# 2016–17 UEFA Europa League
The **2016–17 UEFA Europa League** was the eighth season of UEFA's second-tier club football competition, the successor to the UEFA Cup, and was won by Manchester United, who beat Ajax 2-0 in the final at the Friends Arena in Solna, Sweden, on 24 May 2017.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94a2baa751-7c404fb11d25-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-list-of-participants/) • [2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/24/manchester-united-ajax-europa-league-final-match-report) [Competition](https://www.edgepedia.org/competition) got under way on 20 June 2016, when the draws for the first and second qualifying rounds were held at UEFA's Nyon headquarters in Switzerland.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94a2baa751-7c404fb11d25-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-list-of-participants/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | Draw in Nyon 20 June 2016; final at Friends Arena, Solna, 24 May 2017[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94a2baa751-7c404fb11d25-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-list-of-participants/) |
| Entry | 16 teams automatic to the group stage, 139 starting in qualifying, 33 transferring from the Champions League[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94a2baa751-7c404fb11d25-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-list-of-participants/) |
| Champion | Manchester United, beating Ajax 2-0 (Pogba 18, Mkhitaryan 48)[2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/24/manchester-united-ajax-europa-league-final-match-report) |
| Season totals | 565 goals in 410 matches from the group stage to the final[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2017/) • [4](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/49/98/08/2499808_DOWNLOAD.pdf) |
| Top scorers | Edin Džeko and Giuliano, 8 goals each; Aritz Aduriz, 7[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2017/) |
| Most appearances | Paul Pogba and Hany Younes, 15; André Onana, 14[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2017/) |
| Attendance record | 80,465 at Wembley for Tottenham Hotspur's elimination by Gent, a Europa League all-time record[5](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0242-0f842d56f34d-dd156c12ac83-1000/2016_17_report_of_the_president_and_executive_committee_-_uefa_administration_report.pdf) |
| Reward | Champions League group-stage qualification for the following season as titleholder[6](https://football.fandom.com/wiki/2016%E2%80%9317_UEFA_Europa_League) |
## Entry and format
A country's representation was determined by its [UEFA coefficient](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-coefficient) ranking as of the start of the previous season, calculated over a five-year basis. Sixteen teams entered the group stage automatically, with a further 139 sides starting in the qualifying rounds and 33 more joining from various phases of the [UEFA Champions League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-champions-league), including eight third-place group finishers who entered the round of 32.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94a2baa751-7c404fb11d25-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-list-of-participants/) The access list was determined by the rankings at the end of the 2014/15 season.[7](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0229-0e93111333c1-9a2ea1560c5c-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-access-list/) There were no entrants from the Respect Fair Play rankings, a change from earlier seasons.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94a2baa751-7c404fb11d25-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-list-of-participants/)
**Seeded entrants.** Schalke were the top-ranked side automatically through to the group stage, with a coefficient of 96.035, ahead of Zenit (93.216) and Manchester United (82.256).[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94a2baa751-7c404fb11d25-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-list-of-participants/) Ten teams eliminated from the Champions League play-off round joined the Europa League entrants in August 2016.[8](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94c84cdc4f-b35e047da499-1000--ten-play-off-fallers-join-europa-league-entrants/)
## The final
The 50,000-capacity Friends Arena in Stockholm hosted the final, the first UEFA club competition showpiece to be held at the stadium.[9](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0250-0c510cb9c76a-a7d5bdb2ba3b-1000--stockholm-to-host-2017-uefa-europa-league-final/) Manchester United took the lead in the 18th minute when [Paul Pogba](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-pogba)'s shot deflected off [Davinson Sánchez](https://www.edgepedia.org/davinson-sanchez) past goalkeeper [André Onana](https://www.edgepedia.org/andre-onana), and Henrikh Mkhitaryan hooked in the second three minutes into the second half from a corner routine involving Marouane Fellaini and Chris Smalling.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/24/manchester-united-ajax-europa-league-final-match-report)
The win completed United's set of major UEFA club competition trophies; they were aiming to become the fifth team, after Ajax, Bayern, Chelsea, and Juventus, to have won all three (the [European Champion Clubs' Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/european-champion-clubs-cup), the UEFA Cup/[UEFA Europa League](https://www.edgepedia.org/uefa-europa-league), and the European Cup Winners' Cup).[10](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0239-0e1680b9e7d1-2917ed41b578-1000--uelfinal-ajax-v-man-united-all-you-need-to-know/) Wayne Rooney came on as a last-minute substitute and lifted the trophy, and manager [José Mourinho](https://www.edgepedia.org/jose-mourinho), who had now won 12 of his 14 finals, counted the prize alongside that season's Community Shield and EFL Cup.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/24/manchester-united-ajax-europa-league-final-match-report)
