The Drama of Thursday Nights: What Makes the Europa League Special

With the Champions League kicking off this week, all eyes are once again set at the European competitions. While the CL takes the crown, Europa League is the more charming competition some would argue. We can’t deny that there is something unique when your team plays the games on Thursday night. Yes, the prize money and prestige are bigger in the Champions League, but for many teams it is a pipe dream to win the CL. Yet, in Europa League all teams have the same ambition, to win it and get your CL spot served on a plate.

With less than one week to go before the start of the second best European club competition, it is the right moment to dedicate some time to the Europa League. It is a special competition, there’s no doubt about it. But, what makes the EL so special? There are more than a few reasons. UEFA Europa League Expert Picks and Predictions are already saying that we will have a tournament like we have never seen before. Here’s what will add to it.

A Wider Range of Clubs

We’re not going to claim that the Champions League is dull, but...What if it is? It is the competition for the richest European clubs. No matter how much effort UEFA authorities make into making it more diverse and adding parity to it, they fail. At the end of the day, it is always the same group of teams that makes strides in the CL. Each year, we have Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, and PSG, taking up the top positions.

The Europa League is nothing like it. It is not a playground for the European top 5 leagues to play in. Just take a look at the league table this year. We have teams from England, Spain, France, Italy, and Germany too, and that’s fine. Also, the countries such as Austria, Czech Republic, Belgium, Holland, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, Greece, Croatia, Serbia, Israel, Norway, Scotland, Switzerland, Turkey, Hungary, and Bulgaria are all competing for the Europe League trophy.

Not only that some of the matchups in this competition never happened before, but some of these teams haven’t had any success on the European scene in the past. This is their opportunity to make a mark on the continent, and it is what makes it so much fun to bet on UEFA Europa League.

A Stage For The Underdogs to Shine

As we said, the Champions League has the same group of favorites year in and year out. There hasn’t been an underdog win in the CL since Jose Mourinho and his Porto team. Recently it was an arms race between Barcelona and Real Madrid, with a few sprinkles of English teams managing to sneak in before PSG finally took the crowns after years and billions trying to win it. Also, let’s not forget the most forgettable Bayern Munich win. Same old, same old in the Champions League.

Europa League, on the other hand, has more parity. The competition was recently won by Tottenham Hotspur, a team cursed by not being able to win any trophy, then Sevilla (on seven occasions making the Andalusia team the biggest draw in the competition), Eintracht Frankfurt, Atalanta, Villarreal, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, CSKA Moscow, Feyenoord, Porto, Galatasaray, Parma, and Zenit Saint Petersburg among many others.

When we say diversified we think of the Europa League. The new format has made the competition even more interesting than ever before. When you look at the teams competing, we have so many massive teams on national level, who are deserving of Champions League. These fan bases are so used to success that more than half of the teams in the EL are gearing up to win the trophy. Just some of the teams that will see it as a failure not to win this competition include Aston Villa, Fenerbahce and Galatasaray, Celtic, Porto, Stuttgart, AS Roma, Salzburg, Lille, and Nottingham Forest.

A Champions League Spot

Winning a trophy is nice, but winning the Europa League is a path to the Champions League. While, at least for us, the EL has more charm, there is no arguing that for some teams the CL money is hard to pass on. Many teams depend on the cash influx from the CL, and this year they see a chance to get there by winning the EL. Teams from Turkey who had issues reaching the CL through qualifications are aiming at winning the EL after spending millions in the transfer market. The same goes for Aston Villa that will be looking to win the Europa League to get to the CL as it is getting rather hard to do it through the Premier League. The same logic applies to most teams competing in the EL this year, and we can say that the parity has never been tighter.

The Variety of Clubs & The Drama Ensuing

The new format of the Europa League will add a new layer of drama to an already exciting competition. The best part is that there are no longer teams dropping down from the CL, who instantly become favorites to win the EL. Instead, 24 teams make it to the later stage, with only 8 skipping the January elimination rounds. When the league season is done, the fun will start, and we are all for it. Just imagine the drama if the Turkish giants get drawn to play each other in the quarter finals. How about a faceoff between Dinamo and Crvena Zvezda? Now that would be absolute cinema and no Champions League fixture would spark so much tension, fan passion, and of course a little bit of neighbouring hatred. Also, there is a chance that we could witness an Old Firm at the European stage, and always passionate Greek vs. Turkish teams going at it, or how about black and white brothers of Partizan from Thessaloniki going against Crvena Zvezda Belgrade?

There are plenty of possible scenarios awaiting us later, but the draw has already given us plenty of variety. You will not find exotic encounters such as Viktoria Plzen vs. Malmo FF, Betis vs. Utrecht, Dinamo vs. Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos vs. Go Ahead Eagles, Brann vs. Rangers, or Crvena Zvezda vs. Celtic. A sheer and unlimited dose of variety that will ensure some drama, there's no doubt about it, both early on and especially during the latter stages of the EL.

