Freiburg, Union Berlin, and FC Köln learn European group stage opponents
Europa League participants SC Freiburg and 1. FC Union Berlin learned their European club competition group stage opponents on Friday, as did German conference League representatives 1. FC Köln.
SC Freiburg and 1. FC Union Berlin received what may be aptly described as "manageable" groups following Friday's 2022/23 UEFA Europa League draw. Freiburg will face Olympiakos, FC Nantes, and (in line with head-coach Christian Streich's travel wishes) Qarabag Agdam of Azerbaijan in Group G.
"It's not far-fetched to advance out of the group," Freiburg captain Christian Günter noted when reached for comment "Piraeus has a brutal home stadium with a tough atmosphere. With Qarabag, we might have wished for a different opponent. That's one of the longest trips you can have."
Union Berlin, meanwhile, sshall face Sporting Braga, Malmö FF, and Belgium's Royale Union Saint-Gilloise in Group D. Union captain Christopher Trimmel declared himself satisfied with the draw in both a competitive and personal sense. FCU sporting director Oliver Ruhnert also noted that the draw gave him a sense that his club would still be alive during the knockout rounds in 2023.
"For me, it's a good group because the destinations Belgium, Portugal and Sweden are very nice," Trimmel said.
Fc Köln - whom just concluded their qualification for the Conference League group stages last night - also learned their opponents on Friday after another draw in Instanbul. Die Geißböcke will be headed to Serbia's capital to take on Partizan Belgrade and over to the Czech Republic for a meeting with 1. FC Slovacko.
Interesting enough, the Germans will also meet up with former Gladbach and Dortmund trainer Lucien Favre's OGC Nice on the French Riveria. The cathedral city side most definitely dodged some bullets as FC Villarreal and West Ham United are also playing in their competition
The complete draw for both competitions can be found below:
2022/23 Europa League:
Group A:
Arsenal
PSV Eindhoven
Bodø/Glimt
FC Zürich
Group B:
Dynamo Kiev
Rennes
Fenerbahçe
AEK Larnarca
Group C:
A.S. Roma
Ludogorets Razgrad
Real Betis
HJK Helsinki
Group D:
S.C. Braga
Malmö FF
Union Berlin
Union Saint-Gilloise
Group E:
Manchester United
Real Sociedad
Sheriff Tiraspol
AC Omonia Cyprus
Group F:
Lazio Rome
Feyenoord Rotterdam
FC Midtylland
SK Sturm Graz
Group G:
Olympiakos
Qarabag FK
SC Freiburg
FC Nantes
Group H:
Red Star Belgrade
Montpellier
Ferencvarosi TC Budapest
Trabzonspor
2022/23 Europa Conference League:
Group A:
Basaksehir Istanbul
A.S. Fiorentina
Hearts Edinburgh
RFS Latvia
Group B:
West Ham United
FSCB Bucharest
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Silkeborg IF
Group C:
Villarreal
Hapoel Be'er Sheva
Austria Wien
Lech Poznań
Group D:
Partizan Belgrade
O.G.C. Nice
FC Köln
FC Slovacko
Group E:
AZ Alkmaar
Apollo Limassol FC
FC Vaduz
SC Dnipro-1
Group F:
K.A.A. Gent
Molde FK
Shamrock Rovers
Djurgardens IF
Group G:
Slavia Prague
SFR Cluj
Sivasspor
FC Ballkani Kosovo
Group H:
FC Basel
Slovan Bratislava
Zalgiris Lithuania
FC Pyunik Armenia