Here we take a look at who Tottenham can possibly face in the Europa Conference League and when exactly they will be in action
Tottenham will play in a brand new competition next season after qualifying for the Europa Conference League.
Looking set to miss out on a European place altogether heading into the final 15 minutes at Leicester City on the final day, a Kasper Schmeichel own goal and Gareth Bale’s double helped wrapped up seventh for Spurs and the European spot that comes with it.
While their goal next season will be to secure a top-four finish and a Champions League spot after missing out on Europe’s premier competition in each of the past two campaigns, the Europa Conference League is certainly a trophy the Lilywhites can go all out for.
So what exactly does the new competition entail and who could they potentially get? takes a look.
How does the competition work?
There will be a total of 32 teams in the group stage of the competition, although no teams qualify directly for the group phase.
The 32 teams will be made up of 17 teams from the Europa Conference League main path, five teams from the Europa Conference League Champions path and ten teams eliminated from the Europa League play-offs.
The 32 teams will then be split into eight groups of four, with the top two in each group advancing to the knockout phase of the competition.
However, the eight group winners will advance straight to the Round of 16, with the eight runners-up going into a preliminary knockout round when they will face the third-placed teams from the Europa League group stage.
So who will play in the Europa Conference League?
Teams entering in the play-off round: Tottenham, Union Berlin, AS Roma, Stade Rennes, Pacos de Ferreira
Teams entering in the third qualifying round: Rubin Kazan, Anderlecht, Kolos Kovalivka, Vitesse, Trabzonspor, LASK
Teams entering in the second qualifying round: Santa Clara, Sochi, Gent, Vorskla Poltava, Feyenoord, Sivasspor, Austria Wien, FC Copenhagen, Aarhus, Hibernian, Aberdeen, Slovacko, Viktoria Plzen, Apollon Limassol, AEL Limassol, Luzern, FC Basel, Servette, PAOK, Aris Thessaloniki, AEK Athens, Partizan, Cukaricki, Vojvodina, Osijek, Rijeka, Hajduk Split, Hammarby IF, IF Elfsborg, BK Hacken, Molde, Valerenga, Rosenborg, Maccabi Tel Aviv, FC Ashdod, Hapoel Be’er, Tobol, Astana, Shakhter Karagandy, BATE Borisov, Torpedo-BelAZ Zhodino, Dynamo Brest, Kesla, Qarabag, Sumgayit, CSKA Sofia, Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Arda, Universitatea Craiova, FCSB, Sepsi OSK, Rakow Czestochowa, Pogon Szczecin, Dunajska Streda, Vaduz, Olimpija Ljubljana, Upjest, F91 Dudelange, Panevezys
Teams entering in the first qualifying round: Slask Wroclaw, Spartak Trnava, Zilina, Maribor, Domzale, Puskas Akademia, Fehervar, Swift Hesperange, Racing Luxembourg, Suduva, Kauno Zalgiris, Ararat Yerevan, Noah, Urartu, Liepaja, RFS, Valmiera, Vllaznia, Partizani, Laci, Sileks, Shkupi, Struga, Sarajevo, Velez Mostar, Siroki Brijeg, Sfantul Gheorghe, Petrocub Hincesti, Milsami Orhei, Dundalk, Bohemians, Sligo Rovers, Inter Turku, KuPS, Honka, Gagra, Dinamo Batumi, Dila Gori, Hibernians, Gzira United, Birkirkara, FH, Stjarnan, Breioablik, The New Saints, Bala Town, Newtown, Coleraine, Glentoran, Europa, St Joseph’s, Mons Calpe, Sutjeska, Decic, Podgorica, FCI Levadia, Paide Linnameeskond, Llapi, Drita, NSI, KI, Sant Julia, FC Santa Coloma, La Fiorita, Tre Penne
Who else will enter the Europa Conference League?
Teams who lose in the qualifying rounds of both the Champions League and Europa League will enter the Europa Conference League.
In the second qualifying round, 20 losers from Champions League qualifying will enter the competition, with eight losers of the Europa League qualifying round then entering for the play-off round.
Ten losers from the Europa League play-off round will then be added to the group stage.
As is the case in the Europa League knockout phase when the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League enter, the eight teams who finished third in the Europa League group stage will enter the Europa Conference League at the knockout stage.
When will the draw be made?
First qualifying round draw: 15 June
Second qualifying round draw: 16 June
Third qualifying round draw: 19 July
Play-off round draw: 2 August
Group stage draw: 27 August
Knockout round play-off draw: 13 December
Round of 16 draw: 25 February
Quarter-finals & Semi-final draw: 18 March
When will the games be played?
Games will take place on Thursdays as is the case with the Europa League, with matches kicking off at either 5.45pm or 8pm.
First qualifying round: 8 & 15 July
Second qualifying round: 22 & 29 July
Third qualifying round: 5 & 12 August
Play-offs: 19 & 26 August
Group stage: 16 & 30 September, 21 October, 4 & 25 November, 9 December
Knockout round play-offs: 17 & 24 February
Round of 16: 10 & 17 March
Quarter-finals: 7 & 14 April
Semi-finals: 28 April & 5 May
Final: 25 May
Mauricio Pochettino is in talks for a sensational return to Spurs.
We want to know what you’d tell Daniel Levy about bringing back Pochettino to the club.
Where will the final be played?
The inaugural 2021/22 Europa Conference League final will take place in Tirana, Albania on Wednesday, May 25.
The game will be played at the National Arena, which has a capacity of 21,690.
The winners of the competition will automatically qualify for the Europa League in 2022/23.