[Albion] ***Europa League Group Stage Draw - Official Thread***

[VincentvanGogh]

Hi Brighton fans! I'm an Ajax fan and I’m keen to provide to discussions with more information from our side of the sea! I really like Brighton and how they have been performing the last season(s). A club with history who didn’t sell their souls to oil money yet. I can’t wait for our clubs to meet in the European encounters, let’s hope they’ll be historic! I’ll be rooting for Brighton in the PL and I will be following Brighton more closely. I look forward to follow the discussions on the board.

This transfer periods has been one of the craziest I ever experienced. We are used to selling our top players every year but last year the guys that have been bought did not deliver. The downfall of Ajax after some amazing Champions League years started when legendary TD Marc Overmars had to go after sending naughty pictures of himself to Ajax employees.

With a new technical director in the name of 'Diamond eyes' Sven Mislintat (former Arsenal), a new coach and staff, we spend well over 110 million euro's and basically bought a completely new squad for the coming season. Names that most fans never heard of so we have absolutely no idea how this will turn out.

VincentvanGogh

 

[Whitechapel]

The area is Nea Filadelfia

There’s definitely a joke about Homers neighbour in here. All the pieces are there but I’m too thick to put them together.

 

[Smirko]

OK admit it. Who's looked up hotels, flights or trains?
Reckon Ajax could be a drive away, 360 miles and duty free on the way back. Hotels are expensive though. Easyjet flights around £150 return.
Marseille is another matter. 800 miles by road or at least 6 trains. Flying with an organised trip.
Athens. Tui have 5 night holidays from £650. Reckon that will be the way to go there.

2 trains, off to Rugby WC in Marseille next week, Eurostar to Paris, change there and 1 train direct to Marseille!

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

.
Athens. Tui have 5 night holidays from £650. Reckon that will be the way to go there.

Yep a city minibreak package is defo the way to do Athens, all paid for in one. A chance to do some quality sightseeing too. One of my fave European cities.

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

2 trains, off to Rugby WC in Marseille next week, Eurostar to Paris, change there and 1 train direct to Marseille!

Yep nice and simple, l reckon all three cities are very doable.

 

[Jeremiah]

What a fantastic draw, we're playing some great sides.

Sorry to put a damper on it but surely the idea of entering a football competition is to progress as far as possible. The draws this week (Carabao & Europa) have not been kind to the Albion in that respect. I guess if you want to party abroad that's fine but I feel disappointed by both. Tough games will also affect our ability to perform in the league around the games as well. Woe is me !

 

[Simster]

Sorry to put a damper on it but surely the idea of entering a football competition is to progress as far as possible. The draws this week (Carabao & Europa) have not been kind to the Albion in that respect. I guess if you want to party abroad that's fine but I feel disappointed by both. Tough games will also affect our ability to perform in the league around the games as well. Woe is me !

Dry your eyes. We're still favourites to go through.

And who cares if we lose in the Carabao? We'll probably win that one too, anyhow.

 

[T.G]

Sorry to put a damper on it but surely the idea of entering a football competition is to progress as far as possible. The draws this week (Carabao & Europa) have not been kind to the Albion in that respect. I guess if you want to party abroad that's fine but I feel disappointed by both. Tough games will also affect our ability to perform in the league around the games as well. Woe is me !

We want to play against the best and test ourselves if we want to continue to progress. Very happy with this draw in both footballing and 'having a jolly' terms. I hope (sounds almost ridiculous saying it) we get to play CL in the future. All games will be tough then.

 

[Official Old Man]

2 trains, off to Rugby WC in Marseille next week, Eurostar to Paris, change there and 1 train direct to Marseille!

If you can get to St Pancras for 6:00 the fare is around £300 return. Add a lot more for better departure times.

 

[dwayne]

Sorry to put a damper on it but surely the idea of entering a football competition is to progress as far as possible. The draws this week (Carabao & Europa) have not been kind to the Albion in that respect. I guess if you want to party abroad that's fine but I feel disappointed by both. Tough games will also affect our ability to perform in the league around the games as well. Woe is me !

Apart from these teams being names do you have a clue how good these teams are?!

Ajax for instance are rubbish and their main striker is Chuba akpom. AEK and Marseilles both fairly average. We shouldn't have any excuses.

 

[BevBHA]

Sorry to put a damper on it but surely the idea of entering a football competition is to progress as far as possible. The draws this week (Carabao & Europa) have not been kind to the Albion in that respect. I guess if you want to party abroad that's fine but I feel disappointed by both. Tough games will also affect our ability to perform in the league around the games as well. Woe is me !

It’s our first European adventure. Does any Brighton fan realistically believe we will win the thing? It’s the same principle as when we were lower league. The cup draws we always wanted a PL team home or away for the experience of it, for the memories with our mates. It’s what footballs about! I am genuinely looking at this as a potential once in a lifetime opportunity to see us play European giants. Give me Ajax and Marseilles any day over LASK and Sherrif. (No disrespect to Athens but wouldn’t class them as giants)

To add to that as said above, our style is better suited to playing the better teams as they always come at us and leave gaps. Also better for the players as there is not the expectation to win there that there would be if we were playing Qarabag, for example.

I’m all in!

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Sorry to put a damper on it but surely the idea of entering a football competition is to progress as far as possible. The draws this week (Carabao & Europa) have not been kind to the Albion in that respect. I guess if you want to party abroad that's fine but I feel disappointed by both. Tough games will also affect our ability to perform in the league around the games as well. Woe is me !

You are well named, Jeremiah, prophet of doom.

 

[Simster]

Apart from these teams being names do you have a clue how good these teams are?!

Ajax for instance are rubbish and their main striker is Chuba akpom. AEK and Marseilles both fairly average. We shouldn't have any excuses.

Singing "Brighton reject" at an Ajax striker.

Absolute LOLS.

 

[Mr Bridger]

Everywhere you walk in Amsterdam you’ll be amongst your own. The bars will be full of Brighton. This is our time. Get drunk, don’t get drunk, get rowdy, don’t get rowdy, have a ticket, don’t have a ticket….. either way it will be a great couple of days. Enjoy it while it lasts

Salad days, that's for sure.

Have the salad , don’t have the salad.

 

[Jeremiah]

We want to play against the best and test ourselves if we want to continue to progress. Very happy with this draw in both footballing and 'having a jolly' terms. I hope (sounds almost ridiculous saying it) we get to play CL in the future. All games will be tough then.

After 50 years of following the Albion - I just want to see them win something (or reach a final) - so the easiest route to that aim is the best in my book (hence my huge disappointment in the FA Cup semi defeat this year). I can see that younger fans will be very excited by the prospect of travelling away etc - but it's not for me.

 

[Mr Bridger]

I have friends who live within a quarter of a mile from AEK Athens stadium so if I can help with questions, I will do. They are Olympiakos and Sheff Wed fans so, no, they won't take in any lodgers for the night.
I know the local tube station is Perissos, having walked past the stadium quite a few times. The area is Nea Filadelfia (New Philadelphia)

See this type of information needs to get into a dedicated thread for AEK Athens away once the dates are announced tomorrow.

 

[AmexRuislip]

q

 

[BevBHA]

View attachment 165866

I certainly expect there to be a good few Brighton looking for trouble. I would certainly advise avoiding the Railway Bell before any of the home games

 

[Jeremiah]

You are well named, Jeremiah, prophet of doom.

Well I didn't name it the "Group of Death".

 

[Mr Bridger]

2 trains, off to Rugby WC in Marseille next week, Eurostar to Paris, change there and 1 train direct to Marseille!

That’s how we did it to the WC in 98. How much did that cost?