The Premier League side last featured in continental competition during the 1995-96 season, reaching the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup — the predecessor of the current Europa League. Their return ends a long absence for a club with deep European pedigree, having won back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980 under legendary manager Brian Clough.
Forest enter the competition under new coach Ange Postecoglou, who is still chasing his first victory at the helm after two defeats and a draw since succeeding Nuno Espírito Santo. The Australian manager arrives with a curious recent history: he guided Tottenham Hotspur to Europa League glory last season — the club’s first trophy in 17 years — but was dismissed weeks later after Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League, their worst-ever campaign.
Forest’s place in the Europa League also carries a twist. They were drafted in ahead of FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, who were reassigned to the third-tier Conference League by UEFA following ownership conflicts related to multiple-club stakes.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Roma begin their campaign with a trip to French side Nice, Bundesliga outfit Freiburg hosts Swiss champions Basel, Dutch champions Feyenoord travel to Braga, Celtic head to Belgrade for a clash with Red Star, and Greece’s PAOK entertain Israeli side Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The remaining nine fixtures in the opening round will be played on Thursday.
This season’s Europa League adopts the revamped 36-team league-phase format also introduced in the Champions League. Each club will face eight different opponents, with all teams ranked in a single standings table to determine progression to the knockout rounds.