anyone at the club taking this seriously. I remember when we were in Europa a lot with Rednap (pre winner takes CL spot) and for those he played B team and youth. It'll be the same for this.

Surely.

 

[DEFchenkOE]

At least the final is being held at a historic stadium

 

[Nerine]

What do you get for winning it??

 

[EQP]

What do you get for winning it??

Some money, boosts our coefficient and guarantees Europa League qualification.

 

[al_pacino]

What do you get for winning it??

 

[LSUY]

What have we achieved in the last 30 years that gives us the sense we can turn our noses up at any competition? Leicester has won more in the last 5 years than we've won in the last 30. Sevilla don't look at these competitions as being beneath them so why do we do it?

Play a rotated team with youth players getting experience in the qualifying and group stages and then once we get into the knockout stage and playing the likes of Roma and Villareal play the first team.

At the end of the day it's a UEFA sanctioned competition, a cup final day out and a chance for us to cheer winning a trophy.

 

[muppetman]

Desperate to win a pot but we keep turning our noses up at winning one. If Chelsea were in this they'd win it - we should have the same mentality.

I went for option 2 - be sensible in the early stages and then take it seriously when we need to.

 

[EQP]

My only ask is that we play the youth. Use this tournament as a way to give minutes to the likes of Scarlett, Devine, Skipp, Parrott, John, etc so we can boost their development. This tournament will likely see us traveling to parts unknown in Europe, so sparing our 1st team players ( many who will have had reduced pre-season's due to EURO participation ) and giving the younger players a chance to show what they can offer, is the best way to handle our priorities next season.

 

[yankspurs]

Give it to the u23s

 

[olliec]

I’m very excited to play some of these teams who’s names I can’t pronounce

 

[jimbo]

Wouldn't mind a trip to Union Berlin, Roma are in it and all - which seems like a script that's already been written.

 

[Snarfalicious]

Good opportunity to play the kids, some of the lesser used squad players and sell one final spot in the starting XI to a fan to raise some additional funds.

 

[Yiddo100]

Give it to the kids and the deadwood we can’t bin this summer

 

[Tucker]

If Mason goes back to the academy, I would go as far as just letting him and our kids use this for experience.

This is the equivalent of the papa johns trophy and our first team should be nowhere near it.