The 2012–13 UEFA Europa League was the 42nd season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 4th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League.
For the 2012–13 edition, the following changes were made from the 2011–12 edition:
The cup winners of the six top-ranked associations had direct access to the UEFA Europa League group stage.[3] This allocation of slots has a direct impact on the qualification path, and adaptations were made to the access list in order to accommodate these changes.[4]
Matchdays 5 and 6 were no longer held on exclusive weeks, but instead were played on the same weeks as Matchdays 5 and 6 of the UEFA Champions League.[5]
A total of 193 teams from 53 UEFA member associations participate in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. The association ranking based on the UEFA country coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[6]
Associations 1–6 each have three teams qualify
Associations 7–9 each have four teams qualify
Associations 10–51 (except Liechtenstein) each have three teams qualify
Associations 52–53 each have two teams qualify
Liechtenstein has one team qualify (as it organises only a domestic cup and no domestic league)
The winners of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League are given an additional entry as title holders if they do not qualify for the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League or Europa League through their domestic performance. However, this additional entry is not necessary for this season since the title holders qualified for European competitions through their domestic performance.
Association ranking
For the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2011 UEFA country coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 2006–07 to 2010–11.[7][8]
Apart from the allocation based on the association coefficients, associations could have additional teams participating in the Champions League, as noted below:
(FP) – Additional berths for associations via the Fair Play ranking (Norway, Finland, Netherlands)[9]
(UCL) – Additional teams transferred from the UEFA Champions League
Due to the following reasons, changes to the default allocation system had to be made:
The title holders, Atlético Madrid, were guaranteed a place in the Europa League group stage, since they did not qualify for the Champions League. However, they also qualified for the group stage through their domestic performance, as they finished fifth in the 2011–12 La Liga and Champions League-qualified Barcelona won the 2011–12 Copa del Rey. As a result, this spot in the group stage was vacated.
The following changes to the default allocation system were made to compensate for these vacated spots:[10][11][12]
The domestic cup winners of association 7 (Russia) were promoted from the play-off round to the group stage.
The domestic cup winners of associations 16 and 17 (Switzerland and Israel) were promoted from the third qualifying round to the play-off round.
The domestic cup winners of associations 19 and 20 (Austria and Cyprus) were promoted from the second qualifying round to the third qualifying round.
The domestic cup winners of associations 33, 34, 35 and 36 (Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia and Georgia) were promoted from the first qualifying round to the second qualifying round.
Teams entering in this round
Teams advancing from previous round
Teams transferred from Champions League
First qualifying round (74 teams)
17 domestic cup winners from associations 37–53
25 domestic league runners-up from associations 28–53 (except Liechtenstein)
29 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 22–51 (except Liechtenstein)
3 teams which qualified via Fair Play ranking
Second qualifying round (80 teams)
16 domestic cup winners from associations 21–36
12 domestic league runners-up from associations 16–27
6 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 16–21
6 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 10–15
3 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 7–9
37 winners from the first qualifying round
Third qualifying round (58 teams)
3 domestic cup winners from associations 18–20
6 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 10–15
3 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 7–9
3 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 4–6 (League Cup winners for France)
3 domestic league sixth-placed teams from associations 1–3 (League Cup winners for England)
40 winners from the second qualifying round
Play-off round (62 teams)
10 domestic cup winners from associations 8–17
3 domestic league third-placed teams from associations 7–9
3 domestic league fourth-placed teams from associations 4–6
3 domestic league fifth-placed teams from associations 1–3
29 winners from the third qualifying round
14 losers from the Champions League third qualifying round
Group stage (48 teams)
Title holders
6 domestic cup winners from associations 1–7 (minus the spot vacated by Atlético Madrid)
31 winners from the play-off round
10 losers from the Champions League play-off round
Knockout phase (32 teams)
12 group winners from the group stage
12 group runners-up from the group stage
8 third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage
Redistribution rules
A Europa League place is vacated when a team qualifies for both the Champions League and the Europa League, or qualifies for the Europa League by more than one method. When a place is vacated, it is redistributed within the national association by the following rules:[6]
When the domestic cup winners (considered as the "highest-placed" qualifier within the national association with the latest starting round) also qualify for the Champions League, their Europa League place is vacated. As a result, either of the following teams qualify for the Europa League:
The domestic cup runners-up, provided they have not yet qualified for European competitions, qualify for the Europa League as the "lowest-placed" qualifier (with the earliest starting round), with the other Europa League qualifiers moved up one "place".
