The Malta Independent 19 April 2024, Friday
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Updated (2): Italian, Spanish derbies in last 16 stage of Europa League

Friday, 27 February 2015, 13:43 Last update: about 10 years ago

Spanish and Italian derby matches headed the last-16 draw in a Europa League increasingly affected by political tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Defending champion Sevilla will play Villarreal as the two remaining Spanish sides were paired on Friday, and the five-strong Italian challenge produced a Fiorentina vs. Roma clash.

Italian Premier Matteo Renzi, who is a Fiorentina fan and formerly the mayor of Florence, tweeted in Italian "Of all the...it had to be Roma!"

With UEFA keeping the two Russian clubs apart from two Ukrainian clubs for political reasons, Zenit St. Petersburg was drawn at home to Torino.

Dynamo Kiev will host Everton in the second leg next month, after crowd trouble flared and delayed play in its round-of-32 victory over Guingamp of France on Thursday.

A banner was reportedly shown in the tiny contingent of visiting supporters which turned a French tricolor on its side to resemble a Russian flag. It carried a slogan referring to the Crimea region of Ukraine which Russia annexed last year.

Dynamo director general Revaz Chokhonelidze said the incident was a "provocation" to home fans, whose reaction will likely lead to sanctions from UEFA.

"Our supporters are very educated but when 20 (people) from Brittany show off a Russian flag, it is not good," Chokhonelidze told The Associated Press. "Kiev is a quiet city, there is no fighting. For Dynamo it is good to play football."

Chokhonelidze welcomed playing a "historic club" like Everton, from the city of Liverpool "where football is in the hearts."

Because UEFA decided last July that national and club teams from Russia and Ukraine should not meet, Friday's draw also produced Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk vs. Ajax, and Napoli vs. Dynamo Moscow.

Still, the competition could yet bring teams from the two countries together for the final in Warsaw on May 27.

The title winner is rewarded with a place in the Champions League — likely direct in the group stage — as a new incentive for UEFA's second-tier competition.

Inter Milan, which has targeted the trophy to gain entry into the lucrative elite competition, was drawn away first against Wolfsburg.

"It will be a tough game," Inter coach Roberto Mancini said. "We've been paired with the side that are second in the Bundesliga, and who recently beat Bayern 4-1 in the league."

A low-key pairing of Bruges vs. Besiktas completed the draw.

The first legs will be on March 12, with the return matches set for March 19.

After a second last-32 match was delayed by disorder on Thursday, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino spoke out against the "ugly scenes."

Roma's 2-1 win at Feyenoord was briefly stopped in the second half when home fans threw objects such as cigarette lighters and an inflatable banana on the pitch. Police in the Netherlands detained dozens of fans ahead of the tense return game after trouble in Rome one week earlier.

"Neither UEFA not any true football fan can tolerate" such incidents, Infantino said ahead of the draw.

The first legs will be on March 12, with the return matches set for March 19.

Everton (England) vs. Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)

Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine) vs. Ajax (Netherlands)

Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia) vs. Torino (Italy)

Wolfsburg (Germany) vs. Inter Milan (Italy)

Villarreal (Spain) vs. Sevilla (Spain)

Napoli (Italy) vs. Dynamo Moscow (Russia)

Bruges (Belgium) vs. Besiktas (Turkey)

Fiorentina (Italy) vs. Roma (Italy)

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