All UEFA Europa League Winners
The new draw of the UEFA Europa League — the second most significant club tournament in Europe — kicks off on September 16. Bookmakers highlight Juventus, Milan, and Bayer as the main favorites of the season. Interestingly, the current trophy holder — Unai Emery's Aston Villa — will be competing in the Champions League in the new season. A victory in the Europa League provides a ticket to the main European cup, so the Birmingham side won't be defending their title. Such is the peculiarity of this tournament: champions move up, and new contenders take their place! On the eve of the new season, it's time to look back and remember all the winners of the Europa League in the modern era — starting from 2009 when the tournament got its current name, replacing the UEFA Cup.
When did the Europa League appear and how has the format changed
The origins of the tournament date back to 1971. Then, under the auspices of UEFA, the UEFA Cup was founded, replacing the Fairs Cup — a competition that had been held since 1955 but is not officially recognized by UEFA. The initial draws involved clubs that had finished high in national championships (but not champions — they played in the European Champions Cup), and the scheme was a classic playoff of two-legged ties, including the final.
Key stages of evolution:
- 1971/1972 — the first draw of the UEFA Cup. The winner was Tottenham Hotspur from London, who beat Wolverhampton in the final.
- 1997/1998 — the final became a single match and was held on neutral ground. The first winner in the new format was Inter Milan.
- 2004/2005 — a group stage was introduced: 40 teams, divided into 8 groups of 5 each, played in a single round.
- 2009/2010 — the tournament was renamed the UEFA Europa League. The group stage was expanded to 48 teams (12 groups of 4 teams), a new logo and anthem were introduced. The first winner of the revamped tournament was Atletico Madrid.
- 2021/2022 — with the introduction of the Conference League, the number of teams in the group stage was reduced to 32.
- 2024/2025 — the most significant reform in recent years: the number of participants in the general stage increased to 36, and instead of the traditional group stage, a "Swiss system" was introduced. Now each club plays eight matches with different opponents, after which a single table is formed: the top-8 go directly to the 1/8 finals, teams from 9th to 24th place play a playoff round.
All winners of the UEFA Europa League (from the 2009/2010 season)
- 2009/2010 — Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- 2010/2011 — Porto (Portugal)
- 2011/2012 — Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- 2012/2013 — Chelsea (England)
- 2013/2014 — Sevilla (Spain)
- 2014/2015 — Sevilla (Spain)
- 2015/2016 — Sevilla (Spain)
- 2016/2017 — Manchester United (England)
- 2017/2018 — Atletico Madrid (Spain)
- 2018/2019 — Chelsea (England)
- 2019/2020 — Sevilla (Spain)
- 2020/2021 — Villarreal (Spain)
- 2021/2022 — Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany)
- 2022/2023 — Sevilla (Spain)
- 2023/2024 — Atalanta (Italy)
- 2024/2025 — Tottenham Hotspur (England)
- 2025/2026 — Aston Villa (England)
The Most Titled Club in the History of the Europa League
Sevilla confidently holds the title of the most successful club in the history of the tournament. It has 7 victories — an absolute record. Six of them came in the era of the Europa League (2014, 2015, 2016, 2020, 2023) and one — in the era of the UEFA Cup (2006). The streak of three consecutive victories in 2014–2016 under the management of Unai Emery is particularly impressive.
Following Sevilla in the number of titles (including the UEFA Cup) are Inter, Juventus, and Liverpool — each with 3 victories.
By countries, Spain confidently holds the lead: Spanish clubs have won the tournament 14 times. England and Italy share the second place — with 10 victories each.
Odds for the Winner of the Europa League in the 2026/2027 Season
Club | Odds to Win the Europa League |
Juventus | 8.00 |
Milan | 8.50 |
Bayer Leverkusen | 10.00 |
Bournemouth | 11.00 |
Marseille | 11.00 |
Real Sociedad | 12.00 |
Celta | 13.00 |
Crystal Palace | 15.00 |
Lyon | 17.00 |
Hoffenheim | 17.00 |
Benfica | 20.00 |
Beşiktaş | 20.00 |
Celtic | 25.00 |
Anderlecht | 25.00 |
Olympiacos | 30.00 |
Rennes | 30.00 |
Salzburg | 40.00 |
AZ Alkmaar | 50.00 |
Viktoria Plzeň | 50.00 |
Sunderland | 50.00 |
Union Saint-Gilloise | 65.00 |
Torrense | 80.00 |
Sparta Prague | 80.00 |
Sturm | 100.00 |
Ferencváros | 100.00 |
Dinamo Zagreb | 125.00 |
Celtic | 150.00 |
NEC Nijmegen | 150.00 |
OFI | 200.00 |
Hapoel Be'er Sheva | 200.00 |
Celje | 300.00 |
Lillestrøm | 350.00 |
Jagiellonia Białystok | 500.00 |
Levski Sofia | 600.00 |
Omonia Nicosia | 750.00 |
Ararat-Armenia | 1000.00 |
* The odds are approximate, they may vary in different bookmakers and are current at the time of publication.
Read the latest predictions for UEFA Europa League matches.
FAQ
Which club has won the Europa League (and the UEFA Cup) most often?
Sevilla - they have 7 victories to their credit. This is an absolute record of the tournament.
When did the UEFA Cup become the UEFA Europa League?
In the 2009/2010 season. Then the tournament received a new name, logo, and anthem, and the group stage was expanded to 48 teams.
Which coach has won the Europa League the most times?
Unai Emery - 5 times (three times with Sevilla, once with Villarreal, and once with Aston Villa).
Who is the top scorer in the tournament's history?
If we take into account both eras (UEFA Cup and Europa League) and qualifying rounds, the leader is Swedish Henrik Larsson with 40 goals. If we only count the main draw of the Europa League (from the 2009/2010 season), the record belongs to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang — 34 goals.
