All About UEFA Europa League Football Tournament

When it comes to European football, most fans will immediately think of the UEFA Champions League – the most prestigious tournament for top clubs. However, there is also an equally attractive arena, where excellent teams gather but cannot participate in the C1 Cup: the UEFA Europa League. This tournament is also known by the familiar name of the C2 Cup. This article by 646JILI will help you understand this prestigious tournament.

UEFA Europa League (UEL) Overview

This is an annual club competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). It is a competition for teams that have achieved high rankings in European national championships but have not qualified for the UEFA Champions League.

The competition was launched in 1971 as the UEFA Cup, and was renamed the Europa League for the 2009–10 season. The UEFA Europa League is currently the second most prestigious competition after the Champions League and is ranked above the UEFA Conference League.

The name of the UEFA Cup comes from UEFA’s tournament classification:

• Champions League: For the strongest teams in Europe.
• Europa League: For teams that have high rankings but have not qualified for the Champions League.
• Cup C3 (Conference League): For lower-ranked teams, organized from 2021.

UEFA Europa League is considered a fierce and highly competitive playground because many clubs from the top European national championships also participate, especially when teams are eliminated from the Champions League and play in the knockout stage.

History of Cup C2

Formation period (1955 – 1971)

Before the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) was born, European football had a tournament called the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. This tournament lasted from 1955 to 1971, but due to the unprofessional organization system, UEFA decided to replace it with a new tournament called the UEFA Cup in 1971.

From UEFA Cup to Europa League (1971 – present)

1971 – 1999: The UEFA Cup is the second-largest club competition in Europe, behind only the Champions League.

1999 – 2009: The UEFA Cup merged with the old Cup Winners’ Cup, becoming the competition for teams that did not qualify for the Champions League.

2009 – present: UEFA decided to rename the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League, expanding the tournament with a new format and adding a group stage.

Since the name change, the tournament has become increasingly attractive with the participation of many clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Sevilla, and Inter Milan.

What rights does the UEFA Europa League winner have?

The Europa League winner will receive:

• From the 2015-16 season, the winner will be guaranteed a place in the Champions League next season, regardless of their domestic league position.
• A ticket to the UEFA Super Cup – a match against the Champions League winner.
• The chance to compete in the FIFA Club World Cup (if they are on the list of clubs selected by UEFA).
• Huge prize money, with a total prize pool of up to 20 – 25 million euros.

The Most Successful Teams in Cup C2