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Uefa Conference League draw LIVE: Chelsea discover play-off round opponents plus Hearts in Europa
The new domestic season is just around the corner after a summer of international football at the Olympics, Euro 2024 and the Copa America - and for one Premier League team in Chelsea, a new start under a new boss also means a new competition.
They’ll be taking part in the newly rebranded Uefa Conference League - formerly the Europa Conference League - after finishing sixth in the top flight last season. That would have seen them sneak into the Europa League, but Manchester United’s FA Cup victory instead bumped them down into the third Uefa competition.
Enzo Maresca has had a tricky start to life as boss after switching from Leicester in summer and he’s still yet to take charge of a top-flight game, but now knows he’ll need to beat either Braga or Servette to take Chelsea through into the group stage in Europe.
Follow the live blog below for the full play-off round draw reaction and Chelsea’s draw:
Europa and Conference League play-off draws - LIVE
Hearts to face FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih or FC Viktoria Plzen
Chelsea face Braga or Servette in Conference League play-off
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:32 , Karl Matchett
That’s all from us, just a final run-down of the opponents for the British teams:
Europa League
FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (UKR) / FC Viktoria Plzen (CZE) v Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)
Qarabag FK (AZE) / PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL) v FC Petrocub (MDA) / The New Saints FC (WAL) (if TNS win)
Conference League
Chelsea FC (ENG) v SC Braga (POR) / Servette FC (SUI)
FK Panevezys (LTU) / Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) v FC Petrocub (MDA) / The New Saints FC (WAL) (if TNS lose)
FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) / Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) v FC Ballkani (KOS) / Larne FC (NIR)
St Mirren FC (SCO) / SK Brann (NOR) v CS Corvinul 1921 Hunedoara (ROU) / FC Astana (KAZ)
F.C. Copenhagen (DEN) / FC Baník Ostrava (CZE) v Kilmarnock FC (SCO) / Tromsø IL (NOR)
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:29 , Karl Matchett
The first legs will be played Thursday 22 August, with the return legs a week later on Thursday 29 August, if all stays according to plan.
As far as Chelsea go, Braga and Servette face each other on 8 and 15 August, so that’s when they’ll finally know who they actually are set to play - the Portuguese side would be about the toughest of any of their potential opponents really, so it wasn’t the best draw.
But there cannot be any excuses about not performing in this competition, given the Blues’ expenditure.
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:26 , Karl Matchett
And the draw abruptly comes to a close - the first step on the road to Wroclaw is set for Enzo Maresca and co.
As Chelsea have been drawn to face SC Braga or Servette FC, as a reminder they’ll be playing the loser of that tie, given it’s a Europa League play-off itself. The loser therefore drops down into the Conference and will play the first leg at Stamford Bridge.
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:22 , Karl Matchett
Final individual sides assigned and drawn out:
Maccabi Petah Tikva FC (ISR) / CFR 1907 Cluj (ROU) v FC CSKA 1948 (BUL) / Pafos FC (CYP)
FK Partizan (SRB) / FC Lugano (SUI) v Silkeborg IF (DEN) / KAA Gent (BEL)
FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (UKR) / FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE) v Real Betis Balompié (ESP)
FC Noah (ARM) / AEK Athens FC (GRE) v MFK Ružomberok (SVK) / HNK Hajduk Split (CRO)
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:21 , Karl Matchett
1 vs 7
F.C. Copenhagen (DEN) / FC Baník Ostrava (CZE) v Kilmarnock FC (SCO) / Tromsø IL (NOR)
ACF Fiorentina (ITA) v FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) / Puskás Akadémia FC (HUN)
Chelsea FC (ENG) v SC Braga (POR) / Servette FC (SUI)
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:19 , Karl Matchett
10 vs 2
BK Hacken (SWE) / Paide Linnameeskond (EST) v 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 (GER)
HNK Rijeka (CRO) / IF Elfsborg (SWE) v NK Olimpija Ljubljana (SVN) / FC Sheriff Tiraspol (MDA)
St Patrick’s Athletic (IRL) / FC Sabah (AZE) v FC Iberia 1999 Tbilisi (GEO) / İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR)
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:18 , Karl Matchett
3 vs 9
RC Lens (FRA) v Panathinaikos FC (GRE) / AFC Ajax (NED)
Brøndby IF (DEN) / Legia Warszawa (POL) v FK Auda (LVA) / FC Drita (KOS)
FK Mladá Boleslav (CZE) / Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC (ISR) v Paksi FC (HUN) / FK Mornar (MNE)
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:17 , Karl Matchett
8 vs 5
FC St. Gallen 1879 (SUI) / WKS Śląsk Wrocław (POL) v Trabzonspor A.Ş (TUR) / SK Rapid Wien (AUT)
St Mirren FC (SCO) / SK Brann (NOR) v CS Corvinul 1921 Hunedoara (ROU) / FC Astana (KAZ)
FC Spartak Trnava (SVK) / Wisła Kraków (POL) v Molde FK (NOR) / Cercle Brugge KSV (BEL)
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:16 , Karl Matchett
Aaaand we’re finally underway with it.
