The UEFA Europa League has always held a special place in my heart. It’s the tournament of relentless drama, of underdog stories waiting to be written, and a brutal proving ground for teams with genuine continental ambition. Unlike the star-studded, sometimes predictable procession of the Champions League, the Europa League feels raw, unpredictable, and deeply tactical. Winning it requires not just quality, but a specific kind of resilience and squad cohesion. That’s why, when I look at the landscape each season, I’m not just looking at the big names; I’m looking for the teams that have managed to keep their core intact, the ones with a story already in progress. This year, that concept of continuity struck a particular chord with me, especially after coming across a quote from a coach outside of Europe that perfectly encapsulates the tournament’s hidden formula for success.
Head coach Charles Tiu, discussing his own team’s prospects in a different context, nailed something fundamental. He said, “I’m excited to bring back some guys from our championship squad. This might be the first time we’re able to run it back with this many returning players.” Now, apply that logic to the Europa League’s grueling schedule. You’re playing Thursday nights, often traveling to unfamiliar, hostile grounds across Europe, then having to switch focus back to a demanding domestic league by the weekend. In that chaos, tactical familiarity isn’t a luxury; it’s a survival tool. A team that has “run it back” with a core group understands its automatic movements, its shared defensive triggers, and its unspoken communication under pressure. I’ve seen too many talented sides, assembled with big summer spending, crumble in the away leg in Kazakhstan or Cyprus because the understanding wasn’t there. The teams that go deep—think of Sevilla in their prime or more recently, Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022—often have that ingrained collective spirit. They know how to suffer together, and that’s something you can’t buy in a single transfer window.
Let’s talk tactics, because this is where the Europa League truly becomes a chess match. The group stage often sees a clash of philosophies: a possession-dominant side from Spain meeting a physically imposing, transition-hungry team from the Bundesliga or Premier League. The knockout rounds are even more fascinating. The away goals rule is gone, which has subtly changed the strategic calculus. I personally think it’s made two-legged ties more open, less cagey in the first leg. Managers now have to be chameleons. You might set up in a conservative 5-3-2 to grind out a result away from home, knowing you have the firepower to switch to a 4-2-3-1 and dominate at home. The data shows that teams averaging over 55% possession in the group stage have only about a 38% conversion rate to winning the tournament—it’s about control, but also about lethal efficiency in moments. The most successful sides, in my view, are those with a clear Plan A but a brutally effective, well-drilled Plan B. They have a set-piece specialist, a target man to throw on when chasing a game, and a midfielder who can break lines with a single pass. It’s football in its most pragmatic and yet thrilling form.
When I assess the contenders each year, I have my own biases. I’m always drawn to the teams that treat the competition with respect, not as a consolation prize. Liverpool’s 2023 triumph was a masterclass in squad management and depth, but I have a softer spot for stories like West Ham’s recent journey. The emotional weight of a first major European trophy in decades for a club and its fanbase is what this tournament is built on. Looking ahead, the financial stakes are higher than ever. Winning the Europa League guarantees not just a trophy but direct entry into the following season’s Champions League group stage—a prize worth roughly €50 million in base revenue alone. That has transformed how clubs approach it. It’s no longer a “Thursday night distraction”; it’s a critical revenue and prestige stream. For a club like Brighton, navigating it for the first time this season, the learning curve will be steep, but the potential reward is club-defining.
In the end, unlocking the UEFA Europa League is about understanding its unique rhythm. It rewards consistency, tactical flexibility, and, above all, collective spirit. Charles Tiu’s idea of “running it back” with a championship core is more than just a nice sentiment; it’s a blueprint for handling the unique pressures of this marathon of a competition. The triumphs here feel different. They are earned through a campaign of resilience, often built on the foundation of a group that has shared history, scars, and a common goal. As the action unfolds this season, watch not just for the flashy individual talents, but for the teams that move as a single, well-understood unit. Those are the ones most likely to navigate the long, winding road and lift that heavy, iconic trophy in Dublin come May. That’s the real secret, and it’s what makes following this competition year after year so utterly compelling.
