Seeding in the Europa League 2021/2022

UEFA European Cup Football
by Bert Kassies

This page shows the list of seeded and unseeded clubs for draws in the qualifying rounds and the group stage of the Europa League 2021/2022. The UEFA Club Ranking of 2021 determines the seeding of the clubs in the tables below. See Qualification 2021/2022 for a list of qualified clubs, and Access List 2021/2022 for an overview of berths per country. More detailed information may also be found in the EL regulations (pdf or online).

This seeding list is according to the format of the 2021-24 period. All clubs eliminated in the qualifying round and play-off round of the Europa League are transferred to the Europa Conference League. For details, see the new Access List 2021/2022 and 2021-24 qualifying scheme. The qualifying round of the Europa League is split into two sections: one for champions and one for non-champions. The new Europa league has no 1st and 2nd qualifying round.

The Europa Conference League title holder spot in the Europa League group stage will not be used because it is the first season of the Europa Conference League. The access list will be re-balanced as follows:

  1. The cup winner of Russia (Lokomotiv Moscow) moves from EL-PO to EL-GS,
  2. The cup winner of Denmark (Randers FC) moves from EL-Q3 to EL-PO,
  3. The cup winner of Cyprus (Anorthosis Famagusta) moves from from ECL-Q2 to EL-Q3,
  4. The runner-up of Slovakia (DAC Dunajska Streda) and the cup winner of Liechtenstein (FC Vaduz) move from ECL-Q1 to ECL-Q2.

EL-Q3: Qualifying Round (6 clubs)
Seeded clubs                   coef.             Unseeded clubs                 coef.
------------------------ --- ----------------    ------------------------ --- ----------------
FK Jablonec              Cze   7.000             Celtic @2                Sco  34.000
St. Johnstone            Sco   6.675             Rapid Wien @2            Aut  17.000
Anorthosis Famagusta     Cyp   5.550             Galatasaray @2           Tur  17.000

Clubs in EL-Q3 that qualify directly are seeded above clubs eliminated from CL-Q2nc. Clubs from the same association cannot be drawn against each other. See UEFA Europa League 3rd qualifying round draw for more info.

EL-Q3ch: Qualifying Round for Champions (10 clubs)
No seeding                     coef.
------------------------ --- ----------------
Slovan Bratislava @2     Svk   7.500
Alashkert FC @2          Arm   6.500
Zalgiris Vilnius @2      Lit   6.500
Flora Tallinn @2         Est   6.250
Kairat Almaty @2         Kaz   6.000
Lincoln Red Imps @2      Gib   5.750
Omonia Nicosia @2        Cyp   5.550
HJK Helsinki @2          Fin   5.500
Neftchi Baku @2          Azb   5.000
Mura Murska Sobota @2    Slo   3.000

No clubs are seeded for the EL-Q3ch. An open draw is held to determine pairings.

EL-PO: Play-off Round (20 clubs)
Priority 1                     coef.
------------------------ --- ----------------
AZ Alkmaar               Ned  21.500
Fenerbahçe               Tur  19.500
Zorya Luhansk            Ukr  15.000
Royal Antwerp            Bel  10.500
Sturm Graz               Aut   7.165
Randers FC               Den   5.575

Priority 2                     coef.
------------------------ --- ----------------
Slavia Praha @3          Cze  43.500
Olympiakos Piraeus @3    Gre  43.000
Red Star Belgrade @3     Srb  32.500
Glasgow Rangers @3       Sco  31.250
Legia Warsaw @3          Pol  16.500
CFR Cluj @3              Rom  16.500

Priority 3                     coef.
------------------------ --- ----------------
Slovan Bratislava @2     Svk   7.500
Alashkert FC @2          Arm   6.500
Omonia Nicosia @2        Cyp   5.550
HJK Helsinki @2          Fin   5.500
Mura Murska Sobota @2    Slo   3.000

Priority 4                     coef.
------------------------ --- ----------------
Celtic @2                Sco  34.000
Rapid Wien @2            Aut  17.000
Galatasaray @2           Tur  17.000

The teams are drawn in accordance with the priorities in the following order:
1) P1 teams are drawn against P4 teams.
2) The remaining P1 teams are drawn against P3 teams.
3) The remaining P3 teams are drawn against P2 teams.
4) The remaining P2 teams are drawn against each other.

Once the play-off round has been completed, the 32 remaining clubs are drawn into eight groups of four. For the purpose of the draw the clubs are divided into 4 pots. The ECL title-holder is placed in pot 1, and then all pots are filled according to the club ranking.

