Draw puts Man U all over the map
English squad faces tough road trips during Europa League group phase
Manchester United was given a tough Europa League group on Friday, being drawn with Fenerbahce, Feyenoord and Zorya Luhansk.
Man United manager Jose Mourinho is typically dismissive of the second-tier competition, but trips to Istanbul, Rotterdam and Ukraine cannot be taken lightly.
Inter Milan, another recent Champions League winner, will play Southampton, Sparta Prague and Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
Ajax once beat Panathinaikos in a European Cup final and will meet again in a group with Standard Liege and Celta Vigo.
Roma, Viktoria Plzen, and Astra Giurgiu all lost in Champions League qualifying this month and are grouped with Austria Vienna.
Each of the 12 groups is played from Sept. 15 to Dec. 8.
The top two finishers are joined in the round of 32 draw by eight third-place teams from Champions League groups.
ARSENAL TO SIGN DEFENDER, STRIKER
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is close to ending his search for a central defender and striker, saying Friday the club is working on deals to sign Shkodran Mustafi from Valencia and Lucas Perez from Deportivo La Coruna.
Wenger said he is “99 per cent confident” of completing the signings before Europe’s summer transfer window shuts late Wednesday.
Asked if bringing in Mustafi and Perez would conclude Arsenal’s business in the transfer window, Wenger said: “We already have a big squad ... and we can’t have any more players.”
While the Manchester clubs have spent more than $400 million in the window, it’s been another underwhelming few months for Arsenal, whose only major signing was Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka.
“It was a strange transfer market — I expected it to be easier than ever, but it was more difficult than ever,” Wenger said. “Not a lot has happened. “It looks like when you meet other clubs and you have an English passport, you hit these prices which are very difficult to understand compared to the quality of the players.”
PSG LOANS GOALKEEPER SIRIGU TO SEVILLA
French champion Paris SaintGermain has loaned goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu to Spanish club Sevilla until the end of the season.
PSG said in a statement on Friday that Europa League winner Sevilla has an option to buy Sirigu at the end of his loan spell.
Sirigu will compete with Sergio Rico for the starting job on a Sevilla side being rebuilt under new coach Jorge Sampaoli.
The 29-year-old Sirigu, who has played 17 times for Italy, was a mainstay in the PSG side until Kevin Trapp replaced him as No. 1 last season.
FIFA WANTS QATARI CANDIDATE BANNED
A Qatari candidate for election to FIFA’s ruling council faces being banned from soccer for not telling the truth in an ethics investigation.
FIFA prosecutors have asked ethics judges in a final report that Saoud Al-Mohannadi be banned for “no less than two years and six months,” the ethics committee investigation chamber said on Friday in a statement. A 20,000 Swiss francs ($20,600) fine was also requested.
The case does not involve Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid which was also investigated, the statement said.
“The investigation against Mr. Al-Mohannadi concerned his failure to properly co-operate and provide truthful information to the investigatory chamber,” ethics prosecutors said.
Al-Mohannadi, a Qatar Football Association vice-president and former general secretary, faces charges related to “duty of disclosure” and “general obligation to collaborate.”
He previously passed an integrity check by FIFA to be a candidate for the ruling council chaired by President Gianni Infantino.
Al-Mohannadi was announced on Aug. 12 by the Asian Football Confederation among four men competing for two vacant FIFA seats.
The vote by AFC member federations is on Sept. 27 in Goa, India.
It was a strange transfer market — I expected it to be easier than ever, but it was more difficult than ever. Not a lot has happened