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      Brighton land Europa League group of death in horror European debut.. but Liverpool and West Ham secure easier draw

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      BRIGHTON will face Ajax and Marseille in a blockbuster Europa League group of death.The Seagulls are making their debut in European football after finishing sixth in the Premier League under Roberto De Zerbi last term.
      Brighton have qualified for European football for the first timeCredit: Reuters
      Mo Salah and Liverpool are in the Europa League this seasonCredit: Alamy
      They will be dreaming of going all the way to the final at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium on May 22.
      But before that, Brighton have been rewarded with glamour ties against giants Ajax and Marseille in Group B.

      The Dutch and French clubs boast rich histories and have been crowned European Cup or Champions League winners five times between them.
      Ajax booked their place in the Europa League on Thursday night, getting past Ludogorets 4-2 on aggregate, while Marseille lost to Panathinaikos in the third qualifying round for the Champions League.
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      Brighton’s group is completed by AEK Athens and will get underway on September 21.
      Elsewhere, Liverpool should have a routine passage into the Europa League knockout stages as they take on Austrian outfit LASK, Union Saint-Gilloise of Belgium and French side Toulouse.
      And that will see new Reds midfielder Alexis Mac Allister face his brother Kevin, with the defender joining Union SG this year.
      West Ham, meanwhile, were the first team out of the pot and face Olympiacos, Freiburg and Serbian minnows TSC Backa Topola.
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      David Moyes’ men ensured European football at the London Stadium once again by winning the Europa Conference League in Prague.
      Rangers take on Real Betis, Sparta Prague and Aris Limassol while last year’s beaten finalists Roma are in Group G with Slavia Prague.
      The teams learnt their fate for the 2023-24 campaign this afternoon as Alex Scott and Matt Smith presented the ceremony in Monaco.

      West Ham were in Pot 1 after winning the Europa Conference LeagueCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

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      Alex Scott stuns in daring black dress for Europa League draw as awestruck fans call her a ‘national treasure’

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      ALEX SCOTT stunned in a black dress as she presented the Europa League draw.Fans watching at home were left awestruck by the presenter, who paired her dress with black heels.
      Alex Scott stunned fans as she hosted the Europa League drawCredit: Getty
      She wore a long black dress which complimented her figureCredit: Getty
      One fan called Scott a “national treasure” as a slit in her dress showed off her legs.
      One viewer complimented Scott saying: “Alex Scott is absolutely lovely.”
      Another added: “Alex Scott hosting 🥰”
      A third said: “Alex Scott on, TV on.”
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      And another commented: “Alex Scott been fine all her life. And just keeps getting finer.”
      Scott, 38, recently sent fans into meltdown with another leggy display as she presented the PFA awards.
      She dazzled in a red dress as she chatted to award winners Erling Haaland and Bukayo Saka.
      Some fans were surprised to see Scott on the European stage, having seen the presenter on their screens throughout the Women’s World Cup.
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      She wowed TV audiences with a string of impressive outfits while in Australia as she provided punditry on several Lionesses matches. More

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      Who will Man Utd play in the Champions League group stages? Fixtures and dates revealed

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      MANCHESTER UNITED have a tricky group after being drawn in Group A.They’ve been drawn alongside Bayern Munich, Galatasaray and Copenhagen.
      United will faceCredit: Getty
      United’s clash with Bayern will see them come face to face with former top striker target Harry Kane in the group stage clash.
      Rasmus Hojlund will come up against former club FC Copenhagen and United will also face a tricky trip to Turkish giants Galatasaray.
      The competition will kick off after the upcoming international break with matchday one beginning on September the 19th.
      United are back in Europe’s biggest competition after failing to qualify for last year’s Champions League.
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      Their tumultuous 2021/22 season saw them finish sixth under interim manager Ralf Rangnick and only qualify for last year’s Europa League.
      There, they would ultimately crash out to Sevilla in the quarter-finals despite beating LaLiga champions Barcelona on the way to reach the quarters.
      Returning to this year’s Champions League represented a major success for Erik Ten Hag in his first season in charge at United.
      The club comfortably secured their return to Europe’s biggest stage by finishing third in the Premier League.
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      Ten Hag also brought silverware to United for the first time since Jose Mourinho’s Europa League victory in 2017 with victory in the Carabao Cup.
      United have strengthened their squad since then, adding new goalkeeper Andre Onana, Mason Mount and striker Rasmus Hojlund in the hope of challenging for the biggest honours this season.
      It’s been a mixed start to the season for the Red Devils so far this season, however.
      They emerged with a 1-0 victory in their opening day clash against Wolves despite not being the better side and followed that up with a 2-0 defeat away at Tottenham.
      United returned to winning ways at the weekend with a 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest but even that came after United fell two goals behind in the opening five minutes.
      Ten Hag will be hoping to further bolster his options by the time United play their first Champions League fixture, as a deal for Fiorentina’s Sofyan Amrabat remains in the works.
      The club would also like to add another forward before the end of the window, after Ten Hag initially counted on bringing Mason Greenwood back into the fold. More

