SOCCER-EUROPA/DRAW Ajax draws Celtic, Spurs face Anderlecht and Monaco in Europa League

Record ID: 142201

  • Title: SOCCER-EUROPA/DRAW Ajax draws Celtic, Spurs face Anderlecht and Monaco in Europa League
  • Date: 28th August 2015
  • Summary: MONTE CARLO, MONACO (AUGUST 28, 2015) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE GRIMALDI FORUM IN MONACO WHERE THE UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE DRAW IS TAKING PLACE UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE LOGO MIXED ZONE FOLLOWING THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW OFFICIAL EUROPA LEAGUE BALL (SOUNDBITE) (English) RONNIE HAWTHORN, HEAD OF SAFETY SECURITY AND OPERATIONS AT CELTIC FC, SAYING: "I mean there is a lot of good football in the Europa league, I mean that's probably the key message, it's getting more and more stature as it develops and that's what we're seeing this year, a lot of good teams in Europa and a lot of good football to watch." EDWIN VAN DER SAR, AJAX DIRECTOR AND FORMER NETHERLANDS GOALKEEPER, TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) EDWIN VAN DER SAR, AJAX DIRECTOR AND FORMER NETHERLANDS GOALKEEPER, SAYING: "We played Celtic two years ago in the Champions League stage, Fenerbahce is a team with Robin Van Persie and Nani from my old club Man United. (They have) fanatical support at home and also in Amsterdam in Holland, a lot of Turkish people live there, so I'm sure the games will be great to watch not only for the players to play in but also for the fans to come to the stadium." PRESIDENT OF ANDERLECHT, ROGER VANDEN STOCK SPEAKING WITH MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (English) PRESIDENT OF ANDERLECHT, ROGER VANDEN STOCK, SAYING: "There are two or three groups that are from the Champions League level, one of them is Anderlecht with Monaco and Tottenham and I don't know about Qarabag but they certainly financially can go to the top also, so it is a very very difficult group." VINCENT LABRUNE, PRESIDENT OF OLYMPIQUE MARSEILLE, SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (French) VADIM VASILYEV, VICE PRESIDENT OF AS MONACO FC, SAYING: "We are pleased to play against Tottenham, a team with such an incredible history, so it's great, we will play against them with ambition, it won't be easy but we will give a good performance, we will do our best to win." JOURNALIST WRITING NOTES FC AUGSBURG DIRECTOR, MICHAEL STROELL, SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (German) FC AUGSBURG DIRECTOR, MICHAEL STROELL, SAYING: "We are super happy just to be taking part, it is the first time for FC Augsburg, and we have some very interesting opponents, who are far more experienced internationally. But it is quite nice for us, our captain is Dutch so he really wanted to play against a Dutch team, so from that point of view, with AZ Alkmaar he has managed that. Ragnar Klavan played there, our defender, he was a champion with Alkmaar in 2009. And our fans will be excited about the one or two good trips." CAMERA OPERATOR FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (French) MARSEILLE CHAIRMAN VINCENT LABRUNE, SAYING: "In regards to the Europa League, we have hope and lots of good will to put the team on the best possible track. We want to play our best." JOURNALISTS IN MIXED ZONE
  • Embargoed: 12th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Monaco
  • Country: Monaco
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA2XPLOPE9KEWWJFZYFZLFFWSRR
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Former European champions Ajax Amsterdam and Celtic, who both suffered the indignity of being knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers by underdogs this season, will meet in the Europa League after being drawn together in the group stage on Friday (August 28).
    Four-times European champions Ajax, beaten by Rapid Vienna in the premier competition, and Celtic, who were ousted by Malmo, were placed in Group A alongside Turkey's Fenerbahce and Norwegian side Molde.
    Ronnie Hawthorn, head of safety security and operations at Celtic, said the standard of the Europa League was on the rise.
    "I mean there is a lot of good football in the Europa League, I mean that's probably the key message, it's getting more and more stature as it develops and that's what we're seeing this year, a lot of good teams in Europa and a lot of good football to watch," he said.
    Ajax director and former Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar said his team find themselves in a tough group.
    "We played Celtic two years ago in the Champions League stage, Fenerbahce is a team with Robin Van Persie and Nani from my old club Man United. (They have) fanatical support at home and also in Amsterdam in Holland, a lot of Turkish people live there, so I'm sure the games will be great to watch not only for the players to play in but also for the fans to come to the stadium," he said.
    Anderlecht will meet Tottenham Hotspur in a repeat of the 1984 final of the Europa League's predecessor tournament, after they were drawn in Group J alongside Monaco and Qarabag.
    The English Premier League side won the UEFA Cup 31 years ago on penalties after both legs against Anderlecht ended 1-1.
    Anderlecht president Roger Vanden Stock said the draw had left some groups with teams more in line with Champions League pedigree.
    "There are two or three groups that are from the Champions League level, one of them is Anderlecht with Monaco and Tottenham and I don't know about Qarabag but they certainly financially can go to the top also, so it is a very very difficult group," he said.
    Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev said he was looking forward to playing the north London side.
    "We are pleased to play against Tottenham, a team with such an incredible history, so it's great, we will play against them with ambition, it won't be easy but we will give a good performance, we will do our best to win."
    Group L sees German debutants Augsburg face Athletic Bilbao, AZ Alkmaar and Partizan Belgrade.
    Augsburg director Michael Stroell said the draw was what they had hoped for.
    "We are super happy just to be taking part, it is the first time for FC Augsburg, and we have some very interesting opponents, who are far more experienced internationally. But it is quite nice for us, our captain is Dutch so he really wanted to play against a Dutch team, so from that point of view, with AZ Alkmaar he has managed that. Ragnar Klavan played there, our defender, he was a champion with Alkmaar in 2009. And our fans will be excited about the one or two good trips," he said.
    Marseille face Braga, Slovan Liberec and Groningen in Group F and the club's chairman, Vincent Labrune, said he hopes his team can take advantage of the draw and go far.
    "In regards to the Europa League, we have hope and lots of good will to put the team on the best possible track. We want to play our best," he said.
    Napoli were draw with Club Bruges, Legia Warsaw and Midtjylland in Group D while Borussia Dortmund must face PAOK, Krasnodar and Qabala in Group C.
    Liverpool were drawn against Swiss side Sion, who they beat 6-3 at Anfield in 1996, Girondins Bordeaux and Rubin Kazan in Group B.
    Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, last season's runners-up, will face Lazio, St. Etienne and Rosenborg in Group G.
    Fiorentina coach Paulo Sousa faces a quick return to FC Basel, the team he led to the Swiss league title last season, after their were paired in Group I, which also features Lech Poznan and Belenenses.
    Basel's St. Jakob Park stadium will host the final.
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