2012-13 UEFA Europa League

The 2012-13 UEFA Europa League will be the 4th season of the Europa League after being renamed from the UEFA Cup. The Final will be played at the Amsterdam ArenA in Amsterdam.
==Changes==
There will be two major changes in the format of the competition
*The Cup winners from the Top 6 ranked associations will gain direct entry into the Group Stage
*Matchday 5 and 6 of the tournament will be played on the same weeks as the 2012-2013 UEFA Champions League instead of having distinct matchweeks.
==Rankings==
A total of 194 or 195 teams from 53 UEFA associations are expected to participate in the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. Associations are allocated places according to their 2011 UEFA league coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 2006–07 to 2010–11.
Below is the qualification scheme for the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League:
*Associations 1–6 each have three teams qualify
*Associations 7–9 each have four teams qualify
*Associations 10–51 each have three teams qualify, except Liechtenstein, which have one team qualify (as Liechtenstein only have a domestic cup and no domestic league)
*Associations 52–53 each have two teams qualify
*The winners of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, i.e., the title holder, are given an additional entry if they do not qualify for the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League or Europa League through domestic performance
*The top three associations of the 2011–12 UEFA Fair Play ranking each gain an additional berth
*Moreover, 33 teams eliminated from the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League are transferred to the Europa League
Note: The qualification scheme above can be changed slightly depending on the identity of the winners of the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League.
===Association ranking===
{| class="wikitable"	 	 	 	
Rank	Association 	Coeff.	Teams	Notes
1 	England 	85.785	3 	
2 	Spain 	82.329	3 	
3 	Germany 	69.436	3 	
4 	Italy 	60.552	3 	
5 	France 	53.678	3 	
6 	Portugal 	51.596	3 	
7 	Russia 	44.707	4 	
8 	Ukraine 	43.883	4 	
9 	Netherlands 	40.129	4 	
10 	Turkey 	35.050	3 	
11 	Greece 	34.166	3 	
12 	Denmark 	30.550	3 	
13 	Belgium 	27.000	3 	
14 	Romania 	25.824	3 	
15 	Scotland 	25.141	3 	
16 	Switzerland 	24.900	3 	
17 	Israel 	22.000	3 	
18 	Czech Republic	20.850	3 	
==Distribution==
 	Teams entering in this round	Teams advancing from previous round	Teams transferred from Champions League
First qualifying round (78 teams) 	
*21 domestic cup winners from associations 33–53
*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 rankings	 	
Second qualifying round (80 teams)	
*14 domestic cup winners from associations 19–32
*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	
*39 winners from the first qualifying round	
Third qualifying round (58 teams) 	
*3 domestic cup winners from associations 16–18
*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) 	
*9 domestic cup winners from associations 7–15
*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	
*15 losers from the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round
Group stage (48 teams) 	
*Title holder (winners of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League)
*6 domestic cup winners from associations 1–6	
*31 winners from the play-off round	
*10 losers from the 2012–13 UEFA 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 2012–13 UEFA Champions League group stage
If the Europa League title holder qualifies for the Champions League or the Europa League through domestic performance, the default allocation system above will have to be altered as some places become vacant. When moving entrants to later qualifying rounds, priority is given to domestic cup winners of the highest-ranked associations.
==Clubs==
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:
* TH: Title holders
* CW: Cup winners
* CR: Cup runners-up
* LC: League Cup winners
* Nth: League position
* P-: End-of-season European competition play-offs (winners or position)
* FP: Fair play
* UCL: Relegated from the Champions League
** GS: Third-placed teams from the group stage
** PO: Losers from the play-off round
** Q3: Losers from the third qualifying round
Note: Teams listed in italics may still qualify for the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League either through their domestic league or by winning the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League.
