Wikipedia - UEFA Europa League

The UEFA Europa League (previously known as the UEFA Cup, abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL) is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It is the second-tier competition of European club football, ranking below the UEFA Champions League and above the UEFA Conference League.

Introduced in 1971 as the UEFA Cup, it replaced the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The UEFA Cup was the third-tier competition from 1971 to 1999 before the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was discontinued, and it is still often referred to as the "C3" in reference to this. Clubs qualify for the competition based on their performance in their national leagues and cup competitions.

In 1999, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was merged with the UEFA Cup and discontinued as a separate competition. From the 2004–05 season a group stage was added before the knockout phase. The competition took on its current name in 2009, following a change in format. The 2009 re-branding included a merge with the UEFA Intertoto Cup, producing an enlarged competition format, with an expanded group stage and a change in qualifying criteria. The winner of the UEFA Europa League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup, for the following season's UEFA Champions League since the 2014–15 season, entering at the group stage, as well as for the UEFA–CONMEBOL Club Challenge — a friendly cup against the winners of the CONMEBOL Copa Sudamericana — since 2023.

Spanish clubs have the highest number of victories (14 wins), followed by teams from England and Italy (9 wins each). The title has been won by 29 clubs, 14 of which have won it more than once. The most successful club in the competition is Sevilla, with seven titles. Colombian striker Radamel Falcao holds the record of most goals (17) scored in a single season of the tournament.

History

Winners
UEFA Cup / UEFA Europa League
Season Winner
UEFA Cup
1971–72 Tottenham Hotspur
1972–73 Liverpool
1973–74 Feyenoord
1974–75 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1975–76 Liverpool (2)
1976–77 Juventus
1977–78 PSV Eindhoven
1978–79 Borussia Mönchengladbach (2)
1979–80 Eintracht Frankfurt
1980–81 Ipswich Town
1981–82 IFK Göteborg
1982–83 Anderlecht
1983–84 Tottenham Hotspur (2)
1984–85 Real Madrid
1985–86 Real Madrid (2)
1986–87 IFK Göteborg (2)
1987–88 Bayer Leverkusen
1988–89 Napoli
1989–90 Juventus (2)
1990–91 Inter Milan
1991–92 Ajax
1992–93 Juventus (3)
1993–94 Inter Milan (2)
1994–95 Parma
1995–96 Bayern Munich
1996–97 Schalke 04
1997–98 Inter Milan (3)
1998–99 Parma (2)
1999–2000 Galatasaray
2000–01 Liverpool (3)
2001–02 Feyenoord (2)
2002–03 Porto
2003–04 Valencia
2004–05 CSKA Moscow
2005–06 Sevilla
2006–07 Sevilla (2)
2007–08 Zenit Saint Petersburg
2008–09 Shakhtar Donetsk
UEFA Europa League
2009–10 Atlético Madrid
2010–11 Porto (2)
2011–12 Atlético Madrid (2)
2012–13 Chelsea
2013–14 Sevilla (3)
2014–15 Sevilla (4)
2015–16 Sevilla (5)
2016–17 Manchester United
2017–18 Atlético Madrid (3)
2018–19 Chelsea (2)
2019–20 Sevilla (6)
2020–21 Villarreal
2021–22 Eintracht Frankfurt (2)
2022–23 Sevilla (7)
2023–24 To be determined (TBD)

The UEFA Cup was preceded by the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was a European football competition played between 1955 and 1971. The competition grew from 11 teams during the first edition (1955–58) to 64 teams by the last edition which was played in 1970–71. It was replaced by the UEFA Cup, a new seasonal confederation competition with a different regulation, format and disciplinary committee.

The UEFA Cup was first played in the 1971–72 season, and ended with an all-English final between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, with Spurs taking the first honours. The competition has since gained greater prestige and interest from the mass media than the Fairs Cup. The title was retained by another English club, Liverpool, in 1973, who defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the final. Gladbach won the competition in 1975 and 1979, and reached the final in 1980. Feyenoord won the cup in 1974 after defeating Tottenham Hotspur 4–2 on aggregate (2–2 in London, 2–0 in Rotterdam). Liverpool won the competition for the second time in 1976 after defeating Club Brugge in the final.

