Arsenal
and Chelsea both face long-distance trips in the Europa League after the
group stages were drawn on Friday.
Unai Emery's side were drawn in Group E with Qarabag of Azerbaijan, Sporting
Lisbon and Vorskla of Ukraine.
Chelsea will also be travelling to eastern Europe having been drawn with
Belarus' BATE Borisov, Hungary's Vidi and PAOK Salonika in Group L.
Emery is no stranger to the competition having won the competition three
times, back-to-back, with Sevilla.
The London club were knocked out in the semi-finals last season losing to
eventual winners Atletico Madrid, 2-1 on aggregate.
Lisbon and Arsenal last faced one another in 1969 in Europa League
predecessor the Fairs Cup with the Gunners emerging as the winners over two
legs.
Chelsea won the competition back in 2013, with Rafa Benitez in charge,
beating Benfica 2-1 in the Amsterdam Arena.
Full Europa League draw:
Group A: Bayer Leverkusen, Ludogorets, FC Zurich, AEK Larnaca.
Group B: FC Salzburg, Celtic, RB Leipzig, Rosenborg.
Group C: Zenit St Petersburg, FC Copenhagen, Bordeaux, Slavia Prague.
Group D: Anderlecht, Fenerbahce, Dinamo Zagreb, Spartak Trnava.
Group E: Arsenal, Sporting CP, Qarabag, FC Vorskla.
Group F: Olympiakos, AC Milan, Real Betis, Dudelange.
Group G: Villarreal, Rapid Vienna, Spartak Moscow, Rangers.
Group H: Lazio, Marseille, Eintracht Frankfurt, APOE.
Group I: Besiktas, Genk, Malmo, Sarpsborg.
Group J: Sevilla, Krasnodar, Standard Liege, Akhisarspor.
Group K: Dynamo Kiev, Astana, Rennes, Jablonec.
Group L: Chelsea, PAOK, BATE, Vidi FC.
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