VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg face a tough Europa League challenge!

VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg face a tough Europa League challenge!

On August 29, 2025 the time had finally come: the draw for the Europa League and the Conference League took place in the glamorous Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. Not only was the excitement among the fans palpable, the lottery fairy Jürgen Klinsmann also left the German representatives with mixed feelings. While VfB Stuttgart and SC Freiburg are confronted with strong orders, things look much rosier for FSV Mainz 05.

There are some real tests ahead for VfB Stuttgart. The Swabian team will face well-known opponents such as AS Roma, Feyenoord Rotterdam and Fenerbahçe Istanbul in the Europa League. Celta Vigo and FC Basel are also in the group, which represents a real challenge for Stuttgart. The draw was completed at 1:54 p.m. and already raises the question of how well the team will do under coach Sebastian Hoeneß. Jürgen Klinsmann, as lottery ticket, apparently couldn't bring Stuttgart the luck they needed as they face a tight schedule of four home and four away games before the league phase ends on January 29, 2026. The first games are already scheduled for September 24th and 25th.

Strong Freiburg team

SC Freiburg shares a similar fate. The Breisgauers have to compete in the group phase with teams like OSC Lille and OGC Nice, while RB Salzburg and FC Bologna complete their opponents. They also have four home and four away games ahead of them and hope to hold their own in this strong group.

Mainz with viable opponents

In contrast, FSV Mainz 05 competes in the Conference League and has faced far less well-known opponents. Teams like AC Florenz and Lech Poznan could perhaps be considered a challenge, but Mainz are taking things in stride. Their chances of progressing seem quite realistic, which is a great motivation for the fans. In this league they get by with three home and three away games, and the first games are scheduled for October 2nd.

What happens next? The schedule for the Europa League will be published on Sunday at the latest, and fans of the Conference League should also keep their eyes open, because great encounters can be expected here too. While the best eight teams in the Europa League advance directly to the round of 16, the teams in places 9 to 24 have to fight for additional places.

The finale will be the finals: the Europa League final will take place in Istanbul on May 20, 2026, while Leipzig will host the Conference League final on May 27, 2026. The coming months promise exciting football battles and a lot of thrills for all supporters in Germany.

For further information about the matches and news about the league, the platforms are available n-tv, t online as well as Kicker available.