Europa League 2025-26

[Duncan Shaw]

So with Benfica winning does that put us in pot 1?

[cdbearsfan]

I think so.

[Somniloquism]

Wiki has us confirmed in Pot 1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025%E2%80%9326_UEFA_Europa_League

Fenerbache the current furthest to travel to is in pot 2.

[AV82EC]

It does, there’s no one who can win tonight and qualify for the Group Stage which would put us in Pot 2.

[Dave]

If anyone's interested, here's (I think) the current list of players we can inevitably look forward to scoring against us / saving a penalty:

Leon Bailey (Roma)
Jan Bednarek (Porto)
Diego Carlos (Fenerbahçe)
Jhon Duran (Fenerbahçe)
Viljami Sinisalo (Celtic)
Douglas Luiz (Nottingham Forest)
Morgan Sanson (Nice)
Robin Olsen (Malmö, still TBC but pretty nailed on)

Feels like John Mellberg at RB Salzburg will also pop up for narrative reasons.

Various "are they still even playing football?" types who could trigger "oh, I remember him" thoughts include Xherdan Shaqiri, Marko Arnautovic, Mateij Vydra, Olivier Giroud, Marcos Alonso, João Moutinho, Pontus Jansson, Dejan Lovren and Isco.

[cdbearsfan]

Good research, mate. Wouldn't be amazed to see our most recent former manager back at Ibrox before too long, either.

[olaftab]

Just a reminder:League phase   
Matchday 1   24–25 September 2025
Matchday 2   2 October 2025
Matchday 3   23 October 2025
Matchday 4   6 November 2025
Matchday 5   27 November 2025
Matchday 6   11 December 2025
Matchday 7   22 January 2026
Matchday 8   29 January 2026

[olaftab]

Pot 1

(9) Italy Roma CC: 104.500
(18) Portugal Porto CC: 79.750
(25) Scotland Rangers CC: 71.750
(26) Netherlands Feyenoord CC: 71.000
(31) France Lille CC: 66.000
(38) Croatia Dinamo Zagreb CC: 56.000
(40) Spain Real Betis CC: 52.250
(44) Austria Red Bull Salzburg CC: 48.000
(46) England Aston Villa CC: 47.250

Pot 2

(47) Turkey Fenerbahçe CC: 47.250
(50) Serbia Red Star Belgrade CC: 44.000
(51) France Lyon CC: 43.750
(56) Czech Republic Viktoria Plzeň CC: 39.250
(57) Hungary Ferencváros CC: 39.000
(59) Scotland Celtic CC: 38.000

Pot 2/3

(66) Switzerland Basel CC: 33.000
(74) Germany SC Freiburg CC: 28.000

Pot 3

(new) England Nottingham Forest CC: 23.039
(81) Austria Sturm Graz CC: 23.000
(87) France Nice CC: 20.000

Pot 3/4

(89) Italy Bologna CC: 19.446
(new) Spain Celta Vigo CC: 18.890
(102) Germany VfB Stuttgart CC: 17.226
(123) Netherlands Go Ahead Eagles CC: 13.430

Pot 4

(189) Norway Brann CC: 7.937

[kippaxvilla2]

So we could actually get Forest then?

[Dave]

So we could actually get Forest then?

It certainly possible that we could end up playing them at some point in the competition between September and May.

[Olneythelonely]

So we could actually get Forest then?

Not in the group stage. Unless they’ve changed that rule.

[olaftab]

Just guessing at travel to some of the less known places. Correct me if I am wrong:
Viktoria Plzeň CC >> Prague
Freiburg CC >> Hamburg or Bremen
Celta Vigo >> Porto? Nearest Spanish airport?
Go Ahead Eagles >> Amsterdam
Brann >> Bergen or ??

[Sexual Ealing]

Just guessing at travel to some of the less known places. Correct me if I am wrong:

Real Betis >> Cadiz or Malaga
 

Surely Seville?! Cadiz doesn't have an airport (Jerez does, but it's tiny).

[olaftab]

Yes, ofcourse, it's Seville. Ta

[Mister E]

Freiburg CC >> Hamburg or Bremen

Basel, Stuttgart or Zurich are closest