欧足联欧洲联赛
| The UEFA Europa League logo. | |
| 成立 | 1971年（2009年改成现制） |
|---|---|
| 地区 | 欧洲（UEFA） |
| 参赛队数 | 48 （分组赛） +8 clubs join after Champions League group stage[1] 160 (总计) |
 2009–10 | |
欧足联欧洲联赛（UEFA Europa League）是欧洲第二大的欧洲俱乐部赛事，仅次于欧洲冠军联赛。欧洲联赛是一项年度的足球杯赛，供所有欧洲足总成员国的球会参赛，参赛资格根据球会在所在国的联赛表现及杯赛表现。
欧洲联赛的前身是欧洲足总杯（UEFA Cup），于2009年6月正式改制为现欧足联欧洲联赛，2009-10赛季开始进行赛事[2][3]。欧洲足总将欧洲联赛定性为欧洲足总杯的延续，改变的仅是赛制及宣传包装。
此赛事的历史可追溯至1971年，该年欧洲足总接手1955年组织的城市博览会杯，改为欧洲足总杯。1999年，欧洲优胜者杯（UEFA Cup Winners' Cup）被取消并并入欧洲足总杯[4]。
The competition began in 1971 and replaced the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. For UEFA footballing records purposes, the Inter-Cities Fair Cup is recognised as the direct predecessor of the UEFA Cup. In 1999, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was abolished and merged with the UEFA Cup.[5] For the 2005/6 competition a group stage was added prior to the knock out stage. The 2009 rebranding will see a merge of the UEFA Intertoto Cup producing an enlarged competition format, with an expanded group stage and changed qualifying criteria.
乌克兰球队顿涅茨克矿工是此项赛事的现任冠军，顿涅茨克矿工在去届决赛击败来自德国的云达不来梅，成为欧洲足总杯的最后一任冠军。
- ^ The top three teams in each group advance to the round of 32, where they are joined by the eight third-place teams in the Champions League group phase.
- ^ Uefa Cup gets new name in revamp. bbc.co.uk. [2008-09-26].
- ^ UEFA Cup to become UEFA Europa League. uefa.com. [2008-09-26].
- ^ UEFA Cup History. UEFA.com. [2008-04-27].
- ^ UEFA Cup History. UEFA.com. [2008-04-27].