When do European leagues start for 2024-25 season?
Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Douglas Luiz have all made summer moves
- Published
The return of club football is just around the corner.
The Premier League kicks off in England when Manchester United host Fulham on Friday, 16 August.
But, with players only having had a short break since the summer's international tournaments, when do the rest of rest of Europe's big leagues get under way?
BBC Sport takes a look at the main dates from six of the continent's major leagues, which games you should look out for, the big transfers and more.
Italy
Alvaro Morata has joined AC Milan after captaining Spain to Euro 2024 glory
Serie A starts: Saturday, 17 August
Key dates: Inter Milan v AC Milan, 22 September; Roma v Lazio, 5 January; AC Milan v Inter Milan, 2 February; Lazio v Roma 13 April
Major signings: Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa to Juventus, £42.4m); Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid to AC Milan, £11m); Che Adams (Southampton to Torino, free); Mehdi Taremi (Porto to Inter Milan, free)
Champions League teams: Atalanta, Bologna, Inter Milan, Juventus, AC Milan
Europa League: Roma
Conference League: Fiorentina
Promoted sides: Como, Parma, Venezia
Spain
Jude Bellingham won the Champions League and La Liga in his first season with Real Madrid
La Liga starts: Thursday, 15 August
Key dates: Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid, 29 September; Real Madrid v Barcelona, 27 October; Barcelona v Atletico Madrid, 22 December; Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid, 9 February; Atletico Madrid v Barcelona, 16 March; Barcelona v Real Madrid, 11 May
Major signings: Kylian Mbappe (Paris St-Germain to Real Madrid, free); Endrick (Palmeiras to Real Madrid, £38.8m); Alvaro Djalo (Braga to Athletic Bilbao, £12.9m)
Champions League teams: Real Madrid, Barcelona, Girona, Atletico Madrid
Europa League: Athletic Bilbao, Real Sociedad
Conference League: Real Betis
Promoted sides: Leganes, Valladolid, Espanyol
Germany
Harry Kane missed out on a trophy with Bayern, despite being the Bundesliga top scorer in his first season in Germany
Bundesliga starts: Friday, 23 August
Key dates: Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen, 28 September; Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich, 30 November; Bayer Leverkuse v Bayern Munich, 15 February; Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund, 12 April
Major signings: Michael Olise (Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich, £45m); Joao Palhinha (Fulham to Bayern Munich, £42.3m); Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart to Dortmund, £14.7m); Aleix Garcia (Girona to Leverkusen, £15.16m)
Champions League teams: Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund
Europa League: Eintracht Frankfurt, Hoffenheim
Europa Conference League: Heidenheim
Promoted sides: St Pauli, Holstein Kiel
Netherlands
Jordan Henderson's Ajax finished fifth last season
Eredivisie starts: Friday, 9 August
Key dates: Feyenoord v Ajax, 1 September; Ajax v PSV Eindhoven, 2 November; PSV Eindhoven v Feyenoord, 22 December; Ajax v Feyenoord, 2 February; PSV Eindhoven v Ajax, 30 March; Feyenoord v PSV Eindhoven, 11 May
Major signings: Sergino Dest (Barcelona to PSV Eindhoven, free); Malik Tillman (Bayern Munich to PSV Eindhoven, £10.1m); Bertrand Traore (Villarreal to Ajax, free)
Champions League teams: PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, Twente
Europa League: Ajax, AZ Alkmaar
Conference League: Go Ahead Eagles
Promoted sides: Willem II, Groningen, NAC Breda
France
Luis Enrique guided Paris St-Germain to a league and cup double last term
Ligue 1 starts: Sunday, 18 August
Key dates: PSG v Lyon, 15 December; Monaco v PSG, 5 January; PSG v Monaco, 9 February; Lyon v PSG, 23 February
Major signings: Moussa Niakhate (Nottingham Forest to Lyon, £27m), Mason Greenwood (Manchester United to Marseille, £26.7m), Georges Mikautadze (Metz to Lyon, £15.6m), Said Benrahma (West Ham to Lyon, £12.2m)
Champions League teams: Paris St-Germain, Monaco, Brest, Lille
Europa League: Nice, Lyon
Conference League: Lens
Promoted sides: Auxerre, Angers, Saint-Etienne
Portugal
Sporting are the reigning champions in Portugal
Primeira Liga starts: Friday, 9 August
Key dates: Sporting v Porto, 31 August; Benfica v Porto, 10 November; Sporting v Benfica, 29 December; Porto v Sporting 9 February; Porto v Benfica, 6 April; Benfica v Sporting, 11 May
Major signings: Vangelis Pavlidis (AZ Alkmaar to Benfica, £15.2m); Francisco Conceicao (Ajax to Porto, £8.8m), Zeno Debast (Anderlecht to Sporting, £13.1m)
Champions League teams: Sporting, Benfica
Europa League: Porto, Braga
Conference League: Vitoria Guimaraes
Promoted sides: Santa Clara, Nacional, AVS