2022-2023 UEFA Europa Conference League

(The Guardian) David Moyes was pleased with the outcome of the Europa Conference League draw and said he is looking forward to the competition’s group stage. West Ham are in Group B with FCSB based in Bucharest, Anderlecht and Danish club Silkeborg. The Hammers qualified for the group stage after winning their two-legged tournament playoff qualifier against Viborg 6-1 on aggregate.

“I’ve just seen it. Aye, (it looks) good, I’m looking forward to it,” Moyes said. “We stayed in Silkeborg the day before. We know the level of the games we’ll get in Denmark, it was tough the one we had and we know going to Bucharest is not easy either, I’ve been there before. Never easy, but it’s great to be in it, isn’t it, exciting times. In the main, the distances are not too far so it’s important the supporters can get to the games relatively easy and hopefully relatively cheaply as well.”

For the Hammers boss, the two matches against the Danish club allowed some of his seven new summer signings to start integrating themselves into the team, especially Gianluca Scamacca. The Italy international joined from Sassuolo and scored his second goal in two games against Viborg, but has yet to start a Premier League game for the club, although Moyes believes he is nearing a top-flight start.

“He’s been knocking on the door for a while,” the manager said. “It’s not just his fitness to get him ready, it’s getting him ready for Premier League football. It’s a big chance. We have to try and look at him and see where we think the right games are to play him in at the moment, when the right opportunity comes around. Certainly, we feel as if we’ve got someone we’re looking forward to working with for a long time, so we don’t need to rush him. But is he getting ready? Yes, he’s getting much closer to fitness now.” (PA Media)

MatchDay 1 Standings
Group A
1st} Basaksehir, 3 pts (+4)
t-2nd[2]Fiorentina, 1 pt (-)
t-2nd[3]RFS, 1 pt (-)
4th} Hearts, 0 pts (-4)

Group B
t-1st[1]West Ham United, 3 pts (+2)
t-1st[2]Anderlecht, 3 pts (+1)
t-3rd[3]Silkeborg, 0 pts (-1)
t-3rd[4]FCSB, 0 pts (-2)

Group C
1st} Villareal, 3 pts (+1)
t-2nd[2]Hapoel Be'er Sheva, 1 pt (-)
t-2nd[3]Austria Wien, 1 pt (-)
4th} Lech Poznan, 0 pts (-1)

Group D
t-1st[1]Partizan, 1 pt (-)
t-1st[2]Slovacko, 1 pt (-)
t-3rd[3]FC Koln, 1 pt (-)
t-1st[4]OSC Nice, 1 pt (-)

Group E
1st} AZ Alkmaar, 3 pts (+1)
t-2nd[2]Apollon Limassol, 1 pt (-)
t-2nd[3]Vaduz, 1 pt (-)
4th} Dnipro, 0 pts (-1)

Group F
t-1st[1]Djurgardens, 1 pt (-)
t-1st[2]Molde, 1 pt (-)
t-1st[3]Shamrock Rovers, 1 pt (-)
t-1st[4]KAA Gent, 1 pt (-)

Group G{/b]
t-1st[1]CFR Cluj, 1 pt (-)
t-1st[2]Slavia Prague, 1 pt (-)
t-1st[3]Balkani, 1 pt (-)
t-1st[4]Sivasspor, 1 pt (-)

Group H
1st} Basel, 3 pts (+2)
t-2nd[2]Zalgiris, 1 pt (-)
t-2nd[3]Slovan Bratislava, 1 pt (-)
4th} Pyunik, 0 pts (-2)

Group A: Hearts 2, RFS 0
Group A: Basaksehir 3, Fiorentina 0
Group B: FCSB 0, Anderlecht 0
Group B: West Ham United 3, Silkeborg 2
Group C: Villareal 2, Hapoel Be'er Sheva 1
Group C: Lech Woznan 4, Austria Wien 1
Group D: Partizan 1, Nice 1
Group D: FC Koln 4, Slovacko 2
Group E: Dnipro 3, Apollon Limasol 1
Group E: AZ Alkmaar 4, Vaduz 1
Group F: Djurgardens 3, Molde 2
Group F: Gent 3, Shamrock Rovers 0
Group G: Sivasspor 1, CFR Cluj 0
Group G: Slavia Prague 3, Balkani 2
Group H: Basel 1, Zalgiris 0
Group H: Pyunik 2, Slovan Bratislava 0

(BBC Sport) Marseille and Nice will play their next European home games behind closed doors as punishment for recent crowd trouble.

Uefa charged Marseille following unrest in their Champions League tie with Eintracht Frankfurt on 13 September.

Nice, meanwhile, were punished after their Europa Conference League tie with Cologne on 8 September was delayed because of clashes between rival fans. Marseille have also been ordered to partially close their stadium for the visit of Tottenham on 1 November.

Uefa said the punishment was for "lighting of fireworks, throwing of objects, use of laser pointers, crowd disturbances and blocking of public passageways". Marseille's next Champions League home game is against Sporting Lisbon on 4 October, while Nice host Slovakian side Slovacko in the Europa Conference League on 13 October.

MatchDay 5 results & standings can be found here

Current Dispositions
--Hearts, RFS, FCSB, Austria Wien, Slovacko, Apollon Limassol, Vaduz, Shamrock Rovers & Balkani have been eliminated from further competition
--Villareal, West Ham United & Djurgardens have advanced to the Europa Conference League round of 16

(The Guardian) Europa Conference League playoff draw in full

Qarabag v Gent
Trabzonspor v Basel
Lazio v CFR Cluj
Bodø/Glimt v Lech Poznan
Braga v Fiorentina
AEK Larnaca v Dnipro-1
Sheriff v Partizan
Ludogorets v Anderlecht