Each UEFA member association (hereinafter association) may enter the winner of their national cup competition (hereinafter domestic cup), as well as a certain number of other clubs for the competition through its top domestic championship, in accordance with the association coefficient rankings, drawn up in accordance with Annex D. These rankings determine the association’s position in the access list (see Annex A), which in turn determines the stage at which each club enters the competition. Only one single team per club may be entered.
Associations are represented on the following basis (see Annex A):
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one representative: the club that finishes the top domestic championship immediately below the last club that qualifies for the UEFA Europa League;
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two representatives:
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the two clubs that finish the top domestic championship immediately below the last club that qualifies for the UEFA Champions League; or
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the winner of the domestic cup and the club that finishes the top domestic championship immediately below the last club that qualifies for the UEFA Champions League.
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three representatives: the winner of the domestic cup and the two clubs that finish the top domestic championship immediately below the last club that qualifies for the UEFA Champions League.
In special circumstances, the winner of another official domestic competition may be entered in the UEFA Conference League in place of the lowest-ranking top domestic championship representative referred to in Paragraph 3.02, provided such a competition has been approved by UEFA before the start of the season in question (see Annex A).
If a domestic cup winner qualifies for the UEFA Champions League via its domestic championship and therefore enters the UEFA Champions League, the following adaptations are made to the access list of the UEFA Conference League (see Annex A):
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The access stage initially reserved for the domestic cup winner is reserved for the club that finishes the same domestic championship in the highest position of all the association’s clubs that qualify for the UEFA Conference League.
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Each other representative of the domestic championship concerned enters the UEFA Conference League at the stage initially reserved for the club ranked immediately above it in the domestic championship.
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The highest-ranking domestic championship club not qualifying for the UEFA Conference League enters the UEFA Conference League at the stage initially reserved for the association's lowest-ranking qualifying domestic championship club.
If a domestic cup winner that automatically qualifies for the UEFA Conference League also qualifies for the UEFA Conference League via its domestic championship, the following adaptations are made to the access list of the UEFA Conference League (see Annex A):
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The access stage initially reserved for the representative of the domestic championship that qualifies for the UEFA Conference League as domestic cup winner is reserved for the club that finishes the domestic championship immediately below the domestic cup winner.
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Each other representative of the domestic championship concerned enters the competition at the stage initially reserved for the club ranked immediately above it in the domestic championship.
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The highest-ranking domestic championship club not qualifying for the UEFA Conference League enters the UEFA Conference League at the stage initially reserved for the association's lowest-ranking qualifying domestic championship club.
Clubs eliminated in the qualifying phase or play-offs of the UEFA Champions League and/or UEFA Europa League are admitted to the UEFA Europa League and/or UEFA Conference league as follows:
UEFA Champions League (UCL) elimination |
UEFA Europa League (UEL) entry/UEL elimination |
UEFA Conference League (UECL) |
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Champions Path |
Champions Path |
Champions Path |
1st qualifying round |
2nd qualifying round |
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2nd qualifying round |
3rd qualifying round |
Play-offs |
3rd qualifying round |
Play-offs (champions & main path) |
League phase |
Play-offs |
League phase |
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League Path |
Main Path |
Main Path |
1st qualifying round |
2nd qualifying round |
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2nd qualifying round |
3rd qualifying round |
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2nd qualifying round |
3rd qualifying round |
Play-offs |
3rd qualifying round |
League phase |
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Play-offs |
League phase |
The UEFA Conference League titleholder is admitted to the league phase of the UEFA Europa League. If the UEFA Conference League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Conference League through one of its domestic competitions, the number of places to which its association is entitled in the UEFA Conference League is decreased by one. The created vacancy is filled accordingly with priority for the UEFA Conference League given to the domestic cup winner(s) (or the club replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League).
Additional adaptations to the access list for the UEFA Conference League as a result of clubs being awarded a European Performance Spots (EPS) in the UEFA Champions League are subject to Paragraph 3.03 and Paragraph 3.04 of the Regulations of the UEFA Champions League.
UEFA issues a circular letter at the beginning of the season confirming the final adapted and rebalanced access list on the basis of the final results in the UEFA club competitions and the domestic competitions and addressing any scenario not covered by these regulations in accordance with the above rules and principles.