The UEFA Europa League will start its 17th campaign under its current guise - the second in the league phase era - on Wednesday and Thursday, and this season, there is quite a bit to look forward to.
Ahead of the league phase, Flashscore takes a look at three reasons why this season's competition will be one to remember.
A new champion?
One thing that the UEL has given fans throughout its existence is a ton of variety. There have been nine different winners across the first 16 editions, from five different nations. No country has prevailed in this competition in consecutive years since 2019/20 (Sevilla) and 2020/21 (Villarreal).
Perhaps the even more fascinating fact is that there is only one former winner of the tournament in this season's league phase. That is Porto, who prevailed in the UEL's second edition 15 years ago. They are also the only club outside of Europe's "Big Five" leagues to ever capture this trophy.
Three of this year's teams - Braga, Rangers, and, most recently, Roma - have gone as far as the final of the Europa League in the past.
When including the UEFA Cup, Feyenoord are the only other team to have come out on top, having done so twice. Celtic, Crvena Zvezda, RB Salzburg and Stuttgart have all reached the final of the Europa League's predecessor.
Porto are given a 4.3% chance to win their third UEFA Cup/Europa League this term, currently the eighth favourites, according to Opta. This means there is a 95.7% chance that there will be a first-time winner of the competition in the current era. Feyenoord are a bit higher at 5.2%, giving a 90.5% chance of a maiden winner when including the old UEFA Cup.
So, for anyone hoping for a new champion in this tournament, this just might be your year.
Variety of teams
The 36 teams in this year's competition hail from 23 different national associations. France and the Netherlands have three each, while England, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Greece, Austria, Switzerland, and Scotland all have two clubs.
Perhaps the more interesting note is a look at the clubs from the "Big Five" leagues. Of the 11 involved, only Roma and Real Betis have reached a European final this millennium. Sure, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest have won the European Cup in the past, but that was several decades ago. In recent years, the Giallorossi have regularly gone far in Europe, reaching two finals in the past four years.
Looking beyond the "Big Five", there are multiple clubs from the sub-top leagues with plenty of European pedigree in the draw. Of course, Porto and Feyenoord were already discussed, but Rangers, Fenerbahce, Celtic, RB Salzburg, and Basel are sides that have more than enough recent experience at this level.
Of the Europa League participants this term, 20 of the 36 teams have reached this stage on six or more occasions - Braga and PAOK have the most showings at 10 each. Meanwhile, five clubs are on nine appearances: Celtic, Fenerbahce, FCSB, Ludogorets, and RB Salzburg.
Five teams are making their debuts in the UEL group phase, those five being Aston Villa, Bologna, Brann, Go Ahead Eagles and Nottingham Forest. However, the latter two are playing in a group phase for the very first time, having never done so in another competition.
With a turnover of 58% from last term's league phase, it paints the picture for a very promising year in UEFA's second-tier club competition.
Tough to choose a favourite
Nowadays, given the strength of the Premier League, many look past the rest of the pack when choosing a favourite. However, given the quality of the competition, it really is difficult to call an overwhelming favourite. This is despite Opta giving Aston Villa a 21.6% shot to win their second European trophy.
Exactly half of the 36 clubs are given at least a 1% chance to lift the trophy in Istanbul in late May. For comparison, only 13 teams in the Champions League, and 14 in the Conference League are given a 1% chance or better. This says a lot about not just the balance on this year's Europa League, but also the quality of teams involved.
In previous years, there would be two or three runaway favourites ahead of the first game. On this occasion, four different clubs have 10% or better chance at winning, with a further three at a minimum of 5%. The numbers truly suggest that the UEL is a lot closer this time around than the other club competitions.
Fans of the Europa League will be in for quite a ride this year, given the sides involved. Expect some crazy results, incredibly tight matches, and drama from minute one. The likelihood of a brand new champion is quite high, so there is no reason not to be excited for what is to come over the next nine months.