- Title: MONACO: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - Clubs react to Europa League draw
- Date: 30th August 2013
- Summary: MONTE CARLO, MONACO (AUGUST 30, 2013) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF GRIMALDI FORUM WHERE THE EUROPA LEAGUE GROUP STAGE DRAW IS TAKING PLACE PEOPLE AT ENTRANCE UNDER UEFA WELCOME SIGN VARIOUS OF DELEGATES ARRIVING FOR THE DRAW, VARIOUS CLUBS MEMBERS REGISTERING CLOSE UP OF CLUB MEMBERS REGISTERING ARRIVALS WALKING PAST TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR DELEGATION WALKING PAST AND IGNORING QUESTIONS FROM JOURNALISTS EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF EINTRACHT FRANKFURT, HERIBERT BRUCHENHAGEN (LEFT IN PICTURE) AND FREIBURG PRESIDENT FRITZ KELLER (RIGHT IN PICTURE WITH RED TIE) (SOUNDBITE) (German) FREIBURG PRESIDENT FRITZ KELLER SAYING "Yes, it is a group with a lot of big names, FC Sevilla, you know, it's just wow, it's great. Estoril are a little bit less known, but we know already what (Slovan) Liberec have already managed internationally. Internationally we don't have much to say yet, but above everything I am happy for the fans, we will try to get as many tickets as we can for our fans, and we will have to see and just let it all come to us." CAMERAMAN (SOUNDBITE) (German) EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF EINTRACHT FRANKFURT, HERIBERT BRUCHENHAGEN SAYING THAT THERE ARE NO FAVOURITES BUT IT'S NOT AN EASY GROUP, AND THAT THE TEAM WILL BE OK HAVING TO PLAY IN THE BUNDESLIGA AND THE EUROPA LEAGUE: "We're not talking about any double-burden, we have been working six years to play internationally, and so there won't be any crying or anything on our team, we are happy about the double-burden because it was our goal to play on a European level." DELEGATES WALKING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (French) OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS SPECIAL ADVISOR BERNARD LACOMBE SAYING: "We haven't got another Spanish team, and we know what that means, because that is certainly the best league today, along with the German Bundesliga. But is true that we learned a hard lesson against Real (Sociedad), and we know that it is hot playing Betis there. And I know Betis like FC Sevilla, I know the Spanish stadiums. Vitoria I don't know as well, but I know that Portuguese football is at a very high standard, and then there is the Croatian team, Rijeka, who I don't know very well, but then Yugoslav football as I have known it, it is often very complicated." LAZIO SPORTING DIRECTOR IGLI TARE TALKING TO COLLEAGUE (SOUNDBITE) (German) LAZIO SPORTING DIRECTOR IGLI TARE SAYING: "The Europa League is a massive competition and so we will respect that (as favourites) and the group which we are drawn in , is a difficult group with teams that have a lot of experience in European football and that isn't to be underestimated." EUROPA LEAGUE DELEGATES (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VALENCIA CF PRESIDENT AMADEU SALVO LILLO SAYING: "I think the three opponents are complicated, Swansea is a Premier team with lots of Spanish players, but we have to respect everybody during a competition because football is unpredictable." DELEGATES LEAVING SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) VALENCIA CF PRESIDENT AMADEU SALVO LILLO, TALKING ABOUT ROBERTO SOLDADO SAYING: "Roberto Soldado is history in Valencia and I think he was well replaced." DELEGATES LEAVING (SOUNDBITE) (Italian) FIORENTINA PRESIDENT ANDREA DELLA VALLE SAYING: "...then there are the Portuguese, who are of good quality, just like the Ukraine team. We shouldn't underestimate anyone. Even if it appears as if the championship is going to be easy, but it won't be. But the Fiorentina team will not underestimate anything." DELEGATES LEAVING
- Embargoed: 14th September 2013 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Monaco
- City:
- Country: Monaco
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA8KHDL2N3PVDUSX5BZ72LGP4I
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- Story Text: Monaco was abuzz with the who's who of soccer again on Friday (August 30) as the Mediterranean principality hosted the draw for the group stage draw for this season's Europa League.
But as the teams discovered who they will face when the group stage begins next month, all eyes were on Tottenham Hotspur, as the debacle over the transfer of forward Gareth Bale continues.
Wanting to avoid questions over Bale, the Tottenham delegation fled from the cameras in Monaco.
