Following the completion of the group stage, the top two teams in each group advanced to play in the round of 32, where they were joined by the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage.
Seedings
The draw for the group stage was held in Monaco on 28 August 2009.
Seeding was determined by the UEFA coefficients:[1] Pot 1 held teams ranked 9–32, Pot 2 held teams ranked 35–74, Pot 3 held teams ranked 76–108, while Pot 4 held teams ranked 115–203 and unranked teams.[2]
Clubs from the same association were paired up to split the matchdays between Thursday.
Group winners and runners-up advanced to the round of 32
Based on Article 7.05 in the UEFA regulations, if two or more teams were equal on points on completion of the group matches, the following criteria were applied to determine the rankings:[3]
higher number of points obtained in the group matches played among the teams in question;
superior goal difference from the group matches played among the teams in question;
higher number of goals scored away from home in the group matches played among the teams in question;
superior goal difference from all group matches played;
higher number of goals scored;
higher number of coefficient points accumulated by the club in question, as well as its association, over the previous five seasons.
^On 29 October 2009, UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body ruled that Dinamo Zagreb would have to play their next two home matches in the UEFA Europa League behind closed doors due to the actions of their supporters in their match at Timișoara. They also deducted three points from the Croatian club's points tally in Group A.[4] The club appealed, but the appeal was not heard until after the first closed-doors game against Ajax. After the appeal was heard, UEFA replaced the three-point deduction with a €75,000 fine, and a three-year suspended ban from European competition, while the two-match stadium ban remained unchanged.[5]
^ abOn 29 October 2009, UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body ruled that Dinamo Zagreb would have to play their next two home matches in the UEFA Europa League behind closed doors due to the actions of their supporters in their match at Timișoara. They also deducted three points from the Croatian club's points tally in Group A.[6] The club appealed, but the appeal was not heard until after the first closed-doors game against Ajax. After the appeal was heard, UEFA replaced the three-point deduction with a €75,000 fine, and a three-year suspended ban from European competition, while the two-match stadium ban remained unchanged.[7]
^ abTwo home matches which Dinamo București had to play behind closed doors because one fan entered the playing field and other fans invaded the running track around the pitch in the play-off round against Slovan Liberec.
^The second of two home matches which Steaua București had to play behind closed doors because their fans had flown offensive banners to Újpest in the second qualifying round.
Note: Between the 1999–2000 and 2008–09 seasons, the competition was still known as the UEFA Cup. All seasons are included following the competition's absorption of the Cup Winners' Cup.
