How FC Twente reached the UEFA Conference League and returned 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]Following FC Twente's elimination from the UEFA Europa League qualifiers, [i][b]Flashscore[/b][/i] maps out FC Twente's route to the league phase of the UEFA Conference League.[/p][h2]FC Twente's road to the UEFA Conference League[/h2][p][b]Second qualifying round (UEFA Europa League)[/b][/p][p]In the second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, FC Twente faced 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 kept FC Twente in check in both games, winning in Enschede before surviving with ten men for over an hour and keeping Twente to a 2-2 draw in Budapest, thus demoting the Tukkers to the UEFA Conference 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] (1-2)[/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] (2-2)[/p][embed guid="009a325a-b25f-4eb0-a068-694ff38c6580" url="https://x.com/fctwente/status/2082925255799046481?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][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 [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dun-streda/YHIkizpH/"]FC DAC 1904[/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]FC Twente bounced back from their disappointing UEFA Europa League elimination in might fashion, beating FC DAC 1904 6-0 in Enschede, courtesy of goals from Mats Rots, Marko Pjaca, Daouda Weidmann, Max Bruns, Ramiz Zerrouki, and Robin Propper. The second leg was therefore redundant, but ended in a spectacular 3-3 draw in Slovakia.[/p][p][b]Thursday, August 6th: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/dun-streda-YHIkizpH/twente-dhOKTHGA/?mid=n9sCCFW8"][b]FC Twente[/b]- FC DAC 1904 (SLK)[/a] (6-0)[/p][p][b]Thursday, August 13th[/b]: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/dun-streda-YHIkizpH/twente-dhOKTHGA/?mid=h89qf7Gs"]FC DAC 1904 (SLK) - [b]FC Twente[/b][/a][b] [/b](3-3)[/p][p][b]UEFA Conference League Play-offs[/b][/p][p]In the UEFA Conference League play-offs, FC Twente will face [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qarabag-agdam/Qgd3eSin/"]Qarabag[/a][/b] from Azerbaijan.[/p][p]Qarabag finished as runners-up in the Azerbaijan Premier League after winning the league in 11 of the prior 12 seasons, finishing nine points behind [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sabah-baku/fNGcxbyr/"]Sabah[/a]. Qarabag beat Icelandic outfit [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/vestri/Y9PMInnH/"]Vestri[/a] 6-0 in the first round of UEFA Europa League qualifiers this season, but lost on penalties to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cska-sofia/0xFNNECi/"]CSKA Sofia[/a] in the second round.[/p][embed guid="f26d0ef5-f1d3-485c-8dd7-96ff334d0b9b" url="https://x.com/fctwente/status/2093096044733337603?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]A poor match in Enschede saw Qarabag take a 1-0 lead back to Azerbaijan, where Kady Borges' second goal of the tie at the 60-minute mark looked to have eliminated Twente from Europe altogether. A late flurry, sparked by a goal from Marko Pjaca and finished by Max Bruns in injury time, forced extra time in Agdam, where Wout Weghorst finally scored his first Twente goal and Younes Taha put the final nail in the coffin after 114 minutes and sent Twente to the UEFA Conference League.[/p][p][b]Thursday, August 20th: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/qarabag-Qgd3eSin/twente-dhOKTHGA/?mid=rHS1dYro"][b]FC Twente [/b]- Qarabag (AZE)[/a] (0-1)[/p][p][b]Thursday, August 27th: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/qarabag-Qgd3eSin/twente-dhOKTHGA/?mid=ANKmKyyh"]Qarabag (AZE) - [b]FC Twente[/b][/a][b] [/b](2-4 A.E.T.)[/p][infobox id="383e2abc-afe3-4139-8e06-aa4254ac57ee" /]