The first edition of the Conference League saw Jose Mourinho’s Roma side defeat Feyenoord 1-0 in Tirana, marking the first time an Italian side had won a European trophy in 12 years.
In the short history of the competition, on two occasions English sides have prevailed. West Ham United won the trophy in 2023 with a dramatic 2-1 win over Italian side Fiorentina. Last season, Chelsea won the competition after a 4-1 final victory over Spanish opponents Real Betis in Poland, losing just one game along the way.
### **What's the format?**
The format of all three UEFA competitions was tweaked ahead of the 2024/25 season and will be maintained this year.
Following the qualification and play-off rounds, 36 teams will enter the tournament proper. First up is the league phase round. Each team will play six league fixtures between 2nd October and 18th December.
All six of our opponents will be from different UEFA associations, while no two teams will play each other more than once. A draw on 29th August will determine who plays who in the league phase. The draw will feature the 24 winners of Conference League play-off round ties and the 12 losers from the Europa League play-off round.
Once the six matchdays have taken place, the final league table will determine who qualifies for the knockout stage – and at what round they will enter.
Keeping up so far? This is where it gets a little complex.