English sides Bournemouth and Sunderland have been handed high-profile clashes against seven-time European champions AC Milan in the 2026/27 Europa League league phase.
Bournemouth and Sunderland will headline the English contingent in this season’s Europa League after both clubs were handed glamour fixtures against AC Milan during Friday’s league-phase draw.
Bournemouth are set to make their debut in European competition after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season. Their supporters will have the opportunity to watch AC Milan at the Vitality Stadium, while the club will also host Viktoria Plzen, Sturm Graz and Israeli champions Hapoel Beersheba.
The south-coast club will travel to Spain twice, facing Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo. They will also visit Sparta Prague and Norwegian side Lillestrom.
Sunderland, meanwhile, are returning to European football for the first time since 1973 following their seventh-place Premier League finish last season.
Their biggest attraction will be a trip to Milan’s San Siro, where they will face AC Milan. Sunderland will also travel to Belgian club Anderlecht and Portuguese side Torreense.
At home, the Black Cats will welcome AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Zagreb and Levski Sofia, while they will also face Polish clubs Jagiellonia Bialystok and Lech Poznan.
Torreense, who stunned Portuguese football by winning last season’s national cup, will host Sunderland at the Estadio do Algarve near Faro rather than their usual home ground.
Last season’s UEFA Conference League winners Crystal Palace will also compete in the Europa League after being placed among the third seeds.
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The London club, now managed by Frenchman Pierre Sage, will host Real Sociedad, Sparta Prague, Lech Poznan and Hoffenheim. Palace will travel to Lyon, Salzburg and Jagiellonia Bialystok before making a trip to Istanbul to face Besiktas.
Scottish champions Celtic will compete in the Europa League after suffering a dramatic Champions League qualifying exit against Austrian side LASK.
Celtic will host Marseille and travel to Benfica, with Celta Vigo, Besiktas and Torreense also among their opponents.
Other major clubs involved in this season’s competition include Bayer Leverkusen and Juventus, who have won the tournament’s predecessor, the UEFA Cup, three times.
The league-phase fixtures are expected to be confirmed by UEFA over the weekend, with the opening matches scheduled for September 16 and 17. The Europa League final will take place in Frankfurt, Germany, on May 26, 2027.
Brighton & Hove Albion will represent the Premier League in the Conference League after qualifying for European football.
Their standout league-phase fixture will be a home meeting with Monaco. Brighton will also host Romanian champions Universitatea Craiova and Lithuanian champions Kauno Zalgiris.
The Seagulls will travel to Panathinaikos, Getafe and Czech club Jablonec, who eliminated Rangers on penalties in the playoffs. Other notable teams in the competition include Atalanta, Ajax, Freiburg, Hearts and Trabzonspor.
Hearts will host Monaco and travel to Turkey to face Trabzonspor, while they will also visit Swiss champions Thun. The Conference League final is scheduled for June 2, 2027, in Istanbul at Besiktas’ home stadium.
Al Jazeera
