So, we've qualified for the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage for the first time?
That's right! West Ham United’s seventh-place Premier League finish last season and a 6-1 aggregate victory over Danish Superliga side Viborg FF in the play-off round have secured a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) group stage for the first time.
It is the second season in succession that the Hammers have reached the group stage of European competition, as David Moyes' men topped UEFA Europa League Group H on the way to the semi-finals last term.
With another European campaign to plan for alongside the Premier League, Carabao Cup - we will host Blackburn Rovers in the third round in November - and FA Cup, the Irons could be looking at playing over 50 first team matches for the second straight season, so there is lots to be excited about - again!
The UEFA Europa Conference League is a fairly new competition, so what can you tell me about it?
Yes. The third tier of active European club football competitions, after the Champions League and the Europa League, the UEFA Europa Conference League (UECL) was introduced at the start of the 2021/22 season and was won by Italian club Roma.
Contested by 177 teams from UEFA’s 54 member associations (Russian clubs are currently excluded from UEFA competitions), three qualifying rounds and one play-off round have whittled them down to 32 for the group stage.
We will face three opponents home and away, with ties to be played on Thursday 8 and 15 September, 6, 13 and 27 October and 3 November.
The UECL will then take a break until the New Year, kicking-off with the knockout round play-offs on Thursdays 16 and 23 February and round of 16 on Thursdays 9 and 16 March.
As in the Europa League, the eight group winners will go through directly to the round of 16, with the eight group runners-up going through to a preliminary knockout round, where they will face a third-place group-stage finisher from the Europa League.
From there, the competition follows a two-legged knockout format all the way to the final, which will be hosted at Slavia Prague’s Fortuna Arena in the Czech Republic on 7 June next year.
When will the draw take place?
The 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage draw will take place from 1.30pm BST on 26 August in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Where are we seeded in our group?
Our position in the draw is governed by which other 31 clubs are taking part in the group stage and our 2022 UEFA club coefficient (CC).
West Ham United’s CC is 21.328.
Clubs who have competed in Europe regularly in recent seasons have higher CCs than those who have only qualified occasionally.
But, to cut a long story short, we are seeded in Pot 1.
Once the draw has taken place, clubs will hold discussions with each other, UEFA and other relevant stakeholders to decide and confirm the fixture list.
So, who could we play against?
West Ham United are in Pot 1, which means we can be drawn against any of the 24 teams in Pots 2, 3 and 4.
As such, our 23 potential opponents are as follows:
| Pot 1 | Pot 2 | Pot 3 | Pot 4 |
| Villarreal (ESP) | Cluj (ROU) | Nice (FRA) | Dnipro (UKR) |
| Basel (SUI) | Molde (NOR) | Anderlecht (BEL) | Lech Poznan (POL) |
| Slavia Prague (CZE) | Steaua Bucharest (ROU) | Zalgiris (LTU) | Slovacko (CZE) |
| AZ Alkmaar (NED) | Fiorentina (ITA) | Austria Vienna (Austria) | Silkeborg (DNK) |
| Gent (BEL) | Cologne (GER) | Heart of Midlothian (SCO) | Djurgardens (SWE) |
| Istanbul Basaksehir (TUR) | Hapoel Be’er Sheva (ISR) | Shamrock Rovers (IRE) | Pyunik (ARM) |
| Partizan (SRB) | Apollon Limassol (CYP) | Sivasspor (TUR) | RFS (LAT) |
| West Ham United (ENG) | Slovan Bratislava (SVK) | Vaduz (LIE) | Ballkani (KOS) |
When will our group-stage matches take place?
Our six group-stage fixtures will be held on Thursday evenings throughout the autumn as follows:
Group stage
8 September 2022: Matchday 1
15 September 2022: Matchday 2
6 October 2022: Matchday 3
13 October 2022: Matchday 4
27 October 2022: Matchday 5
3 November 2022: Matchday 6
Should we progress as group winners, we will not play again until March in the round of 16. Should we progress as group runners-up, we will take on a UEFA Europa League third-place group-stage finisher in a preliminary knockout round in February.
Knockout stages
16 & 23 February 2023: Preliminary knockout round
9 & 16 March 2023: Round of 16
13 & 20 April 2023: Quarter-finals
11 & 18 May 2023: Semi-finals
7 June 2023: Final (Fortuna Arena, Prague, Czech Republic)