How FC Twente could reach the UEFA Europa League and return to Europe

[p]After a strong fourth-place finish in the Dutch Eredivisie, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/twente/dhOKTHGA/"]FC Twente[/a] qualified for the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. It gives the Tukkers the chance to make a second European appearance since 2012.[/p][p]FC Twente also qualified for the UEFA Europa League in 2024 and kicked off their main draw with a famous 1-1 draw away at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a]. Their campaign ended in the first round of the knockouts, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bodo-glimt/S0WZMUNG/"]Bodo/Glimt[/a] beating FC Twente 6-4 on aggregate.[/p][p]Though they're no frequent flyers in modern times, FC Twente are no strangers to the competition, having made the final of the 1974/75 UEFA Cup. The Eredivisie outfit lost 5-1 on aggregate to the mighty [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/b-monchengladbach/88HSzjDr/"]Borussia Monchengladbach[/a], led by Jupp Heynckes and Berti Vogts.[/p][p][i][b]Flashscore[/b][/i] maps out FC Twente's route to the league phase of the UEFA Europa League.[/p][h2]FC Twente's road to the UEFA Europa League[/h2][p][b]Second qualifying round[/b][/p][p]In the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, FC Twente will face Hungarian outfit [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/ferencvaros/pKS9M7R7/"]Ferencvaros[/a][/b].[/p][p]Formerly led by Pascal Jansen and Ricardo Moniz, Ferencvaros finished second in the Hungarian NB I, just one point behind champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/gyor/4WnsYev9/"]Gyor[/a]. Ferencvaros also won the Hungarian Cup, beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/zalaegerszegi/r7sQuWok/"]Zalaegerszeg[/a] 1-0 after extra time, courtesy of a goal from Belgian defender Toon Raemaekers.[/p][p]Ferencvaros beat Serbian outfit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vojvodina/8pVJab5C/"]Vojvodina Novi Sad[/a] 5-1 on aggregate in the first round of the UEFA Europa League qualifiers.[/p][p][b]Thursday, July 23rd[/b]:[b] [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ferencvaros-pKS9M7R7/twente-dhOKTHGA/?mid=hpHBTd64"][b]FC Twente [/b]- Ferencvaros (HUN)[/a] (20.00 CEST)[/p][p][b]Thursday, July 30th[/b]: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/ferencvaros-pKS9M7R7/twente-dhOKTHGA/?mid=bsKJRzyH"]Ferencvaros (HUN) - [b]FC Twente[/b][/a] (20.30 CEST)[/p][embed guid="e2818836-06d0-42ad-a10d-9bd57b6ff880" url="https://x.com/fctwente/status/2080050283892085065?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Third qualifying round (UEFA Europa League)[/b][/p][p]If FC Twente beat Ferencvaros, they'll face the winner of the UEFA Europa League matchup between [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fenerbahce/MsbmracL/"]Fenerbahce[/a][/b] and [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/gornik-zabrze/2LH3Ywq4/"]Gornik Zabrze[/a] [/b]in the third round.[/p][p]Turkish giants Fenerbahce finished second in the Super Lig behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/galatasaray/riaqqurF/"]Galatasaray[/a] and appointed Ismail Kartal as the new manager. He's assisted by former Netherlands international Dirk Kuyt and has seen his club make big splashes on the transfer market, including for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/greenwood-mason/hxe108Jl/"]Mason Greenwood[/a] (€39 million), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cherif-sidiki/tSVHHLjn/"]Sidiki Cherif[/a] (€18 million), [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muriqi-vedat/CjwNDgqi/"]Vedat Muriqi[/a] (€16 million), and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ake-nathan/6LBvaQoh/"]Nathan Ake[/a] (free transfer).[/p][p]Polish outfit Gornik Zabrze finished second in the Polish Ekstraklasa, four points behind champions [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/lech-poznan/OpNH7Ouf/"]Lech Poznan[/a], and won the Polish Cup after beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rakow-czestochowa/SQOrbYim/"]Rakow Czestochowa[/a] 2-0 in the final, winning [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/podolski-lukas/lpabyhMe/"]Lukas Podolski[/a] his final trophy as a professional footballer. Gornik Zabrze lost the Polish Super Cup to Lech Poznan, who won 3-1 on July 16th.[/p][p][b]Thursday, August 6th[/b]: [b]FC Twente[/b]/Ferencvaros - Fenerbahce/Gornik Zabrze (time t.b.d.)[/p][p][b]Thursday, August 13th[/b]: Fenerbahce/Gornik Zabrze - [b]FC Twente[/b]/Ferencvaros (time t.b.d.)[/p][image alt="Fenerbahce's team photo ahead of the game against Gornik Zabrze on July 21st" id="5ff5c548-09b3-43b3-a9a7-fe74f7e780ed" credit-line="Burak Basturk/MEI / Sipa Press / Profimedia" guid="fee0436e-766f-4dc5-9e49-5ca73ac57dc9" original-width="1400" original-height="933" /][p][b]Third qualifying round (UEFA Conference League)[/b][/p][p]If FC Twente lose to Ferencvaros, they'll enter the third round of the UEFA Conference League qualifiers and face the winner of the matchup between [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dun-streda/YHIkizpH/"]FC DAC 1904[/a][/b] and [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/velez-mostar/Q7LPqcLQ/"]FK Velez Mostar[/a][/b].[/p][p]Slovakian side FC DAC 1904 finished second in the 2025/26 Nike Liga and are perhaps most well-known for their [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/news/soccer-conference-league-dac-become-second-club-to-be-kicked-from-europe-due-to-multi-club-ownership/r3Sg1riA/"]disqualification from the Conference League qualifiers in 2025[/a], based on UEFA's multi-club ownership rules.[/p][p]Velez Mostar from Bosnia finished fourth in the Bosnian Liga BiH, 35 points behind champions Borac Banja Luka and 14 points behind third-placed Sajarevo.[/p][p][b]Thursday, August 6th: FC Twente[/b]/Ferencvaros - FC DAC 1904 (SLK)/Velez Mostar (BIH) (time t.b.d.)[/p][p][b]Thursday, August 13th[/b]: FC DAC 1904 (SLK)/Velez Mostar (BIH) - [b]FC Twente[/b]/Ferencvaros (time t.b.d.)[/p][p][b]Play-offs[/b][/p][p]If FC Twente qualify for the play-offs of the UEFA Europa League or the UEFA Conference League, they will know who they'll face after the draw on [b]Monday, August 3rd[/b].[/p][infobox id="383e2abc-afe3-4139-8e06-aa4254ac57ee" /]