Maarten Paes Has a Chance to Appear in the Conference League, Ajax Will Face Atalanta and Getafe

Jakarta - The 2026/2027 Conference League league phase draw has been held at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco. As a result, Ajax Amsterdam, whose squad includes Indonesia national team goalkeeper Maarten Paes, has been placed alongside Italian representatives Atalanta.

Ajax is counted as one of the clubs with strong prospects to compete for the title. However, their path to the round of 16 will not be straightforward, as they will face opponents with vastly different playing characteristics.

Ajax are scheduled to host Atalanta, Getafe, and Thun at home. For away fixtures, they will travel to face Midtjylland, Sint-Truiden, and Hajduk Split.

Ajax Host Atalanta At Home

One of the most highly anticipated fixtures on Ajax's schedule is their home match against Atalanta at the Johan Cruyff Arena.

This Italian club is widely predicted to be one of the serious contenders for this season's Conference League trophy.

Alongside Atalanta, Getafe and Thun will also travel to Amsterdam to face the home side.

These three home matches present an opportunity for Ajax to collect maximum points while building a strong position in the league phase standings.

Three Away Fixtures Await Ajax

Ajax will also face challenges outside their home ground. They are scheduled to visit the stadiums of Midtjylland in Denmark, Sint-Truiden in Belgium, and Hajduk Split in Croatia.

Cross-country travel brings its own set of challenges, as Ajax must maintain consistent performance while balancing their domestic competition schedule.

The away fixture against Hajduk Split is expected to bring a particularly unique atmosphere, with Ajax playing in front of a passionate home support for the opposition.

For this reason, the ability to secure points in away matches will be a critical factor for Ajax's bid to finish in the upper positions of the table.

Maarten Paes In Line For European Competition Appearance

For Maarten Paes, the 2026/2027 Conference League league phase brings a new opportunity to experience the atmosphere of European competition with Ajax.

That said, competition for the goalkeeper position will be tight, as Ajax also have experienced shot-stopper Marc-Andre ter Stegen in their squad.

Even so, Paes' inclusion in the squad gives the Indonesia national team goalkeeper a chance to earn playing minutes if trusted by the coaching staff.

The chance to feature in the Conference League would be a valuable career experience for Paes.

New Conference League Format

The 2026/2027 Conference League uses the same league phase format implemented for the Champions League and Europa League.

All 36 participating clubs are ranked in a single unified league table. Every team will play a full set of fixtures to determine their final ranking.

The top 8 clubs in the standings will qualify directly for the round of 16.

Meanwhile clubs placed 9th to 24th will enter playoff matches to compete for the remaining 8 spots in the round of 16.

Clubs finishing 25th to 36th will be eliminated from the competition immediately.