Samsunspor will discover their next European test on Thursday when UEFA conducts the Europa Conference League knockout round playoff draw in Nyon, Switzerland, a moment that could shape the club’s deepest continental run to date.
The draw, scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at UEFA headquarters, concerns the playoff round that bridges the league phase and the round of 16 in Europe’s third-tier club competition.
Under the revamped format, the top eight teams from the 36-club league phase booked automatic places in the last 16, while those finishing ninth to 24th must survive a two-legged February playoff to keep their campaign alive.
Samsunspor navigated the league phase with composure, finishing 12th to secure seeded status.
That positioning brings a tangible advantage: a home second leg and, at least on paper, a slightly gentler draw.
The Black Sea side will be paired with either Finland’s KuPS Kuopio or North Macedonia’s Shkendija, with the first leg set for 19 February and the return match on 26 February.
The seeded bracket features a blend of pedigree and ambition, including AZ Alkmaar, Crystal Palace, Fiorentina, Lausanne-Sport, Celje, Lech Poznan and Rijeka alongside Samsunspor.
Waiting on the unseeded side are Jagiellonia Bialystok, Omonia, Noah, Zrinjski Mostar, Drita, KuPS Kuopio, Shkendija and Sigma Olomouc. With no country-protection rules in play, the draw offers little room for predictability beyond the seeded-unseeded divide.
Victory over two legs would carry Samsunspor into the round of 16 draw on 27 February, where the eight playoff winners will be matched against the league phase’s top eight, again with seeding determining who hosts the decisive second leg.
