The2014–15 UEFA Europa League was the 44th season ofEurope's secondary clubfootball tournament organised byUEFA, and the sixth season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to theUEFA Europa League.
Starting from this edition, the UEFA Europa League winners automatically qualify for the subsequentUEFA Champions League season even if they do not qualify for the Champions League through their domestic performance.[6] Therefore, the winners of this tournament qualify for the2015–16 UEFA Champions League. They are guaranteed to enter at least the play-off round, and since the group stage berth reserved for the Champions League title holders will not be used (the winners of the2014–15 UEFA Champions League are guaranteed to qualify for the group stage through domestic performance), they will be elevated to enter the group stage via this berth.[7]
On 17 July 2014, the UEFA emergency panel ruled that Ukrainian and Russian clubs would not be drawn against each other "until further notice" due to thepolitical unrest between the countries.[8] Another ruling centred in regional instability was also made where Israeli teams were prohibited from hosting any UEFA competitions due to the2014 Israel–Gaza conflict (whilst the ruling ended a short time after the war, all the country's sides were eliminated before it ended).[9] The rules regarding suspension due to yellow card accumulation were also changed such that all bookings expired on completion of the quarter-finals and were not carried forward to the semi-finals.[10] Moreover, this was the first season in whichvanishing spray was used.[11]
A total of 195 teams from all 54UEFA member associations participate in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League. The association ranking based on theUEFA country coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[12]
Associations 1–6 each have three teams qualify.
Associations 7–9 each have four teams qualify.
Associations 10–51 (except Liechtenstein) each have three teams qualify.
Associations 52–53 each have two teams qualify.
Liechtenstein andGibraltar each have one team qualify (Liechtenstein organises only a domestic cup and no domestic league; Gibraltar as per decision by the UEFA Executive Committee).[5]
The winners of the2013–14 UEFA Europa League are given an additional entry as title holders if they do not qualify for the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League or Europa League through their domestic performance. However, this additional entry is not necessary for this season since the title holders qualified for European competitions through their domestic performance.
For the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2013UEFA country coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 2008–09 to 2012–13.[13][14]
Apart from the allocation based on the country coefficients, associations may have additional teams participating in the Europa League, as noted below:
(FP) – Additional berth via Fair Play ranking (Norway, Sweden, Finland)[15]
(UCL) – Additional teams transferred from the Champions League
Since title holdersSevilla qualified for the Europa League through their domestic performance, the spot which they qualified for in the group stage (as the fifth-placed team of the2013–14 La Liga) is vacated, and the following changes to the default allocation system were made:[16][17][18]
The domestic cup winners of association 7 (Ukraine) were promoted from the play-off round to the group stage.
The domestic cup winners of association 16 (Austria) were promoted from the third qualifying round to the play-off round.
The domestic cup winners of association 19 (Israel) were promoted from the second qualifying round to the third qualifying round.
The domestic cup winners of associations 33 and 34 (Finland and Bosnia and Herzegovina) were promoted from the first qualifying round to the second qualifying round.
