Fener to face Slavia Prague in Conference League as UCL draw hit by technical error
Fallen Spanish giant Barcelona, who crashed out of the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2000/01, was handed a draw against Napoli in the UEFA Europa League playoffs
TURKISH Süper Lig side Fenerbahçe will lock horns with Slavia Prague after the two sides were paired in the Europa Conference League playoff round draw in Nyon yesterday.
After a disappointing Europa League campaign, the Yellow Canaries dropped down to the newly inaugurated third-tier competition.
Slavia Prague, on the other hand, will be in the playoff round after coming second in the Conference League Group E, behind Dutch side Feynerood.
Earlier in the Europa League knockout round playoff draw, Barcelona was paired with Napoli. The Catalan giant had crashed out of the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2000/01.
Xavi Hernandez’s Barca will continue its European campaign in the second-tier competition, with the winner of its tie with Napoli advancing to the last 16.
The draw for the play-off round, introduced this season as part of a slimmeddown Europa League format, includes the eight runners-up from the group stage and the eight third-placed teams from the Champions League.
Borussia Dortmund was paired together with Rangers in yesterday’s draw, while record six-time winner Sevilla take on Dinamo Zagreb.
Porto will play Lazio and RB Leipzig was drawn alongside Real Sociedad. The first legs will take place on Feb. 17 and the return matches on Feb. 24.
The eight Europa League group winners qualified directly for the round of 16. West Ham United, Monaco, Lyon and Bayer Leverkusen are among those teams.
“I’d say that our glass is completely full: Barcelona v Napoli and then Napoli v Barcelona will be two great matches at Champions League level!” tweeted Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Napoli and Barca met in the last 16 of the 2019-20 Champions League, with Barca advancing 4-2 on aggregate.
The away goals rule has been removed from this season’s European competitions, so ties level after 180 minutes will go to extra time, and then penalties if needed.
Prior to that, the draw for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 was hit by controversy when it was “entirely redone” after a technical error. European football’s governing body UEFA later declared the original draw void.
Manchester United was mistakenly drawn with Villarreal, even though both teams faced each other in the group stage while the Premier League side’s ball was not added to the bowl as a potential opponent for Atletico Madrid.
United was eventually drawn with Paris Saint-Germain while Atletico drew Bayern Munich and the Spanish side had said it was in talks with UEFA seeking “explanations and a solution after the mistakes made” in the draw.
“Following a technical problem with the
software of an external service provider that instructs the officials as to which teams are eligible to play each other, a material error occurred in the draw for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16,” UEFA said in a statement.
“As a result of this, the draw has been declared void and will be entirely redone at 1500 CET.”
The last 16 ties will be played in February and March.
UEFA blamed a “material error” due to a “technical problem with the software of an external service provider” as it announced that the draw for the first knockout round of its flagship competition would be redone at 2 p.m. GMT.