4 vs 6 is drawn out first so:
Omonoia FC (CYP) / Fehérvár FC (HUN) v NK Osijek (CRO) / PFC Zire (AZE)
FC Zürich (SUI) / Vitória SC (POR) v PFC Botev Plovdiv (BUL) / HŠK Zrinjski Mostar (BIH)
Ilves Tampere (FIN) / Djurgården (SWE) v NK Maribor (SVN) / FK Vojvodina (SRB)
FC Noah (ARM) / AEK Athens FC (GRE) v FK Partizan (SRB) / FC Lugano (SUI)
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:13 , Karl Matchett
Oh good another video before we start the actual Main Path play-off draw.
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:11 , Karl Matchett
Uefa Conference League play-offs Groupings (Champions path)
FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) / Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) v Winners pairing 4: FC Ballkani (KOS) / Larne FC (NIR)
FC Ordabasy (KAZ) / FC Pyunik (ARM) v NK Celje (SVN) / Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)
Vikingur Reykjavík (ISL) / FC Flora Tallinn (EST) v UE Santa Coloma (AND) / FC RFS (LVA)
FK Panevezys (LTU) / Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) v FC Petrocub (MDA) / The New Saints FC (WAL)
KI Klaksvik (FRO) / FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH) v HJK Helsinki (FIN) / FK Decic (MNE)
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:08 , Karl Matchett
The explanations of why the draws are set out as they are and where the different teams come in (and why coefficients matter, and where clubs can’t play together, and....) take longer than the competition itself.
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
13:04 , Karl Matchett
OK we’re on stage and ready to go - if you were with us earlier for the Europa League draw, we’re being shown the exact same video again right now over the formatting and group arrangements. Well, not exactly the same, we’ve got bright green Conference branding instead of orange Europa.
Anyway, again, we have several Groups already set out and the fixtures for the play-off are drawn from seeded and unseeded teams within each Group.
Chelsea are in Group 3.
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
12:56 , Karl Matchett
We are just about ready to go with the Conference League draw, then.
A reminder that along with Chelsea, we’ve got Kilmarnock, St. Mirren, Larne FC and St. Patrick’s Athletic involved from the British and Irish contingent.
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
12:50 , Karl Matchett
Last year in the still-then-named Europa Conference League, it was Olympicos who triumphed in the final to beat Fiorentina and become the first Greek side to win a European trophy.
They are into the Europa League this term as a result while Fiorentina are back and hoping for third time lucky, having lost the final two years in a row now.
A few returning faces might well be seen, but not Aston Villa - they reached the semis of this competition last year, losing to Olympiacos having already seenoff Ajax and Lille, but Villa qualified for the Champions League for 24/25.
On the other side of the draw, Fiorentina knocked out Club Brugge in the semis.
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
12:40 , Karl Matchett
Here are all the dates you need to know if you happen to support Chelsea... or perhaps Kilmarnock, or indeed Fiorentina or Tromso or anyone else involved, really.
Group stage match dates
Matchday 1: 3 October 2024
Matchday 2: 24 October 2024
Matchday 3: 7 November 2024
Matchday 4: 28 November 2024
Matchday 5: 12 December 2024
Matchday 6: 19 December 2024
Knockout match dates
Knockout round play-offs: 13 & 20 February 2025
Round of 16: 6 & 13 March 2025
Quarter-finals: 10 & 17 April 2025
Semi-finals: 1 & 8 May 2025
Final: 28 May 2025
Dates for each round’s draws
First qualifying round: 18 June 2024
Second qualifying round: 19 June 2024
Third qualifying round: 22 July 2024
Play-offs: 5 August 2024
League phase: 30 August 2024
Knockout round play-offs: 20 December 2024 (tbc)
Round of 16, quarter-final, semi-final: 21 February 2025
Uefa Conference League play-off draw LIVE
12:30 , Karl Matchett
Time to focus entirely on the Conference League then. Here are all the key details for the 24/25 season:
It’s a single 36-team league this year in line with changes to the other Uefa competitions, with each side playing three home and three away fixtures against six different opponents.
The top eight go through to the last 16, ninth to 24th go into a play-off knockout round, with the eight winners from those games progressing to the last 16 and it’s a straightforward two-legged knockout from that point.
This year’s final is being held in Wroclaw, Poland.
Europa League and Conference League play-off draw LIVE
12:20 , Karl Matchett
That concludes the play-off path draw for the Europa League - in 45 minutes it’s the turn of the Conference League which Chelsea are in, along with the likes of Kilmarnock.
