The draw of the 12 groups with 48 participating teams brought out of interesting and intriguing match-ups with the most interesting one being for Fenerbahçe striker Robin van Persie from the Netherlands, who will face former sides Manchester United and Feyenoord Rotterdam in Group A.
2016/17 UEFA Europa League group stage draw
Group A: Manchester United (ENG), Fenerbahçe (TUR), Feyenoord Rotterdam (NED), Zorya Luhansk (UKR)
Group B: Olympiacos (GRE), APOEL (CYP), Young Boys Bern (SUI), Astana (KAZ)
Group C: RSC Anderlecht (BEL), AS St-Étienne (FRA), 1.FSV Mainz 05 (GER), Qarabağ (AZE)
Group D: Zenit St.Petersburg (RUS), AZ Alkmaar (NED), Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR), Dundalk (IRL)
Group E: Viktoria Plzeň (CZE), AS Roma (ITA), Austria Wien (AUT), Astra Giurgiu (ROU)
Group F: Athletic Club Bilbao (ESP), KRC Genk (BEL), Rapid Wien (AUT), Sassuolo Calcio (ITA)
Group G: Ajax Amsterdam (NED), Standard Liège (BEL), Celta Vigo (ESP), Panathinaikos (GRE)
Group H: Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Sporting Braga (POR), KAA Gent (BEL), Konyaspor (TUR)
Group I: FC Schalke 04 (GER), RB Salzburg (AUT), FC Krasnodar (RUS), OGC Nice (FRA)
Group J: AC Fiorentina (ITA), PAOK Saloniki (GRE), Slovan Liberec (CZE), Qäbälä (AZE)
Group K: Internazionale Milano (ITA), Sparta Praha (CZE), FC Southampton (ENG), Hapoel Beer-Sheva (ISR)
Group L: FC Villarreal (ESP), Steaua Bucureşti (ROU), FC Zürich (SUI), Osmanlıspor (TUR)