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      Europa League fixtures and dates CONFIRMED for West Ham, Brighton and Liverpool including some early kick-offs

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      EUROPEAN football is almost upon us and the Europa League fixtures and dates have now been confirmed ahead of the competition’s return. There are some big names in the mix for the Europa League this season and fans are now getting a first look at who and when they’ll be playing Europe’s elite.
      Liverpool will start their Europa League journey with a game against LASKCredit: EPA

      Liverpool, Brighton and West Ham will be representing the Premier League whilst Rangers are the lone Scottish team in the competition.
      The Reds kick off their campaign on September 21 with a trip to Austria to face LASK.
      Whilst Rangers, West Ham and Brighton all start their hunt for the trophy at home on the same day.
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      Brighton will be making their European debut at home as they host AEK Athens at 8pm.
      Brighton will be hoping to make a mark on their European debutCredit: Reuters
      The Seagulls have been put into the so-called “group of death” where they will face both Marseille and Ajax.
      The south coast club will have an eye on those tricky away trips with the first coming against the Olympians on October 5 in an early kick off.
      And their trip to the Johan Cruyff Arena scheduled for November 9 is also set to be played at 5:45pm.
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      Hammers fans will be looking at their away trip to Greece when they face Olympiacos on October 26 as their toughest test in the group stage.
      David Moyes’ side will be hoping his side can replicate their success in the Conference League last season.
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      Whilst Rangers will relish the challenge of welcoming Real Betis to the Ibrox on the opening Thursday.
      Liverpool will feel comfortable in their group and should be expected to top it come December when the group stage concludes.
      West Ham qualified for the competition by winning last year’s UEFA Europa Conference LeagueCredit: Getty
      Rangers host Real Betis in their first gameCredit: Getty
      LIVERPOOL FIXTURES

      LASK vs Liverpool – September 21, 5.45pm
      Liverpool vs Union SG – October 5, 8pm
      Liverpool vs Toulouse – October 26, 8pm
      Toulouse vs Liverpool – November 9, 5.45pm
      Liverpool vs LASK – November 30, 8pm
      Union SG vs Liverpool – December 14, 5.45pm

      WEST HAM FIXTURES

      West Ham vs Backa Topola – September 21, 8pm
      Freiburg vs West Ham – October 5, 5.45pm
      Olympiacos vs West Ham – October 26, 5.45pm
      West Ham vs Olympiacos – November 9, 8pm
      Backa Topola vs West Ham – November 30, 5.45pm
      West Ham vs Freiburg – December 14, 8pm

      BRIGHTON FIXTURES

      Brighton vs AEK Athens – September 21, 8pm
      Marseille vs Brighton – October 5, 5.45pm
      Brighton vs Ajax – October 26, 8pm
      Ajax vs Brighton – November 9, 5.45pm
      AEK Athens vs Brighton – November 30th, 5.45pm
      Brighton vs Marseille – December 14, 8pm

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      RANGERS FIXTURES

      Rangers vs Real Betis – September 21, 8pm
      Aris Limassol vs Rangers – October 5, 5.45pm
      Sparta Prague vs Rangers – October 26, 5.45pm
      Rangers vs Sparta Prague – November 9, 8pm
      Rangers vs Aris Limassol – November 30, 8pm
      Real Betis vs Rangers – December 14, 8pm More

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      Alexis Mac Allister’s brother Kevin says ‘see you soon bro’ after pair are drawn against each other in Europa League

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      LIVERPOOL midfielder Alexis Mac Allister will come face to face with his brother when the Reds take on Union Saint-Gilloise in the Europa League group stages this season.Jurgen Klopp’s side were named in Group E alongside Union SG, Toulouse and LASK Linz today.
      Alexis Mac Allister will face his brother in the Europa LeagueCredit: The Mega Agency
      Kevin Mac Allister was thrilled with the drawCredit: TWITTER @UnionStGilloise

      Although they are undoubtedly the favourites to come out on top, their opponents – specifically Union SG – appear far from threatened.
      In fact, the Belgian Pro League side CELEBRATED the draw.
      In a video posted on the club’s official social media pages, the squad can be seen celebrating after hearing the announcement.
      The camera then pans to Kevin Mac Allister, brother of World Cup winner Alexis, who says: “See you soon bro!”
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      Both brothers kicked off their playing careers at Argentinos Juniors, a club based in their hometown of Buenos Aires.
      Alexis left in 2019 to join Brighton, while Kevin sealed his first permanent transfer to Union SG earlier this summer.
      Liverpool will look to go all the way in the Europa League this season following their disappointing 2022-23 campaign.
      However, they may be without star man Mohamed Salah.
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      The 31-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Al-Ittihad this week.
      Liverpool rejected a stunning £150million bid for Salah today.
      However, the Saudi Pro League side are said to have made a new £170m offer and could go up to a world-record £200m. More

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      Europa League & Conference League draw LIVE REACTION: Aston Villa, Liverpool and West Ham European groups revealed

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      THE Europa League group stage draw has concluded and there are some glamour groups on display in this year’s competition.Brighton have been handed a horror group with European giants Ajax and Marseille.
      Meanwhile, Liverpool and West Ham have secured easier ties in this year’s Europa League group stage.
      And Aston Villa will be up against AZ Alkmaar and Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League.