Otherwise, the highest-placed team in the league which have not yet qualified for European competitions qualify for the Europa League, with the Europa League qualifiers which finish above them in the league moved up one "place".
When the domestic cup winners also qualify for the Europa League through league position, their place through the league position is vacated. As a result, the highest-placed team in the league which have not yet qualified for European competitions qualify for the Europa League, with the Europa League qualifiers which finish above them in the league moved up one "place" if possible.
For associations where a Europa League place is reserved for the League Cup winners, they always qualify for the Europa League as the "lowest-placed" qualifier (or as the second "lowest-placed" qualifier in cases where the cup runners-up qualify as stated above). If the League Cup winners have already qualified for European competitions through other methods, this reserved Europa League place is taken by the highest-placed league team in the league which have not yet qualified for European competitions.
A Fair Play place is taken by the highest-ranked team in the domestic Fair Play table which have not yet qualified for European competitions.
Teams
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:[13][14]
TH: Title holders
CW: Cup winners
CR: Cup runners-up
LC: League Cup winners
2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, etc.: League position
CL4R: League placed 4th but entered Europa League due to Champions League 4 teams per association rule
P-W: End-of-season European competition play-offs winners
Czech Republic (CZE): Sigma Olomouc, the 2011–12 Czech Cup winner, were initially to enter the third qualifying round of the Europa League. However, UEFA banned them from participating in Europa League over the club’s involvement in a corruption scandal.[18] As a result, Sparta Prague, the second-placed team of the 2011–12 Gambrinus liga, entered the Europa League third qualifying round instead of the second qualifying round, and Mladá Boleslav, the fourth-placed team of the league, took one of Czech Republic's Europa League places in the second qualifying round.
Greece (GRE): AEK Athens, the third-placed team of the 2011–12 Superleague Greece, could not get a UEFA license to compete in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League due to financial problems.[19] As a result, Atromitos and PAOK, the fourth and fifth-placed teams of the league, entered the Europa League play-off round and third qualifying round instead of the third and second qualifying rounds respectively, and Asteras Tripolis, the sixth-placed team of the league, took Greece's Europa League place in the second qualifying round.
Hungary (HUN): Győr finished third in the 2011–12 Hungarian National Championship I, but they were not eligible to enter the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, due to having been suspended from participating in UEFA competitions (for the first season they qualify between the 2011–12 and 2013–14 seasons), in relation to club licensing violations.[20] As a result, Honvéd, the fourth-placed team of the league, took one of Hungary's Europa League places in the first qualifying round.
Republic of Ireland (IRL): Because Derry City, the third-placed team of the 2012 League of Ireland Premier Division, went into liquidation two years ago, which led to a European ban for three years (and were thus refused entry to the 2012–13 European competitions by UEFA), Bohemians, the fifth-placed team of the league, claimed the Europa League spot in the first qualifying round.[21]
Scotland (SCO): As a result of second-placed Rangers' administration and eventual liquidation,[22]Motherwell, the third-placed team of the 2011–12 Scottish Premier League, took Scotland's Champions League place in the non-champions path, instead of entering the Europa League third qualifying round, and consequently, Dundee United, the fourth-placed team of the league, entered the Europa League third qualifying round, instead of the second qualifying round, and St Johnstone, the sixth-placed team of the league, took Scotland's Europa League place in the second qualifying round (as the fifth-placed team, Heart of Midlothian, already qualified for the Europa League as winners of the 2011–12 Scottish Cup).
