The draw for the knockout rounds of the Conference League takes place today, with Chelsea finding out their last-16 opponents and potential route to the final.
The Blues remain the overwhelming favourites to win the competition despite a slip up in domestic form recently, with Enzo Maresca’s side having strolled to six wins from six and 26 goals scored in the competition’s league phase.
Maresca’s decision to include Cole Palmer in the squad for the knockout rounds suggests that the club are taking the competition seriously as they look to become the first side to win all three of Uefa’s main cup competitions.
And they will learn their opponents this afternoon, with their first-placed position meaning that they will enjoy a home game in the second leg.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the draw:
When is the Conference League draw?
The draw for the knockout rounds of the Europa Conference League takes place at 1pm GMT on Friday, 21 February at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland.
The draw will follow the conclusion of the Europa League last-16 draw, which begins at around 12pm GMT.
How can I watch the Conference League draw?
The draw will be streamed live on Uefa’s website and on TNT Sports. You can also follow dedicated coverage on The Independent’s live blog today.
Who Chelsea could face in Europa Conference League last 16
Chelsea finished first in the league phase and will play either Real Betis or FC Copenhagen in the last-16.
Real Betis, who now have Manchester United forward Antony in their ranks, defeated Gent while FC Copenhagen came from behind to FC Heidenheim.
Which teams are qualified for the Conference League draw?
Every team that finished in the top eight of the competition's new league phase table automatically qualified for the last 16. They are seeded and will play their second legs at home.
As with the other Uefa competitions this season, they are paired off based on their league positions and will face one of two corresponding teams to have won their play-off ties.
Seeded:
Unseeded:
When is the draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals?
From the knockout play-offs onwards the tournament follows a bracket. This means that teams will discover their potential opponents for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals on Friday.
For the quarter-finals and semi-finals, there will be a draw to determine the order of the matches (i.e. who plays at home in each leg).
When are the next rounds played?
Round of 16: 6 & 13 March 2025
Quarter-finals: 10 & 17 April 2025
Semi-finals: 1 & 8 May 2025
Final: 28 May 2025 (Stadion Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland)
