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FK Jablonec will host a Premier League club at Stadion Střelnice after the official UEFA draw mapped out the league phase of the 2026/27 UEFA Conference League. The Czech club secured its spot in the main tournament following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Scottish side Rangers on Thursday evening.
Premier League Opponent Confirmed for Střelnice
The headline fixture for Jablonec’s voyage into the Conference League main stage is a visit from English club Brighton. Clubs from the English top-flight have won three of the five editions of the tournament. The team will also welcome Swiss side FC Lugano and Georgian champion Iberia Tbilisi to northern Bohemia during the league phase.
Tough Away Trips Await in Europe
While Jablonec enjoys home advantage against Brighton, Lugano, and Iberia Tbilisi, the club faces a challenging travel schedule on the road. Jablonec must travel to Germany to face Bundesliga side Freiburg, head to Turkey to play Trabzonspor, and make a trip to Latvia to face FC Riga. Drawing both Freiburg—a finalist in the previous edition of the Europa League—and Trabzonspor away from home represents a difficult hurdle for the Czech side.
Familiar Faces and Latvian Connections
The fixture list brings several intriguing subplots for Czech football observers. FC Lugano previously recorded a 1:0 victory against Mladá Boleslav in the Conference League two seasons ago, leaving local clubs under no illusions about the Swiss side’s quality. Meanwhile, the pairing against FC Riga carries a unique geographical coincidence. Jablonec already eliminated another Riga-based outfit, RFS, earlier in the qualifiers during the third preliminary round. FC Riga previously faced Sparta in the fourth preliminary round last year and is managed by Slovak coach Adrián Guľa, who previously led Plzeň.
Road to the League Phase and Financial Boost
Jablonec reached the competition as the fifth-place team from the previous domestic league campaign after UEFA reallocated slots following disciplinary measures involving Karviná. The team navigated three rounds of qualifiers, defeating Croatia’s Varaždín in the second round, Latvia’s RFS in the third, and securing a playoff win over Rangers on penalties. Vakhtang Chanturishvili scored in the 73rd minute of the second leg at a sold-out Stadion Střelnice, while goalkeeper Jan Hanuš saved a penalty before Jan Chramosta converted the decisive spot-kick in a 4:3 shootout. Reaching the league phase guarantees the club a base distribution payout of 3.17 million euros.
Tournament Format and Match Schedule
The Conference League utilizes a single-league table featuring 36 teams divided into six seeding pots. Each participant plays six matches against distinct opponents—three at home and three away. The top eight clubs advance directly to the round of 16, while teams finishing from 9th to 24th enter a knockout play-off round. The league phase matches are scheduled across six specific dates:
- First matchday: October 15, 2026
- Second matchday: October 22, 2026
- Third matchday: November 5, 2026
- Fourth matchday: November 26, 2026
- Fifth matchday: December 10, 2026
- Sixth matchday: December 17, 2026
UEFA is expected to finalize exact fixture dates and kickoff times by the end of the week. The knockout play-offs will take place in February 2027, leading toward the final hosted on June 2, 2027, at Beşiktaş Stadium in Istanbul.