Reminder of the upcoming games for British and Irish sides after this first draw:
Qarabag FK (AZE) / PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL) v FC Petrocub (MDA) / The New Saints FC (WAL)
Malmo FF (SWE) / PAOK FC (GRE) v NK Celje (SVN) / Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)
FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (UKR) / FC Viktoria Plzen (CZE) v Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)
Europa League play-off draw LIVE
12:16 , Karl Matchett
Europa League play-offs Group 3
FC Midtjylland (DEN) / Ferencvarosi TC (HUN) v KI Klaksvík (FRO) / Borac Banja Luka (BIH)
Molde FK (NOR) / Cercle Brugge KSV (BEL) v HNK Rijeka (CRO) / IF Elfsborg (SWE)
SC Braga (POR) / Servette FC (SUI) v Trabzonspor A.S (TUR) / SK Rapid Wien (AUT)
FC Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih (UKR) / FC Viktoria Plzen (CZE) v Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO)
There’s the draw for one of the Scottish Premiership sides involved today and the only one in the Europa League play-off draw today. Hearts head to either Ukrainian or Czech opposition.
Europa League play-off draw LIVE
12:12 , Karl Matchett
Europa League play-offs Group 2
LASK (AUT) v AC Sparta Praha (CZE) / Fotbal Club FCSB (ROU)
UE Santa Coloma (AND) / FC RFS (LVA) v SK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) / APOEL FC (CYP)
FK Panevezys (LTU) / Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR) v FK TSC Backa Topola (SRB)
Malmo FF (SWE) / PAOK FC (GRE) v NK Celje (SVN) / Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL)
Europa League play-off draw LIVE
12:09 , Karl Matchett
So TNS are off to Macedonia first and if they win, it’s off to Azerbaijan or Bulgaria in the first leg of the play-off.
In Group 2 we’ve got Shamrock Rovers from Ireland involved. On we go.
Europa League play-off draw LIVE
12:09 , Karl Matchett
Europa League play-offs Group 1
FC Dinamo Minsk (BLR) / Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) v RSC Anderlecht (BEL)
Jagiellonia Bialystok (POL) / FK Bodø/Glimt (NOR) v Panathinaikos FC (GRE) / AFC Ajax (NED)
Qarabag FK (AZE) / PFC Ludogorets 1945 (BUL) v FC Petrocub (MDA) / The New Saints FC (WAL)
FK Partizan (SRB) / FC Lugano (SUI) v Besiktas JK (TUR)
Europa League play-off draw LIVE
12:06 , Karl Matchett
Group 1 coming up: Ajax, Besiktas and Anderlecht are among the bigger names here. The New Saints FC are the Welsh representatives awaiting their fate.
Europa League play-off draw LIVE
12:04 , Karl Matchett
Tom Barlow, the Uefa senior competitions manager is speaking now ahead of the draw:
First legs on 22 August, second legs on 29.
We then embark on a ludicrous coefficient-based explanation of why there are so many teams, where they come from and why they are already split into draws. Not sure too many care any more, these get longer and longer.
Anyway, the seeded and unseeded sides from each Group are in separate bowls, one from each is plucked and dropped into a new bowl, then they are shuffled and picked again to determine home and away in each leg.
Chelsea await Uefa Conference League draw
12:01 , Karl Matchett
Not that it affects today’s draw too much but a reminder of the national pairings who are kept apart by Uefa:
Armenia – AzerbaijanGibraltar – SpainKosovo – Bosnia-HerzegovinaKosovo – SerbiaKosovo – Russia*Ukraine – Russia*Ukraine – Belarus
Russia, in any case, remain prohibited from competing from Uefa competitions, including Russian club outfits.
Chelsea await Uefa Conference League draw
11:52 , Karl Matchett
So the Europa League draw is up first of course, starting in around 10-15 minutes. Chelsea’s Conference League draw will follow that from 1pm.
The last time they were in a third-tier European competition was 1998/99, when they were in the old Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup and reached the semi-finals, losing to Mallorca before Lazio in turn beat the Spanish side in the final.
Since then they’ve won the 2012 Champions League, the 2013 Europa League, the same competition again in 2019 and the 2021 Champions League.
Bit of a fall over the last couple of years since then, highlighting the job Maresca has on his hands.
Chelsea await Uefa Conference League draw
11:45 , Karl Matchett
New Chelsea signing Marc Guiu reveals reasons behind Barcelona exit
Chelsea’s new striker Marc Guiu says his move to England was all about playing in the Premier League and not about money. The 18-year-old joined from Barcelona after the Blues triggered a £5m release clause in his contract, a move he described as a dream.
“I’ve always dreamt of playing in the Premier League and Chelsea is a great club with a lot of history,” he said.
