Europa League Group Stage Draw
The draw for the group stage of Europe's secondary competition takes place in Monaco with the Premier League providing two of the 48 entrants
Tottenham have been handed a daunting Europa League group, facing French side Monaco as well as an almost-5,000 mile round trip to Qarabag in Azerbaijan.
The Ligue 1 team knocked Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal out of the Champions League last season and Mauricio Pochettino’s men will also face Belgian side Anderlecht, another side that the Gunners struggled against last season.
But it is the 4,938 mile round trip that will probably worry Pochettino the most, as the Premier League side travels to the far side of Azerbaijan on a Thursday night.
Liverpool face a daunting trip to Russia in the Europa League after learning their fate for the group stages.
The Reds would have been hoping for more local trips in this year’s competition, as they look to focus returning to the top four of the Premier League.
But Liverpool, seeded in the second pot for the draw, will now face Rubin Kazan in Group B - a journey which will involve a 4,084 mile round trip.
As well as the mammoth journey, Liverpool will face tough opposition when they take on Bordeaux from France.
Their group was concluded by FC Sion of Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Tottenham will play against free-spending French giants Monaco - the team who knocked north London rivals Arsenal out of the Champions League last season.
Group A - Ajax, Celtic, Fenerbahce, Molde
Group B - Rubin Kazan, Liverpool, Bordeaux, Sion
Group C - Borussia Dortmund, PAOK, Krasnodar, Gabala
Group D - Napoli, Club Brugge, Legia Warsaw, Midtjylland
Group E - Villarreal, Viktoria Plzen, Rapid Vienna, Dinamo Minsk
Group F - Marseille, Braga, Slovan Liberec, Groningen
Group G - Dnipro, Lazio, St-Etienne, Rosenborg
Group H - Sporting Lisbon, Besiktas, Lokomotiv Moscow, Skenderbeu
Group I - Basel, Fiorentina, Lech Poznan, Belenenses
Group J - Tottenham, Anderlecht, Monaco, Qarabag
Group K - Schalke, APOEL, Sparta Prague, Asteras
Group L - Athletic Bilbao, AZ Alkmaar, Augsburg, Partizan
Group B - Rubin Kazan, Liverpool, Bordeaux, Sion
Group C - Borussia Dortmund, PAOK, Krasnodar, Gabala
Group D - Napoli, Club Brugge, Legia Warsaw, Midtjylland
Group E - Villarreal, Viktoria Plzen, Rapid Vienna, Dinamo Minsk
Group F - Marseille, Braga, Slovan Liberec, Groningen
Group G - Dnipro, Lazio, St-Etienne, Rosenborg
Group H - Sporting Lisbon, Besiktas, Lokomotiv Moscow, Skenderbeu
Group I - Basel, Fiorentina, Lech Poznan, Belenenses
Group J - Tottenham, Anderlecht, Monaco, Qarabag
Group K - Schalke, APOEL, Sparta Prague, Asteras
Group L - Athletic Bilbao, AZ Alkmaar, Augsburg, Partizan
The Ligue 1 team knocked Spurs’ north London rivals Arsenal out of the Champions League last season and Mauricio Pochettino’s men will also face Belgian side Anderlecht, another side that the Gunners struggled against last season.
But it is the 4,938 mile round trip that will probably worry Pochettino the most, as the Premier League side travels to the far side of Azerbaijan on a Thursday night.
Liverpool face a daunting trip to Russia in the Europa League after learning their fate for the group stages.
The Reds would have been hoping for more local trips in this year’s competition, as they look to focus returning to the top four of the Premier League.
But Liverpool, seeded in the second pot for the draw, will now face Rubin Kazan in Group B - a journey which will involve a 4,084 mile round trip.
As well as the mammoth journey, Liverpool will face tough opposition when they take on Bordeaux from France.
Their group was concluded by FC Sion of Switzerland.
Meanwhile, Tottenham will play against free-spending French giants Monaco - the team who knocked north London rivals Arsenal out of the Champions League last season.
