Okay, perhaps we're getting just a little ahead of ourselves here, the Europa League final in Turin, Italy is still a distant dream at this stage. But now that Maccabi Tel Aviv have made that historic step into the last 32, let's have a closer look at what's in store
Perhaps a little too much excitement for one day, but still not surprising that at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland they took little account of the fact that their draw for the next stages of the Champions and Europa League will take place only hours before Maccabi Tel Aviv's traditional landmark derby against municipal rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv. In the event, by the time the referee's whistle is heard at Bloomfield Stadium, Maccabi Tel Aviv will know who among the other 31 clubs from 19 different countries will be their opponents in the final 32 knockout round of the Europa League. Tomorrow's draw at Nyon will determine the opponents at the home and away fixtures of the last 32, to be played on the 20th and the 27th of February. But not just that, also the (at this stage hypothetical) winners of those contests, the last 16, will have their pairings fixed for two legs to be played on the 13th and 20th of March. So not only will the home crowd be able to savour the prospects of the high-profile encounter that awaits their beloved Maccabi Tel Aviv in the next round of the Europa League. They can also set their imaginations free to conjure up a potential rival for round that follows.
Tomorrow's draw will see the 32 candidates for the next round of the Europa League divided into two groups – seeds and non-seeds, with Maccabi belonging to the second category. At this stage no two clubs from the same country may be drawn together, nor can any club be drawn against an opponent they faced in the previous group stage. So Eintracht Frankfurt are out, but let's have a look at the other fifteen clubs who may soon be gracing the pitch at Bloomfield Stadium, and what the pros and cons might be if that happens:
Valencia (Spain)
Pros: twice European Championship runners-up, the magnificent "Mestalla" Stadium, and eight squad members headed for the 2014 World Cup finals
Cons: twice European Championship runners-up, the magnificent "Mestalla" Stadium, and eight squad members headed for the 2014 World Cup finals
Ludogorets Razgrad (Bulgaria)
Pros: Would produce an intriguing tie between clubs that were both knocked out of the Champions League by FC Basel (see below)
Cons: One of the best defensive sides in the campaign so far, having conceded only twice since the start of the competition
Red Bull Salzburg (Austria)
Pros: A history against Israeli clubs that gives hope to the locals
Cons: A perfect record so far in their European campaign
Rubin Kazan (Russia)
Pros: Israeli international midfielder Bebras Natcho returns to Bloomfield Stadium
Cons: You think the weather we've been having the past few days was bad? Then you've obviously never been to the Republic of Tatarstan in February
Fiorentina (Italy)
Pros: There are only a handful of Italians in the whole squad
Cons: Three of them are headed for the 2014 World Cup finals – striker Giuseppe Rossi and midfielders Alberto Aquilani and Massimo Ambrosini. So, by the way, is their German international and former Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez
Genk (Belguim)
Pros: Got to the Europa League after finishing last season third in their league, twelve points off the pace. At the moment they're fifth
Cons: They finished top of the their Europa League group with a respectable 14 points, outclassing Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv by four points
Sevilla (Spain)
Pros: The best winter weather in Europe
Cons: UEFA Cup winners in 2005/6 and 2006/7
Olympique Lyonnais – Lyon (France)
Pros: They scored only six goals in the Europa League group stage
Cons: They conceded only three goals in the Europa League group stage
Trabzonspor (Turkey)
Pros: The one-hour flight to Turkey
Cons: Midfielder Olcan Adin, highest goalscorer of the Europa League group stage with five goals in six matches
Tottenham Hotspurs (England)
Pros: They sold Gareth Bale in the summer transfer window
Cons: They replaced him with the prolific Spanish striker Roberto Sodado and snatched all 18 points in the Europa League group stage, scoring an eye-catching 15 goals, conceding only 2
AZ Alkmaar (Holland)
Pros: A week-end in nearby Amsterdam
Cons: Two wins over Maccabi Haifa, home and away, in the group stage
Napoli (Italy)
Pros: Seeing former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain at Bloomfield Stadium
Cons: Facing former Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain at San Paolo Stadium in Napoli
Benfica (Portugal)
Pros: The most exotic club in the draw
Cons: Ranked seventh in UEFA
Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
Pros: With their seven Brazilian squad members it's the closest we'll get to Brazil in the coming year
Cons: They may look like Brazil, but they play in the Ukraine
FC Basel (Switzerland)
Pros: Déjà vu all over again
Cons: Déjà vu all over again
