Conference League, the first draw on June 16

The 2025/26 season has just ended, but the next Conference League is about to set sail: on Tuesday, June 16, the draw for the first qualifying round will take place, which will already be played between July 9 and 16. There are four preliminary rounds: the second on July 23-30, the third on August 6-13, and then the playoff on August 20-27 (with the draw advanced to August 3), which includes the five teams from the top leagues, including Atalanta. Unlike the higher cups, no one is guaranteed a group stage spot: everyone must play at least one qualifying round.

Complete overview

There are four preliminary rounds: the second on July 23-30, the third on August 6-13, and then the playoff on August 20-27 (with the draw advanced to August 3), which includes the five teams from the top leagues, including Atalanta

There are no opponents that can scare Atalanta: the Nerazzurri team is one of the favorites and will remain the one with the best ranking unless Benfica falls from the higher tier, going out in the Europa League preliminaries. The list of participants is now complete, at least regarding the teams starting from the Conference, without considering those relegated from above: the last weekend issued the final verdicts, for example Gent’s penalty shootout win against Genk in the Belgian league playoff.

There are no opponents that can scare Atalanta: the Nerazzurri team is one of the favorites and will remain the one with the best ranking unless Benfica falls from the higher tier, going out in the Europa League preliminaries

Brighton and Monaco

The front-runners are those coming from the top 5 leagues, who will start from the last preliminary round: the scare of Chelsea has been avoided, as they are out of Europe, but Atalanta’s first opponent remains English, Brighton, though the French Monaco also has some appeal. The Germans from Freiburg are used to the international stage, coming off the Europa League final, the Spanish Getafe do not put on a show but are tough. All teams finished seventh in their leagues, except Brighton who finished eighth, in a Premier League that has increased its European contingent thanks to the ranking (Spain did the same, but Real Sociedad then won the cup “stealing” a spot from the league): no one is unbeatable.

Ajax and Braga

All other teams will have a longer path, having to play at least two more rounds. In the third qualifying round enter the promoted and relegated from above, while in the second are the placed teams from second-tier leagues: Ajax is always one to watch, as are the Portuguese Braga, who slipped into the Conference due to the success of the Torreense reserves in the Portuguese Cup, against Sporting. Then, indeed, there are the Belgians Gent, the Greeks Panathinaikos, and the Turks Basaksehir, dear to Erdogan. Then the Norwegians Brann, the Czechs Hradec Kralove, the Austrians Austria and Rapid Vienna, then – mixed in – Sion and Partizan, Cska Sofia and Fcsb (formerly Steaua Bucharest), up to Vaduz, winner of the Liechtenstein cup. There are also teams Atalanta already knows: positive memories with Rakow and Apollon, bad with Copenhagen. Even earlier, in the first round, 52 teams enter: a collection of unknowns, including Sarajevo, which the Nerazzurri know, then Bate Borisov, Inter Turku, and on to the Sanmarinese La Fiorita and Virtus.

Watch out for those who fall

Potentially more dangerous are those who can drop from above: if they fail to qualify in the Europa League preliminaries, Benfica (which has the only ranking better than Atalanta), or Twente, Anderlecht, Besiktas, Viktoria Plzen, Sint-Truiden, Trabzonspor, Salzburg, Rangers, Midtjylland (another déjà-vu), or Dinamo Kiev, teams theoretically belonging to the middle class. And you can fall directly from the Champions as well, in case of elimination in the early rounds: watch out for Lyon, Sparta Prague, Fenerbahce, Union Saint Gilloise, Bodo Glimt, Sturm Graz, and Nec. The shortest away trip would be to Lugano, the longest to Astana.

Playoffs and group stage

In the playoffs, the last round to access the group stage, the five big teams plus another 43 teams participate, among the winners of the previous rounds: the 24 winners reach the first phase, together with the 12 eliminated from the Europa League playoff. Atalanta could face almost anyone among those starting in the previous rounds. Then 36 will create the mega-group in Champions style, but with six matchdays instead of eight: draw on August 28, the day after the preliminaries close.