English clubs Bournemouth and Sunderland have been handed high-profile fixtures against AC Milan following the draw for the Europa League league phase on Friday. Bournemouth, competing in a continental tournament for the first time after a sixth-place Premier League finish, will host the seven-time European champions on the south coast. Meanwhile, Sunderland—who secured European football for the first time since 1973—will travel to the San Siro to face the Italian side.
Marco Rose’s Bournemouth squad faces a demanding schedule, including home matches against Viktoria Plzen, Sturm Graz, and Hapoel Beersheba. Their away fixtures feature trips to Spain to play Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo, alongside visits to Sparta Prague and Norwegian side Lillestrom. Sunderland’s campaign includes home games against AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Zagreb, and Levski Sofia, plus matches against Polish clubs Jagiellonia Bialystok and Lech Poznan. Additionally, the Black Cats will visit Anderlecht and the Portuguese second-division side Torreense, who will host their European matches at the Estadio do Algarve near Faro.
Crystal Palace, the reigning Conference League champions, are also in the mix. Under manager Pierre Sage, the South London side will host Real Sociedad, Sparta Prague, Lech Poznan, and Hoffenheim. Their away schedule includes trips to Lyon, Salzburg, Jagiellonia, and a visit to Istanbul to face Besiktas.
Celtic, having dropped into the Europa League following a playoff defeat to LASK, will host Marseille and travel to face Benfica. Their remaining opponents include Celta Vigo, Besiktas, and Torreense. Other notable clubs participating in this year’s Europa League include Bayer Leverkusen and three-time UEFA Cup winners Juventus.
In the Conference League, Brighton and Hove Albion will represent the Premier League. Their marquee home fixture is against Monaco, with additional home matches against Universitatea Craiova and Kauno Zalgiris. Brighton’s away ties include visits to Panathinaikos, Getafe, and the Czech club Jablonec. The competition also features Atalanta, Ajax, Freiburg, and Trabzonspor, the latter now home to Mohamed Salah. Scottish side Hearts will host Monaco and travel to face Trabzonspor and Swiss champions Thun.
UEFA is expected to confirm the specific fixture dates over the coming weekend, with the opening matches scheduled for September 16 and 17. The Europa League final is set for May 26, 2027, in Frankfurt, Germany. The Conference League final will take place on June 2, 2027, at the home of Besiktas in Istanbul. Aston Villa enters the season as the defending Europa League champion after defeating Freiburg in last year’s final. The report also notes that torreense are from the town of Torres Vedras, 50km (31 miles) north of Lisbon, but are set to host European matches at the Estadio do Algarve, just outside Faro. The report also notes that celtic were forced to settle for a berth in the Europa League after a spectacular collapse in losing to LASK of Austria in the Champions League playoffs.
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