Tough Europa League: Ajax, AZ & Twente draw Galatasaray, Man.U. & Roma
Ajax, FC Twente, and AZ heard their opponents for this season's UEFA Europa League on Friday. The Dutch sides will not have it easy. All three were drawn to two Turkish opponents each with all these matches being played in the Netherlands. FC Twente will also face Manchester United away, while AZ Alkmaar will host AS Roma.
This season is the first of the new UEFA Europa League format. As opposed to the four-team groups of the past, the competition is now one big league with all 36 teams in it. Every team faces eight sides, with the top eight sides in the league qualifying automatically for the knockout stages. The teams finishing in ninth to 24th place will compete in a two-legged play-off to secure a place in the last 16 of the competition.
Ajax was somewhat fortunate to be drawn against Slavia Prague away as that was one of the more lower rated opponents they could have gotten from the highest tier pot 1, the Amsterdammers will also face the Italian side Lazio at home and were drawn to face two Turkish sides in Galatasaray and Besiktas who will both travel to Amsterdam. Galatasaray is the club of former Ajax players Davinson Sanchez and Hakim Ziyech, and Besiktas are managed by former Oranje left-back Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
The Amsterdammers also have a tough match away against Real Sociedad. Their remaining matches are against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Qarabag, and RFS.
AZ Alkmaar was given a tough draw, facing Italian club AS Roma at home and Tottenham Hotspur away. They will also welcome two Turkish sides in Fenerbahce, who are managed by Jose Mourinho, and Galatasaray. Their other home match was against Swedish side Elfsborg. They face last season's Spanish cup winner Athletic Bilbao, Ludogorets, who have won the Bulgarian championship for the last 12 seasons, and Ferencvaros from Hungary in their remaining away fixtures.
Twente will play the English Premier League giants Manchester United away, who are managed by former Twente player and coach Erik ten Hag. Their toughest home match will probably be against the Italian side Lazio. The Tukkers will also host two Turkish sides, Fenerbahce and Besiktas. Their other home match is against Belgian team Union Saint Gilloise. They will travel to Athens to face Olympiacos, Sweden to face Malmo, and France to face Nice.
The schedule for the match dates will be released on Saturday.