Teams entering in this round
Teams advancing from previous round
Teams transferred from Champions League
First qualifying round (78 teams)
20 domestic cup winners from associations 35–54
26 domestic league runners-up from associations 27–53 (except Liechtenstein)
29 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 22–51 (except Liechtenstein)
3 teams which qualified via Fair Play ranking
Second qualifying round (80 teams)
15 domestic cup winners from associations 20–34
11 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–26
6 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 16–21
6 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 10–15
3 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 7–9
39 winners from the first qualifying round
Third qualifying round (58 teams)
3 domestic cup winners from associations 17–19
6 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 10–15
3 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 7–9
3 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 4–6 (League Cup winners for France)
3 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–3 (League Cup winners for England)
40 winners from the second qualifying round
Play-off round (62 teams)
9 domestic cup winners from associations 8–16
3 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 7–9
3 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 4–6
3 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 1–3
29 winners from the third qualifying round
15 losers from the Champions League third qualifying round
Group stage (48 teams)
Title holders
6 domestic cup winners from associations 2–7
31 winners from the play-off round
10 losers from the Champions League play-off round
Knockout phase (32 teams)
12 group winners from the group stage
12 group runners-up from the group stage
8 third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage
A Europa League place is vacated when a team qualifies for both the Champions League and the Europa League, or qualifies for the Europa League by more than one method. When a place is vacated, it is redistributed within the national association by the following rules:[12]
When the domestic cup winners (considered as the "highest-placed" qualifier within the national association with the latest starting round) also qualify for the Champions League, their Europa League place is vacated. As a result, either of the following teams qualify for the Europa League:
The domestic cup runners-up, provided they have not yet qualified for European competitions, qualify for the Europa League as the "lowest-placed" qualifier (with the earliest starting round), with the other Europa League qualifiers moved up one "place" (the 2014–15 season is the last with this particular arrangement).[5]
Otherwise, the highest-placed team in the league which have not yet qualified for European competitions qualify for the Europa League, with the Europa League qualifiers which finish above them in the league moved up one "place".
When the domestic cup winners also qualify for the Europa League through league position, their place through the league position is vacated. As a result, the highest-placed team in the league which have not yet qualified for European competitions qualify for the Europa League, with the Europa League qualifiers which finish above them in the league moved up one "place" if possible.
For associations where a Europa League place is reserved for the League Cup winners, they always qualify for the Europa League as the "lowest-placed" qualifier (or as the second "lowest-placed" qualifier in cases where the cup runners-up qualify as stated above). If the League Cup winners have already qualified for European competitions through other methods, this reserved Europa League place is taken by the highest-placed team in the league which have not yet qualified for European competitions.
A Fair Play place is taken by the highest-ranked team in the domestic Fair Play table which have not yet qualified for European competitions.
Notably three teams take part in the competition that do not currently play in their national top-division. They areSantos Tartu (3rd tier),St. Pölten (2nd) andTromsø (2nd).
Gibraltar (GIB): A meeting was held by theGibraltar Football Association to decide whetherCollege Europa (runners-up of the2014 Rock Cup) orManchester 62 (runners-up of the2013–14 Gibraltar Premier Division) would represent Gibraltar in the 2014–15 UEFA Europa League.[25] The association had to back-track on a decision taken at the beginning of the season as to who would qualify for European competitions, as they were mistaken to go against the competition rules.[26]
Hungary (HUN):Újpest, the winners of the2013–14 Magyar Kupa, would have qualified for the Europa League second qualifying round, but failed to obtain a UEFA licence.[27] As a result,Győri ETO, the runners-up of the2013–14 Nemzeti Bajnokság I, entered the second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round, and the first qualifying round berth was given toDiósgyőr, the runners-up of the cup.
Italy (ITA):Parma, the sixth-placed team of the2013–14 Serie A, would have qualified for the Europa League third qualifying round, but failed to obtain a UEFA licence.[28] As a result, the berth was given toTorino, the seventh-placed team of the league.[29]
Latvia (LVA):Skonto, the runners-up of the2013 Latvian Higher League, would have qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round, but had been excluded from participating by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body due to overdue payables.[30] As a result, the berth was given toDaugava Rīga, the fourth-placed team of the league.
Republic of Ireland (IRL):Derry City are a club based in Northern Ireland, but participate in the Europa League through one of the berths for Republic of Ireland as they finished fourth in the2013 League of Ireland Premier Division (any coefficient points they earn count toward Republic of Ireland and not Northern Ireland).
Romania (ROU):Dinamo București, the fourth-placed team of the2013–14 Liga I, would have qualified for the Europa League second qualifying round, but failed to obtain a UEFA licence.[31] As a result, the berth was given toCFR Cluj, the fifth-placed team of the league.
