"The harsh reality," this is the phrase chosen by coach Xavi Hernandez to describe the situation of FC Barcelona after being eliminated from the Champions League and moving to play in the Europa League. After absorbing the shock of exiting the most prestigious club competition, the eyes of the club's fans are turning toward the team’s schedule in the Europa League, eager to know the potential opponent in the upcoming match.
The Catalan club will enter the Europa League in February, specifically in the Round of 32, where they will face a team that finished second in the group stage, which concludes today, Thursday. A report from the Spanish newspaper "Sport" lists the possible opponents for the Catalan club, noting that the list of teams will be clarified after today’s matches:
- Glasgow Rangers (Scotland)
- PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
- Spartak Moscow (Russia) (or Leicester City (England) or Napoli (Italy))
- Olympiacos (Greece) (or Eintracht Frankfurt (Germany))
- Lazio (Italy) (or Galatasaray (Turkey))
- Braga (Portugal) (or Red Star Belgrade (Serbia) or Midtjylland (Norway))
- Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) (or Genk (Belgium))
When will the Europa League draw take place? FC Barcelona will learn the identity of their opponent after the draw, which will be held next Monday. The matches of the Round of 32 will take place on February 17 and 24, with the Catalan club playing the second leg at their opponent's stadium.
