Cherries’ potential Europa League opponents

Excitement is building for Cherries fans as their debut season in Europe approaches.

All summer long Bournemouth supporters have been looking forward to finding out exactly the details of their maiden European tour, and it will all feel more real after Friday, August 28th - the date of the Europa League draw for the league phase of the tournament.

The line-up of the 2026/27 Europa League group stage has been confirmed - but who exactly can Cherries face?

36 teams take part in the league phase, with 12 clubs qualifying directly with another 24 earning the right to play in the Europa League proper via the qualifying section.

At the start of qualifying, not every Europa League side is known. That is because qualifying for all three European tournaments are linked. Sides knocked out early in the Champions League drop down to either the Europa League or Conference League.

As such, it is harder to project which clubs will end up in each pot. All 36 teams will be split into four pots based on coefficients. This used to inform the group stage draw, where each pool would have a team from each pot. Now, each side in the tournament will play two teams from each pot, no matter which pot they were seeded in.

There are a couple of caveats - a side cannot face more than two clubs from the same country, nor can they face a club from their own nation during the league phase. The eight games will be split evenly into four home fixtures and four away trips.

There is no further seeding once sides are split into pots - meaning it is fair game for all sides to be drawn against each other, aside from the aforementioned stipulations.

UEFA coefficients are calculated with a five-year rolling average. Of course, Cherries have never played in Europe before - so how can they have a coefficient?

AFC Bournemouth will benefit from the 20% floor rule. In order to reflect the strength of top national leagues, a club’s UEFA coefficient cannot drop below 20% of their country’s coefficient.

That means Cherries’ coefficient is set at 23.903. Fellow newcomers Sunderland will also be set at this coefficient, but the fact that Cherries finished higher in the Premier League last campaign will rank them above the Black Cats.

This could be the difference between Cherries being placed in pot two or pot three. Europa League Conference winners Crystal Palace will also enter the competition with a coefficient of 23.903 - their debut season in Europe yielded a coefficient of 21.875. Based on the first tie-break used by UEFA when clubs have the same coefficient, Palace would be ranked above Cherries.

There are not enough teams with coefficients larger than Cherries in order to drop them into pot four, but it is currently undecided whether Bournemouth will be seeded in pot two or pot three.

At the time of writing, qualifying for the Europa League league phase has completed, with 36 teams confirmed.

Based on what could likely be termed the worst-case scenario where the strongest sides win their games, Cherries will be in pot three, in line with Cherries On Top's projections.

Cherries’ fellow Premier League outfits Sunderland and Crystal Palace would also fall into the third pot. This restricts their potential pot three opponents to two from Polish sides Lech Poznan and Jagiellonia, Sturm Graz of Austria, Spanish outfit Celta Vigo, AC Omonia of Cyprus, Celje from Slovenia, and Turkish giants Besiktas.

Pot one is predictably dominated by the biggest names. 2024 Europa League finalists Bayer Leverkusen would be the highest-ranked side in the competition, with Benfica second.

Italian duo Juventus and Milan are the most eye-catching names in pot one, although Lyon, Marseille and Real Sociedad are nothing to be sniffed at.

There will be two Belgian teams in pot two - Brighton's sister club Union Saint-Gilloise, who dropped out of the Champions League, being joined by Anderlecht.

Red Bull Salzburg of Austria are a familiar face in European competition, while Ferencváros of Hungary's own history in Europe is storied, if albeit dated. Czech duo Viktoria Plzen and Sparta Prague are in the second pot, with Celtic and Croatia's Dinamo Zagreb joined by Stade Rennais.

Pot four features more variety in terms of countries. Lillestrom of Norway survived a scare against Egnatia of Albania, while there could be a trip to Bulgaria on the cards for Cherries in the form of Levski Sofia.

NEC of the Netherlands, OFI from Greece, Hapoel Be'er Sheva of Israel, Turkish giants Besiktas, Portuguese minnows Torreense, German outfit Hoffenheim, and Ararat of Armenia round out pot four.

Outside of the restrictions of two teams per pot, there are further rules that prevent certain draws. For example, Bournemouth can only face two clubs per country - meaning if they were to draw Lyon and Marseille in pot two, they then couldn’t be drawn against the third French side, Stade Rennais, as well.

Two from pot one: Bayer Leverkusen (GER), Benfica (POR), Juventus (ITA), Milan (ITA), Lyon (FRA), AZ Alkmaar (NED), Olympiacos (GRE), Real Sociedad (SPA), Marseille (FRA).

Two from pot two: Ferencvaros (HUN), Viktoria Plzen (CZE), Union Saint-Gillosie (BEL), Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), Red Bull Salzburg (AUS), Sparta Prague (CZE), Celtic (SCO), Stade Rennais (FRA), Anderlecht (BEL).

Two from pot three: Sturm Graz (AUS), Lech Poznan (POL), Celje (SVN), Jagiellonia (POL), AC Omonia (CYP), Celta Vigo (SPA), .

Two from pot four: Hoffenheim (GER), Besiktas (TUR), Torreense (POR), Hapoel Be'er Sheva (ISR), NEC (NED), OFI (GRE), Lillestrom (NOR), Levski Sofia (BUL), Ararat (ARM).

Max. two from France: Lyon (pot one), Marseille (pot one), Stade Rennais (pot two).