UEFA Europa Conference League: What you need to know

The Giallorossi secured seventh place in Serie A on Sunday night, confirming their place in the new tournament for next season.

Every team will have to play a qualifying tie in order to reach the group stage, with those scheduled for August 19 and August 26 respectively.

Here's everything else you need to know...

The format

The group stage of the competition will consist of eight groups of four teams - with every side involved having to qualify through a play-off game.

As far as the group stage goes, the winner of each group will advance directly to the last-16. Those that finish second and third in each group will then participate in another play-off round - with the eight winners from those ties completing the last-16 line-up.

All the knockout ties up until the final will be two-legged affairs - with the showpiece game taking place in Albania, at Tirana's National Arena, on 25 May 2022.

For the winner of the Europa Conference League, a place in the group stage of the following season's Europa League is automatically awarded (should they not have already secured a place in the Champions League via domestic competition).

The dates (from the point Roma enter)

Final play-off round: 19 and 26 August
Group stage draw: 27 August
Group tage games: 16 September, 30 September, 21 October, 4 November, 25 November, 9 December.
Knockout round draw: 13 December
First play-off round games: 17 and 24 February
Last-16 draw: 25 February
Last-16 games: 10 and 17 March
Quarter-final and semi-final draw: 18 March
Quarter-finals: 7 and 14 April
Semi-finals: 28 April, 5 May
Final: 25 May

Thursday action

All games in the competition will take place on Thursday, alongside the existing Europa League format.

Games are scheduled for kick-off at 18:45 and 21:00 (times listed are for the Central European timezone).

The other contenders

As mentioned above, no side is yet confirmed to be in the group stage of the competition.

Nevertheless, a number of clubs already know they will be participating in the competition. Unlike the other two UEFA competitions, in the Europa Conference League the countries with a lower UEFA co-efficient have more representation in the tournament.

So Roma will be the only Italian representative, while France, Spain, Germany and England are also among the countries with just one entrant.

Selected Entrants:

1° Tottenham (ENG)

2° Villarreal (ESP)*

3° Roma (ITA)

4° Union Berlin (GER)

5° Rennes (FRA)

6° Pacos de Ferreira (POR)

Santa Clara (POR)

7° Vitesse (NED)

Feyenoord (NED)

8° Rubin Kazan (RUS)

Sochi (RUS)

9° Anderlecht (BEL)

Gent (BEL)

10° Lask (AUS)**

* If Villarreal win the Europa League this season, they will qualify for the Champions League as a result. No Spanish side will replace them in the competition.
** Will face a play-off to decide the second Austrian club to play in the competition