Conference League Draw Sets Abu Fani Against Salah, Ajax Faces Atalanta
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
The 2026 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage draw paired Israeli Mohammed Abu Fani's Red Star Belgrade against Mohamed Salah's Trabzonspor, while Oscar Gloukh's Ajax will face Atalanta. Twente, featuring Satu Lemkin, was drawn against Freiburg. The tournament format involves 36 teams playing six matches each, with top teams advancing to the knockout stages.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Mohammed Abu Fani's Red Star Belgrade will face Mohamed Salah's Trabzonspor in the Conference League group stage.
- Oscar Gloukh's Ajax is drawn against Atalanta and Getafe among other teams.
- Satu Lemkin and Twente will compete against Freiburg and other clubs in their group.
- The Conference League features 36 teams divided into six pots playing six matches each.
- Top eight teams advance directly to the round of 16; teams ranked 9-24 enter a knockout round.
- Ajax, Red Star Belgrade, and Twente's full group opponents were announced in the draw.
The draw for the UEFA Europa Conference League group stage took place on August 28, 2026, revealing matchups involving several notable players and teams. Israeli midfielder Mohammed Abu Fani and his club Red Star Belgrade will face Turkish side Trabzonspor, featuring Egyptian star Mohamed Salah. Meanwhile, Dutch player Oscar Gloukh and Ajax will compete against Italian club Atalanta and Spanish team Getafe. Additionally, Israeli player Satu Lemkin and Twente were drawn to play against Freiburg from Germany.
The Conference League format includes 36 teams divided into six different pots, all competing in a single league table. Each team plays six matches, three home and three away, against different opponents. The top eight teams after these rounds advance directly to the round of 16, while teams ranked 9th to 24th enter a knockout round to compete for the remaining eight spots in the round of 16.
Ajax's group opponents are Atalanta (home), Midtjylland (away), Getafe (home), Sint-Truiden (away), Thun (home), and Hajduk Split (away). Red Star Belgrade will face Copenhagen (home), Gent (away), Trabzonspor (home), Lugano (away), Inter Escaldes (home), and Iberia Tbilisi (away). Twente's group includes Pafos (home), Freiburg (away), Kairat Almaty (home), Lincoln Red Imps (away), Thun (home), and Aarhus (away). The draw sets the stage for a competitive European campaign for these players and their clubs.
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