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: the draw for the first qualifying round will take place on Tuesday, June 16, and will 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 an early draw on August 3), which sees the five teams from the top leagues, including Atalanta, start. Unlike the higher cups, no one is guaranteed a group stage spot: everyone must play at least one qualifying round.

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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 an early draw on August 3), which sees the five teams from the top leagues, including Atalanta, start

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 upper 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 delivered the final verdicts, for example, Gent’s penalty shootout victory against Genk, in the specific 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 upper tier, going out in the Europa League preliminaries

Brighton and Monaco

The teams in the forefront are those from the top 5 tournaments, who will start from the last preliminary round: having avoided the bogeyman Chelsea, who remained out of Europe, Atalanta’s first opponent is still English, Brighton, but the French team Monaco also has a certain appeal. The Germans of Freiburg are accustomed to the international stage, having recently played in the Europa League final, while the Spanish team Getafe may not put on a show but are tenacious. All teams finished seventh in their respective leagues, except Brighton, who finished eighth in a Premier League that, however, increased its European contingent thanks to the ranking (Spain also did this, 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, promoted and relegated teams from above enter, while in the second, there are the placed teams from second-tier leagues: Ajax is always one to watch, as are the Portuguese team Braga, who slipped into the Conference due to the success of Torreense cadets in the Portuguese Cup, at the expense of Sporting. Then, there are the Belgians of Gent, the Greeks of Panathinaikos, and the Turks of Basaksehir, dear to Erdogan. Then the Norwegians of Brann, the Czechs of Hradec Kralove, the Austrians of Austria and Rapid Vienna, then – at random – 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, which includes Sarajevo, which the Nerazzurri know, then Bate Borisov, Inter Turku, and so on to the San Marinese teams La Fiorita and Virtus.

Watch out for those who drop out

Potentially more dangerous are those who can drop from above: if they fail to qualify for the Europa League in the preliminaries, Benfica (who has the only better ranking 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, would slip down. And one can also drop directly from the Champions League, in case of elimination in the early rounds: watch out for Lyon, Sparta Prague, Fenerbahce, Union Saint Gilloise, Bodo Glimt, Sturm Graz, and Nec. Absolutely the shortest 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, among the winners of the previous rounds, participate: the 24 winners reach the first phase, along with the 12 eliminated from the Europa League playoff. Atalanta could meet almost anyone among those starting in the previous rounds. Then 36 teams will create a Champions-style maxi-group, but with six matchdays instead of eight: draw on August 28, the day after the preliminary rounds close.