Today at 14:00, both Panathinaikos and PAOK will discover their opponents for the upcoming Europa League League Phase.
PAOK, managed by Razvan Lucescu, is placed in the second seeding pot, while Rui Vitória’s Panathinaikos finds itself in the fourth.
Understanding the Structure of the League Phase
The League Phase features a total of 36 teams competing in a single league format.
Each club will play eight matches, split evenly between home and away fixtures.
Opponents are drawn from four distinct seeding pots based on club coefficients and rankings.
From each pot, a team faces two different opponents-one match at home and one away.
Importantly, no more than two clubs from the same nation can be drawn into the same group.
Seeding Pots Breakdown
Top Tier (Pot 1)
- Roma (104,500)
- Porto (79,750)
- Rangers (71,750)
- Feyenoord (71,000)
- Lille (66,000)
- Dinamo Zagreb (56,000)
- Real Betis (52,250)
- Red Bull Salzburg (48,000)
- Aston Villa (47,250)
Second Tier (Pot 2)
- Fenerbahçe (47,250)
- Braga (46,000)
- Red Star Belgrade (44,000)
- Lyon (43,750)
- PAOK (42,250)
- Viktoria Plzeň (39,250)
- Ferencváros (39,000)
- Celtic (38,000)
- Maccabi Tel Aviv (37,500)
Third Tier (Pot 3)
- Young Boys (34,500)
- Basel (33,000)
- Midtjylland (32,750)
- Freiburg (28,000)
- Ludogorets (24,000)
- Nottingham Forest (23,039)
- Sturm Graz (23,000)
- Steaua Bucharest (22,500)
- Nice (20,000)
Fourth Tier (Pot 4)
- Bologna (19,446)
- Celta Vigo (18,890)
- Stuttgart (17,226)
- Panathinaikos (16,000)
- Malmö FF (14,500)
- Go Ahead Eagles (13,430)
- Utrecht (13,430)
- Genk (11,370)
- Brann (7,937)
Schedule for the League Phase Matches
- Matchday 1: September 24-25, 2025
- Matchday 2: October 2, 2025
- Matchday 3: October 23, 2025
- Matchday 4: November 6, 2025
- Matchday 5: November 27, 2025
- Matchday 6: December 11, 2025
- Matchday 7: January 22, 2026
- Matchday 8: January 29, 2026
This revamped format aims to increase competitiveness and excitement, offering clubs like Panathinaikos and PAOK a fresh challenge as they navigate through a diverse range of European opponents. The League Phase replaces the traditional group stage, providing a dynamic and engaging path toward the knockout rounds.