As the season draws to a close, we thought it would be interesting to look at the teams in the competition going into the 26/27 campaign. As of today, there are a huge 167 teams left in, with only 32 being guaranteed to play in the league phase next season. There are only five that will skip the qualifying rounds and will instead take part in the last playoff round to secure their place: Freiburg, Monaco, Getafe, Atalanta and Brighton. The rest will participate in qualifying rounds to earn a place in the fixturing process decided on 3rd August.
Looking at the teams that have a chance of qualifying, this season’s Conference League has a huge opportunity to showcase youth. Some of the industry’s best at this aspect of football have a chance to proudly play their developing stars for the rest of Europe to see. Teams such as Ajax, FC Nordsjaelland, FC Salzburg and Anderlecht all have incredible infrastructure and a rich history for developing world-class players. Most importantly though, Brighton have a chance to use their vast squad of highly valued, up-and-coming players – spreading minutes across competitions to give loanees or bench players a chance. Think of Kostoulas, Tzimas, Howell and even Yalcouye, who has impressed at times on loan at Swansea. Not only is this an exciting time in Europa Conference League history, but it’s an exciting time in Brighton’s history.
As for Brighton’s biggest competitors, it would be unfair to miss out previous Europa League winners, Ajax and Atalanta. Despite Ajax’s growth stagnating in recent years, the club, along with many of this competition’s participants, will be looking to revive their European presence and perhaps begin a new era for Ajax. The former Dutch powerhouse has been a sleeping giant since that unforgettable Champions League run of 2018/19, and this competition should hopefully bring them back to the top. As well as this, like Brighton, Ajax’s squad is very young, so this should be an opportunity to showcase new talent who otherwise may not have broken through.
As for Atalanta, they have previous experience in Europe. Most notably, the 2023/24 Europa League win over unbeaten Leverkusen. Not only this, but the run included the dismantling of Klopp’s Liverpool side – beating them 0-3 at Anfield. This impressive feat highlights that, up against the bigger sides, their siege mentality is imperative for competing at this level. As well as this, their squad is also very talented. They definitely have what it takes to go all the way: history, talent and mentality, and in my opinion, they are my favourites to win the competition.
Moreover, it seems harsh to leave French giants AS Monaco out of this discussion. The former Champions League finalists have always impressed in Europe and have a more than capable team to win it. However, I believe they are in for a difficult summer of rebuilding. Star player, Ansu Fati, will return to Barcelona if his deal is not made permanent. Furthermore, huge clubs are already eyeing up early moves for Lamine Camara and Maghnes Akliouche – both of whom will attend the World Cup. If the recruitment in the summer is effective, I could see them going the distance.
As for the lesser clubs who have qualified for the competition, I would give Europa League semi-finalists, Braga, a solid chance at making it far. They impressed with wins over capable sides such as Real Betis and Nottingham Forest in last season’s campaign. Finally, Spanish side Getafe have made headlines for their “anti-football” approach with record low possession and just 32 goals scored – the 2nd lowest in La Liga. What can’t be denied is that it’s effective. However, personally, I don’t believe this style of football is sustainable throughout a knockout competition.
All in all, this season’s Conference League is poised to be youth-centred, competitive and fun. For a change, it seems like any team could challenge for the trophy and make European history in Istanbul on Wednesday 2 June 2027.
