Atletico Madrid, the 2010 Europa League winners, face Italy’s Udinese, France’s Rennes and, possibly, Switzerland’s FC Sion in this season’s group stage.

Hours before yesterday’s draw, UEFA President Michel Platini said Sion appeared to field ineligible players in a play-off win against Celtic. The Scottish club could be reinstated if Sion are disqualified.

Tottenham will face Shamrock Rovers, the first Irish club to reach the group stage of a UEFA competition. Their group includes Rubin Kazan of Russia and Greece’s PAOK.

Paris Saint-Germain, under big spending Qatari ownership, were drawn with Spain’s Athletic Bilbao, Austria’s Salzburg and Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava.

Each team’s six-match program runs from 15 September to 15 December.

2011-2012 Europa League group stage draw

Group A

Tottenham (England)

Rubin Kazan (Russia)

PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece)

Shamrock Rovers (Ireland)

Group B

FC Copenhagen (Denmark)

Standard Liege (Belgium)

Hannover (Germany)

Vorskla Poltava (Ukraine)

Group C

PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)

Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israel)

Rapid Bucharest (Romania)

Legia Warsaw (Poland)

Group D

Sporting Lisbon (Portugal)

Lazio (Italy)

FC Zurich (Switzerland)

Vaslui (Romania)

Group E

Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine)

Besiktas (Turkey)

Stoke City (England)

Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)

Group F

Paris Saint-Germain (France)

Athletic Bilbao (Spain)

Salzburg (Austria)

Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia)

Group G

AZ Alkmaar (Netherlands)

Metalist Kharkiv (Ukraine)

Austria Vienna (Austria)

Malmo (Sweden)

Group H

Braga (Portugal)

FC Bruges (Belgium)

Birmingham City (England)

Maribor (Slovenia)

Group I

Atletico Madrid (Spain)

Udinese (Italy)

Rennes (France)

FC Sion (Switzerland)

Group J

Schalke (Germany)

Steaua Bucharest (Romania)

Maccabi Haifa (Israel)

AEK Larnaca (Cyprus)

Group K

Twente (Netherlands)

Fulham (England)

Odense (Denmark)

Wisla Krakow (Poland)

Group L

Anderlecht (Belgium)

AEK Athens (Greece)

Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia)

Sturm Graz (Austria)