EL-GS: Group Stage (32 clubs)
Pot 1                          coef.             Pot 2                          coef.
------------------------ --- ----------------    ------------------------ --- ----------------
Olympique Lyon           Fra  76.000             Celtic @2                Sco  34.000
Napoli                   Ita  74.000             Eintracht Frankfurt      Ger  33.000
Bayer Leverkusen         Ger  57.000             Red Star Belgrade @3     Srb  32.500
Dinamo Zagreb @4         Cro  44.500             Leicester City           Eng  32.000
Lazio                    Ita  44.000             Glasgow Rangers @3       Sco  31.250
Olympiakos Piraeus @3    Gre  43.000             Lokomotiv Moscow         Rus  31.000
AS Monaco @4             Fra  36.000             Racing Genk @3           Bel  30.000
Sporting Braga           Por  35.000             PSV Eindhoven @4         Ned  29.000


Pot 3                          coef.             Pot 4                          coef.
------------------------ --- ----------------    ------------------------ --- ----------------
Olympique Marseille      Fra  28.000             Rapid Wien @2            Aut  17.000
Ludogorets Razgrad @4    Bul  28.000             Galatasaray @2           Tur  17.000
West Ham United          Eng  20.113             Legia Warsaw @3          Pol  16.500
Real Sociedad            Esp  19.571             FC Midtjylland @3        Den  13.500
Real Betis               Esp  19.571             Ferencváros @4           Hun  13.500
Fenerbahçe *4            Tur  19.500             Royal Antwerp *4         Bel  10.500
Spartak Moscow @3        Rus  18.500             Sturm Graz *4            Aut   7.165
Sparta Praha @3          Cze  17.500             Brøndby IF @4            Den   7.000

Clubs from the same association will not be drawn into the same group and are paired to play on separate days as much as possible. The groups A-D are assigned a red colour and the groups E-H are blue. When a paired club is drawn into a group the other paired club can only be drawn into a group with another colour. The pairings are as follows: Olympique Lyon & Olympique Marseille, Napoli & Lazio, Bayer Leverkusen & Eintracht Frankfurt, Olympiakos Piraeus & ECL, AS Monaco & ECL, Celtic & Glasgow Rangers, Red Star Belgrade & ECL, Leicester City & West Ham United, Lokomotiv Moscow & Spartak Moscow, Racing Genk & Royal Antwerp, PSV Eindhoven & ECL, Ludogorets & UECL, Real Sociedad & Real Betis, Fenerbahçe & Galatasaray, Rapid Wien & Sturm Graz, and Midtjylland & Brøndby. See UEFA Europa League group stage draw for more info.

A computer draw determines the fixtures such that each club plays one home and one away match against each other club in its group. A club does not play more than two home or two away matches in a row and each club plays one home match and one away match on the first two matchdays and the last two matchdays.

The eight group-winners of the group stage qualify for the round of 16. The eight runners-up of the group stage qualify for the knockout round play-offs of the Europa League. The clubs that finish this stage in third position in their group qualify for the knockout play-offs of the Europa Conference League. The clubs that finish this stage in fourth position in their group are eliminated.

In the knockout round play-offs the runners-up of the Europa League group stage are seeded above the teams that finish third in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Clubs from the same association can not be drawn against each other.

EL-KO: Knockout round play-offs (16 clubs)
2nd in EL group                                  3rd in CL group
------------------------ --- ----------------    ------------------------ --- ----------------
Glasgow Rangers @3       Sco  31.250             RB Leipzig #             Ger  66.000
Real Sociedad            Esp  19.571             FC Porto #               Por  87.000
Napoli                   Ita  74.000             Borussia Dortmund #      Ger  90.000
Olympiakos Piraeus @3    Gre  43.000             Sheriff Tiraspol #       Mol  14.500
Lazio                    Ita  44.000             FC Barcelona #           Esp 122.000
Sporting Braga           Por  35.000             Atalanta #               Ita  50.500
Real Betis               Esp  19.571             Sevilla #                Esp  98.000
Dinamo Zagreb @4         Cro  44.500             Zenit St. Petersburg #   Rus  50.000

For the round of 16, the group winners are seeded above the eight winners of the knockout round play-offs. Clubs from the same association can not be drawn against each other.

EL-R16: Round of 16 (16 clubs)
1st in EL group                                  winner of knockout round play-offs
------------------------ --- ----------------    ------------------------ --- ----------------
Olympique Lyon           Fra  76.000             FC Barcelona #           Esp 122.000
AS Monaco @4             Fra  36.000             Sevilla #                Esp  98.000
Spartak Moscow @3        Rus  18.500             FC Porto #               Por  87.000
Eintracht Frankfurt      Ger  33.000             RB Leipzig #             Ger  66.000
Galatasaray @2           Tur  17.000             Atalanta #               Ita  50.500
Red Star Belgrade @3     Srb  32.500             Sporting Braga           Por  35.000
Bayer Leverkusen         Ger  57.000             Glasgow Rangers @3       Sco  31.250
West Ham United          Eng  20.113             Real Betis               Esp  19.571

For the draw of the quarter-finals and semi-finals no clubs will be seeded.

KEY:

*3=club started in 3rd qualifying round
*4=club started in play-off round
@2=club eliminated in CL 2nd qualifying round
@3=club eliminated in CL 3rd qualifying round
@4=club eliminated in CL 4th qualifying round
#=qualified for knockout round play-offs from group stage of the Champions League

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