Italian media hope Serie A clubs won’t get Liverpool and Aston Villa in the Europa League and Conference League quarter-final draw today: ‘No English, please.’
The Champions League, Europa League and Conference League quarter-final draw will take place in Nyon today, involving four Serie A clubs. Three, Milan, Roma and Atalanta, are in the Europa League and one, Fiorentina, is in the Conference League.
There will be no restrictions for today’s draw, so there will be no seeding or country protection. Everyone can meet everyone, including clubs from the same association.
Italian sports papers analysed potential opponents for Serie A clubs on Friday and Il Corriere dello Sport wrote that Liverpool and Aston Villa ‘frighten’ the Italians. The Reds could meet Milan, Roma or Atalanta, while Nicolò Zaniolo’s Aston Villa will be the stronger opponent in the pot for Fiorentina.
Friday’s printed edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport on page 16 rated Aston Villa five stars, the highest among the clubs left in the competition, followed by Fiorentina and Lille (four), Leonardo Bonucci’s Fenerbahce (three), Club Brugge (three), Olympiakos, Viktoria Plzen and Paok with two.
According to Gazzetta, Liverpool are the best club in the Europa League so they are rated five stars. The Reds are followed by Milan, Roma, Atalanta, and Bayern, with four, and West Ham, Marseille, and Benfica, with three.