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      Who is Champions League draw star Giorgio Marchetti?

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      GIORGIO Marchetti is well known in the footballing world, with a career spanning decades.He has worked in the sport since the 1980s, but who is he?
      Giorgio Marchetti is known for drawing football teamsCredit: AFP
      Who is Giorgio Marchetti?
      Giorgio Marchetti is best known as the person who conducts the draws for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League throughout the campaign.
      Before this job he has had quite the career in the footballing industry.
      The Italian started off as a sports manager in the football league.
      At the beginning of 2004, with the new management of Lars-Christer Olsson as general manager, he was called by the European confederation to be the marketing and commercial director.
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      What does Giorgio Marchetti do at UEFA?
      Marchetti’s work at UEFA began in 2007 when he became director of all UEFA club and country competitions.
      In December 2016, he became Director of Sport and was promoted to the position of UEFA Deputy Secretary General.
      Due to being director of competitions he assisted in carrying out the draws for all UEFA competitions.
      He is recognised for conducting the draws for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League.
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      Marchetti has earned quite a following from the job, with supporters often tweeting their support during the draw for each competition.
      Speaking to the Daily Star about his role at UEFA, Giorgio admitted that he feels pressure when he draws the teams for each competition.
      He explained: “You feel huge pressure when you are live to deliver something which catches such eager attention among worldwide football fans.
      “What I try to do is to avoid thinking about anything which is not what’s happening on stage and following our procedure correctly. That’s not always easy, at times I feel I would need some kind of zen technique…”
      Is Giorgio Marchetti married and does he have children?
      Yes, Marchetti is married and has children.
      He is married to Matilde and the pair have three children together, Andrea, Davide and Matteo.
      The family live in Nyon, which is the city where UEFA is based. More

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      Europa League draw simulated with Liverpool facing horror 13,000-mile round trip as Brighton and West Ham learn fates

