Article 3 Entries for the competition - Europa League

3.01

UEFA member associations (hereinafter associations) may enter the winner of their national cup competitions (hereinafter domestic cups), as well as a certain number of other clubs for the competition through their top domestic championships, in accordance with the association coefficient rankings, drawn up in accordance with Annex D. These rankings determine the associations' positions 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.

3.02

Associations are represented on the following basis (see Annex A):

1. one representative: the winner of the domestic cup;

2. two representatives: 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.

3.03

If the winner of the domestic cup qualifies for the UEFA Champions League via the domestic championship and therefore enters the UEFA Champions League, the following adaptations are made to the access list of the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League (see Annex A):

1. 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 Europa League or UEFA Conference League.

2. Each representative of the domestic championship concerned enters the UEFA Europa League or UEFA Conference League at the stage initially reserved for the domestic championship representative ranked immediately above it.

3. The highest-ranking domestic championship club not qualifying for the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League enters the UEFA Europa League at the stage initially reserved for the domestic cup winner or, if applicable, for the lowest-ranking representative in the UEFA Europa League of the top domestic championship.

4. 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 lowest-ranking representative in the UEFA Conference League of the top domestic championship.

3.04

If a domestic cup winner that automatically qualifies for the UEFA Europa League also qualifies for the UEFA Europa League via its domestic championship, the following adaptations are made to the access list of the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Conference League (see Annex A):

1. The access stage initially reserved for the representative of the domestic championship that qualifies for the UEFA Europa League as domestic cup winner is reserved for the club that finishes the domestic championship immediately below the domestic cup winner.

2. The highest-ranking domestic championship club not qualifying for the UEFA Europa League enters the UEFA Europa League at the stage initially reserved for the association's lowest-ranking qualifying domestic championship club.

3. 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.

4. 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.

3.05

If a domestic cup winner that automatically qualifies for the UEFA Europa 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):

1. The access stage initially reserved for the representative of the domestic championship that qualifies for the UEFA Europa League as domestic cup winner is reserved for the club that finishes the domestic championship immediately below the domestic cup winner.

2. 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.

3. 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.

3.06

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:

3.07

The UEFA Europa League titleholder is admitted to the league phase of the UEFA Champions League. If the UEFA Europa League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Europa League through one of its domestic competitions, the number of places to which its association is entitled in the UEFA Europa League is decreased by one.

3.08

The UEFA Conference League titleholder is guaranteed a place in the league phase of the UEFA Europa League even if it does not qualify for the competition through its domestic competitions. 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.

3.09

If the UEFA Conference League titleholder qualifies for the league phase of the UEFA Europa League through its domestic competitions:

1. The vacancy created in the league phase is filled by the club with the highest individual club coefficient of all the clubs that qualify for the main path or play-offs of the competition, provided that the club is either the domestic cup winner or the highest domestically ranked club from its association that has not already qualified for the league phase of the competition directly;

2. The play-offs and/or main path are adapted accordingly, with priority given to the cup winner(s) (or the club(s) replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League) and with each subsequent vacancy filled by the club(s) with the highest individual club coefficient(s) of all the clubs in the previous round of the main path, with the exception of clubs qualifying for the second qualifying round of the main path; in this case, priority is given to the cup winner(s) (or the club(s) replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League) in the first qualifying round which is moved up one round to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League main path;

3. The main path is rebalanced accordingly with priority given to the domestic cup winner(s) of the UEFA Conference League (or the club(s) replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League).

3.10

If the UEFA Conference League titleholder qualifies for the qualifying phase or play-offs of the competition:

1. The main path and/or play-offs are adapted accordingly, with priority given to the cup winner(s) (or the club(s) replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League) and with each subsequent vacancy filled by the club(s) with the highest individual club coefficient(s) of all the clubs in the previous round of the main path, with the exception of clubs qualifying for the second qualifying round of the main path; in this case, priority is given to the cup winner(s) (or the club(s) replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League) in the first qualifying round which is moved up one round to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League main path.

2. The main path is adapted accordingly with priority given to the domestic cup winner(s) of the UEFA Conference League (or the club(s) replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League).

3.11

In the event of any other vacancies, priority is given to the best ranked club(s) or the cup winner(s) (or the club(s) replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League) of the association ranked highest in the access list for the previous round of the corresponding path with the exception of clubs qualifying for the second qualifying round of the main path of the UEFA Europa League ; in this case, priority is given to the cup winner(s) (or the club(s) replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League) in the first qualifying round which are moved up one round (to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League main path).

3.12

In the event of further knock-on effects on the UEFA Conference League, priority is given to the highest-ranking club(s) or the cup winner(s) (or the club(s) replacing it if it qualifies for the UEFA Champions League) of the association(s) ranked highest in the access list for the previous round.

3.13

If the UEFA Conference League titleholder qualifies for the UEFA Champions League through its domestic championship, it has the right to choose between entering the UEFA Champions League or the league phase of the UEFA Europa League (see Paragraph 3.07). If it chooses to enter the UEFA Champions League, it vacates its position in the league phase of the UEFA Europa League. The vacancy created is filled in line with Paragraph 3.09.

3.14

Additional adaptations to the access list for the UEFA Europa League as a result of clubs being awarded a European Performance Spots (EPS) in the UEFA Champions League are subject to Paragraph 3.08 and Paragraph 3.09 of the Regulations of the UEFA Champions League.

3.15

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.