The Round of 16 fixtures for the UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League began on Thursday, March 12, 2026, but the competitions have struggled to capture the same global attention as the UEFA Champions League.
Softfootball, believe’s the current format has reduced excitement and public interest, with fewer major storylines attracting fans and media coverage.
Compared to the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League currently receive far less attention from broadcasters, media outlets, and supporters.
Despite reaching the knockout stage, discussions around the competitions remain limited, and many fans appear less engaged with the matches taking place this week.
One of the biggest structural changes in recent seasons has been the removal of teams dropping from the Champions League into the Europa League.
In previous formats, clubs eliminated from the Champions League group stage would continue their European campaign in the Europa League, which often introduced high-profile teams into the tournament and increased its competitiveness.
We believe this system helped maintain excitement and interest in the Europa League. One suggestion is that teams eliminated in the Champions League knockout playoffs could enter a separate playoff stage for Europa League qualification.
For example, clubs such as Benfica, Juventus, and Inter Milan were eliminated earlier in the Champions League knockout rounds.
If one or two of those teams had entered the Europa League knockout phase, it could have created stronger matchups and increased global interest.
While clubs such as Nottingham Forest, AS Roma, and Real Betis remain competitive teams, Softfootball analysts argue that the current fixtures may not generate the same level of excitement as those involving Champions League-level clubs.
With the evolving structure of European competitions, some analysts believe UEFA may eventually review the format to restore more prestige and competitiveness to the Europa League.
For now, the competition continues with its current structure, but discussions about its long-term format are likely to continue as fans and analysts evaluate its impact on European football.
