With that in mind, here are three reasons to follow this season's competition.
Variety unmatched
One thing that makes the Conference League special is that there is a mix of teams from the biggest nations, as well as the smallest ones.
This season's edition will feature 36 sides from 30 different nations, with only Denmark (four), Belgium (two), Netherlands (two), and Switzerland (two) having multiple representatives. For perspective, the Champions League has nine nations with more than one entrant, while the Europa League has 12.
Moreover, the level of group phase experience is another fascinating perspective. Eight clubs are playing in a group stage or league phase of a major UEFA club competition for the very first time, while 22 are making their debut at this point of the UECL. This includes teams that did participate in the knockout rounds, but entered as a third-place finisher in a UEL group rather than via the Conference League itself.
Just five of the 36 clubs have three or more appearances in the UECL group phase as well, with Gent having the most with five. As such, we can look forward to some intriguing storylines from the many David vs Goliath clashes we will witness over the next few months.
New countries involved
Another exciting aspect to this season's UECL is that there are multiple teams to feature for the first time.
Inter Club d'Escaldes were among the biggest stories of the summer when they became Andorra's first-ever group phase representatives in any of UEFA's club competitions. Winners of five of the last seven domestic titles, Inter traversed four rounds of qualification to make history for the microstate, eclipsing UE Santa Coloma's play-off round performance two years prior. It leaves two countries awaiting their first group stage or league phase sides.
Albania are also new to the Conference League story through Egnatia. Playing in Europe for the fourth time, the side from Rrogozhine pulled off a couple of impressive results in qualifying to be their nation's first at this portion of the competition. Skenderbeu Korce were the last and only other Albanian club to get to the group phase, having been involved in the Europa League twice in the 2010s.
Iberia 1999 ended a 21-year wait for Georgia to finally have a team playing European football in the fall. Like Egnatia, they got to the UEL play-offs over the summer, assuring them at least the Conference League. Formerly known as Saburtalo Tbilisi, Iberia had never gone further than the third qualifying round before this season. Now, they will carry their nation's flag to the main portion of the UECL.
Now that Albania, Andorra, and Georgia are the newest countries to have a side feature in the UECL proper, that brings the total to 51 of UEFA's 55 national associations to get to this round, leaving Luxembourg, Montenegro, Russia, and San Marino as the only countries yet to do so.
Level of competition continues to increase
It feels like each year, the Conference League gets more and more competitive. This year's edition appears even stronger and more balanced than ever before.
The likes of Ajax, Atalanta, and Crvena zvezda have all picked up European trophies in the past, while Freiburg, AS Monaco, Sporting Braga, Twente, and Panathinaikos were a game away from obtaining continental silverware. Hajduk Split, who last played in a group phase in 2010/11, are former UEFA Cup and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup semi-finalists.
Meanwhile, several European regulars such as FC Kobenhavn, FC Midtjylland, Gent, and Trabzonspor are involved, alongside teams from the top leagues like Brighton and Getafe.
While much will be expected from the Seagulls to continue England's strong showings in the UECL, it will be far from straightforward. After all, they will have to face Panathinaikos and Getafe away, as well as Monaco at home during the league phase.
With all of that in mind, the UECL should flourish with the amount of established names taking part in the competition proper this time around. It looks set for another exciting year.
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