The Europa League returned on Friday with a brand-new league-phase format, as the draw for the 2025/26 season was conducted in Monaco.
Thirty-six clubs were split into four pots, with each team drawn against two opponents from each pot, producing a total of eight fixtures — four home and four away. Clubs from the same country were kept apart during the process.
In a departure from the traditional ball-draw system, the ceremony was fully digital, with former Belgium forward Eden Hazard pressing the button that generated the fixtures.
The draw produced some mouthwatering clashes. Aston Villa will face Feyenoord and Go Ahead Eagles in the Netherlands while also hosting Turkish giants Fenerbahçe. Nottingham Forest, making a return to European football after 30 years, will host Malmö and travel to Porto, Real Betis and Utrecht.
Scottish champions Rangers landed one of the toughest runs, with fixtures against Roma, Porto, Braga, Ferencváros, Ludogorets, Sturm Graz, Genk and Brann. Celtic, meanwhile, will also face a demanding set of games against Roma, Feyenoord, Braga, Red Star Belgrade, Midtjylland, Sturm Graz, Bologna and Utrecht.
The full list of pots confirmed the calibre of competition this season. Pot 1 featured the likes of Roma, Porto, Rangers, Feyenoord, Lille, Dinamo Zagreb, Real Betis, Salzburg and Aston Villa. Pot 2 included Fenerbahçe, Braga, Red Star Belgrade, Lyon, PAOK, Viktoria Plzeň, Ferencváros, Celtic and Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Pot 3 had Young Boys, Basel, Midtjylland, Freiburg, Ludogorets, Nottingham Forest, Sturm Graz, FCSB and Nice, while Pot 4 contained Bologna, Celta Vigo, Stuttgart, Panathinaikos, Malmö, Go Ahead Eagles, Utrecht, Genk and Brann.
Full Fixture List
Pot 1 Teams
Roma
Home: Celtic, Midtjylland, Celta Vigo, Brann
Away: Rangers, Braga, Freiburg, Bologna
Porto
Home: Nottingham Forest, Lyon, Nice, Panathinaikos
Away: Rangers, PAOK, FCSB, Malmö
Rangers
Home: Roma, Braga, Ludogorets, Genk
Away: Porto, Ferencváros, Sturm Graz, Brann
Feyenoord
Home: Aston Villa, Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys, Stuttgart
Away: Celtic, Basel, Panathinaikos, Go Ahead Eagles
Lille
Home: Viktoria Plzeň, Freiburg, Utrecht, Bologna
Away: Lyon, Basel, Nice, Malmö
Dinamo Zagreb
Home: PAOK, Ludogorets, Panathinaikos, Utrecht
Away: Braga, Midtjylland, Celta Vigo, Brann
Real Betis
Home: Fenerbahçe, Young Boys, FCSB, Go Ahead Eagles
Away: Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Basel, Sturm Graz, Bologna
Salzburg
Home: Ferencváros, Nottingham Forest, Nice, Genk
Away: Lyon, Freiburg, Midtjylland, Malmö
Aston Villa
Home: Fenerbahçe, Young Boys, Bologna, Basel
Away: Feyenoord, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Go Ahead Eagles, Nice
Pot 2 Teams
Fenerbahçe
Home: Aston Villa, Freiburg, Malmö, Sturm Graz
Away: Real Betis, Young Boys, Bologna, Basel
Braga
Home: Porto, Sturm Graz, Genk, Go Ahead Eagles
Away: Rangers, Roma, Freiburg, Brann
Red Star Belgrade
Home: Feyenoord, Ludogorets, Utrecht, Nice
Away: Lyon, Young Boys, Stuttgart, Malmö
Lyon
Home: Lille, Salzburg, Basel, Brann
Away: Porto, Dinamo Zagreb, Celta Vigo, Bologna
PAOK
Home: Dinamo Zagreb, Freiburg, Malmö, Utrecht
Away: Porto, Ludogorets, Panathinaikos, Genk
Viktoria Plzeň
Home: Lille, Nottingham Forest, Stuttgart, Bologna
Away: Basel, Young Boys, Panathinaikos, Brann
Ferencváros
Home: Rangers, Young Boys, Nice, Genk
Away: Salzburg, Ludogorets, Utrecht, Brann
Celtic
Home: Roma, Braga, Sturm Graz, Utrecht
Away: Feyenoord, Freiburg, Bologna, Malmö
Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Home: Real Betis, Aston Villa, Basel, Panathinaikos
Away: Salzburg, Young Boys, FCSB, Genk
Pot 3 Teams
Young Boys
Home: Feyenoord, Ferencváros, Utrecht, Brann
Away: Aston Villa, Fenerbahçe, Viktoria Plzeň, Celta Vigo
Basel
Home: Aston Villa, Viktoria Plzeň, Bologna, Malmö
Away: Feyenoord, Lyon, Real Betis, Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Midtjylland
Home: Roma, Dinamo Zagreb, Salzburg, Go Ahead Eagles
Away: Freiburg, Rangers, Bologna, Genk
Freiburg
Home: Salzburg, Celtic, Bologna, Brann
Away: Porto, Roma, Lyon, Braga
Ludogorets
Home: Red Star Belgrade, Rangers, Panathinaikos, Utrecht
Away: Dinamo Zagreb, Real Betis, Genk, Malmö
Nottingham Forest
Home: Porto, Viktoria Plzeň, Malmö, Braga
Away: Salzburg, Real Betis, Basel, Sturm Graz
Sturm Graz
Home: Braga, Rangers, Genk, Brann
Away: Celtic, Real Betis, Bologna, Malmö
FCSB
Home: Real Betis, Celta Vigo, Utrecht, Bologna
Away: Porto, Salzburg, Genk, Malmö
Nice
Home: Salzburg, Ferencváros, Red Star Belgrade, Go Ahead Eagles
Away: Porto, Real Betis, Aston Villa, Genk
Pot 4 Teams
Bologna
Home: Aston Villa, Viktoria Plzeň, Sturm Graz, FCSB
Away: Lille, Freiburg, Celtic, Genk
Celta Vigo
Home: Dinamo Zagreb, FCSB, Young Boys, Brann
Away: Lille, Real Betis, Lyon, Nottingham Forest
Stuttgart
Home: Feyenoord, Viktoria Plzeň, Malmö, Utrecht
Away: Red Star Belgrade, Young Boys, Panathinaikos, Braga
Panathinaikos
Home: Dinamo Zagreb, PAOK, Basel, Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Away: Porto, Ludogorets, Feyenoord, Nice
Malmö
Home: Nottingham Forest, PAOK, Rangers, FCSB
Away: Fenerbahçe, Viktoria Plzeň, Lille, Sturm Graz
Go Ahead Eagles
Home: Feyenoord, Braga, Aston Villa, Nice
Away: Midtjylland, Real Betis, Sturm Graz, Celta Vigo
Utrecht
Home: Roma, Celtic, Ludogorets, Bologna
Away: Red Star Belgrade, Dinamo Zagreb, FCSB, Genk
Genk
Home: Rangers, Ferencváros, Ludogorets, Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Away: Braga, Salzburg, Sturm Graz, Bologna
- Brann
Home: Roma, Braga, Young Boys, Sturm Graz
Away: Rangers, Lyon, Celtic, Freiburg
