Jose Mourinho has said Manchester United’s Europa League group is “very similar” to playing in the Uefa Champions League after the draw was made on Friday.
United will take on Turkish giants Fenerbahce, meaning a reunion with former striker Robin van Persie, as well as Dutch club Feyenoord and Zorya Luhansk of Ukraine in Group A.
Van Persie, 33, spent three seasons at United having joined from Premier League rivals Arsenal in 2013. His first season at Old Trafford proved his most successful, spearheading the side by scoring 35 goals as United won the Premier League title.
Van Persie can also enjoy another reunion in the Europa League when he faces his boyhood club Feyenoord.
“It is a good draw for us. We think we are in the Champions League. There are very similar groups in the Champions League,” Mourinho said.
“It is a difficult group but it is good. If you have teams without expression, even fans wouldn’t enjoy Thursdays.
“We all know the competition is not the same as the Champions League but to have Manchester United playing against clubs with tradition like Fenerbahce and Feyenoord is good for us. I don’t have more vision about Ukraine.”
EUROPA LEAGUE DRAW
GROUP A: Manchester United, Fenerbahce, Feyenoord, Zorya Luhansk
GROUP B: Olympiakos, Piraeus Apoel Nicosia, Young Boys, Astana
GROUP C: Anderlecht, St Etienne, Mainz, Qabala
GROUP D: Zenit St Petersburg, AZ Alkmaar, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Dundalk
GROUP E: Viktoria Plzen, AS Roma, Austria Vienna, Astra Giurgiu
GROUP F: Athletic Bilbao, Genk, Rapid Vienna, Sassulo
GROUP G: Ajax, Standard Liege, Celta Vigo, Panathinaikos
GROUP H: Shakhtar Donetsk, Braga, Gent, Konyaspor
GROUP I: Schalke, Salzburg, Krasnodar, Nice
GROUP J: Fiorentina, PAOK, Slovan Liberec, Qarabag
GROUP K: Inter Milan, Sparta Prague, Southampton, Hapoel Be'er Sheva
GROUP L: Villarreal, Steaua Bucharest, Zurich, Osmanlispor
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