UEFA Youth League 2015/2016

The UEFA Organizing Committee held on September 18, 2014 confirmed the following changes in the UEFA Youth League since the 2015/2016 season ^{[2] [3]} :

• The tournament will be expanded from 32 to 64 teams. The 64 teams will include the youth teams of 32 clubs participating in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League , which were included in the number of participants from the first draw, as well as the winners of the youth national tournaments of the 32 best associations according to their rating , which will be included in the number of participants with season 2015/2016. Associations that do not have a national youth tournament winner and a national champion who has already entered the path of the UEFA Champions League will be replaced by the next association in the UEFA ranking.
• The new format of the tournament implies two groups of teams competing separately from each other before butt games:
  • UEFA Champions League path : 32 youth teams from clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League will retain the format and schedule of the group stage matches that correspond to the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. The winners of the groups will go to the 1/8 finals, and the teams taking second places will go to the butt matches.
  • The path of national champions : 32 winners of national youth tournaments will hold two rounds of two-match confrontations, and eight winners will go into butt matches.
  • In butt matches, the winners of the National Champions Path will play one home match against teams that are second in the UEFA Champions League Path group.
  • In the 1/8 finals, the winners of the UEFA Champions League Path groups will play one match-up winners match (the hosts will be determined by a draw).
  • In the quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, the teams will play one match each other (the hosts of the quarter-finals will be determined by drawing lots, the semi-finals and finals will be held in a neutral stadium).
• The 19-year age limit will be maintained, but clubs will be able to include in their total application for a tournament of 40 players no more than three players under 20 years old to ease the load on players attending school.

In total, 64 teams participate in the tournament ^{[4] [5]} :

• The youth teams of 32 clubs participating in the UEFA Champions League group stage 2015/2016 participate in the UEFA Champions League path .
• According to their rating , winners of national youth tournaments of the 32 best associations participate in the Way of National Champions (Associations that do not have a winner of the national youth tournament and a national champion who has already entered the Path of the UEFA Champions League will be replaced by the next association in the UEFA ranking) ^{[6] [ 7]} .

Notes

^† Teams that are also winners of youth national tournaments.

The tournament schedule is as follows (all draws are held at UEFA headquarters in Nyon , Switzerland, unless otherwise indicated) ^{[4] [8]} .

Notes

• At the group stage of the UEFA Champions League path, the teams basically conduct their matches on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, on the same days as the corresponding adult teams in the UEFA Champions League; however, matches may be held on other days, including Mondays and Thursdays.
• In the first and second rounds of the Way of the National Champions, the matches are essentially held on Wednesdays; however, matches may also be held on other days, including Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
• In butt matches, 1/8 finals and quarter finals, matches are principally held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; however, matches may also be held on other days, provided that they are completed by the following dates:
  • Butt matches: February 12, 2016
  • 1/8 final: February 26, 2016
  • Quarter Final: March 18, 2016

In the UEFA Champions League Path, 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four teams. There was no separate draw for them, the composition of the groups corresponds to the draw of the group stage of the UEFA Champions League 2015/2016 , which was held in Monaco on August 27, 2015 ^{[9] [10]} .

In each group, teams play against each other at home and away in a round robin system . Gaming days are September 15-16, September 29-30, October 20-21, November 3-4, November 24-25 and December 8-9, 2015. Eight winners of the groups get into the 1/8 finals , and eight teams that took the second places in groups fall into butt games , where eight winners of the second round of the Way of National Champions will join them.

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

On the National Champions Road, 32 teams hold two rounds of two-match confrontations with matches at home and away. The draw took place on September 1, 2015 ^{[11] [12]} . There were no seeded teams, but before the draw 32 teams were divided into four groups, determined by sports and geographical signs ^[13] . In the first round, teams from the same group will play against each other. In the second round, the winners of group 1 will play against the winners of group 2, the winners of group 3 will play against the winners of group 4, and the order of the matches was determined by the draw.

In the event that after the main time of the return match the total score remains the same, the goal rule scored on a foreign field is used to determine the winner. In case the teams are still equal, the winner is determined in the penalty shootout ( extra time is not played) ^[4] .

Round One

The first matches took place on September 29 and 30, the return matches on October 20 and 21, 2015. 16 winners of the first round got into the second round.

Round Two

The first matches took place on November 3 and 4, the return matches on November 24 and 25, 2015. 8 winners of the second round got into the butt games , where they were joined by eight teams, who took second places in the groups of the UEFA Champions League.

In butt matches, 16 teams are divided into eight pairs, in which one match is played. The draw will be held December 14, 2015 ^[14] . The eight winners of the second round of the National Champions Path will play at home with the teams taking second place in the UEFA Champions League Path groups. Teams from the same association cannot play with each other.

In the event that after the main time the score is equal, the winner is determined in the penalty shootout ( extra time is not played).

The butt matches were held on February 9 and 10, 2016. The eight winners of the butt matches made it to the 1/8 finals .

In the playoffs, 16 teams will play in the knockout tournament , one match will be played in each pair. The draw will take place on February 15, 2016 ^[15] . The draw mechanism for each round is as follows:

• In the draw of the 1/8 finals, eight winners of the UEFA Champions League Path groups will play against eight winners of the butt games. Teams from the same group of the UEFA Champions League Path cannot play with each other, but teams from the same association can play with each other. The draw will also determine the hosts of each of the matches of the 1/8 finals.
• There are no seeding in the draw for the quarter finals and subsequent rounds, and teams from the same group and one association can play with each other. The draw also determines the owner of each of the quarter-final matches and the nominal “hosts” of the semifinal matches and the final (which are held in a neutral stadium).

If the score is equal after regular time, the winner is determined in the penalty shootout ( extra time is not played)

Tournament Grid

1/8 Finals

Matches 1/8 finals were held February 23 and 24, 2016.

Quarter Finals

The quarterfinal matches will be held on March 8 and 9, 2016.

Semifinals

Semifinal matches took place on April 15, 2016 at the Kolovre stadium in Nyon ^[16] .

Final

The final will be held on April 18, 2016 at the Kolovre stadium in Nyon ^[16] .

• UEFA Youth League official website