The Europa League is ready for the 2016/17 season, as the draw for the group games have been concluded in Monaco on Friday (Today).
Manchester United was among the 12 top seeds in the competition and was the very first team selected in in the lunchtime’s draw. United is drawn to play Fenerbahce, Feyenoord and Zorya Luhansk in Group A of the group stage.
United boss Jose Mourinho, who has not managed a team in this competition since his Porto side lifted the trophy in 2003, said: “It’s a big match to play in Istanbul as it is in Rotterdam – it’s good for us.
“There are groups in the Champions League that are very similar, so it is good for that. We know that it will be a difficult group, but I think that is a good thing. If you have teams without expression then even the fans may not enjoy nights at Old Trafford. It is good for the fans and for the players because it will help motivation.”
Meanwhile, another English side, Southampton, who were among the third seeds, were drawn in Group K alongside Inter Milan, Sparta Prague and Hapoel Be’er Sheva.
Group A: Manchester United, Fenerbahce, Feyenoord, Zorya Luhansk
Group B: Olympiakos Piraeus, Apoel Nicosia, Young Boys, Astana
Group C: Anderlecht, St Etienne, Mainz, Qabala
Group D: Zenit Saint Petersburg, AZ Alkmaar, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Dundalk
Group E: Viktoria Plzen, AS Roma, Austria Vienna, Astra Giurgiu
Group F: Athletic Bilbao, Genk, Rapid Vienna, Sassulo
Group G: Ajax Amsterdam, Standard Liege, Celta Vigo, Panathinaikos
Group H: Shakhtar Donetsk, Braga, Gent, Konyaspor
Group I: Schalke 04, Salzburg, Krasnodar, Nice
Group J: Fiorentina, PAOK Slovan, Liberec, Qarabag
Group K: Inter Milan, Sparta Prague, Southampton, Hapoel Be’er Sheva
Group L: Villarreal, Steaua Bucharest, Zurich, Osmanlispor