During the 1980s, IFK Göteborg (1982 and 1987) and Real Madrid (1985 and 1986) won the competition twice each, with Anderlecht reaching two consecutive finals, winning in 1983 and losing to Tottenham Hotspur in 1984. 1989 saw the commencement of the Italian clubs' domination, when Diego Maradona's Napoli defeated VfB Stuttgart. The 1990s started with two all-Italian finals, and in 1992, Torino lost the final to Ajax on the away goals rule. Juventus won the competition for a third time in 1993. Inter Milan kept the cup in Italy in 1994.

1995 saw a third all-Italian final, with Parma proving their consistency after two consecutive Cup Winners' Cup finals. The only final with no Italians in the 1990s was in 1996. Internazionale reached the final the following two years, losing in 1997 to Schalke 04 on penalties, and winning another all-Italian final in 1998, taking home the cup for the third time in only eight years. Parma won the cup in 1999, the last win of the Italian-domination era. It was the last UEFA Cup/Europa League final appearance for any Italian club until Internazionale reached the 2020 final.

The match between Lech Poznań and Deportivo La Coruña in the 2008–09 season.

The era of the 2000s began with victory for Galatasaray, the first Turkish team to win the trophy, defeating Arsenal. Liverpool won the competition for the third time in 2001. In 2002, Feyenoord became winners for the second time, defeating Borussia Dortmund. Porto triumphed in the 2003 and 2011 tournaments, with the latter victory against fellow Portuguese side Braga.

In 2004, the cup returned to Spain with Valencia being victorious. CSKA Moscow won in 2005. Sevilla succeeded on two consecutive occasions in 2006 and 2007, the latter in a final against fellow Spaniards Espanyol. Zenit Saint Petersburg won in 2008. Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, won in 2009, the first Ukrainian side to do so.

Since the 2009–10 season, the competition was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League. At the same time, the UEFA Intertoto Cup, UEFA's third-tier competition, was discontinued and merged into the new Europa League.

Atlético Madrid won twice in three seasons, in 2010 and 2012, the latter in another all-Spanish final between them and Athletic Bilbao. In 2013, Chelsea became the first Champions League holders to win the UEFA Cup/Europa League the following year. In 2014, Sevilla won their third cup in eight years after defeating Benfica on penalties. In 2015, Sevilla won their fourth UEFA Cup/Europa League and, in an unprecedented feat, they defended their title a third year in a row beating Liverpool in the 2016 final, making them the most successful team in the history of the competition with five titles. Atlético won their third title in 2018. The 2019 all-London final between Chelsea and Arsenal was the first UEFA Cup/Europa League final between two teams from the same city. Sevilla added a record-extending sixth victory in 2020, after defeating Inter Milan, and won an unprecedented seventh title in 2023.

The UEFA Europa League Qualifying is an exhilarating soccer tournament that serves as a pathway for teams to secure a spot in the prestigious UEFA Europa League. This tournament features a diverse range of clubs from across Europe, all vying for the opportunity to compete in one of the continent's most esteemed competitions.

The UEFA Europa League Qualifying is a multi-stage tournament that begins with numerous teams from various national leagues. These teams battle it out in a series of knockout rounds, showcasing their skills, tactics, and determination on the field. The matches are intense and highly competitive, as each team strives to outperform their opponents and progress to the next stage.

Throughout the tournament, teams face the challenge of playing both home and away matches, adding an extra layer of excitement and unpredictability. The atmosphere in the stadiums is electric, with passionate fans cheering on their respective teams, creating an unforgettable experience for players and spectators alike.

The UEFA Europa League Qualifying tournament not only provides an opportunity for teams to showcase their talent but also offers a chance for lesser-known clubs to make a name for themselves on the European stage. It is a platform where underdogs can defy the odds and create memorable upsets against more established teams.

The tournament culminates in a final qualifying round, where the remaining teams battle it out for the limited number of spots available in the UEFA Europa League group stage. The stakes are high, and the competition is fierce as teams give their all to secure their place in the prestigious tournament.

The UEFA Europa League Qualifying is a celebration of European soccer, bringing together teams from different countries, cultures, and playing styles. It showcases the diversity and richness of the sport, while also providing a platform for emerging talents to shine.

Overall, the UEFA Europa League Qualifying is a thrilling and captivating tournament that captivates soccer fans worldwide. It combines the passion, skill, and drama of the beautiful game, making it a must-watch event for any soccer enthusiast.