This morning marks an important event as the UEFA Europa League round of 16 is set to be drawn, a highly anticipated event for four British football clubs. Premier League leaders Liverpool, Brighton, West Ham, and Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers are all eager to secure a seeded spot and learn their fate for the next stage of the competition.
The four British clubs, along with Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen and Serie A heavyweight AC Milan, are awaiting their pairings after successfully advancing from the group phase.
AC Milan’s relegation from the Champions League led them to enter the Europa League, while teams such as Benfica, Braga, and Sporting dropped down from the European Cup after being eliminated from the competition.
The rules of the draw dictate that teams from the same national association cannot face each other. This means that an Italian seeded team, such as Atalanta, cannot be paired with AC Milan or Roma. Additionally, Leverkusen cannot draw Freiburg, and the two teams from Prague – Slavia Praha and Sparta Praha – are also prevented from facing each other.
The Europa League had a series of thrilling matches last night, with Roma and Qarabag securing hard-fought victories to earn their respective spots in the next stage of the competition. This completed the field of teams who qualified for the round of 16.
Liverpool, a three-time winner of the competition, last victorious in 2001, have ambitions of lifting the trophy once again. Leverkusen, who clinched the title in 1988, and the reigning champions Villarreal, also aim to stake their claim for the Europa League title.
As the football world eagerly anticipates the event, a number of unseeded teams including Freiburg, AC Milan, Benfica, and Roma are eagerly awaiting their draw fate after battling through their respective playoff matches. The rules for the round of 16 are clear; two-legged ties will be played, with extra time and penalties used to determine the winners if scores are level after 180 minutes.
The football community waits with anticipation as the proceedings are set to take place at the House of European Football in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw is scheduled to begin at 11am UK time, and the outcomes are highly awaited.