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The 2024/2025 Europa League officially begins between Wednesday, September 25, and Thursday, September 26. Thirty-six teams will compete in a single round-robin group stage, similar to the Champions League format. The previous edition concluded with Atalanta's triumph under Gian Piero Gasperini, as they defeated the German champions Bayer Leverkusen, coached by Xabi Alonso, in the final.
In Dublin on May 22, Atalanta achieved historic success with Ademola Lookman's stunning hat-trick, overwhelming the Leverkusen team. This victory marked a historic achievement for Atalanta, as an Italian team had not won the UEFA Cup/Europa League since Alberto Malesani’s Parma in 1999.
Roma and Lazio will represent Italy in the 2024/2025 Europa League. It has been a notable week for Roma, with the dismissal of Daniele De Rossi and the appointment of former Hellas Verona and Torino coach Ivan Juric. Dybala and his teammates will make their debut in the competition on Thursday, September 26, at 21:00 CET at the Stadio Olimpico against Athletic Bilbao. The final will be held at Bilbao's San Mames on May 21, 2025.
It will be a challenging match that Roma cannot afford to take lightly, as the Basque team has had a strong start to their season in Spain, earning 10 points in their first six league matches. Roma is still searching for their first league win, and a strong start in Europe will be crucial.
Lazio, under Marco Baroni, faces a seemingly easier but still tricky test against Dynamo Kyiv at the Volksparkstadion in Hamburg, Germany, on Wednesday, September 25, at 21:00 CET. Several teams are favored to go far in the competition.
Besides the Italian teams, other contenders include Porto (facing Bodo-Glimt in their opener), Manchester United (taking on Twente), Galatasaray with Osimhen, Icardi, and Mertens (against PAOK), Mourinho's Fenerbahce (versus USG), Tottenham with Son and Richarlison (up against Qarabag), and the new Ajax led by Italian coach Francesco Farioli (the Dutch side will face Besiktas, featuring Ciro Immobile).
