After an opening matchday in the Champions League that showcased Como’s strength and European ambitions, the coming week sees the Europa League and Conference League kick off with the first round of the mega-group stage for the 2026/27 season.
The Europa League, like the Champions League, features 8 matchdays (4 home and 4 away games for each team) in the first phase, while the Conference League—where Atalanta will represent Italy—doesn’t get underway until mid-October, with a total of 6 matchdays (3 home and 3 away) in its opening phase.
Let’s focus on the Europa League, and on the campaigns of Milan and Juve, who, thanks to their squad depth and tradition, start out as two of the main contenders for this year’s Europa League.
Milan
Missing out on Champions League qualification on the final day of last season hit Milan hard, so much so that the very next day saw the departure of manager Allegri and the entire management team.
This season, the club has started anew with Amorim on the bench and a squad still searching for its identity, facing yet another rebuild. Milan’s European schedule is far from straightforward: they open at San Siro against Benfica (Amorim’s former club as a player), and while the two English sides, Bournemouth and Sunderland, aren’t part of the Premier League elite, they’re still dangerous and worthy opponents. On paper, the matches against Levski Sofia, Ferencvaros, and Armenian side Ararat look more manageable, but trips to Salzburg and Olympiacos should not be underestimated either.
Here’s Milan’s fixture list and match dates for the first phase of their European campaign:
- Milan vs Benfica, Wednesday 16 September 2026, 21:00
- Salzburg vs Milan, Thursday 15 October 2026, 18:45
- Bournemouth vs Milan, Thursday 5 November 2026, 18:45
- Milan vs Ferencvaros, Tuesday 3 November 2026, 21:00
- Olympiacos vs Milan, Thursday 26 November 2026, 18:45
- Milan vs Sunderland, Thursday 10 December 2026, 21:00
- Levski Sofia vs Milan, Thursday 21 January 2027, 21:00
- Milan vs Ararat, Thursday 28 January 2027, 21:00
Juventus
Like Milan, Juve were left reeling after missing out on the Champions League on the final day of last season and dropping into the Europa League. In Turin, they opted to shake up the front office but kept Spalletti on the bench, tasking him with delivering results both in Serie A and in Europe.
The start of the season has been plagued by injuries for the Bianconeri, with Locatelli ruled out for six months, and both Yildiz and Kephren Thuram also facing lengthy spells on the sidelines. The draw, however, appears slightly kinder than Milan’s, though the two Spanish sides—Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo—could pose some problems. Rennes have been a solid Ligue 1 side for years, as have AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, while the other opponents don’t look like insurmountable obstacles.
Here’s Juventus’ fixture list and match dates for the first phase of the Europa League:
- Juventus vs NEC Nijmegen, Thursday 17 September 2026, 21:00
- Celta Vigo vs Juventus, Thursday 15 October 2026, 21:00
- Juventus vs Rennes, Thursday 22 October 2026, 18:45
- AZ Alkmaar vs Juventus, Thursday 5 November 2026, 21:00
- Juventus vs Omonia Nicosia, Thursday 26 November 2026, 21:00
- Hapoel Beer Sheva vs Juventus, Thursday 10 December 2026, 18:45
- Ferencvaros vs Juventus, Thursday 21 January 2027, 18:45
- Juventus vs Real Sociedad, Thursday 28 January 2027, 21:00
How many times have Italian teams won the Europa League?
Since the competition adopted its current name (in the 2009/10 season), only Gasperini’s Atalanta in 2024 have managed to win the Europa League.
Back in the 1990s, however, when it was still known as the UEFA Cup, Italian teams dominated the competition. Inter have won it three times (1991, beating Roma in the final; 1994 and 1998, both finals against Lazio), Juve also three times (1977; 1990, beating Fiorentina in the final; and 1993), Parma twice (1995, beating Juve in the final, and 1999), and Napoli and Atalanta have each won it once, as mentioned earlier.
That makes a total of 10 wins for Italian clubs, but Spain leads the way with 14 victories (7 of those by Sevilla alone), and England has also overtaken Italy with 11 triumphs.