The 2015–16 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase began on 30 June and ended on 6 August 2015. A total of 157 teams competed in the qualifying phase to decide which 44 teams would participate in the play-off round of the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League, the final round before the group stage.[1]
Matches could also be played on Tuesdays or Wednesdays instead of the regular Thursdays due to scheduling conflicts.
Format
In the qualifying phase and play-off round, each tie was played over two legs, with each team playing one leg at home. The team that scored more goals on aggregate over the two legs advanced to the next round. If the aggregate score was level, the away goals rule was applied, i.e., the team that scored more goals away from home over the two legs advanced. If away goals were also equal, then thirty minutes of extra time was played, divided into two fifteen-minutes halves. The away goals rule was again applied after extra time, i.e., if there were goals scored during extra time and the aggregate score was still level, the visiting team advanced by virtue of more away goals scored. If no goals were scored during extra time, the tie was decided by penalty shoot-out.[1]
In the draws for each round, teams were seeded based on their UEFA club coefficients at the beginning of the season, with the teams divided into seeded and unseeded pots. A seeded team was drawn against an unseeded team, with the order of legs in each tie decided by draw. Due to the limited time between matches, the draws for the second and third qualifying rounds took place before the results of the previous round were known. For these draws (or in any cases where the result of a tie in the previous round was not known at the time of the draw), the seeding was carried out under the assumption that the team with the higher coefficient of an undecided tie advanced to this round, which means if the team with the lower coefficient was to advance, it simply took the seeding of its defeated opponent. Prior to the draws, UEFA formed "groups" in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee, but they were purely for convenience of the draw and for ensuring that teams from the same association were not drawn against each other, and did not resemble any real groupings in the sense of the competition.[1]
Teams
A total of 157 teams were involved in the qualifying phase and play-off round (including the 15 losers of the Champions League third qualifying round which entered the play-off round). The 22 winners of the play-off round advanced to the group stage to join the 16 teams which entered in the group stage and the 10 losers of the Champions League play-off round.
Below are the participating teams (with their 2015 UEFA club coefficients),[5] grouped by their starting rounds.[6]
A total of 102 teams played in the first qualifying round.[3] The draw was held on 22 June 2015.[7][8] Teams were pre-assigned numbers by UEFA so that the draw could be held in one run for all groups with ten teams and another run for the group with twelve teams.
A total of 66 teams played in the second qualifying round: 15 teams which entered in this round, and the 51 winners of the first qualifying round.[3] The draw was held on 22 June 2015.[8][16] Teams were pre-assigned numbers by UEFA so that the draw could be held in one run for all groups with 10 teams and another run for all groups with 12 teams.
† Winners of the first qualifying round whose identity was not known at the time of the draw. Teams in italics defeated a team with a higher coefficient in the first qualifying round, thus effectively taking the coefficient of their defeated opponent in the draw for the second qualifying round.
Summary
The first legs were played on 16 July, and the second legs were played on 21 and 23 July 2015.
A total of 58 teams played in the third qualifying round: 25 teams which entered in this round, and the 33 winners of the second qualifying round.[4] The draw was held on 17 July 2015.[20][21] Teams were pre-assigned numbers by UEFA so that the draw could be held in one run for the group with 10 teams and another run for all groups with 12 teams.
† Winners of the second qualifying round whose identity was not known at the time of the draw. Teams in italics defeated a team with a higher coefficient in the second qualifying round, thus effectively taking the coefficient of their defeated opponent in the draw for the third qualifying round.
Summary
The first legs were played on 29 and 30 July, and the second legs were played on 6 August 2015.
^ abcKukësi played their home matches at Qemal Stafa National Stadium, Tirana, instead of their regular stadium Zeqir Ymeri Stadium, Kukës.
^ abAlashkert played their home matches at Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium, Yerevan, instead of their regular stadium Alashkert Stadium, Yerevan.
^Valletta played their home match at Hibernians Ground, Paola, instead of their regular stadium National Stadium, Ta' Qali.
^Renova played their home match at Philip II Arena, Skopje, instead of their regular stadium Gradski stadion, Tetovo.
^ abDacia Chișinău played their first qualifying round home match at CSR Orhei, Orhei, and second qualifying round match at Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, instead of their regular stadium Stadionul Moldova, Speia.[10]
^Olimpic played their home match at Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Sarajevo, instead of their regular stadium Stadion Otoka, Sarajevo.
^ abcSpartak Trnava played their home matches at Štadión FC ViOn, Zlaté Moravce, instead of their regular stadium Štadión Antona Malatinského, Trnava, due to renovation.[11]
^Bala Town played their home match at The Corbett Sports Stadium, Rhyl, instead of their regular stadium Maes Tegid, Bala.
^Shkëndija played their home match at Philip II Arena, Skopje, instead of their regular stadium Gradski stadion, Tetovo.
^Víkingur Gøta played their home match at Svangaskarð, Toftir, instead of their regular stadium Sarpugerði, Norðragøta.
^NSÍ Runavík played their home match at Svangaskarð, Toftir, instead of their regular stadium Við Løkin, Runavík.
^MTK Budapest played their home match at Ferenc Szusza Stadium, Budapest, instead of their temporary stadium Bozsik Stadion, Budapest.
^Balzan played their home match at Hibernians Ground, Paola, instead of their regular stadium National Stadium, Ta' Qali.
