Sunderland draw AC Milan in landmark Europa League return after 53 years

Sunderland’s return to European football after more than half a century will include a headline trip to AC Milan after the Black Cats learned their eight opponents for the 2026/27 Europa League league phase.

The Wearside club, back in UEFA competition for the first time since 1973/74, will host AZ Alkmaar, Dinamo Zagreb, Jagiellonia and Levski Sofia at the Stadium of Light.

Their four away fixtures will take them to Milan, Anderlecht, Lech Poznań and Torreense.

The visit to San Siro is the immediate centrepiece of the draw.

Sunderland secured their Europa League place by finishing seventh in the Premier League last season, completing a remarkable campaign immediately after promotion from the Championship. Their reward now includes one of the most recognisable away nights available anywhere in the competition.

Milan will provide the clearest measure of how far Sunderland have progressed.

The Italian side were seeded in Pot 1 and bring significantly greater European experience, while the scale of the occasion will represent a sharp contrast with Sunderland’s domestic rise over the past two seasons.

There are also demanding tests at home.

AZ Alkmaar provide another Pot 1 opponent and should be among the technically strongest visitors to the Stadium of Light, while Dinamo Zagreb arrive with extensive experience of European competition.

Jagiellonia and Levski Sofia complete a home programme in which Sunderland will expect to collect a significant share of the points required for progression.

The away schedule beyond Milan offers a different challenge. Anderlecht remain one of Belgium’s most established European clubs, while Lech Poznań have regularly proved difficult opposition in continental competition. The trip to Torreense is lower-profile but adds another unfamiliar environment to Sunderland’s first European campaign in 53 years.

The significance of the draw is therefore about more than difficulty.

Sunderland were playing Championship football only two seasons ago. They returned to the Premier League, finished seventh at the first attempt and have now been handed a European schedule stretching from Milan to Brussels, Poznań and Portugal.

Under the 36-team league format, the top eight clubs qualify directly for the round of 16, while teams finishing ninth to 24th enter a two-legged knockout play-off.

For Sunderland, progression is a realistic objective, but the wider benchmark will be how effectively Régis Le Bris’ side translate their domestic momentum into a competition in which several opponents possess far greater European experience.

The Europa League league phase begins on September 16 and 17 and concludes on January 28, with UEFA still to confirm the exact order and kick-off times of Sunderland’s eight fixtures.