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Europa Conference League draw LIVE: Aston Villa to face Ajax after learning last 16 fate

Unai Emery’s team hope to emulate West Ham and lift the trophy after making it through to the knockout rounds

Friday 23 February 2024 12:55 GMT

The Europa Conference League has reached the last 16 stage (AFP via Getty Images)

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The Europa Conference League last 16 draw took place this afternoon with Unai Emery’s Aston Villa flying the flag as the lone British team in the competition.

Villa who qualified as one of the group winners alongside the likes of Club Brugge and Fiorentina where pulled out of the pot against Dutch side Ajax.

It is one of the more juicier ties for the next stage of the competition with Union Saint-Gilloise vs PAOK another potential eye opener.

Emery, who has plenty of success in European competition under his belt, will know that Villa have drawn one of the more dangerous teams but, combined with their impressive form in the Premier League this season, he will be confident about reaching the quarter-finals.

Relive the last 16 draw and reaction as Aston Villa seek to continue their European journey:

Europa League draw LIVE

The procedure of the draw - seeded teams face unseeded teams etc - is now explained just so that everyone knows how things work and which teams can be drawn against which.

No team from the same domestice league can face each other at this stage.

Mike Jones23 February 2024 11:10

Europa League draw LIVE

Giorgio Marchetti is brought onto the stage to talk about next season’s Europa League expansion before explaining the rules for the draw with a bit of flair and style.

He also congratulates Qarabag for becoming the first team from Azerbaijan to reach the knockout stage of this competition.

John O’Shea is then introduced to help out with the draw.

Mike Jones23 February 2024 11:07

Europa League draw LIVE

Here’s a reminder of the teams in the draw:

Seeded teams

Atalanta (ITA)
Brighton (ENG)
Bayer Leverkusen (GER)
Liverpool (ENG)
Rangers (SCO)
Slavia Prague (CZE)
Villarreal (ESP)
West Ham (ENG)

Unseeded teams

AC Milan (ITA)
Benfica (POR)
Freiburg (GER)
Marseille (FRA)
Qarabağ (AZE)
Roma (ITA)
Sparta Prague (CZE)
Sporting CP (POR)

Mike Jones23 February 2024 11:05

Europa League draw LIVE

Here we go.

The draw for the Europa League last-16 is just getting started. As always there’s a recap of the group stages and the play-off round with the teams who have progressed being announced.

Mike Jones23 February 2024 11:01

Fifa and Uefa face unfixable problem over multi-club ownership

Uefa and Fifa are in a stand-off over regulation on multi-club ownership, as the two biggest confederations struggle to find a solution for one of the biggest issues facing football today.

The European body are pushing for Fifa to come up with rules before next year’s inaugural Club World Cup in the USA, especially with the possibility that it could feature clubs from multiple groups. Manchester City and Chelsea are both certain to be involved, as two examples, and the former are part of one of the biggest such groups in the world as City Football Group while the London club’s owners investigating the possibility of expanding beyond the recent purchase of Strasbourg.

Fifa are at the same pushing Uefa to clarify its own rules, that have so far led to situations like Leipzig and Salzburg - both from the Red Bull group - meeting in the Europa League. That is despite the rules notionally supposed to keep such teams apart to prevent conflict of interest. The two clubs were able to prove sufficient separation, which has left a consistent question over whether the regulations are fit for purpose.

Fifa and Uefa face unfixable problem over multi-club ownership

Several top European teams including Man City are part of multi-ownership groups which can impact on transfers and tournaments as well as actual club history

Mike Jones23 February 2024 10:57

Klopp compares Liverpool comeback to Liverpool’s famous Barcelona win

Jurgen Klopp broke his promise.

A few months ago, he had vowed to stop talking about his greatest comeback, his greatest night. There can be a temptation to mention the most famous of his 472 games in charge of Liverpool, in part because it combined so many of the elements that have defined his reign.

But after another four-goal comeback, against Luton this time, he reached for the ultimate in his search for something reminiscent.

“I promised my team a few months ago that I would never mention the Barcelona game as an example and I used it again today so I broke my promise,” he said.

“Just because this game was, before the game, kind of similar. This is now their Barcelona, it was against Luton.

“Difficult situation, plenty of reasons to give up in moments but not tonight and I saw only a super group fighting. If you don’t limit yourself with bad thoughts you can fly, that’s what the boys did.”

Mike Jones23 February 2024 10:49

Europa League draw LIVE

Sparta Prague forward, Jan Kuchta said: “I don’t have any preferences for the draw, but I’m certain that we will now play with courage against other big clubs as we did against Galatasaray.”

Mike Jones23 February 2024 10:42

Mohamed Salah injury update as Liverpool made to wait ahead of Carabao Cup final

Mohamed Salah faces a late fitness test ahead of the Carabao Cup final with the Liverpool forward yet to have been ruled out of the Wembley clash against Chelsea.

Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai will also be assessed ahead of Sunday’s showpiece.

“Dom, Darwin and Mo we have to really see,” Liverpool’s assistant manager Pep Lijnders said. “We have two more days, so at the last minute we will check if they can be there.”

Mohamed Salah injury update as Liverpool made to wait ahead of Carabao Cup final

The Liverpool forward was ruled out of the 4-1 win over Luton on Wednesday

Mike Jones23 February 2024 10:35