History of UEFA Europa League in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: February 26, 2026

The UEFA Europa League (UEL) is an annual club football competition organized by UEFA since 1971. It serves as the second-tier competition in European club football, positioned below the UEFA Champions League and above the UEFA Conference League. It features eligible European football clubs competing for the title.

May 1972: Tottenham Hotspur Wins First Leg of UEFA Cup

On May 3, 1972, Tottenham Hotspur won the first leg of the UEFA Cup final against Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1. The second leg was played on May 17, 1972, which ended in a 1–1 draw, giving Tottenham Hotspur the title.

1997: Last UEFA Cup Final Over Two Legs

Until 1997, the UEFA Cup finals were played over two legs. After 1997, the finals were played in a single match.

1998: Introduction of One-Match Finals

In 1998, one-match finals in pre-selected venues were introduced for the UEFA Cup.

2002: Feyenoord Defeats Borussia Dortmund

In 2002, Feyenoord defeated Borussia Dortmund at De Kuip, Rotterdam, in the UEFA Cup final, played at Feyenoord's home ground.

2005: Sporting CP Loses to CSKA Moscow

In 2005, Sporting CP lost to CSKA Moscow at their home ground, Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, in the UEFA Cup final.

May 2009: Shakhtar Donetsk Wins Last UEFA Cup Final

On May 20, 2009, Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine beat Werder Bremen of Germany 2–1 after extra time in the last UEFA Cup final before it was rebranded.

2009: UEFA Europa League Rebrand

In 2009, the competition was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League to raise its profile, and the group stage format was expanded to include more teams.

2010: Atlético Madrid Wins First Europa League Final

In 2010, Atlético Madrid of Spain beat Fulham of England 2–1 after extra time in the first final of the rebranded Europa League.

2012: UEFA Coefficients Ranking Changes

In 2012, the top six associations had to play at least one qualification round for every team except for the title-holder.

2012: LED Hoardings Debut

LED hoardings made their debut in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League final.

May 2013: Gibraltar Accepted as UEFA Member

In May 2013, during the UEFA Congress in London, Gibraltar was accepted as a full UEFA member, allowing their cup winner to qualify for the Europa League.

2014: Europa League Qualification Changes

In 2014, a change in distribution allowed Europa League champions a Champions League qualification berth, with more teams automatically qualifying for the group stage.

2015: Europa League Qualification Changes

In 2015, rules went into effect stating that if cup winners had already qualified for European competition through league performance, their place in the league is vacated.

2015: UEFA Coefficients Ranking Changes

In 2015, the top twelve associations had to play at least one qualification round for every team except for the title-holder.

2015: LED Hoardings in Round of 16

In the 2015–16 season, LED hoardings appeared from the round of 16, and teams were not allowed to show their own sponsors from the group stage onwards.

2016: UEFA Europa League Player of the Season Award Introduced

Starting from the 2016–17 edition, UEFA introduced the UEFA Europa League Player of the Season award.

2018: Advertising Hoardings

In the 2018–19 season, advertising hoardings appeared for selected matches in the group stages and the round of 32.

2018: UEFA Champions League Teams Transfer to Europa League

Starting with the 2018–19 tournament, all domestic champions eliminated in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League transferred to the Europa League.

2021: Europa League Prize Money Distribution

For the 2021–22 season, group stage participation in the Europa League awarded a base fee of €3,630,000, a victory in the group stage paid €630,000, and a draw paid €210,000.

2021: UEFA Europa Conference League Impact

In 2021, The announcement of the UEFA Europa Conference League included intentions to modify qualification to the Europa League from 2021 onwards, creating a reduced format primarily focusing on its group stage.

2021: UEFA Europa League Young Player of the Season Award Introduced

Starting from the 2021–22 edition, UEFA introduced the UEFA Europa League Young Player of the Season award, chosen by UEFA's Technical Observer Panel.

2024: Kipsta as Official Match Ball Supplier

From the 2024-25 season onwards, Decathlon's Kipsta sub-brand is the official match ball supplier for a three-year period.

2024: UEFA Europa League Main Sponsors for 2024-27 Cycle

In 2024, the UEFA Europa League is sponsored by seven multinational corporations, which share the same partners as the UEFA Conference League, for the 2024-27 cycle.