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      Group deal
      So here with have all eight group in all its glory.

      Pot 4
      KI Klaksvik first into Group A. Breidablik go into Group B. Ballkani into Group C. Ballkani into Group E.
      Cukaricki into Group F. Aberdeen join Group G. Lugano into Group D. So finally, Nordsjaelland complete Group H.
      So that makes up all eight group stages.
      Pot 3
      Legia Warsaw in Group E. Genk in Group F. Olimpija Ljubljana go into Group A.
      Zorya Luhansk head into Group B. Astana in Group C. Helsinki go into Group G. Besiktas find themselves in Group D.
      Finally, Spartak Trnava go into Group H to make up Pot 3.
      Pot 1
      France’s Lille first out the pot for Group A. Gent into Group B. And Dinamo Zagreb head into Group C.
      Club Brugge into Group D. AZ Alkmaar in Group E. Ferencvaros in Group F.
      Frankfurt in Group G. Fenerbahce complete Pot 1 going into Group H.
      Here we go
      The draw is set to get underway.
      Stay with us here as we keep you posted with all the updates.
      Award winning
      Declain Rice has won the Conference player of the season award for helping captain West Ham to the trophy.
      Andy Diouf of Basel wins the young player award.
      Pot 4

      Zrinjski Mostar (B&H)
      KI Klaksvik (FAR)
      Aberdeen (SCO)
      Cukaricki (SER)
      Lugano (SWI)
      Breidablik (ICE)
      Nordsjaelland (DEN)
      Ballkani (KOS)

      Which teams are in Pot 3?

      Genk (BEL)
      Zorya Luhansk (UKR)
      Astana (KAZ)
      Besiktas (TUR)
      HJK Helsinki (FIN)
      Legia Warsaw (POL)
      Spartak Trnava (SLO)
      Olimpija Ljubljana (SLOVE)

      Which teams are in Pot 2?

      PAOK (GRE)
      Slovan Bratislava (SLO)
      Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR)
      Viktoria Plzen (CZE)
      Aston Villa (ENG)
      Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
      Fiorentina (ITA)
      Bodo/Glimt (NOR)

      Which teams are in Pot 1?

      Eintracht Frankfurt (GER)
      Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
      Club Brugge (BEL)
      AZ Alkmaar (NET)
      Gent (BEL)
      Fenerbahce (TUR)
      Lille (FRA)
      Ferencvaros (BUD)

      Onto the next
      With the Europa League draw done, it’s now onto the Conference League.
      Aston Villa is England’s only representative in the group stages following West Ham win last season.
      Groups in full
      Here are all eight groups in all its glory.

      Friendly fire
      Liverpool should have a routine passage into the knockout stages as they take on Austrian outfit LASK, Union SG of Belgium and French side Toulouse.
      And that will see new Reds midfielder Alexis Mac Allister face his brother Kevin, with the defender joining Saint-Gilloise this year.

      Group working
      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.
      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 group is completed by AEK Athens and will get underway on September 21.

      Done and dusted
      So there we have it, all eight groups are drawn.
      This is how West Ham’s Group A looks.

      Pot 4
      Servette go into Group G with Slavia Praha, Sheriff Tiraspol and Roma.
      BK Hacken make up the final Group H with Leverkusen, Qarabag and Molde.
      Pot 4
      Rakow Czestochowa head into Group D with Atalanta, SK Strum Graz and Sporting.
      Toulouse go into Group E alongside Liverpool, LASK and Union Saint-Gilloise.
      Group F is concluded by Panathinaikos, who join Rennes, Villarreal, and Maccabi Haifa.
      Pot 4
      FK Backa Topola make up Group A with West Ham, Olympiacos and Freiburg.
      AEK Athens complete Group B with Ajax, Brighton and Marseille.
      Aris Limassol round up Group C with Rangers, Sparta Praha and Real Betis.
      Pot 3
      Union Saint-Gilloise go into Group E, with Liverpool and LASK.
      Sturm Graz head to Group F and Sheriff Tiraspol go to Group G.
      Finally, Molde draw Group H. We head into the final pot.
      Pot 3
      Freiburg head into Group A, playing West Ham.
      Brighton are in Group B, where they play Ajax and Marseille.
      Sparta Prague go into Group C with Rangers and Real Betis.
      Pot 2
      Sporting join Atalanta in Group D.
      LASK will be Liverpool opponents in Group E.
      And Rennes go into Group F alongside Villarreal.
      Pot 2
      Olympiacos join West Ham in Group A!
      Marseille are in Group B with Ajax.
      And Real Betis share Group C with Scotland’s Rangers.
      Red alert
      Liverpool are drawn in Group E.
      Villareal find themselves in Group F.
      Atalanta are in Group D.
      Here we go
      West Ham picked out first in group A!
      Ajax are drawn in group B.
      Rangers are in group C.
      Here is how the pots look More

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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