2013/14 Europa League Group Stage Draw LIVE
13:05: Championship battlers Wigan will attempt to balance their quest to return to the English top flight with games against Rubin Kazan of Russia, Maribor - who took on Birmingham City when they found themselves in a similar position a few seasons ago - and Zulte Waregem. The Belgian outfit were a surprise package in the Jupiler Pro League last season, boosted by the presence of Thorgan Hazard, younger brother of Chelsea's Eden. The 20-year-old has returned to the Belgium club and will be hoping to deliver an impact on the European stage.
12:58: Swansea have the tantalising prospect of taking on Miroslav Đukić's Valencia in what could be one of the games of the group stage at a glance. Russian champions of 2010 Kuban join them, alongside with Swiss outfit St Gallen.
12:52: After reaching the quarter finals of the competition last year, Tottenham will take on Russian, Moldovan and Norwegian opposition in their quest to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament. Andre Villas-Boas side will take on giants Anzhi, a side who have been severely weakened by the losses of Willian and Samuel Eto'o who have completed moves to Chelsea this summer. Sheriff and minnows Tromsø complete the group.
Europa League Group Stages:
Group A: Valencia, Swansea City, Kuban, St Gallen
Group B: PSV, Dinamo Zagreb, Odesa, Ludogorets
Group C: Standard Liege, Salzburg, Elfsborg, Esbjerg
Group D: Rubin, Wigan Athletic, Maribor, Zulte Waregem
Group E: Fiorentina, Dnipro, Pacos Ferreira, Pandurii
Group F: Bordeaux, APOEL, Eintracht Frankfurt, M. Tel-Aviv
Group G: Dynamo Kiev, Genk, Rapid Wien, Thun
Group H: Sevilla, Freiburg, Estoril, Liberec
Group I: Lyon, Betis, Guimaraes, Rijeka
Group J: Lazio, Trabzonspor, Legia, Apollon
Group K: Tottenham, Anji, Sheriff, Tromsø
Group L: AZ, PAOK, M. Haifa, Shakhter Karagandy
12:43: Tromsø of Norway join Tottenham, Anzhi and Sheriff in Group K.
12:41: Belgian club Zulte Waregem complete Group D alongside Rubin Kazan, Wigan and Maribor.
12:40: Swiss outfit St Gallen join Group A, completing the group alongside Valencia and Swansea.
12:39: The groups as they stand with one more team to join each:
Group A: Valencia, Swansea City, Kuban,
Group B: PSV, Dinamo Zagreb, Odesa,
Group C: Standard Liege, Salzburg, Elfsborg
Group D: Rubin, Wigan Athletic, Maribor
Group E: Fiorentina, Dnipro, Pacos Ferreira,
Group F: Bordeaux, APOEL, Eintracht Frankfurt
Group G: Dynamo Kiev, Genk, Rapid Wien
Group H: Sevilla, Freiburg, Estoril,
Group I: Lyon, Betis, Guimaraes
Group J: Lazio, Trabzonspor, Legia,
Group K: Tottenham, Anji, Sheriff,
Group L: AZ Alkmaar, PAOK, Maccabi Haifa
12:35: Sheriff of Moldova join Tottenham and Anzhi in Group K. Tabloid headlines writers across the country begin to rub their hands in anticipation.
12:33: Wigan and Rubin Kazan joined by Maribor in Group D.
12:32: Swansea and Valencia are joined by Russians Kuban in Group A.
12:31: Swansea paired with Valencia so far in Group A, Wigan alongside Rubin Kazan in Group D and Tottenham will face Anzhi in Group K.
12:28: Anzhi drawn alongside Tottenham in Group K, while PAOK complete the pot 2 draw in Group L.
12:27: Freiburg in Group H with Sevilla, Betis join Group I and Trabzonspor join Lazio in Group J.
12:26: Genk join Group G with Dinamo Kiev, Dnipro join Fiorentina in Group E and APOEL join Bordeaux in Group F.
