British clubs learn their European opponents
British clubs discovered their European opponents on Friday afternoon as the draws for both the Europa League and Conference League were conducted at Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum, reports BritPanorama.
AC Milan emerged as the standout fixture for two English sides, with Bournemouth set to welcome the Serie A powerhouse to the Vitality Stadium and Sunderland drawn to visit the San Siro.
Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and Sunderland — all placed in Pot 3 owing to their UEFA coefficient rankings — learned their eight league-phase opponents, while Brighton received their Conference League schedule shortly afterward.
Celtic, Scotland’s sole remaining European representatives, also received their fixtures in the secondary continental competition.
The league phase will run from September 2026 through to January 2027, with each Europa League side contesting eight matches. Sunderland’s draw represents a momentous occasion for the Wearside club, returning to continental competition for the first time in 53 years.
The Black Cats earned their Europa League berth by finishing seventh in the Premier League during their inaugural season back in the top flight. Their reward is a glamorous trip to the San Siro to face AC Milan, alongside home fixtures against AZ Alkmaar of the Netherlands, Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb, Poland’s Jagiellonia Białystok, and Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia. Away from home, Régis Le Bris’s side will travel to Belgium’s Anderlecht, Lech Poznań in Poland, and the Portuguese club Torreense — who earned their place after a stunning upset in the Portuguese Cup final against Sporting.
Bournemouth’s sixth-place finish last season earned the Cherries their debut in European competition. Marco Rose’s side will host AC Milan, Czech outfit Viktoria Plzeň, Austria’s Sturm Graz, and Israel’s Hapoel Be’er Sheva, while travelling to Real Sociedad, Sparta Prague, Celta Vigo, and Norway’s Lillestrøm.
Crystal Palace’s return to the Europa League came after a tortuous path. The Eagles claimed the Conference League title in May, defeating Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in Leipzig under Oliver Glasner, who departed at season’s end. Palace had originally qualified for last season’s Europa League via their FA Cup victory but were controversially relegated to the Conference League by UEFA over multi-club ownership breaches related to John Textor’s investments in both Palace and Lyon.
Under new manager Pierre Sage, the south Londoners will host Real Sociedad and travel to Lyon — a fixture laden with irony.
Celtic’s league-phase campaign features heavyweight encounters following their humiliating exit from the Champions League qualifying rounds. Brendan Rodgers’s side surrendered a four-goal aggregate advantage against Austrian club LASK, collapsing during the second leg to drop into Europe’s second-tier tournament. Celtic will welcome Marseille, Hungary’s Ferencváros, Celta Vigo, and Turkish giants Beşiktaş to Parkhead while undertaking trips to Benfica in Lisbon, Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise, Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus, and Torreense in Portugal.
Brighton, the Premier League’s sole Conference League entrants, secured their place with a commanding 4-0 aggregate victory over Norwegian side Tromsø in the play-off round. Fabian Hürzeler’s Seagulls will host Monaco, Romania’s Craiova, and Lithuania’s Žalgiris at the Amex Stadium while visiting Panathinaikos in Greece, Spain’s Getafe, and Czech side Jablonec.
Hearts also feature in the Conference League, with home ties against Monaco, Borac, and Nordsjaelland complemented by away fixtures at Pafos, Trabzonspor, and Swiss club FC Thun. The Europa League league phase commences on 15 September, with Conference League action following a month later on 15 October, where sides will contest six matches each — three at home and three away.
With the excitement of returning to European competition, British clubs now face the challenge of navigating a demanding schedule that will test their depth and resolve.
