Page 57 - Soccer360 - Issue 103

2023-24
KEY DATES
GROUP STAGE
DRAW
September 1
GROUP STAGE
Sept 21 - Dec 14
ROUND OF 16
DRAW
Feb 23
ROUND OF 16
Mar 7 - Mar 14
DRAW
March 15
QUARTER FINALS
April 11 - 18
SEMI FINALS
May 2 - May 9
FINALS
May 22, 2024 at Aviva Stadium, Dublin
QUARTER FINALS
& SEMI FINALS
ROMA WILL BE LOOKING TO MAKE IT THREE EUROPEAN FINAL APPEARANCES IN THREE YEARS
Roma’s head coach Jose’ Mourinho reacts at the end of the Italian Serie A soccer match between AS Roma vs ASC Spezia
Players of West Ham celebrate after scoring the 2-1 lead during the
English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Chelsea FC
DID YOU
Despite finishing mid-table last year in the Premier League, West Ham will be participating in this year’s Europa League due to the fact that they won the Europa Conference League last season.
KNOW?
an injection of youth and Klopp has brought in some very exciting new arrivals in order to finish in the top four of the Premier League at least. A long run in the Europa League must also be on the cards and provides a potentially useful fallback option should their league form falter.
West Ham United and Brighton are the other English representatives at the moment, but it is Spain and Italy that provide some very interesting challengers for the Europa League title. Villarreal and Real Betis will give anyone a good game this year, while Atalanta and Roma are both to be feared too. Jose Mourinho only just lost out on winning this competition last season and will want to make amends this time. Ajax are also a team to keep an eye on. The side that made it all the way to the Champions League semi-final a few years ago is long gone, but if the Dutch side can build up a
head of steam this season, they are a club that could do well.
SOCCER360 MAGAZINE 57
A RETURN
TO ENGLISH DOMINANCE?
Manchester City and West Ham United claimed two of the three European club competitions last season. Dan Roberts investigates whether it is the beginning of an English renaissance.
The English Premier League is the wealthiest in Europe, so there should perhaps be an expectation that its clubs will dominate the continental competitions. But after a period of great success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, titles returning to the so-called home of football have been more sporadic than commonplace.
There have been a number of all-England Champions League finals over the years but the two other competitions have routinely been dismissed as unimportant by Premier League clubs and fans. But now that West Ham have won their second-ever major European title - in the same year that Manchester City finally claimed the most important prize of all - should we get ready for another spell of English dominance? There is no doubt that Pep Guardiola’s
side should feature in the latter stages of this season’s Champions League. But it is West Ham’s success that may have more
of an effect. Both the Europa League and Europa Conference League have regularly been a low priority for English clubs – even for those who rarely enjoy the trappings of Champions League qualification. But seeing how the Hammers celebrated winning the third-tier competition could start a new way of thinking.
Spanish, Italian and German clubs have always regarded any European qualification as important and success as something
to be celebrated. If English clubs now feel that emulating West Ham is a worthwhile endeavour, there could be even more Premier League sides featuring in the big games at the end of each season. For instance in 2023- 24, that could be the likes of Aston Villa
or Brighton.
BELOW: Declan Rice (C) of West Ham celebrates with the trophy after winning the UEFA Europa Conference League