In Nyon, Switzerland, the draw for the Europa League knockout stage took place on Friday, determining the matchups for the playoff round. Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce secured their spot in the knockout phase and will go head-to-head with Anderlecht in a two-legged contest.
Fenerbahce finished 24th in the new standings format, securing the final qualification position based on a goal difference tiebreaker. The first leg of the matchup is set to be played in Fenerbahce’s home ground on February 13, followed by the second leg in Brussels one week later.
Mourinho, who took charge of Fenerbahce with the aim of ending the club’s long wait for a Turkish league title, currently finds his team trailing their rivals, Galatasaray, by six points in the league standings. Galatasaray also featured in the draw and will face AZ Alkmaar, with the first match being in the Netherlands.
Additionally, two of Mourinho’s previous clubs, Porto and Roma, have been drawn against each other, while Ajax will take on Union Saint-Gilloise, which will be hosting the first leg of their matchup in Belgium.
The playoff round draw included teams that finished from ninth to 24th in the new eight-match schedule, which concluded on Thursday. The round of 16 pairings will be determined on February 21 and will also involve the top eight teams from the league phase.
Among these top clubs are Manchester United and Tottenham, both of which Mourinho previously managed, along with Lazio, Athletic Bilbao, Eintracht Frankfurt, Lyon, Olympiakos, and Rangers.