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      LIVERPOOL will spend a lot of time travelling this season if the SunSport Europa League draw simulator is accurate.The computer predicted the possible outcome of Friday’s draw in Monaco, now that we know all 32 teams participating in the Europa League.
      Liverpool are amongst the favourites to win the Europa LeagueCredit: Reuters
      Jurgen Klopp’s side could spend a lot of time travelling around Europe this seasonCredit: PA
      Rangers will compete in the Europa League after losing their Champions League qualifier to PSVCredit: EPA
      Brighton’s lack of European pedigree could work against themCredit: Getty
      West Ham will be confident they can reach the knock-out stagesCredit: Getty
      The likes of Rangers, Molde, Maccabi Haifa, AEK Athens, Panathinaikos and Raków Częstochowa learned their fate on Thursday after losing their respective Champions League qualifying ties.
      But few teams face a simulated draw as difficult as Liverpool, who have been picked in Group A along with Olympiacos, Qarabag, and TSC Bačka Topola.
      The Reds would be strong favourites to win the group, perhaps even achieving maximum points in the process.
      But Jurgen Klopp’s men would also have to endure a lot of travelling to places like Greece, Azerbaijan and Serbia.
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      In fact, the total round trip to all three clubs is an astonishing 13,505 miles.
      That could have a knock-on effect for Liverpool’s Premier League campaign, with Europa League teams given just two days rest in between European and domestic matches.
      Brighton may also struggle to cope with the intensity of playing in Europe for the first time ever.
      And while SunSport’s draw would be a little easier going in terms of travel, the Seagulls could have to play against teams with plenty of Europa League experience.
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      Atalanta reached the quarter-final in 2021-22 and qualified for the Champions League for three successive years between 2019-21.
      While Sporting Lisbon won the Primeira Liga in 2021 and 2022 and reached the Europa League quarter-final last year too.
      Sturm Graz are set to play in the Europa League for the seventh time in nine years – and Brighton’s lack of European pedigree could count against them in any potential draw.
      West Ham meanwhile face no such issue after winning the Europa Conference League last season.
      David Moyes’ men made the Europa League semi-final in 2022 and they will fancy their chances of reaching the knock-out stages once again if they are drawn against Sheriff and Raków Częstochowa.
      However the predictor pitting the Hammers against Marseille means winning the group could be far from straightforward.
      Supercomputer Europa League 2023-24 draw
      Group A
      Liverpool, Olympiacos, Qarabag, TSC Bačka Topola
      Group B
      Dinamo Zagreb, LASK, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise, Panathinaikos
      Group C
      Bayer Leverkusen, Rennes, Molde, Aberdeen
      Group D
      Roma, Real Betis, Slovan Bratislava, Toulouse
      Group E
      Atalanta, Sporting Lisbon, Brighton, Sturm Graz
      Group F
      West Ham, Marseille, Sheriff, Raków Częstochowa
      Group G
      Ajax, Rangers, Maccabi Haifa, Servette
      Group H
      Villarreal, Slavia Prague, Freiburg, AEK Athens More

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      PSV 5 Rangers 1 (7-3 Agg) – Horror Goldson own goal caps humbling night in Eindhoven as Gers drop into Europa League

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      IN the city the locals refer to as Light Town Rangers kept switching off.That’s why this became a dark night in Eindhoven.
      Connor Goldson at full timeCredit: Willie Vass
      PSV Eindhoven’s Joey Veerman celebrates the winCredit: PA
      Rangers applaud fans at full time after what was a humbling resultCredit: Willie Vass
      It’s PSV who’ll get to shine in the Champions League this season after this dazzling win.
      The Dutch club got the revenge they were looking for from last season with two goals from Ismael Saibari as well as strikes from Luuk De Jong, Joey Veerman as well as an embarrassing OG from Connor Goldson.
      Rangers’ goal from James Tavernier gave their 2000 supporters a brief cause for celebration.
      All of two minutes.

      It was just all too much for Michael Beale’s side with their dire defending at key moments seeing their £20million dream of reaching the group stages disappear.
      The reality for Rangers right now is that the Europa League is their level as they now have to wait until Friday to see who they’ll be up against in that competition.
      No-one could fault the effort they put into reaching the Champions League for the second year running.
      It wasn’t like they settled for the Europa League which was always there waiting for them as a fall-back.
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      Not that any of that took away any of the disappointment of last night. As the final whistle could be heard some Rangers players fell to their knees, shattered in every way possible.
      The travelling fans, too, looked gutted by it all.
      Beale’s line-up would have raised eyebrows among those who journeyed to the Netherlands.
      Luuk de Jong of PSV Eindhoven celebrates his priceless goalCredit: Getty
      It was a humbling scoreline at the endCredit: Willie Vass
      Rabbi Matondo looked a cert to begin the night on the bench and be the manager’s back-up plan if and when he needed him.
      But no. Matondo started ahead of Abdallah Sima.
      Clearly the goalscoring impact the Wales international made as a substitute in the first-leg at Ibrox thrust him to the forefront of Beale’s mind. 
      It was a gamble worth taking with Sima hardly pulling up trees since his arrival.
      The other change to the team that kicked off at Ibrox was the inclusion of John Lundstram which came at the expense of Ryan Jack.
      Beale’s thinking there was that the Englishman’s ball-hunting ability would bring more to the team. But that wasn’t how it panned out.

