Greek clubs Olympiacos and OFI Crete will discover their eight UEFA Europa League opponents on Friday, August 28, following the allocation of seeding pots for the new 36-team league phase.
Olympiacos have been placed in Pot 1 alongside several European heavyweights, while OFI Crete enter the draw in Pot 4.
The draw takes place at 14:00 Greek time on Friday, August 28, determining the complete eight-match schedule for both teams.
Europa League draw rules and format
Under the UEFA Europa League format, all 36 participating clubs are divided into four seeding pots of nine teams each based on UEFA club coefficients.
Every club in the league phase will be drawn against two opponents from each of the four pots, facing one opponent at home and one away for a total of eight fixtures.
Olympiacos, who secured their position in Pot 1, will face two opponents from Pot 1, two from Pot 2, two from Pot 3, and two from Pot 4. OFI Crete, seeded in Pot 4, will follow the exact same drawing procedure, ensuring balanced competition across all four tiers.
Seeding pots for the 36-team league phase
The four seeding pots for Friday's draw feature 36 clubs from across European football:
- Pot 1: Bayer Leverkusen, Benfica, Juventus, AC Milan, Lyon, AZ Alkmaar, Olympiacos, Real Sociedad, Marseille.
- Pot 2: Ferencváros, Union Saint-Gilloise, Viktoria Plzeň, Dinamo Zagreb, RB Salzburg, Celtic, Sparta Prague, Rennes, Anderlecht.
- Pot 3: Sturm Graz, Lech Poznań, Crystal Palace, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Celje, Jagiellonia, Celta Vigo, Omonia.
- Pot 4: Hoffenheim, Beşiktaş, Torreense, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, NEC Nijmegen, Ararat, OFI Crete, Lillestrøm, Levski Sofia.
OFI Crete earned their spot in the league phase following a 2-0 victory over CSKA Sofia in Bulgaria, completing a two-leg qualification victory.
Europa League matchday calendar
The eight matchdays of the league phase will be played between September 2026 and January 2027:
- Matchday 1: September 16-17, 2026
- Matchday 2: October 15, 2026
- Matchday 3: October 22, 2026
- Matchday 4: November 5, 2026
- Matchday 5: November 26, 2026
- Matchday 6: December 10, 2026
- Matchday 7: January 21, 2027
- Matchday 8: January 28, 2027
Background and club context
The UEFA Europa League is Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, positioned below the UEFA Champions League. The current single-league format replaces the previous four-team group stage, giving every team eight distinct opponents across the opening phase.
Olympiacos, based in Piraeus, are one of Greece's most successful football clubs and won the UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2024. OFI Crete, based in Heraklion on the island of Crete, return to major European competition to represent Greek football alongside Piraeus club Olympiacos.
What happens next
Following the conclusion of the draw on Friday afternoon, UEFA will confirm the final fixture ordering and kickoff times for all eight matchdays across the autumn and winter schedule.
