Bournemouth and Sunderland have been handed high-profile fixtures against AC Milan as part of the newly drawn Europa League league phase. For Bournemouth, the competition marks their debut in a continental tournament following a sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season. Under the guidance of manager Marco Rose, the club will host the Italian giants at their south coast home, alongside additional home matches against Viktoria Plzen, Sturm Graz, and Hapoel Be’er Sheva. Their away schedule includes trips to face Real Sociedad, Celta Vigo, Sparta Prague, and the Norwegian Cup winners, Lillestrom.
Sunderland, meanwhile, are returning to European competition for the first time since 1973 after securing seventh place in the league last term. Their campaign will feature a notable trip to the San Siro to face AC Milan. The Black Cats are also set to visit Anderlecht and will host AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Zagreb, and Levski Sofia. Their remaining fixtures include home and away matches against Polish sides Jagiellonia Bialystok and Lech Poznan, as well as a visit to the Portuguese second-division side Torreense. Although based in Torres Vedras, Torreense will host their European home games at the Estadio do Algarve near Faro.
Crystal Palace, the reigning UEFA Conference League champions, are also in the mix. Now managed by Pierre Sage, the London side will host Real Sociedad, Sparta Prague, Lech Poznan, and Hoffenheim. Their travel itinerary includes matches against Lyon, Salzburg, Jagiellonia, and a trip to Istanbul to face Besiktas. Elsewhere, Celtic have entered the Europa League following a defeat to LASK in the Champions League play-offs. The Scottish champions are scheduled to host Marseille and travel to play Benfica, with further tests against Celta Vigo, Besiktas, and Torreense.
The broader competition field remains competitive, featuring heavyweights such as Bayer Leverkusen and three-time UEFA Cup winners Juventus. While UEFA is expected to confirm the specific fixture dates over the coming weekend, the opening round of matches is scheduled for September 16 and 17. The tournament will conclude with the final held in Frankfurt, Germany, on May 26, 2027.
In the Conference League, Brighton and Hove Albion will represent the Premier League. Their league phase highlights include a home match against Monaco, alongside fixtures against Universitatea Craiova and Kauno Zalgiris. They will also travel to face Panathinaikos, Getafe, and Jablonec. Other notable participants in the Conference League include Atalanta, Ajax, Freiburg, Hearts, and Trabzonspor, the latter of which recently signed Mohamed Salah. Hearts are set to host Monaco and travel to face both Trabzonspor and Swiss champions Thun.
The Conference League final is slated for June 2, 2027, in Istanbul at the home of Besiktas. These developments follow a successful previous season that saw Aston Villa claim the Europa League title by defeating Freiburg in the Istanbul final. English clubs have maintained a strong presence in the Conference League, winning the trophy in three of the last four seasons. The report also notes that torreense are from the town of Torres Vedras, 50 kilometres north of Lisbon, but are set to host European matches at the Estadio do Algarve, just outside Faro.
