Key Takeaways:
- The Conference League playoff draw was conducted in Nyon, Switzerland, confirming eight matchups for next month’s play-off ties
- Crystal Palace will travel to Bosnia & Herzegovina to meet Zrinjski, while AZ Alkmaar have been paired with Armenian side Noah
- The play-offs, to be held over two legs on 19th and 26th February, will determine the final eight teams joining the last 16
Conference League Play-off Draw: English Interest and Notable Matches
The Conference League playoff draw, held in Nyon, Switzerland, on Friday, mapped out the key fixtures that will decide which clubs progress to the last 16 stage next month. Eight ties were confirmed, involving teams that performed strongly in the League Phase alongside several automatic qualifiers.
Crystal Palace, the Premier League’s only representatives in this season’s competition, have been handed an away fixture against Zrinjski. With a significant disparity in resources and squad depth, Palace are considered strong favourites to progress. AZ Alkmaar will meet Noah of Armenia, while reigning Finnish champions KuPS head to Poland to take on Lech Poznan. Notably, Fiorentina, last season’s quarter-finalists, face a challenging opener against Jagiellonia of Poland.
The knockout phase play-off draw is complete ✅#UECL | #UECLdraw pic.twitter.com/faXZJfuv81
— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) January 16, 2026
Seeding Mechanism and Knockout Bracket Overview
The play-offs include the eight teams that have automatically qualified for the last 16: Strasbourg, Rakow, AEK Athens, Sparta Prague, Rayo Vallecano, Shakhtar, Mainz, and AEK Larnaca. Teams finishing 9th to 16th in the League Phase were seeded for the play-off draw, while sides placed between 17th and 24th entered unseeded, ensuring evenly balanced fixtures from both halves of the ranking.
This lottery has also established the structure of the knockout bracket ahead of the road to Leipzig, where the competition’s final will be held on 27th May.
Focus on Key Ties: Fiorentina Versus Jagiellonia
Arguably the standout fixture is Fiorentina’s pairing with Jagiellonia. Both teams achieved quarter-final berths last campaign before their exits to Real Betis, the 2024/25 runners-up. While Fiorentina have endured a turbulent domestic season and find themselves in a Serie A relegation battle despite recent improvements, Jagiellonia are performing strongly, sitting third in their league and trailing the leaders by just one point.
Fixture List and Seeding Details
Below is the complete schedule for the Conference League play-off round, including each team’s assigned seeding:
| Seeded Team | Unseeded Team |
|---|---|
| Jagiellonia (17) | Fiorentina (15) |
| Omonoia (18) | Rijeka (16) |
| Noah (19) | AZ Alkmaar (14) |
| Drita (20) | Celje (13) |
| KuPS (21) | Lech Poznan (11) |
| Shkendija (22) | Samsunspor (12) |
| Zrinjski (23) | Crystal Palace (10) |
| Sigma Olomouc (24) | Lausanne (9) |
Looking Ahead
The opening play-off legs will be played on 19th February, with the return fixtures scheduled for 26th February. Full kick-off times are to be revealed on 30th January. The culmination of the Conference League season is set for Leipzig on 27th May, where the final will take place.