12:25: Wigan Athletic make their Europa League bow in Group D alongside Rubin Kazan.
12:25: Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb join Group B with PSV, while Salzburg join Group C with Standard Liege.
12:24: Swansea City first out from pot 2, joining Group A alongside Valencia.
12:22: Tottenham Hotspur join Group K, leaving AZ Alkmaar to join Group L to complete the first round of the draw.
12:21: French outfit Lyon join Group I and Lazio are placed in Group J.
12:20: Bordeaux go into Group F, as Sevilla are allocated to Group H.
12:18: Fiorentina placed in Group E as Dinamo Kiev get Group G.
12:17: Standard Liege drawn in Group C and Russian outfit Rubin Kazan in Group D.
12:16: Carvalho masterfully opens the first ball to place Valencia in Group A before drawing PSV Eindhoven in Group B.
12:12: Former Napoli and Juventus man Ciro Ferrara joins the stage complete with a pair of sufficently hipster glasses. Almost ready to go...
12:06: Former Porto, Chelsea and Real Madrid defender Ricardo Carvalho will help draw the teams this afternoon. Let's hope he has more luck than Billy McNeil and Luis Figo did yesterday, where even the perennially cool Portuguese legend broke a sweat as he struggled to unscrew those pesky balls.
11:58: AZ Alkmaar and Atromitos FC were forced to play out the remaining 31 minutes of their tie earlier this morning after their second leg clash was abandoned on 59 minutes on Thursday after an electrical fire forced stadium evacuation. When the game was stopped, AZ trailed 1-0 on the night but led 3-2 on aggregate. The delayed game finished 3-3 this morning, but the Dutch outfit progressed courtesy of the away goals rule.
11:54: Tottenham sealed their place in the group stages of the competition at a canter as they sealed an 8-0 aggregate win over Dinamo Tbilisi at White Hart Lane last night. Although Swansea fell to a 2-1 defeat away to Petrolul Ploiesti,the Welsh club sealed their progression with a fairly emphatic 6-3 aggregate win.
11:50: 48 entrants are split into four seeding pots based on their club coefficients, with each of the 12 groups to contain one team from each tier. No club can meet a side from their own league. Tottenham have been placed in Pot 1 while Swansea and Wigan are in Pot 2.
Pot 1
Valencia CF (ESP)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
PSV Eindhoven (NED)
FC Girondins de Bordeaux (FRA)
FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)
Sevilla FC (ESP)
R. Standard de Liège (BEL)
ACF Fiorentina (ITA)
SS Lazio (ITA)
AZ Alkmaar (NED)
Pot 2
APOEL FC (CYP)
PAOK FC (GRE)
FC Salzburg (AUT)
KRC Genk (BEL)
GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR)
Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR)
FC Anji Makhachkala (RUS)
Real Betis Balompié (ESP)
Wigan Athletic FC (ENG)
Swansea City AFC (ENG)
SC Freiburg (GER)
Pot 3
Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
Vitória SC (POR)
Legia Warszawa (POL)
Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)
SK Rapid Wien (AUT)
FC Paços de Ferreira (POR)
Estoril Praia (POR)
FC Sheriff (MDA)
FC Chornomorets Odesa (UKR)
NK Maribor (SVN)
FC Kuban Krasnodar (RUS)
IF Elfsborg (SWE)
Pot 4
Maccabi Tel-Aviv FC (ISR)
FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)
FC Thun (SUI)
SV Zulte Waregem (BEL)
Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)
Tromsø IL (NOR)
FC St Gallen (SUI)
Esbjerg fB (DEN)
HNK Rijeka (CRO)
CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu (ROU)
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
FC Shakhter Karagandy (KAZ)
11:45: Welcome to IB Times UK's live coverage of the 2013/14 Europa League Group Stage draw. 48 clubs including Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City and FA Cup holders Wiggan Athletic await to learn their fate ahead of the draw scheduled for 12:00 (GMT).
© Copyright IBTimes 2024. All rights reserved.