- Europa Conference League 2023/24 Season Overview
- Europa Conference League Group Stage Standings
- Knockout Stage Results 2023/2024
- Semi-Finals
- UEFA Conference League Final 2024
- Best Performing Teams of the Tournament
- Conference League Player Statistics
- Individual and Team Highlights
- UEFA Conference League 2023/2024 Legacy
- FAQs
UEFA launched the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2021/22 to add a third men’s club competition and widen access for more associations and clubs. From the start, the idea was simple: more European nights, more varied matchups, and a clear route to a trophy that is not “secondary” inside its own lane.
By the time Conference League 2023-24 arrived, the tournament had already built a pattern. Big domestic names often join later, but well-drilled teams from outside the traditional “top five” can go far if they manage squads well and travel well. The Conference League 2023/24 season leaned into that identity even harder, because the eventual champion came via the Europa League drop-down route and still won the title on merit across the knockout weeks.
In raw volume, the official season totals show 141 matches and 411 goals in the final tournament overview, with an average of 2.92 goals per match. That scoring rate matters when you look at tactical choices later. Many teams pressed high, but a lot of ties were decided by set pieces, penalty-box defending, and game management in second legs.
Europa Conference League 2023/24 Season Overview
The group stage ran from 20 September 2023 to 14 December 2023, with matchdays spread across six weeks (20–21 Sep, 5 Oct, 26 Oct, 9 Nov, 30 Nov, 14 Dec). Thirty-two teams played in eight groups. Group winners advanced straight to the round of 16. Group runners-up went into the knockout round play-offs.
Tiebreakers in groups followed UEFA’s standard head-to-head logic first (points, then head-to-head goal difference, then head-to-head goals), before moving to overall goal difference and goals scored.
After the group stage, the competition adds a second intake: eight teams that finished third in the Europa League groups drop into the Conference League and face the eight group runners-up in the knockout round play-offs. UEFA published the knockout round play-off ties after the draw in Nyon on 18 December 2023. That draw step is a key pivot in the season narrative, and it’s why people searched the Europa Conference League 2023/24 draw details so heavily in December.
The “groups in original form” lineup for Conference League 23/24 looked like this:
| Group | Teams |
| A | Lille, Slovan Bratislava, Olimpija Ljubljana, KÍ |
| B | Maccabi Tel Aviv, Gent, Zorya Luhansk, Breiðablik |
| C | Viktoria Plzeň, Dinamo Zagreb, Astana, Ballkani |
| D | Club Brugge, Bodø/Glimt, Beşiktaş, Lugano |
| E | Aston Villa, Legia Warsaw, AZ Alkmaar, Zrinjski Mostar |
| F | Fiorentina, Ferencváros, Genk, Čukarički |
| G | PAOK, Eintracht Frankfurt, Aberdeen, HJK |
| H | Fenerbahçe, Ludogorets Razgrad, Nordsjælland, Spartak Trnava |
You can map that straight into how the bracket later formed, because several future knockout storylines were already visible here: Aston Villa’s scoring power, Fiorentina’s control, Plzeň’s defensive base, and the high-tempo profiles of Fenerbahçe and Club Brugge.
For scheduling, most fans follow the official matchday calendar plus the round dates published around fixtures releases; in practice, that’s what people mean when they ask for Europa Conference League fixtures 2023/24. And for quick reference, those same weeks are what many sites label as Europa Conference League draw 23/24 → fixtures announcement → matchdays.
Europa Conference League Group Stage Standings
The group phase is always 96 matches (8 groups × 12 matches each). That’s the base sample where patterns show up: who can travel, who rotates cleanly, and who struggles in the final 20 minutes.
