Sunderland’s Europa League spot explained, draw, opponents, finances and squad rules | OneFootball

Sunderland will play in the Europa League next season after a final day win at Chelsea sealed their first European qualification since 1973.

According to Sunderland Echo, finishing seventh sends Sunderland and Bournemouth straight into the league phase, guaranteeing eight games, while Brighton take the Conference League berth and must qualify.

The league phase draw is on 28 August, a day after the final qualifiers. Matchweeks run 16-17 September to 28 January.

Teams are seeded into four pots by coefficient, then draw two opponents from each pot, one home and one away. After eight rounds, top eight reach the last 16, 16-24 enter play-offs, the bottom eight go out.

Sunderland’s pot is unclear and Champions League drop-ins will change the field, but potential opponents include Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille, AC Milan and Juventus, with Benfica and Besiktas in qualifying.

UEFA paid £3.7 million for league phase entry last season, plus £389,000 per win and £130,000 per draw. A deep run could be worth about £20 million, with Spurs estimated over £40 million last season and Aston Villa set for similar, and the English TV pool could add more.

European entrants can spend only 70% of revenue on first team costs, compared to 85% for domestic-only Premier League clubs. Squads comprise 25 ‘List A’ players, eight homegrown, split between club and association trained, plus a ‘List B’ for eligible under-21s with two years’ service.

The final will take place at Frankfurt’s Waldstadion on 26 May 2027.

Source: Sunderland Echo