Turkey (TUR): Beşiktaş, the fourth-placed team of the 2011–12 Süper Lig, have been banned by UEFA from competing in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League, due to financial problems.[23] As a result, Bursaspor, the fifth-placed team of the league (as well as the runners-up of the 2011–12 Turkish Cup), entered the Europa League third qualifying round, instead of the second qualifying round, and Eskişehirspor, the sixth-placed team of the league, took Turkey's Europa League place in the second qualifying round. Bursaspor were also initially banned from entering the Europa League, but this was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.[24]
Wales (WAL): Neath, the third-placed team of the 2011–12 Welsh Premier League, has been refused the UEFA license by the License Appeal body and was ineligible to participate in the end-of-season UEFA Europa League play-offs that were won by Llanelli.[25]
Round and draw dates
All draws are held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland unless stated otherwise.[26]
Matches in the qualifying, play-off, and knockout rounds may also be played on Tuesdays or Wednesdays instead of the regular Thursdays due to scheduling conflicts.
In the qualifying rounds and the play-off round, teams were divided into seeded and unseeded teams based on their 2012 UEFA club coefficients,[27][28][29] and then drawn into two-legged home-and-away ties. Teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other.
First qualifying round
The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 25 June 2012.[30] The first legs were played on 3 and 5 July, and the second legs were played on 10 and 12 July 2012.
^ abcdefghiOrder of legs reversed after original draw
Second qualifying round
The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 25 June 2012, immediately after the first qualifying round draw.[30] The first legs were played on 19 July, and the second legs were played on 26 July 2012.
The draw for the third qualifying rounds was held on 20 July 2012.[31] The first legs were played on 2 August, and the second legs were played on 9 August 2012.
^UEFA awarded Mura 05 a 3–0 win due to Arsenal Kyiv fielding suspended player Éric Matoukou in the first leg. The original match had ended in a 3–0 win for Arsenal Kyiv.[32]
The draw for the play-off round was held on 10 August 2012.[34] The first legs were played on 22 and 23 August, and the second legs were played on 28 and 30 August 2012.
Location of teams of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League group stage. Red: Group A; Yellow: Group B; Green: Group C; Dark green: Group D; Purple: Group E; Pink: Group F; Blue: Group G; Orange: Group H; Brown: Group I; Deep pink: Group J; Cyan: Group K; Spring green: Group L.
The draw for the group stage was held in Monaco on 31 August 2012.[35] The 48 teams were allocated into four pots based on their 2012 UEFA club coefficients,[27][28][29] with the title holders, Atlético Madrid, being placed in Pot 1 automatically. They were drawn into twelve groups of four, with the restriction that teams from the same association could not be drawn against each other.
In each group, teams played against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The matchdays were 20 September, 4 October, 25 October, 8 November, 22 November, and 6 December 2012. The group winners and runners-up advanced to the round of 32, where they were joined by the eight third-placed teams from the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League group stage.
A total of 25 national associations were represented in the group stage.[36] This was the first time a team from Azerbaijan qualified for the group stage of a UEFA competition. AEL, Anzhi, Kiryat Shmona, Levante, Marítimo, Neftçi and Videoton all appeared in the group stage of a UEFA competition for the first time.
In the knockout phase, teams played against each other over two legs on a home-and-away basis, except for the one-match final. The mechanism of the draws for each round is as follows:
In the draw for the round of 32, the twelve group winners and the four third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage with the better group records were seeded, and the twelve group runners-up and the other four third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage were unseeded. The seeded teams were drawn against the unseeded teams, with the seeded teams hosting the second leg. Teams from the same group or the same association could not be drawn against each other.
In the draws for the round of 16 onwards, there were no seedings, and teams from the same group or the same association could be drawn against each other.
The draw for the round of 32 was held on 20 December 2012.[37]
The first legs were played on 14 February, and the second legs were played on 21 February 2013.
The draw for the round of 16 was held on 20 December 2012, immediately after the round of 32 draw.[37]
The first legs were played on 7 March, and the second legs were played on 14 March 2013.
The draw for the quarter-finals was held on 15 March 2013.[38]
The first legs were played on 4 April, and the second legs were played on 11 April 2013.
The final was played on 15 May 2013 at the Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam, Netherlands. A draw was held on 12 April 2013, after the semi-final draw, to determine the "home" team for administrative purposes.