Tottenham manager Andre Villas-Boas has said the club could fine Bale for failing to attend training ahead of an expected world record "dream" move to Real Madrid.
Bale, who has not been training with the squad due to injury, was granted three days off but did not report back to the club on Tuesday despite being pictured in London.
Tottenham qualified for the group stages with an 8-0 aggregate victory over Dinamo Tiblisi. When the draw was made the North Londoners
who have splurged over 65 million pounds ($100 million) on new talent, were on Friday drawn in the same Europa League group as Anzhi Makhachkala, the Russian club who have been selling off their players.
Anzhi put their entire first team squad up for sale after their billionaire owner cut the club's budget, triggering an exodus of expensively acquired players.
Group K opponents Spurs, who had been linked with Anzhi's Brazilian playmaker Willian before he joined Chelsea instead along with the Russian club's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o, have brought in several new faces.
Tottenham have already broken their transfer record twice with the signings of Spain striker Roberto Soldado and Brazil midfielder Paulinho amid media reports that their Wales forward Gareth Bale will join Real Madrid in a world record deal.
Sevilla, who won back-to-back UEFA Cups - the predecessor to the Europa League - in 2006 and 2007 will face Germany's Freiburg, Portugal's Estoril and Czech side Liberec in Group H.
Freiburg president Fritz Keller said: "Yes, it is a group with a lot of big names, FC Sevilla, you know, it's just wow, it's great. Estoril are a little bit less known, but we know already what (Slovan) Liberec have already managed internationally. Internationally we don't have much to say yet, but above everything I am happy for the fans, we will try to get as many tickets as we can for our fans, and we will have to see and just let it all come to us."
Olympic Lyon, seven times winner of the French League, are top in Group I. Their special advisor
Bernard Lacombe assessed their opponents which include Real Betis of Spain, Portuguse side Vitoria Guimaraes and Croatia's Rijeka.
"We haven't got another Spanish team, and we know what that means, because that is certainly the best league today, along with the German Bundesliga. But is true that we learned a hard lesson against Real (Sociedad), and we know that it is hot playing Betis there," Lacombe said.
"And I know Betis like FC Sevilla, I know the Spanish stadiums. Vitoria I don't know as well, but I know that Portuguese football is at a very high standard, and then there is the Croatian team, Rijeka, who I don't know very well, but then Yugoslav football as I have known it, it is often very complicated."
Lazio Sporting Director Igli Tare reacted to the draw that includes Italy's Cup winners Lazio as the top seed in Group J, facing Turkey's Trabzonspor, Legia of Poland and Cypriot club Apollon Limassol.
"The Europa League is a massive competition and so we will respect that (as favourites) and the group which we are drawn in, is a difficult group with teams that have a lot of experience in European football and that isn't to be underestimated," Tare said.
Valencia president Amadeu Salvo Lillo said his club is particularly worried with Wales side Swansea
who will battle with also with Kuban Krasdonar for a place in Group A.
"I think the three opponents are complicated, Swansea is a Premier team with lots of Spanish players, but we have to respect everybody during a competition because football is unpredictable," he said.
"Roberto Soldado is history in Valencia and I think he was well replaced," he said of the Spanish striker who moved to Tottenham Hotspur.
Fiorentina are top in Group E and their president Andrea della Valle said their opponents Dnipro Dniprotpetrovsk from Ukraine, Portugal's Pacos de Ferreira of Portugal and Romanian side Pandurii Tirgu Jiu should not be underestimated.
"There are the Portuguese, who are of good quality, just like the Ukraine team. We shouldn't underestimate anyone. Even if it appears as if the championship is going to be easy, but it won't be. But the Fiorentina team will not underestimate anything," he said.
The draw for the group stage of Europe's second-tier club competition also featured Cypriot side APOEL, who have replaced Fenerbahce, and Norway's Tromso, reinstated in place of Besiktas after the Turkish clubs lost appeals against match-fixing bans.
APOEL feature in Group F with France's Bordeaux, Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt and Israel's Maccabi Tel Aviv, while Tromso are in Tottenham's group along with Moldovan outfit Sheriff.
Former European champions PSV Eindhoven were drawn in Group B alongside Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, Ukraine's Chornomorets Odessa and Bulgaria's Ludogorets.
There are 48 clubs across 12 groups. Group winners and runners-up advance to the knockout stage where they will be joined by eight third-placed teams from the Champions League group stage. The final will staged in Turin, Italy, in May. ($1 = 0.6455 British pounds) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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