^ abcŽeljezničar played their home matches at Asim Ferhatović Hase Stadium, Sarajevo, instead of their regular stadium Stadion Grbavica, Sarajevo.
^Sillamäe Kalev played their home match at Rakvere linnastaadion, Rakvere, instead of their regular stadium Sillamäe Kalevi Stadium, Sillamäe.
^Hajduk Split played their first qualifying round home match at Stadion Hrvatski vitezovi, Dugopolje, instead of their regular stadium Stadion Poljud, Split, which was going to host the Ultra Europe festival the following weekend.[12]
^ abSpartaks Jūrmala played their home matches at Olympic Sports Center of Zemgale, Jelgava, instead of their regular stadium Slokas Stadium, Jūrmala.
^Randers played their first qualifying round home match at Energi Viborg Arena, Viborg, instead of their regular stadium AutoC Park Randers, Randers, due to a new turf being laid.[13]
^ abcApollon Limassol played their home matches at Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, instead of their regular stadium Tsirion Stadium, Limassol.
^Progrès Niederkorn played their home match at Stade Municipal, Differdange, instead of their regular stadium Stade Jos Haupert, Niederkorn.
^ abNõmme Kalju played their home matches at A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, instead of their regular stadium Hiiu Stadium, Tallinn.
^Dinamo Batumi played their home match at David Abashidze Stadium, Zestaponi, instead of their temporary stadium Chele Arena, Kobuleti.
^Kruoja Pakruojis played their home match at Central Stadium, Šiauliai, instead of their regular stadium City Stadium, Pakruojis.
^Go Ahead Eagles played their home match at JENS Vesting, Emmen, instead of their regular stadium De Adelaarshorst, Deventer.
^The Ferencváros v Go Ahead Eagles match was played behind closed doors due to UEFA punishment.[14][15]
^Trakai played their first qualifying round home match at Darius and Girėnas Stadium, Kaunas, instead of their regular stadium LFF Stadium, Vilnius.
^HB played their home match at Tórsvøllur, Tórshavn, instead of their regular stadium Gundadalur, Tórshavn.
^VPS played their home match at Raatti Stadium, Oulu, instead of their regular stadium Hietalahti Stadium, Vaasa.
^ abMladost Podgorica played their home matches at Stadion pod Goricom, Podgorica, instead of their regular Stadion FK Mladost, Podgorica.
^ abBirkirkara played their first qualifying round home match at Hibernians Ground, Paola, and second qualifying round home match at National Stadium, Ta' Qali, instead of their regular stadium Infetti Ground, Birkirkara.
^Airbus UK Broughton played their home match at Nantporth, Bangor, instead of their regular stadium The Airfield, Broughton.
^AIK played their second qualifying round home match at Tele2 Arena, Stockholm, instead of their regular stadium Friends Arena, Solna, which was booked for an AC/DC concert.[18]
^Hapoel Be'er Sheva played their home match at Teddy Stadium, Jerusalem, instead of their regular stadium Turner Stadium, Be'er Sheva.
^ abGabala played their second qualifying round home match at Bakcell Arena, Baku, instead of their regular stadium City Stadium, Qabala, due to UEFA punishment.[19] Their third qualifying round home match was also played there.
^ abWolfsberger AC played their home matches at Wörthersee Stadion, Klagenfurt, instead of their regular stadium Lavanttal-Arena, Wolfsberg.
^Differdange 03 played their second qualifying round home match at Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg City, instead of their regular stadium Stade Municipal, Differdange.
^Cherno More Varna played their home match at Ludogorets Arena, Razgrad, instead of their regular stadium Ticha Stadium, Varna.
^Dinamo Minsk played their third qualifying round home match at OSK Brestskiy, Brest, instead of their temporary stadium Traktor Stadium, Minsk.
^AEK Larnaca played their home match at Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium, Larnaca, instead of their regular stadium GSZ Stadium, Larnaca.
^Sampdoria played their home match at Stadio Olimpico, Turin, instead of their regular stadium Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa, due to works on the playing surface.[24]
^The match was abandoned in the 52nd minute with a 2–1 lead for Legia Warsaw after a Legia Warsaw player was hit in the head by an object thrown from the crowd. On 4 August 2015, UEFA awarded Legia Warsaw with a 3–0 win against Kukësi[22][25] Kukësi were given a €70,000 fine and ordered to play their next home match behind closed doors.[26]
^Rubin Kazan played their home match at Central Stadium, Kazan, instead of their regular stadium Kazan Arena, Kazan, which was hosting the 2015 World Aquatics Championships.[27]
^Ironi Kiryat Shmona played their home match at Netanya Stadium, Netanya, instead of their regular stadium Municipal Stadium, Kiryat Shmona.
^Rheindorf Altach played their home match at Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck, instead of their regular stadium Cashpoint-Arena, Altach.
^"AIK vidare - nu får de spela i fiendeland" [AIK through to next round - now they have to play on enemy grounds.] (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
^""Qəbələ" UEFA-dan faks aldı" [Gabala received a fax from UEFA] (in Azerbaijani). Futbolinfo.az. 15 July 2015. Archived from the original on 24 July 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2015.
Note: Between the 1999–2000 and 2008–09 seasons, the competition was still known as the UEFA Cup. All seasons are included following the competition's absorption of the Cup Winners' Cup.