Big Stage For Young Players

Many teams that play in the Europa League come from lesser leagues and are dependent on player’s sales to make a living. Not all leagues have the TV deal that made the Premier League so rich. For many players, playing on the European stage is a chance to be noticed by scouts and to make big transfers in the next few months. At the end of the day, football is business, players are employees, and everyone has to make a living. The most recent example of a player making a big jump after showcasing his skills on the European stage is Veljko Milosavljevic who transferred from Crvena Zvezda to Bournemouth during the summer for 15 million Euros. Many youngsters playing in the Europa League will be looking to make a jump in the future too, after the group stage of the competition is over. In the past many players who have impressed in the EL have made massive transfers later on with the most notable names being Omar Marmoush, Martin Zubimendi, Evann Guessand, and Nico Gonzalez among many others.

The Unique Atmosphere

We’re not going to claim that the atmosphere is better in the Europa League than it is in the Champions League, but there is truth to it. Let’s take the example of Crvena Zvezda Belgrade. Their tifosi, Delije, are known as some of the most passionate fans in the world. During the last year’s run in the Champions League Crvena Zvezda stadium, the famous Marakana, was filled for each game. Yet, those were not the matches fans expected their team to win.

This year, the expectations are much higher. Most fans of the red and white are convinced their team can go far in the EL under the right circumstances. So, when they greet Celtic in the first round, you can expect a full stadium, and an atmosphere rivalling that of the Old Firm. The fans will be there for the Lille game, and also for the encounters with neighbouring FCSB, and Celta Vigo. No Champions League stadium can compare the atmosphere to the Crvena Zvezda stadium that now goes under the name Rajko Mitic Stadium.

When you know that Europa League games are also going to be played at Ibrox, Celtic Park, Ali Sami Yen Stadium, Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Stade Pierre Mauroy, Villa Park, Toumba Stadium, Leoforos Alexandras Stadium, Maksimir, Villamarin Stadium, and De Kuip you know the atmosphere is the last thing this year’s Europa League will be lacking. Have the home advantage on your mind when you wager on Stake.com on the EL games.

A Chance of Creating a Long Lasting Legacy

Just look at what winning the Europe League has done for Sevilla. The team has won seven EL trophies, and the competition is now part of the team’s identity. While disrespected back in the day, today, winning Europa League carries a certain dose of prestige, fine monetary reward, and also participation in the Champions League. For many teams, it makes it worth it to compete, and as we saw in recent years, not even one team underestimated the competition. Winning the EL is a respected achievement. Due to its unpredictable nature, opportunity to bring home an international trophy, and the fact that many underdogs have managed to lift the trophy in the past, the passion of EL remains without precedent. Trust us when we say it, this trophy feels that it is up for grabs by both the fans of big teams in the competition such as Aston Villa, Celtic, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, and Porto, the same way it does for Crvena Zvezda, Feyenoord, or even PAOK and Basel.

Thursday Night Football

The term of Thursday night football is associated with the NFL first and foremost. Yet, for decades now, it is reserved for EL football. While in the past it lacked the quality, nowadays it is a super quality TV product. There are no games played on Thursday besides EL, which aids it in taking the centre stage. When the 2025/26 Europa League season starts we will witness what’s seen as the second tier of European football. Yet, the quality it provides is on a close level to the CL. Just some of the matches you need to pay attention to in one week’s time include duels such as Betis vs. Nottingham Forest, Braga vs. Feyenoord, Crvena Zvezda vs. Celtic, Dinamo vs. Fenerbahce, Nice vs. AS Roma, Aston Villa vs. Bologna, Stuttgart vs. Celta Vigo, and Utrecht vs. Lyon. It’s Thursday Night Football at its best.

One of a Kind Venues

Europa League pairs teams from farthest north such as Celtic, Rangers, and Brann, to those from the far south such as PAOK, Panathinaikos, Nice and Betis. It goes to the west of Europe where we have Celta Vigo and Porto, and far east to Razgrad and Ludogorets, and FCSB in Bucharest. This type of diversity cannot be found nowhere in the world, regardless of the competition. Some of these teams haven’t hosted European football for decades, which is a sign that their fans will be more than eager to show their true colours and fan passion.

The 2025/26 Europa League kicks off on Thursday, 24th of September, and it will signal a long season of European football to come. The fans of the game from all over the world will have a chance to witness the talent of Paulo Dybala in Rome, Katai and Arnautovic in Belgrade, Antony in Seville, Franculino in Herning, Osimhen in Istanbul, and Olivier Giroud in Lille among many others. We hope you’re ready.