World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

(Antfer) #1
It’stheEuropaLeague,butnot
quite as we know it.UEFA’ssecondary
competitionisnowmuchmore
streamlined,withfewersidestaking
partin qualifyinganda groupstage
reduced from 48 teamsto32.
Therewillalsobea brand-new
preliminaryknockoutroundfeaturing
therunners-upfromeachgroup and
thethird-placedteamsfromthe
ChampionsLeaguegroupstage.
OncethoseChampionsLeague
teamsdropin,the dynamicsofthe
EuropaLeaguecanchange,butfor
thepastthreeyearsithasbeen
wonby a sidewho’veparticipated
inthistournament’sgroupstage.
Norecentwinners arepresent
asthisseason’s editionkicksoff,but
defendingchampionsVillarrealare one
ofthe past winnerswhocouldfeasibly
dropfromtheChampions Leagueinto
thatpreliminaryknockoutround.

Destination Seville


JamesNaltontakesalookatthecontendersforthisseason’srevampedEuropaLeague...

FRENCHFANCIES
2018 finalistsMarseillearepresent,
though,andhavealreadycaughtthe
eyewithsomeimpressivesigningsin
pre-season.Wingers Konraddela
Fuente andCengiz Under join from
BarcelonaandRomarespectively, while
FrenchduoWilliam SalibaandMatteo
Guendouziarrive from Arsenalon loan.
ThemainMarseillesigning to lookout
for,though,mightbe 24-year-old
midfielder Gerson,who wontheCopa
LibertadoreswithFlamengo in 2 019.
TheBrazilianislookingto make a go
ofhis secondstintinEurope having
previouslyspenta coupleofseasons
inSerieA withRomaand Fiorentina.
TheircoachJorge Sampaoliwon
theCopaSudamericana– theSouth
American equivalent of theEuropa
League– with UniversidaddeChile
in 2011 and, thoughhisMarseille

sideareoutsiders, thiscouldbea big
chanceforthe Argentinetofinally
makeasimilarimpressioninEurope.
After toppingthe Ligue1 tablefora
fewweeksin themiddleoflastseason,
Lyoneventuallydropped down to fourth,
missingoutonthechance to qualifyfor
ChampionsLeague footballby finishing
twopointsbehind third-placedMonaco.
Theclubhave,somewhatun-popularly,
soldhomegrown talentsAmineGouiri
andMelvinBardtofellowLigue1side
Niceinrecent seasons,buthavehigh
hopes forotheracademy products such
asRayanCherkiandMaxenceCaqueret.
Starplayerandlastseason’stopscorer
MemphisDepay alsodeparted–to
Barcelona– soLesGoneswillbelooking
toMoussaDembeleandCameroonian
strikerKarlTokoEkambitoreplace
theDutchman’sattackingprowess.
Loanstar...Guendouzi

Finalhost...Seville’s
RamonSanchez
Pizjuanstadium

EUROPALEAGUE 2021 - 22
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