EUROPA LEAGUE 2022. Mixed results for French clubs in the Europa League and Conference Europa League with victories for Lyon and Marseille and defeats for Rennes and Monaco.
[Mis à jour le 11 mars à 11h10] Mixed results for French clubs involved in the Europa League and Europa League Conference. If Olympique Lyonnais had shown the way forward on Wednesday March 9 by winning in Porto, Monaco and Rennes failed to win on the road to Braga and Leicester. The Monegasques lost 2-0 in Portugal by conceding a goal in the 3rd minute of play. If Philippe Clément, the Monaco coach thinks “that the result was severe”, the teammates of French international Wissam Ben Yedder will have to go up this handicap of two goals on Thursday March 17 if they want to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Same result for Stade Rennais which lost 2-0 on the lawn of English club Leicester. In a rather balanced meeting where Bruno Génésio’s players had a few chances, showing haste and lack of efficiency, unlike the English who, at home, took the advantage in this double confrontation of the Europa League Conference. On March 17, Gaëtan Laborde’s teammates will be forced to correct the situation if they do not want to end their European journey this season. For its part, Olympique de Marseille took an option on qualification against FC Basel after the home victory on Thursday March 10 (2-1). The Marseillais can harbor some regrets after the many wasted chances at the end of the game. The return match in Switzerland promises to be intense for Jorge Sampaoli’s players who wish to continue their journey in the Europa League Conference.
- Rangers 3-0 Red Star Belgrade
- Braga 2-1 Monaco
- Porto 0-1 Lyon
- Atalanta 3-2 Bayern Leverkusen
- Sevilla 1-0 West Ham
- Barcelona 0-0 Galatasaray
- Leipzig – Spartak Moscow (cancelled)
- Betis 1-2 Frankfurt
The group stage was played from Thursday, September 16, 2021 to Thursday, December 9, 2021 while the knockout stage will take place from Thursday, February 17, 2022 to Thursday, May 5, 2022. As for the final, it is scheduled for Wednesday, May 18. 2022 at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville. The calendar was then drawn up as follows by UEFA:
- Round of 16 will take place on March 10 and 17
- Lyon – Porto at 9 p.m., Thursday March 17
- Frankfurt-Betis at 9:00 p.m., Thursday March 17
- Red Star Belgrade – Rangers at 6:45 p.m., Thursday March 17
- Monaco – Braga at 6:45 p.m., Thursday March 17
- Bayer Leverkusen – Atalanta at 6:45 p.m., Thursday March 17
- West Ham – Sevilla at 9:00 p.m., Thursday March 17
- Galatasaray – Barcelona at 6:45 p.m., Thursday March 17
- The quarter-finals of the Europa League will take place on April 7 and 14
- The semi-finals will be April 28 and May 5 while the big final is scheduled for Wednesday, May 18, 2022
The Europa League Conference 2021-2022 is the new European competition launched by UEFA and therefore the third international competition for European clubs after the Champions League and the Europa League. Its first edition was launched for the 2021-2022 season. It groups European teams according to their results in the league or in the national cup. The winner of the Europa League Conference qualifies for the Europa League the following year.
184 teams are in the competition over the whole season, with at least one from each of UEFA’s 55 member associations and 46 from the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League according to the UEFA website. ‘. The group stage consists of:
- 17 teams from the UEFA Europa Conference League main path
- 5 teams from the UEFA Europa Conference League Champions Path*
- 10 teams eliminated in the UEFA Europa League play-offs
A group phase (eight groups of four) is therefore organized before a knockout phase (round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final). The eight group winners qualify for the round of 16. A play-off is played between the eight runners-up and the teams that finish third in their UEFA Europa League group.
What is the Europa League conference schedule?
- Groups: September 16 and 30, October 21, November 4 and 25 and December 9
- Knockout stage play-off draw: December 13
- Play-offs for the knockout stage: February 17 and 24
- Round of 16 draw: February 25
- Round of 16: March 10 and 17
- Quarter and semi-final draw: March 18
- Quarter-finals: April 7 and 14
- Semi-finals: April 28 and May 5
- Final: May 25
The TV rights battle continued to rage for this new 2021/2022 season. UEFA has awarded the French Europa League TV rights to RMC Sport, M6 and Canal+ which will ensure the broadcast from the 2021-2022 season. Canal + will co-broadcast with M6 the poster for each Thursday and RMC Sport offers all the remaining matches. M6 will broadcast the final scheduled for May 18, 2022.