Europa League 2023/24: Who will join Liverpool in the tournament and what dates are the matches?

Liverpool may not have managed to finish inside the top four last season but there are still opportunities for them as they prepare to compete in the Europa League this autumn. The tournament is set to enter its 53rd campaign and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to push all the way and pick up the trophy.

If the Reds do win the Europa League, it will guarantee them a spot in the 2024/25 Champions League group stages. The tournament is set to kick off on September 21st and run until May 22nd next year. Let’s take a look at what we know about the upcoming Europa League so far, including which teams have been confirmed.

Who will play in the Europa League?

From England, Liverpool will be joined by sixth-place Brighton and Hove Albion, and West Ham United after they won the Europa Conference League. A total of 32 teams will compete next season — here is the full list of clubs so far who have booked their spot in the tournament.

England: Brighton, Liverpool, West Ham United

Spain: Real Betis, Villarreal

Germany: Freiburg, Bayer Leverkusen

Italy: Atalanta, AS Roma

France: Toulouse, Rennes

Portugal: Sporting CP

Ajax (Netherlands), LASK (Austria), Aberdeen (Scotland), Čukarički (Serbia), Zorya Luhansk (Ukraine), Union SG (Belgium), and Lugano (Switzerland) have all been confirmed to compete in the play-off round so far, while Slavia Prague (Czech Republic) and Olympiacos (Greece) are in the third qualifying round.

What are the Europa League dates?

This season will be the last under the current format, with a new one expected to come into play for the next edition. Matchday one of the group stages is scheduled for September 21st, with the rest to play out through the following months before ending on December 14th.

Into the new year, the knockouts will get underway in February 2024, spanning across four months. The final will take place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on May 22nd. Here’s a full breakdown of the Europa League matchdays and when they will be played.

Group stage matchday 1: 21st September 2023

Group stage matchday 2: 5th October 2023

Group stage matchday 3: 26th October 2023

Group stage Matchday 4: 9th November 2023

Group stage matchday 5: 30th November 2023

Group stage matchday 6: 14th December 2023

Knockout round play-offs: 15th and 22nd February 2024

Round of 16: 7th and 14th March 2024

Quarter-finals: 11th and 18th April 2024

Semi-finals: 2nd and 9th May 2024

Final: 22nd May 2024