Ajax's starting line-up had an average age of 22 years and 282 days, including six players aged 21 or younger and a 17-year-old in central defense. [Matthijs de Ligt](https://www.edgepedia.org/matthijs-de-ligt), at 17 years 285 days, is the youngest player recorded in a Europa League final.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/24/manchester-united-ajax-europa-league-final-match-report) • [11](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0252-0ce430367606-35094e8eef73-1000--europa-league-final-records-biggest-wins-oldest-scorers-/) The match was played four days after the [Manchester Arena](https://www.edgepedia.org/manchester-arena) attack, and the United players dedicated the win to the victims and the city.[2](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/24/manchester-united-ajax-europa-league-final-match-report)
## Season in numbers
A total of 565 goals were scored in 410 matches from the opening night of the group stage to the final in Stockholm.[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2017/) • [4](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/49/98/08/2499808_DOWNLOAD.pdf) [Edin Džeko](https://www.edgepedia.org/edin-dzeko) and Giuliano led the scoring with 8 goals each, followed by [Aritz Aduriz](https://www.edgepedia.org/aritz-aduriz) with 7; Pogba and Hany Younes made the most appearances with 15, and Onana 14.[3](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2017/)
**Records set.** Aritz Aduriz became the first player to score five times in a single UEFA Europa League fixture, in Athletic Club's 5-3 victory over Genk.[4](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/49/98/08/2499808_DOWNLOAD.pdf) Lyon's 11-2 aggregate defeat of [AZ Alkmaar](https://www.edgepedia.org/az-alkmaar) in the round of 32 (4-1 away, 7-1 home) stands as the biggest knockout-phase win in the competition's Europa League era.[12](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/027c-16bb27585202-c2f661fa6a88-1000--europa-league-records-and-stats-clubs-players-matches-go/) Manchester United's crowd for the matchday three win over Fenerbahçe was a record for the Europa League group stage, and the season's all-time attendance record fell when 80,465 supporters watched Gent eliminate Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.[4](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/49/98/08/2499808_DOWNLOAD.pdf) • [5](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0242-0f842d56f34d-dd156c12ac83-1000/2016_17_report_of_the_president_and_executive_committee_-_uefa_administration_report.pdf)
**Reach and spread.** The round of 16 included eight clubs from associations ranked outside the top eight in the coefficient rankings at the start of the season: three from Belgium and one each from Turkey, the Netherlands, Greece, Denmark, and Cyprus.[5](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0242-0f842d56f34d-dd156c12ac83-1000/2016_17_report_of_the_president_and_executive_committee_-_uefa_administration_report.pdf) Broadcast in over 100 countries, the 2017 final was the third most-watched in the competition's history, with an estimated average worldwide audience of 62 million and 180 million unique viewers.[5](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0242-0f842d56f34d-dd156c12ac83-1000/2016_17_report_of_the_president_and_executive_committee_-_uefa_administration_report.pdf)
## Aftermath
As titleholder, Manchester United qualified for the 2017/18 UEFA Champions League group stage.[6](https://football.fandom.com/wiki/2016%E2%80%9317_UEFA_Europa_League) The season sat at the mid-point of UEFA's 2015-18 competition cycle, and changes agreed for the 2018-21 cycle included an additional €50m contribution passed from the Champions League to the Europa League and €10m allocated for additional solidarity payments in the qualifying rounds.[5](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0242-0f842d56f34d-dd156c12ac83-1000/2016_17_report_of_the_president_and_executive_committee_-_uefa_administration_report.pdf)
## References
1. [2016/17 UEFA Europa League list of participants, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94a2baa751-7c404fb11d25-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-list-of-participants/)
2. [Manchester United's Paul Pogba sets up Europa League final win over Ajax, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/24/manchester-united-ajax-europa-league-final-match-report)
3. [Season 2016/17, UEFA Europa League, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/history/seasons/2017/)
4. [2016/17 UEFA Europa League technical report, UEFA](https://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/General/02/49/98/08/2499808_DOWNLOAD.pdf)
5. [2016/17 Report of the President and Executive Committee, UEFA Administration Report](https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0242-0f842d56f34d-dd156c12ac83-1000/2016_17_report_of_the_president_and_executive_committee_-_uefa_administration_report.pdf)
6. [2016–17 UEFA Europa League, Football Wiki](https://football.fandom.com/wiki/2016%E2%80%9317_UEFA_Europa_League)
7. [2016/17 UEFA Europa League access list, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0229-0e93111333c1-9a2ea1560c5c-1000--2016-17-uefa-europa-league-access-list/)
8. [Ten play-off fallers join Europa League entrants, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0230-0e94c84cdc4f-b35e047da499-1000--ten-play-off-fallers-join-europa-league-entrants/)
9. [Stockholm to host 2017 UEFA Europa League final, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0250-0c510cb9c76a-a7d5bdb2ba3b-1000--stockholm-to-host-2017-uefa-europa-league-final/)
10. [#UELfinal, Ajax v Man. United: all you need to know, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0239-0e1680b9e7d1-2917ed41b578-1000--uelfinal-ajax-v-man-united-all-you-need-to-know/)
11. [Europa League final records, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/0252-0ce430367606-35094e8eef73-1000--europa-league-final-records-biggest-wins-oldest-scorers-/)
12. [Europa League records and stats, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/027c-16bb27585202-c2f661fa6a88-1000--europa-league-records-and-stats-clubs-players-matches-go/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Competitions and recurring events › UEFA competitions › UEFA club competitions › UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license