Round of 32 	Round of 32 	Round of 32 	Round of 32
(UCL GS) 	(UCL GS) 	(UCL GS) 	(UCL GS)
(UCL GS) 	(UCL GS) 	(UCL GS) 	(UCL GS)
Group stage 	Group stage 	Group stage 	Group stage
2011–12 winnersTH 	(CW) 	(UCL PO) 	(UCL PO)
(CW)Note ENG 	(CW) 	(UCL PO) 	(UCL PO)
(CW)Note ESP 	(UCL PO) 	(UCL PO) 	
(5th) 	(UCL PO) 	(UCL PO) 	
(CW) 	(UCL PO) 	(UCL PO) 	
Play-off round 	Play-off round 	Play-off round 	Play-off round
(5th)Note ENG 	(3rd) 	(UCL Q3) 	(UCL Q3)
(5th)</small>Note ESP 	(CW) 	(UCL Q3) 	(UCL Q3)
(6th) 	(3rd) 	(UCL Q3) 	(UCL Q3)
(4th) 	(CW) 	(UCL Q3) 	(UCL Q3)
(4th) 	(CW)Note GRE 	(UCL Q3) 	(UCL Q3)
(4th) 	(CW) 	(UCL Q3) 	(UCL Q3)
(CW) 	Lokeren (CW) 	(UCL Q3) 	
(3rd) 	(CW) 	(UCL Q3) 	
(CW) 	(CW) 	(UCL Q3) 	
Third qualifying round 	Third qualifying round 	Third qualifying round 	Third qualifying round
Liverpool (LC)Note ENG 	(5th) 	(P-2nd)Note GRE 	(CW)
(6th)</small>Note ESP 	(4th) 	(3rd) 	(CW)
(7th) 	(4th) 	(3rd) 	(CW)
(5th) 	(4th) 	(3rd) 	
(LC) 	(3rd) 	(3rd or 4th)Note SCO 	
Second qualifying round 	Second qualifying round 	Second qualifying round 	Second qualifying round
(5th) 	(2nd) 	(2nd) 	Tromsø (2nd)
(5th) 	(3rd) 	(3rd) 	(CW)
(P-W) 	(2nd) 	(CW) 	(2nd)
(P-W) 	(3rd) 	(2nd) 	AIK (2nd)
(P-3rd)Note GRE 	(CW) 	(CW)Note BLR 	(CW)
(4th) 	(2nd) 	Shakhtsyor Salihorsk (2nd)	Inter Turku (2nd)
(P-W) 	(3rd) 	(CW) 	Sligo Rovers (CW)
(4th) 	(CW) 	(2nd) 	(CW)
(4th or 5th)Note SCO 	(2nd) 	(CW) 	
(2nd) 	(3rd) 	(2nd) 	
(3rd) 	(CW) 	Aalesund (CW) 	
First qualifying round 	First qualifying round 	First qualifying round 	First qualifying round
(3rd) 	Žalgiris Vilnius (2nd) 	Ordabasy (CW) 	(2nd)
Gomel (3rd)Note BLR 	Sūduva Marijampolė (3rd)	Zhetysu (2nd) 	(3rd)
(3rd) 	(CW) 	Aktobe (3rd) 	(CW)
(3rd) 	Metalurgs (2nd) 	(CW) 	(2nd)
Rosenborg (3rd) 	Daugava (3rd) 	(CW) 	(3rd)
(3rd) 	(CW) 	(2nd) 	EB/Streymur (CW)
Elfsborg (3rd) 	(2nd) 	(3rd) 	Víkingur (3rd)
Kalmar FF (CR) 	(3rd) 	(CW) 	NSÍ Runavík (4th)
(2nd) 	(CW) 	(2nd) 	(CW)
(3rd) 	(2nd) 	(3rd) 	(2nd)
JJK (3rd) 	(3rd) 	(CW) 	(3rd)
KuPS (CR) 	(CW) 	Nõmme Kalju (2nd) 	(CW)
St. Patrick's Athletic (4th)	(2nd) 	Narva Trans (3rd) 	(2nd)
Bohemians (5th)Note IRL 	(3rd) 	(CW)Note WAL 	(CW)
(2nd) 	(CW) 	(2nd) 	(2nd)
(3rd) 	(2nd) 	(P-W) 	(FP)
(CW) 	(3rd) 	(CW) 	(FP)
(2nd) 	FH (2nd) 	Gandzasar (2nd) 	(FP)
(3rd) 	ÍBV (3rd) 	Pyunik (3rd) 	
(CW) 	Þór Akureyri (CR) 	(CW) 	
==Notes==
;Notes
*TH Title Holder
*Belarus (BLR): If Gomel win the 2011–12 Belarusian Cup, they will enter in the second qualifying round instead, and the first qualifying round spot will then be taken by Dinamo Minsk (4th placed team of 2011 Belarusian Premier League).
*England (ENG): Liverpool may still qualify for the Champions League. If they do not qualify for the Champions League, their starting round of the Europa League will depend on whether they win the 2011–12 FA Cup and their final position in the 2011–12 Premier League.
*Greece (GRE): Atromitos have qualified for at least the Europa League as they will face Champions League-qualified Olympiacos in the 2011–12 Greek Cup final. Atromitos may also still qualify for the Champions League. If they do not qualify for the Champions League, their starting round of the Europa League will depend on whether they win the cup and their final position in the 2011–12 Superleague Greece Playoffs.
*Republic of Ireland (IRL): Because Derry City, the third-placed team of the 2011 League of Ireland, went into liquidation two years ago which led to a European ban for three years and thus were 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.
*Scotland (SCO): If Rangers finish in the top four of the 2011–12 Scottish Premier League, they will not be eligible to enter the 2012–13 UEFA Champions League or Europa League due to failing to exit administration in time to obtain a UEFA licence. If this happens, the next highest team in the 2011–12 Scottish Premier League that has not qualified for European competition will take Scotland's Europa League place in the second qualifying round.
*Spain (ESP): Athletic Bilbao have qualified for at least the Europa League as they will face Champions League-qualified Barcelona in the 2011–12 Copa del Rey final. Athletic Bilbao may also still qualify for the Champions League. If they do not qualify for the Champions League, their starting round of the Europa League will depend on whether they win the cup and their final position in the 2011–12 La Liga and whether they will win Europa League or not.
*Wales (WAL): If Cefn Druids win the 2011-12 Welsh Cup, or if they lose but their opponents The New Saints win the 2011–12 Welsh Premier League, they will not be eligible to enter the 2012-13 UEFA Europa League as they do not currently have a UEFA licence. They are able to apply for one up to 2 May 2012.