UEFA Europa League round of 16 draw
Friday, February 27, 2015
Article summary
ACF Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella faces an AS Roma reunion and Villarreal CF's Marcelino returns to Sevilla FC but the last 16 will largely be a step into the unknown.
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ACF Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella faces an emotionally-charged reunion with AS Roma, the team he represented for a decade, following today's draw for the UEFA Europa League round of 16. It was one of two ties pitting together domestic rivals, with holders Sevilla FC drawn against Villarreal CF, a side coached by their former boss Marcelino. For ten clubs, though, uncharted territory awaits.
Round of 16 draw (ties 12 & 19 March)
Everton FC (ENG) v FC Dynamo Kyiv (UKR)
FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR) v AFC Ajax (NED)
FC Zenit (RUS) v Torino FC (ITA)
VfL Wolfsburg (GER) v FC Internazionale Milano (ITA)
Villarreal CF (ESP) v Sevilla FC (ESP, holders)
SSC Napoli (ITA) v FC Dinamo Moskva (RUS)
Club Brugge KV (BEL) v Beşiktaş JK (TUR)
ACF Fiorentina (ITA) v AS Roma (ITA)
Road to Warsaw
Quarter-finals: draw 20 March, matches 16 & 23 April
Semi-finals: draw 24 April, matches 7 & 14 May
Final: Wednesday 27 May, National Stadium Warsaw
Draw facts
• Fiorentina trainer Montella was on Roma's books for a decade until 2009, scoring 94 goals in 215 matches and winning the 2000/01 Scudetto. He started his coaching career with the Giallorossi too, on an interim basis in 2011.
• Fiorentina (v Juventus, 1990) and Roma (v Inter, 1991) have both previously played and lost all-Italian UEFA Cup finals.
• Marcelino was coach of Sevilla in 2011 and 2012, losing his job after a 2-1 defeat by Villarreal.
• Sevilla scored twice in the last three minutes as they came from behind to beat Villarreal earlier this season.
• The last two campaigns that Sevilla faced Spanish teams in two-legged UEFA Europa League ties (v CA Osasuna in 2006/07 and v Real Betis Balompié and v Valencia CF in 2013/14), they went on to win the competition.
• Club Brugge v Beşiktaş is the only fixture that has happened before in UEFA competition, the Turkish team prevailing 2-1 in the 2006/07 UEFA Cup group stage.
• There were no seeded sides nor country protection in the draw but clubs from Russia and Ukraine were kept apart following a decision taken by the UEFA Emergency Panel.