“It was a tough decision but it was an amazing opportunity, so I had to go for it.”
The Spaniard has made four appearances for Chelsea during their preseason tour of the USA, scoring once in the 3-0 win over Club America - and he believes he is ready to make a name for himself in the Premier League.
New Chelsea signing Guiu reveals reasons behind Barcelona exit
Chelsea await Uefa Conference League draw
11:35 , Karl Matchett
Enzo Maresca hasn’t had an easy start to what is not an easy job, clearly.
Chelsea drew with Wrexham and lost to Celtic as well as Man City, though they have beaten Club America. Here’s what the head coach has said about his team’s summer form:
“I have no doubts about the progress this team is making in this moment. Mistakes are part of the process.
“I have known City for many years and even in friendly games, they don’t concede possession to the opposition, don’t concede many chances and they have long [spells of] possession. Thinking about the first half, I don’t remember them making six or seven passes in a row, so that was good from us off the ball.
“On the ball, we had many long [spells of] possession, some good chances and – I don’t know but I think – we had about 60 per cent possession in the first half.
“It doesn’t matter that it was a friendly game and they didn’t have six or seven of their starting players missing, this is the analysis of this moment.
“In any game, if you concede two goals [early on], it is not good.”
Chelsea await Uefa Conference League draw
11:25 , Karl Matchett
So this is one the more long-winded and quite absurd Uefa processes for these draws, involving teams from different paths and indeed different competitions, some of which are not yet known.
But the Groups are already set and seeded teams from each group therefore know they’ll be facing one of the unseeded options from that collection, meaning Chelsea’s options are thus:
Maribor (Slovenia) or FK Vojvodina (Serbia)
Spartak Trnava (Slovakia) or Wisla Krakow (Poland)
Paksi FC (Hungary) or Mornar (Montenegro)
St Patrick's Athletic (Ireland) or Sabah (Azerbaijan)
Braga (Portugal) or Servette (Switzerland)*
Now, while that’s fairly straightforward for the most part, the top four fixtures listed there are Conference qualifying ties, so it would be Chelsea vs the winner of whichever they are drawn against.
If they are drawn against Braga or Servette, however, they will play the loser of that tie - as it’s a Europa League qualifier, so the loser drops down into the Conference play-off instead.
Chelsea await Uefa Conference League draw
11:15 , Karl Matchett
Chelsea are the big British club involved of course, but not the only one today. Also featuring from the UK and Ireland in the two draws will be...
Europa League:
The New Saints FC (WAL) - unseeded Group 1
Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL) - unseeded Group 2
Heart of Midlothian FC (SCO) - unseeded Group 3
Conference League:
Kilmarnock FC (SCO) - unseeded Group 1
St Mirren FC (SCO) - unseeded Group 2
Chelsea FC (ENG) - seeded Group 3
St Patrick’s Athletic (IRL) - unseeded Group 3
Chelsea await Uefa Conference League draw
11:05 , Karl Matchett
We’ll explain shortly the entire draw procedure but for now you need to know Chelsea are seeded in Group 3, along with the following sides:
Seeded
1. Chelsea (ENG)
2. FC Iberia 1999 Tbilisi (GEO) / İstanbul Başakşehir (TUR)
3. FK Mladá Boleslav (CZE) / Hapoel Beer-Sheva FC (ISR)
4. Ilves Tampere (FIN) / Djurgården (SWE)
5. Molde FK (NOR) / Cercle Brugge KSV (BEL)
Unseeded
6. NK Maribor (SVN) / FK Vojvodina (SRB)
7. SC Braga (POR) / Servette FC (SUI)
8. FC Spartak Trnava (SVK) / Wisła Kraków (POL)
9. Paksi FC (HUN) / FK Mornar (MNE)
10. St Patrick’s Athletic (IRL) / FC Sabah (AZE)
09:42 , Karl Matchett
Chelsea will discover their Europa Conference League play-off opponents on Monday when the draw is made in Nyon, Switzerland.
The Blues have endured a tough start to pre-season, with defeat to Manchester City on Saturday. And there is an early test in their 2024/25 campaign as qualifying for the Europa Conference League begins.
After Manchester United’s victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final in May secured Erik ten Hag’s side a place in the Europa League, the Blues dropped into the Europa Conference League.
And their first match in the competition starts later this month, handing new boss Enzo Maresca, who was recruited from Leicester to replace Mauricio Pochettino, an early challenge.
Chelsea will be in the Main Path of the play-off round and will sit as one of the seeds, meaning a tie against one of the unseeded sides over two legs. Uefa will release full seedings, any groupings and the procedure for the draw on Monday morning.
Here’s everything you need to know:
When is Europa Conference League play-off draw? Chelsea set to learn opponents
