Close menu

Europa League: Swansea City to meet Valencia in group stage

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments211

Swansea midfielder Michu

Swansea City have been drawn with Spanish side Valencia in Group A of the Europa League.

They will also face Kuban Krasnodar of Russia and St Gallen of Switzerland.

Andre Villas-Boas' Tottenham are in Group K with Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala, Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova and Tromso of Norway.

Wigan will meet Russian team Rubin Kazan, Maribor of Slovenia and Zulte Waregem of Belgium after being pulled out in Group D.

Championship side Wigan enter the competition at the group stage after winning last season's FA Cup.

Spurs made it through after beating Dinamo Tbilisi 8-0 on aggregate, while Swansea lost 2-1 at Petrolul Ploiesti but won 6-3 on aggregate.

Swansea City's draw could see winger Pablo Hernandez returning to Valencia - he signed for the Swans for £5.55m this summer - while Chico Flores, Michu and Jordi Amat are former La Liga players playing for Michael Laudrup's Capital One Cup champions.

Speaking ahead of the draw, manager Laudrup commented: "I said from the beginning last season that I like the cup competitions.

"Teams who cannot win the league always have a chance in the cups and we proved that by winning the Capital One Cup last year."

Tottenham - quarter-finalists last season - will meet Anzhi Makhachkala, who have recently sold high earners Willian, Christopher Samba and Samuel Eto'o following a massive cut in their budget.

Full Europa League draw:

Group A: Valencia, Swansea, Kuban Krasnodar, St Gallen.

Group B: PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb, Chornomorets Odesa, Ludogorets Razgrad.

Group C: Standard Liege, Salzburg, Elfsborg, Esbjerg.

Group D: Rubin Kazan, Wigan, Maribor, Zulte Waregem.

Group E: Fiorentina, Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk, Pacos Ferreira, Pandurii Targu Jiu.

Group F: Bordeaux, APOEL, Eintracht, Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Group G: Dynamo Kiev, Genk, Rapid Vienna, Thun.

Group H: Sevilla, Freiburg, Estoril, Slovan Liberec.

Group I: Lyon, Real Betis, Guimaraes, Rijeka.

Group J: Lazio, Trabzonspor, Legia Warsaw, Apollon Limassol.

Group K:Tottenham, Anzhi Makhachkala, Sheriff, Tromso.

Group L: AZ Alkmaar, PAOK Thessaloniki, Maccabi Haifa, Shakhter Karagandy.

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

211 comments

  • Comment posted by U15801330, at 13:35 30 Aug 2013

    Why do people hate on this cup? its a prestigous trophy and one that a lot of players probably have regrets not winning. ie losing finalists.

    Admittadely teams like Barca, Real & Bayern arent going to want to be in it.. but if they find themselves in it im sure they would go all out to win.

    so why in England do we get stupid fans that dont want their team to win? unbelievable.

  • Comment posted by Jeb, at 13:39 30 Aug 2013

    Everybody loves Swansea, don't they?


    I don't care if people see it as a "mickey mouse competition". It's a European football competition, that's big enough for me to wanna watch it.

  • Comment posted by Redallover, at 14:11 30 Aug 2013

    This competition might as well start in February....the finalists end up being two of the Champions League drop outs!!! The competition would be better if Champions League failures weren't allowed into the Europa League.

  • Comment posted by McGaz, at 13:36 30 Aug 2013

    Two tough draws.

    To those criticising the competition, its the third biggest possible for an English club. Harder than the FA Cup to win.

  • Comment posted by U11824256, at 14:02 30 Aug 2013

    Who did Liverpool get?

  • Comment posted by Sportsmad19, at 13:20 30 Aug 2013

    Spurs should have no problem getting through to the next round even with their fringe and young players. Wigan do have a fighting chance to make it through to the next round, although Rubin Kazan will provide a stern test. Swansea have it the toughest with Valencia but even with their back-ups being used, you would expect Swansea to pull through. Spurs have to be one of the favourites overall.

  • Comment posted by VinylYesPlease, at 13:41 30 Aug 2013

    Don't understand the negativity towards this cup. It is a trophy at the end of the day. I'm sure any Gooner would love to win it. Swansea & Spurs could easily win this.

  • Comment posted by Baz1, at 13:40 30 Aug 2013

    Here we go again. 6 months of complaining about the Europa league followed by the buzz of excitement as an English club, or clubs, get closer to the final. At which point it becomes wonderful for English football. I.t's laughable every year.

  • Comment posted by VinylYesPlease, at 13:31 30 Aug 2013

    8. Hands2012 - why the negativity? If your team was in it, they'd be making money playing in it.

  • Comment posted by U15824983, at 13:36 30 Aug 2013

    All three English teams will make it through to the group stages - I think Swansea can go as far as the quarterfinals and Spurs could win it although the league is their priority.

    Arsenal and Man City will be the only British teams not playing in Europe beyond Christmas

  • Comment posted by petemcfc, at 13:51 30 Aug 2013

    Part of the reason this cup isn't so popular is because, in my opinion, of the way UEFA regard it. If to them it is a second rate competition, then the clubs and fans will treat it as such.

    At the end of the day, it's a European competition and should be as valued as such.

    Best of luck to all our teams in Europe this season

  • Comment posted by U14608248, at 13:48 30 Aug 2013

    Italy, not one team in Pot1 in yesterdays CL draw and lost their 4th CL place 3 years back. One of the main reasons is that they did not give a damm about the Euro League and fell further and further down the UEFA coefficient places

  • Comment posted by U15435058, at 13:21 30 Aug 2013

    I'll be rooting Swansea to go all the way! Good luck in the competition, they'll get far under Laudrup.

  • Comment posted by U15827208, at 14:23 30 Aug 2013

    As an Aberdeen fan who missed the european exploits of the 80's, qualification to the UEFA Cup in 2008 provided a couple of brilliant trips to Madrid and Munich as well as some great Thursday nights under the lights!

    Hope Spurs, Swansea and Wigan fans have as good an experience as I did! Enjoy it, in football you never know when it might come around again!

  • Comment posted by Poop, at 14:10 30 Aug 2013

    Good luck to all English teams involved. Great chance for Swansea, and Wigan's players and fans to experience European football, enjoy. It's also a great opportunity for Spurs to have a real go at winning the entire tournament.

    Unfortunately the group isn't thrilling as each group generally consists of two stronger and two weaker teams, but once it reaches the knockout stage things really heat up

  • Comment posted by U15061315, at 18:32 30 Aug 2013

    BELIEVE in Wigan!

  • Comment posted by The Realist, at 15:22 30 Aug 2013

    @85.... we didn't win the FA Cup, it was the League Cup mate. ;-)

    But I agree with your sentiment, having the cup champions in the Champions League makes more sense and would ensure that every team goes hell for leather in them, it would raise their prestige to no end.

    3rd and 4th finishers should get what they deserve, Europa League for not getting close to being champions.

  • Comment posted by U15598934, at 14:47 30 Aug 2013

    Swansea v Valencia is a tasty tie. Just hope they actually start playing Bony from the kick off.

    Looks like an easy draw for Spurs.

    Should be tough for Wigan but great for the club & the fans.

  • Comment posted by slip, at 13:45 30 Aug 2013

    should bring back the CWC for cup winners leave the champions league for champions only. uefa foe 2nd & 3ed placed teams.
    How can you call yourself champions of europe when you finish 4th in your own league don't make real sence to me. its a joke

  • Comment posted by Rinky Dinky Do, at 13:44 30 Aug 2013

    @16. Jeb - Its only a Mickey Mouse cup when that persons team isn't in it.

Top Stories