      There were encouraging signs for Rangers initially. 
      But it wasn’t long before the home side were dominant.
      Rangers became far too slack in possession in the first-half and opportunities to hit PSV on the break were wasted with painfully poor final balls.
      The Dutch side had far more composure where it mattered.
      Johan Bakayoko was a major threat on the right, Noa Lang every bit as dangerous on the left.
      Ismael Saibari of PSV Eindhoven celebrates after scoring his team’s goal for 2-0Credit: Getty
      There were close calls before PSV took the lead.
      De Jong should have scored with a back post header after 20 minutes before Jack Butland saved with his legs to keep out a shot from Saibari.
      Rangers did have a glimpse of goal around that time but Cyriel Dessers used an arm to control a brilliant long ball from Connor Goldson and pulled his effort wide anyway.
      It was that kind of night for the big striker who continues to underwhelm in a light blue jersey.
      When it came to the opener Rangers really should have defended the situation better.
      But it came during a sustained period of pressure and when Joey Veerman clipped a cross into the six yard box from the bye-line big Saibari couldn’t miss.
      Could John Souttar have moved his feet quicker? Could Nico Raskin have blocked the attacker’s run? As it was, both players will probably feel they could have done more in that key moment.
      It has gone from bad to worse for Rangers! 😬Connor Goldson passes it back past the keeper into his own net giving PSV a 5-1 lead… 😳#UCL pic.twitter.com/OdryuWeP9T— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 30, 2023

      There were 34 minutes on the clock at that point and the half-time whistle couldn’t come quickly enough for Beale’s side.
      But PSV came back out after the break with exactly the same energy and will to win.
      And just eight minutes after the restart Rangers were trailing by two.
      This time skipper De Jong did superbly to fire a back-post cross back across goal for Saibari to score his second of the night with an easy tap-in.
      It felt like game over there and then.
      But in 64 minutes Tavernier breathed new hope into Rangers chances with a poacher’s goal after sub Sam Lammers delivered a good cross to the back post.
      Suddenly the dream was back on for Rangers.
      But within just two minutes PSV had restored their two goal lead with the defending from Rangers once again not good enough.
      From a free-kick De Jong got between Lammers and Tavernier to nod the ball past Kammers.

      Even then Rangers had chances to score again and again, Matondo having one effort blocked and another one rattle the post.
      But with 12 minutes to go PSV turned the screw with Veerman firing through a crowded penalty box to make it 4-1 on the night.
      It wasn’t over yet, though, with the worse goal yet to come.
      In 81 minutes Goldson scored a horrendous own goal when he over-hit a passback to Butland.

      The sight of the ex-England No1 chasing the ball and diving into the back of his own net was just cruel.
      By the time the final whistle came the chants from the home fans rubbed salt in the wounds of the Rangers players.
      And during PSV’s on the pitch celebrations there was some anger among the Rangers side with Todd Cantwell clearly raging with something that had been said or done.
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      But by then it was all over bar the shouting.
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      Man Utd in race against time find new club for Mason Greenwood before transfer window closes & they lose millions

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      MANCHESTER United have just days to find a new club for Mason Greenwood or face losing millions.The 21-year-old must be sold or loaned out by Friday before the transfer window closes at 11pm.
      Manchester United have just days to find a club for Mason Greenwood or face losing millionsCredit: Getty
      If United miss the cut-off, they face paying the £75,000-a-week striker around £8 million to cut his contract.
      Greenwood “mutually agreed” to leave United on August 21 following his arrest for attempted rape and sexual assault.
      He was charged in October but all charges were dropped in February by the Crown Prosecution Service.
      If United agree to cancel Greenwood’s contract before the transfer window closes, he will be able to move to any club in any league.
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      But if United cannot mutually agree on cancelling Greenwood’s deal, his options are slim.
      This is because most of Europe’s top leagues also shut their transfer windows on Friday.
      In this scenario, Greenwood would be left with a ramshackle selection of tiny national leagues whose windows remain open.
      These include: Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Israel, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Switzerland and Turkey.
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      Saudi Arabia shut their transfer window on September 20, with Qatar two days prior.
      Saudi clubs – funded by the country’s sovereign wealth – have acquired a number of stars this season, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Karim Benzema.
      Manchester United could delay their decision on Greenwood’s contract to the last minute.
      The striker’s last game was on January 22, 2022, in a Premier League clash against West Ham, which United won 1-0.
      It was reported in June AC Milan had been making inquiries about the striker.
      And The Sun revealed in July that Roma had shown interest in Greenwood.
      Meanwhile, reports earlier in the year suggested Greenwood would be open to the prospect of resuming his career in the Chinese Super League. More

