Football fans are usually creatures of habit. When UEFA announced they were scrapping the traditional group stages, the collective groan was loud enough to be heard from Nyon to North London. But looking back at the Europa League 2024 25 campaign, honestly, the chaos was exactly what this competition needed.
The "Swiss Model" arrived with a lot of confusing terminology and a 36-team league table that looked more like a spreadsheet than a football tournament. You've probably spent half the season trying to explain to your mates why a team in 18th place was still "fine." It was a massive gamble. UEFA basically took a system we’d known for decades and tossed it into a blender.
The League Phase: Why It Felt Different
Instead of the predictable home-and-away double headers against three teams, every club faced eight different opponents. One table. No safety net of dropping down from the Champions League. That was the big one. If you failed in the Europa League 2024 25 league phase, you were just out. No more Sevilla appearing out of nowhere in February to reclaim their trophy after a bad UCL run.
The drama peaked on January 30, 2025. Usually, by Matchday 6 in the old format, half the groups were already decided. Dead rubbers everywhere. This time? Because every single goal mattered for the final seeding, the final night was absolute carnage.
Lazio ended up finishing top of the pile, barely edging out Athletic Bilbao on goal difference. It’s kinda wild when you look at how tight it was. Manchester United stayed unbeaten through all eight games but still only managed third place because of three draws. They played some decent stuff under the new regime, but the lack of a clinical edge in the league phase cost them a higher seed.
💡 You might also like: Chase Center: What Most People Get Wrong About the New Arena in San Francisco
Tottenham’s Long-Awaited Glory
Let’s talk about the final in Bilbao. May 21, 2025. San Mamés.
If you’re a Spurs fan, that date is now burned into your soul. Tottenham Hotspur finally broke their 17-year trophy drought by beating Manchester United 1-0. Brennan Johnson scored the winner just before the break, and from there, it was a masterclass in holding your breath. Cristian Romero was a monster at the back—he eventually picked up the Player of the Tournament award, and honestly, it wasn't even close.
It felt like a proper heavyweight clash. Two English giants who had spent the season fluctuating between "world-beaters" and "crisis-bound" met in a Basque cathedral. For United, it was a bitter pill. Bruno Fernandes finished as a joint-top scorer with seven goals, sharing the Golden Boot with Olympiacos’ Ayoub El Kaabi and Bodø/Glimt’s Kasper Høgh, but the trophy remained elusive.
The Underdogs and the "Bodø" Factor
The real story of the Europa League 2024 25 wasn't just the big spenders. It was the Arctic circle.
📖 Related: Calendario de la H: Todo lo que debes saber sobre cuando juega honduras 2025 y el camino al Mundial
Bodø/Glimt are quickly becoming everyone’s favorite "second team" unless you actually have to play them in the freezing rain. They didn't just participate; they caused a riot. They knocked out Olympiacos and absolutely dismantled Lazio 2-0 in the first leg of the quarter-finals. Kjetil Knutsen’s side proved that the new format actually gives smaller clubs a better rhythm. By playing eight different teams, they weren't getting "figured out" in a small group.
They eventually fell to Spurs in the semis, but the 5-1 aggregate scoreline was a bit harsh. If you watched those games, you know the Norwegians played some of the most expansive, fearless football in Europe.
What We Learned About the "New" Football
- The Middle Matters: Teams finishing 9th to 24th had to play an extra knockout round in February. This was a "play-off" phase that produced some of the most desperate, high-stakes football of the year. Porto losing to Roma over two legs was a standout—a Champions League-level tie happening while the top eight rested.
- Goal Difference is King: Because 36 teams are in one pot, you can't just "shut up shop" at 1-0. We saw more high-scoring games this year because teams were terrified of being tied on points and losing out on a top-eight spot due to goal count.
- No Safety Nets: The absence of Champions League "drop-downs" changed the vibe. The tournament felt more prestigious. It didn't feel like a consolation prize for teams that failed elsewhere.
Surprising Stats from the Season
The sheer volume of games—189 in total—provided some crazy data points. We saw 557 goals scored. That’s an average of nearly three goals a match. Rayan Cherki at Lyon was a revelation, racking up 8 assists. He was rightfully named the Best Young Player.
Then there’s the financial side. Winners now walk away with a significantly larger piece of the pie. The total prize pool for the Europa League 2024 25 saw a massive bump, with the champions pulling in roughly €40 million in total revenue when you factor in the "value pillar" and performance bonuses.
👉 See also: Caitlin Clark GPA Iowa: The Truth About Her Tippie College Grades
Moving Forward
If you're looking to apply the lessons from this season to your own football knowledge or even your betting strategy for the current 2025/26 campaign, keep these points in mind.
First, watch the away goals—well, the lack of them. Since the rule change a few years back, and combined with this league format, home-field advantage in the first leg is almost non-existent. Second, depth is no longer a luxury; it’s a requirement. Teams like Eintracht Frankfurt and Athletic Bilbao struggled in their domestic leagues because they didn't have the squad to rotate through eight intense European midweeks plus cup games.
To really get ahead of the curve for next season, start tracking the "expected goals" (xG) of teams in the smaller leagues like the Belgian Pro League or the Eredivisie. Clubs like AZ Alkmaar and Anderlecht showed this year that they can out-press the big boys for 60 minutes, and in a one-table format, that’s often enough to sneak into the top 24.
The Europa League 2024 25 proved the skeptics wrong. It was messy, it was long, and it was occasionally exhausting, but it was never boring. Tottenham are back in the Champions League as a result, and the rest of Europe is left wondering how to stop the next "Bodø/Glimt" from ruining their Tuesday nights.
Check the current 2025/26 coefficients to see which leagues are gaining extra spots for next year, as the battle for these Europa League places is only getting more intense.