Below is the Conference League table 2023/24 by group (final standings):
Group A
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Lille | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 14 |
| 2 | Slovan Bratislava | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 7 | +1 | 10 |
| 3 | Olimpija Ljubljana | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 9 | -5 | 6 |
| 4 | KÍ | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | -4 | 4 |
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pts |
| 1 | Maccabi Tel Aviv | 15 |
| 2 | Gent | 13 |
| 3 | Zorya Luhansk | 7 |
| 4 | Breiðablik | 0 |
Group C
| Pos | Team | Pts |
| 1 | Viktoria Plzeň | 18 |
| 2 | Dinamo Zagreb | 9 |
| 3 | Astana | 4 |
| 4 | Ballkani | 4 |
Group D
| Pos | Team | Pts |
| 1 | Club Brugge | 16 |
| 2 | Bodø/Glimt | 10 |
| 3 | Beşiktaş | 4 |
| 4 | Lugano | 4 |
Group E
| Pos | Team | Pts |
| 1 | Aston Villa | 13 |
| 2 | Legia Warsaw | 12 |
| 3 | AZ Alkmaar | 6 |
| 4 | Zrinjski Mostar | 4 |
Group F
| Pos | Team | Pts |
| 1 | Fiorentina | 12 |
| 2 | Ferencváros | 10 |
| 3 | Genk | 9 |
| 4 | Čukarički | 0 |
Group G
| Pos | Team | Pts |
| 1 | PAOK | 16 |
| 2 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 9 |
| 3 | Aberdeen | 6 |
| 4 | HJK | 2 |
Group H
| Pos | Team | Pts |
| 1 | Fenerbahçe | 12 |
| 2 | Ludogorets Razgrad | 12 |
| 3 | Nordsjælland | 10 |
| 4 | Spartak Trnava | 1 |
A few clear patterns from the group phase:
- Perfect group winner: Viktoria Plzeň took 18 points from 18. That level of control usually signals a deep run.
- Tight margins in Group H: 12 points still didn’t guarantee first place on points alone. Head-to-head detail mattered.
- Low totals at the bottom: Breiðablik (0) and Čukarički (0) show how brutal the step can be.
If you want one quick label, this is the Conference League table 23/24 story: strong group winners were not always the ones lifting the trophy, because the drop-down path later injected Europa League-level depth.
Knockout Stage Results 2023/2024
The knockout phase in this season has a clean timeline:
- Knockout round play-offs: 15 & 22 February 2024 (draw on 18 Dec 2023).
- Round of 16: 7 & 14 March 2024 (draw on 23 Feb 2024).
- Quarter-finals: 11 & 18 April 2024.
- Semi-finals: 2 and 8/9 May 2024.
- Final: 29 May 2024 in Athens.
Knockout round play-offs (headline ties)
The official list included Olympiacos vs Ferencváros, Ajax vs Bodø/Glimt, and several others, set by the draw rules (runners-up seeded vs Europa League third-placed teams).
That stage already hinted at what would happen later: Olympiacos were structured, direct when needed, and lethal in key moments. Their tie vs Ferencváros ended 2–0 on aggregate.
Round of 16 and quarter-finals (what stood out)
By the round of 16, the group winners entered, and the bracket started producing the season’s defining themes:
- Aston Villa beat Ajax 4–0 in the second leg to win 4–0 on aggregate.
- Fiorentina needed extra time across the tie vs Maccabi Haifa (aggregate 5–4).
- Viktoria Plzeň showed how hard they were to break. Even in elimination, they pushed ties deep.
In the quarter-finals, the tournament shifted again because pressure matches arrived every week:
- Olympiacos vs Fenerbahçe became one of the “memory” ties of the season, finishing level on aggregate and going to extra time and penalties.
- Aston Villa and Lille also went to penalties after a level aggregate.
- Fiorentina edged Plzeň, with the second leg going into extra time before Fiorentina scored twice.
Statistically, the later rounds often compress into fine margins. That’s why clean sheets and game-state control matter so much in this format. Viktoria Plzeň led the tournament with 8 clean sheets, with Club Brugge on 6 and Lille on 5.
Semi-Finals
The semi-final pairings were:
- Aston Villa vs Olympiacos — Olympiacos won 6–2 on aggregate.
- Fiorentina vs Club Brugge — Fiorentina won 4–3 on aggregate.
Aston Villa vs Olympiacos (2–6 agg.)
Olympiacos won 4–2 at Villa Park in the first leg, powered by an Ayoub El Kaabi hat-trick plus a Santiago Hezze goal. The second leg finished 2–0 in Greece, so the tie never swung back.
The pattern was clear:
- Villa generated moments, but Olympiacos punished spacing fast.
- El Kaabi’s movement across the line kept Villa’s centre-backs turning.
Fiorentina vs Club Brugge (4–3 agg.)
Fiorentina won 3–2 away in the first leg, then held 1–1 in the return to close it out. The tie carried a steady theme: Fiorentina’s midfield control, and Brugge’s ability to create chances through wide combinations.
This is also where individual awards context matters. Club Brugge’s Thiago scored five goals in ten games across the season and was later named Young Player of the Season.
UEFA Conference League Final 2024
The Conference League final 2024 was played on 29 May 2024 at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens, with 26,842 in attendance. The match was Olympiacos vs Fiorentina, and it finished 1–0 after extra time, with Ayoub El Kaabi scoring in the 116th minute.