Serbia (SRB):Red Star Belgrade, the champions of the2013–14 Serbian SuperLiga, would have qualified for the Champions League second qualifying round, but was banned by UEFA for breaching UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations.[32] As a result,Partizan, the runners-up of the league, entered the Champions League instead of the Europa League second qualifying round. Moreover,Jagodina, the third-placed team of the league, entered the Europa League second qualifying round instead of the first qualifying round, and the first qualifying round berth was given toČukarički, the fifth-placed team of the league.
Turkey (TUR):Fenerbahçe, the champions of the2013–14 Süper Lig, would have qualified for the Champions League, but was banned by UEFA because of the2011 Turkish football match-fixing scandal.[33][34] As a result,Beşiktaş, the third-placed team of the league, entered the Champions League instead of the Europe League play-off round, andTrabzonspor, the fourth-placed team of the league, entered the Europa League play-off round instead of the third qualifying round. Moreover,Sivasspor, the fifth-placed team of the league, andEskişehirspor, the runners-up of the2013–14 Turkish Cup, which would have entered the Europa League third qualifying round and second qualifying round respectively, were also banned by UEFA due to match-fixing.[35] The two berths were given toKarabükspor andBursaspor, the seventh- and eighth-placed teams of the league respectively, asKasımpaşa, the sixth-placed team of the league, failed to obtain a UEFA licence.
Ukraine (UKR):Metalurh Donetsk, the sixth-placed team of the2013–14 Ukrainian Premier League, would have qualified for the Europa League second qualifying round, but had been excluded from participating by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body due to overdue payables.[30] As a result, the berth was given toZorya Luhansk, the seventh-placed team of the league.
Matches in the qualifying, play-off, and knockout rounds may also be played on Tuesdays or Wednesdays instead of the regular Thursdays due to scheduling conflicts.
In the qualifying rounds and the play-off round, teams were divided into seeded and unseeded teams based on their 2014UEFA club coefficients,[38][39][40] and then drawn intotwo-legged home-and-away ties. Teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other.
The draw for the first and second qualifying rounds was held on 23 June 2014.[41] The first legs were played on 1 and 3 July, and the second legs were played on 8, 10 and 11 July 2014.
The draw for the third qualifying round was held on 18 July 2014.[43] The first legs were played on 31 July, and the second legs were played on 7 August 2014.
The draw for the play-off round was held on 8 August 2014.[44] The first legs were played on 20 and 21 August, and the second legs were played on 28 August 2014.
Teams that have qualified for the group stage of the2014–15 UEFA Europa League Red: Group A; Yellow: Group B; Green: Group C; Dark green: Group D; Purple: Group E; Pink: Group F; Blue: Group G; Orange: Group H; Brown: Group I; Deep pink: Group J; Cyan: Group K; Spring green: Group L.
The draw for the group stage was held inMonaco on 29 August 2014.[45] The 48 teams were allocated into four pots based on their 2014UEFA club coefficients,[38][39][40] with the title holders being placed in Pot 1 automatically.[46] They were drawn into twelve groups of four, with the restriction that teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other.
In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away in around-robin format. The matchdays were 18 September, 2 October, 23 October (one home match ofMetalist Kharkiv played on 22 October), 6 November, 27 November, and 11 December 2014.
In theknockout phase, teams played against each other overtwo legs on a home-and-away basis, except for the one-match final. The mechanism of the draws for each round was as follows:
In the draw for the round of 32, the twelve group winners and the four third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage with the better group records were seeded, and the twelve group runners-up and the other four third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage were unseeded. The seeded teams were drawn against the unseeded teams, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg. Teams from the same group or the same association could not be drawn against each other.
In the draws for the round of 16 onwards, there were no seedings, and teams from the same group or the same association could be drawn against each other.
The final was played on 27 May 2015 at theNational Stadium inWarsaw, Poland. A draw was held on 24 April 2015, after the semi-final draw, to determine the "home" team for administrative purposes.[54]