Ajax and Juve to clash in Europe

When we were kings: Ravanelli and Juve hold the European Cup in 1996 [GALLO/GETTY]

The draw for the knockout stages of the Europa League saw two fading stars of the European game drawn together in a reprise of the 1996 Champions League final.

Ajax and Juventus were at the pinnacle of the game on the continent when they met at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome nearly 14 years ago.

Their fortunes have waned since Juve won 4-2 on penalties after Fabrizio Ravanelli and Jari Litmanen produced a 1-1 draw that May night, despite finishing runners-up on three occasions since.

For Ajax, a former powerhouse and hotbed of Total Football talent, a Europa League trophy is probably the best they can hope for outside Dutch domestic competition these days.

Ajax will host the first leg of the round-of-32 match on February 18 before traveling to Turin for the return a week later.

Eliminated

The Italian side are in the Europa League after being eliminated from the Champions League, while Ajax were exposed to the toughest possible opponents by finishing second in their first-round group.

The winners over two games will meet Fulham or Shakhtar Donetsk in the next round.

Europa League draw

Rubin Kazan v Hapoel Tel Aviv  Athletic Bilbao v Anderlecht  Copenhagen v Marseille  Panathinaikos v Roma  Atletico Madrid v Galatasaray  Ajax v Juventus  FC Brugge v Valencia  Fulham v Shakhtar Donetsk  Liverpool v Unirea Urziceni  Hamburg v PSV Eindhoven  Villarreal v Wolfsburg  Standard Liege v RB Salzburg  FC Twente v Werder Bremen  Lille v Fenerbahce  Everton v Sporting Lisbon  Hertha Berlin v Benfica First leg Feb 18, second Feb 25

Fulham are in their first season of European football but their Ukrainian opponents are the de facto defending champions after winning last season’s Uefa Cup before it was rebranded.

Five-time European champions Liverpool and Unirea Urziceni, who were both eliminated from the Champions League, were paired in the round of 32, while Roma will meet Panathinaikos.

“We would rather be in the Champions League but we’re not,” Liverpool club ambassador Kenny Dalglish said after Friday’s draw.

“We are where we are and we have just got to deal with it.

“We will give it as good a go to try to win it as if it was the Champions League.

“I think the boys will not let anyone down.”

Maximum points

Red Bull Salzburg, the only team to gain the maximum 18 points from their six Europa League group matches, play Standard Liege.

“Standard has a very good team, especially in attack,” Salzburg coach Huub Stevens said.

“They have great supporters, it can get real hot there.”

Salzburg were one of the 12 group winners to be favoured in the draw by playing their home match last in the round of 32.

They get no such protection should they advance.

Unirea also have the perceived advantage of playing second but general manager Mihai Stoica is not convinced that will be enough against opponents that won their fifth European Cup title in 2005 and reached the final two years later.

“For us it, is a great experience,” said Stoica, whose club reached Romania’s top division just three years ago.

“It is like David and Goliath.

“For sure, we will line up with 11 Davids and maybe it is not enough.”