UEFA complete draw for 2024/25 Conference League stage opponents

• Conference League 2024/25 draw: Chelsea discover league stage opponents

UEFA has conducted the draw for the first phase of the 2024/25 Conference League.

Following the format changes applied to both the Champions League and Europa League, the Conference League has also been restructured to feature a league stage and a knockout stage, with 36 qualifying teams competing in a single table.

The key difference in the Conference League is that each team will play only six league matches, compared to the eight played by clubs in the Champions League and Europa League.

Teams were placed into six pots based on their UEFA coefficient rankings and were drawn to face one team from each pot. Each club will play three home fixtures and three away.

Here’s a guide to the competing teams and who Chelsea will be facing.

Pots for Conference League league phase draw

• Pot One: Chelsea, Kobenhavn, Gent, Fiorentina, LASK, Real Betis.

• Pot Two: Istanbul Basaksehir, Molde, Legia Warsaw, Heidenheim, Djugardens, APOEL.

• Pot Three: Rapid Wien, Omonia, HJK Helsinki, Vitoria de Guimaraes, Astana, Olimpija Ljubljana.

• Pot Four: Cercle Brugge, Shamrock Rovers, The New Saints, Lugano, Heart of Midlothian, Mlada Boleslav.

• Pot Five: Petrocub Hincesti, St Gallen, Panathinaikos, TSC Topola, Borac Banja Luka, Jagiellonia Bialystok.

• Pot Six: Celje, Larne, Dinamo Minsk, Pafos, Vikingur Reykjavik, Noah.

Chelsea’s Conference League draw

Chelsea enter the 2024/25 Conference League as heavy favorites, boasting the highest UEFA coefficient in the competition (96.000). Despite avoiding many of the other big names, Enzo Maresca’s side will face some challenging and lengthy away trips.

Their Pot 1 opponents are Gent, who secured their spot by winning the Belgian Pro League’s mini-league for European qualification at the end of the 2023/24 season. Chelsea will host this match at Stamford Bridge.

From Pot 2, Chelsea will face a tricky away tie against Bundesliga side Heidenheim, who are making their European debut.

The Blues’ farthest journey in the league stage will take them to Kazakhstan to face Astana, a team with regular European experience.

An intriguing draw from Pot 4 sees Irish champions Shamrock Rovers visiting Stamford Bridge, adding a unique flavor to Chelsea’s campaign.

In Pot 5, Chelsea drew Greek giants Panathinaikos for another tough away fixture.

Finally, Chelsea’s Pot 6 opponents are Armenian minnows Noah, who enter the competition with the lowest coefficient (2.125).

When does the Conference League league phase begin?

UEFA will release the full Conference League schedule with fixtures on 31 August, though dates for the league phase have already been set in stone.

Provisionally, teams will not play more than two successive home or away games, while they will split one home and one away match for the last two fixtures.

The full Conference League draw for all 36 teams can be found HERE