If you saw it listed as the Europa Conference League final 2024, the defining numbers match the feel of the game:
- Total shots: Olympiacos 6, Fiorentina 17
- Shots on target: 4–4
- Possession: 47% vs 53%
- Corners: 5 vs 6
- Fouls: 10 vs 17
Fiorentina had more volume, especially early, but Olympiacos defended their box with discipline and kept the game in a range where one clean delivery could decide it. The winner came from a cross by Santiago Hezze and a header by El Kaabi, confirmed after a VAR check.
This final also carried history weight: Olympiacos won their first major European trophy, and Reuters noted it as the first time a Greek club won a European title at this level. That is why you’ll see the same match described across languages as finale Conference League 2024 or Conference League finale 2024, but the sporting story stays the same: one decisive action, late, under pressure.
Best Performing Teams of the Tournament
Here are the team-level angles that explain the season without leaning on hype.
Olympiacos entered the competition via the Europa League drop-down route and still won the trophy, which is rare in any UEFA format. They also handled away legs well, which matters in a two-leg tournament.
Viktoria Plzeň deserve a separate note. They did not win it, but their season shape was elite: 8 clean sheets across the campaign, top in the tournament.
Plzeň led the clean sheet chart (8), while Club Brugge (6) and Lille (5) followed. The clean sheet list is useful because it correlates strongly with deep runs in two-leg ties.
Fiorentina and Club Brugge finished as the top scoring teams on 25 goals each. Aston Villa were close behind on 23 goals, with Olympiacos on 21.
Those totals also show a key truth of the season: the champion did not need the highest goal total. They needed timing, set-piece quality, and knockout composure.
Conference League Player Statistics
UEFA’s season awards and official leaderboards give a clean way to talk about “best” roles.
Ayoub El Kaabi finished as the top scorer with 11 goals. UEFA also named him Player of the Season.
For the symbolic “best goalkeeper” label, UEFA’s Team of the Season picked Pietro Terracciano (Fiorentina).
On pure volume, the tournament saves leaders included team totals like Maccabi Tel Aviv and Fenerbahçe (33 each), and Olympiacos (30).
UEFA’s Team of the Season defenders were: Dodô, Robin Hranáč, David Carmo, Cristiano Biraghi.
If you want a “numbers” anchor, Olympiacos also had the top individual tackler: Santiago Hezze (26 tackles).
UEFA’s Team of the Season midfielders were: Hans Vanaken, Kostas Fortounis, John McGinn.
For creation, the assists leaders included Farès Chaïbi (5) and Leon Bailey (5).
El Kaabi is the easy pick here because of goals plus decisive timing in the final. UEFA’s Team of the Season also included Leon Bailey and Daniel Podence as forwards.
UEFA doesn’t hand out an official “coach of the season” trophy for this competition in the same way, but the season story points straight to José Luis Mendilibar. Reuters highlighted that he joined Olympiacos in February and led them to the title.
UEFA named Thiago (Club Brugge) as Young Player of the Season.
UEFA Technical Observer Panel selection:
- GK: Pietro Terracciano
- DEF: Dodô, Robin Hranáč, David Carmo, Cristiano Biraghi
- MID: Hans Vanaken, Kostas Fortounis, John McGinn
- FWD: Leon Bailey, Ayoub El Kaabi, Daniel Podence
Individual and Team Highlights
A few season moments still stand out when you strip away fan bias:
- Plzeň’s defensive output: 8 clean sheets is a huge number in a competition with mixed styles and travel demands.
- Fiorentina’s second straight final: they reached the final again and were close, but fell in extra time.
- Olympiacos winning in Athens: the final in Athens, with a Greek club lifting the trophy, made the setting part of the story.
- “Hidden” nod: set-piece value. The final was decided by a single cross and header after 116 minutes of control and defending.
UEFA Conference League 2023/2024 Legacy
What makes Conference League 2023 24 distinct is the way it confirmed two things at once:
- The drop-down mechanism can produce a champion that still feels earned, because the team must beat strong opponents across multiple rounds.
- Group-stage dominance does not guarantee the trophy. Plzeň were perfect in the group phase and elite defensively, but knockout football still forced extra-time and penalty margins elsewhere in the bracket.
If you track fan searches for the Europa Conference League 2023/24 table and then compare that with the final bracket, this season is a strong reminder: the table explains who is stable, but the knockout weeks decide who survives pressure.
FAQs
96 matches. It’s 8 groups, double round-robin, 12 matches per group.
Across six matchdays from 20–21 September 2023 to 14 December 2023.
Olympiacos won 1–0 after extra time, with El Kaabi scoring in the 116th minute.
Ayoub El Kaabi, per UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel.
Thiago of Club Brugge, per UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel.
