Heidenheim engaging in their European expedition against Chelsea and Erdoğan Side
Exciting Draw for Europa League Debutants FC Heidenheim: Promoted Bundesliga side from last year drawn against billionaire-backed FC Chelsea, alongside Turkish-linked Başakşehir FK.
Making their entrance into the Europa League, FC Heidenheim have scored a fantastic draw, setting them up for a home clash against English heavyweights FC Chelsea. The draw for this reformed competition took place in Monaco. The group stage for the Conference League commences from October 3 to December 19, with the exact match dates yet to be announced.
Following their thrilling 3-2 victory in the qualifying playoff against BK Häcken, FC Heidenheim had another reason to rejoice. Struggling English Premiere League side Chelsea, crowned Champions League winners in 2012 and 2021, will be visiting the Ostalb region - the fairy tale continues for Heidenheim. Besides Chelsea, the side coached by Frank Schmidt will also host Slovenian outfit Olimpija Ljubljana and Swiss team FC St. Gallen, while traveling to Turkey to face Başakşehir, a club associated with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his AKP party, Scottish outfit Hearts of Midlothian, and FC Paphos from Cyprus.
Conference League Final in Wrocław
In a manner similar to the Champions League, whose draw occurred on Thursday, the 'ligaphase' will replace the group stage in both the restructured European competitions from the 2024/25 season. In the Europa League, 36 teams will engage with eight opponents, playing four home and away games each. In the Conference League, 36 teams will participate in the 'ligaphase', but against only six opponents (three at home, three away). In both competitions, teams will be ranked in a table, with the top eight proceeding directly to the round of 16. Teams ranked from ninth to 16th will contend against teams ranked 17th to 24th in the playoffs. Teams positioned 25th and below will be eliminated. The Europa League final will take place on May 21 in Bilbao, while the Conference League final will be staged on May 28 in Wrocław.
FC Heidenheim's Soccer journey in the Europa League continues with an exciting home match against Chelsea, a renowned English club. Post their victory against BK Häcken, Heidenheim now faces challenges from not only Chelsea but also Turkish-linked Bas̆akşehir FK, Olimpija Ljubljana, and FC St. Gallen in their group.