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      Ex-Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas made shock career change after quitting football management to race rally cars

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      EX-FOOTBALL manager Andre Villas-Boas broke the mould when he traded management for rally car racing.The 45-year-old, who is now without a club following a spell with Marseille from 2019-2021, was once considered one of the most exciting young managers in Europe.
      Andre Villas-Boas gave up football management to race rally cars
      He entered the Dakar Rally in 2018Credit: AP:Associated Press
      But he had to withdraw after crashing into a sand duneCredit: Jordi Rierola
      Villas-Boas attracted attention after an unbeaten season with FC Porto, in which he won the league title as well as the Europa League.
      This saw him be appointed to Chelsea in 2011 but was sacked a year later and moved to Tottenham.
      When he left Spurs in 2013, he boosted the record win percentage of any of the club’s managers in the Premier League era.
      Before leaving the North London club, Villas-Boas revealed that he would leave management in the next decade with the aim of rally racing.
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      He told the Portuguese newspaper O Jogo: “My passion for football makes me live it very intensively over 11 months and dedicate myself to that, but I think life allows you to enjoy other things.
      “For me, there is a limit and, in the next five to 10 years, I will quit coaching.
      “To compete in the Dakar Rally is a lifetime ambition for me and is something I know I have to do.
      “It went from a passion to an ­obligation, a destination of life, but I can only do it when I leave football. I will do it.”
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      After spells in Russia and China, Villas-Boas announced that he would take a break from management and instead compete in the Dakar Rally in 2018.
      However, he had to withdraw from the rally after crashing into a sand dune on the fourth stage in Peru and injuring his back.
      He then participated in the Baja TT do Pinhal in 2018 while driving a Can-Am Maverick X3.
      The Portuguese boss returned to club management between 2019 and 2021 when he took charge of Ligue 1 side Marseille.
      Andre Villas-Boas had to end his chase to complete the Dakar Rally after crashing on a sand dune but managed to walk away from the incidentCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      He managed in England at Chelsea and Tottenham HotspurCredit: AFP
      His last club was Ligue 1 side MarseilleCredit: Reuters
      He was admired by many players in football, as Aleksandr Kokorin revealed to Foot Mercato: “André Villas-Boas, I worked with him for a few months, he’s really the best coach I’ve had in my career, a great coach, a wonderful person.
       “A great guy, a great coach, always available when I called him, able to keep the confidence. A really great man.”
      He then raced again in 2022 in the WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal.
      After the race, Villas-Boas admitted that it was a “dream come true”.
      He told reporters: “It is one of those things you dream of as a boy. I have been watching rallies since I was a little boy, and Formula One as well.
      “It is a very special, it is a great opportunity as we do it for our causes for good.
      “It is very stressful to tell you the truth. I wasn’t aware of how intense it was.
      “But we did well and finished on a good note, happy with the jump because I was scared to death.”
      Last year the former manager also spoke of how he collects cars and how he always wanted to rally.
      Villas-Boas told WRC.com: “I like to collect cars with prestige, I always wanted to own a rally car, so I started investigating.
      “At first, I was in limbo about which rally car to own.
      “I have, fortunately, a good relationship with the PSA Group, and the first car that came up was actually a [Citroën] C4 from Loeb.
      Villas-Boas is still open to a return to football managementCredit: AFP
      “It was a great car with six wins, but it needed rebuilding.
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      “It was actually a car that had been around for a while, was sold by Citroën and then was around a few drivers, so the ten years of its life were very intense.”
      However, he is still open to a return to football management before 2026, as he admitted that he wants to take charge of a national side. More