Europa League debutants Brighton have been drawn to take on former Champions League winners Ajax and Marseille.

This was announced at the Europa League group stage draw on Friday, September 1, 2023.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men secured a first season in continental football with a sixth-place finish in last season’s Premier League table, and their reward is matches against four-time European champions Ajax and the 1993 European Cup winners Marseille.

The Seagulls’ other group opponents are reigning Greek champions AEK Athens, with the first round of group stage games to be played on Thursday, September 21.

Liverpool, three-time winners of the competition in its former guise of the UEFA Cup, were placed alongside LASK of Austria, Belgian club Union St Gilloise, and Toulouse from France.

The third Premier League representatives in Friday’s draw were West Ham by virtue of their victory in last season’s Europa Conference League final.

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The Hammers go up against 47-time Greek champions Olympiacos, German club Freiburg and European debutants TSC Backa Topola from Serbia.

Rangers, who dropped into the Europa League after suffering a Champions League play-off defeat to PSV Eindhoven earlier this week, will take on Real Betis from Spain.

It means another trip to Seville for the Light Blues, where they lost the 2022 Europa League final to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Also paired with Rangers are Sparta Prague of the Czech Republic and Cypriot champions Aris Limassol.

The winners of the eight groups progress straight to the last 16, while the eight runners-up will take on the eight third-placed sides from the Champions League group stage in the knockout round play-offs.

This season’s final takes place in Dublin, Ireland, on May 22, 2024.

See the Europa League group stage draw below:

Group A: West Ham, Olympiacos, Freiburg, TSC Backa Topola

Group B: Ajax, Marseille, Brighton, AEK Athens

Group C: Rangers, Real Betis, Sparta Prague, Aris Limassol

Group D: Atalanta, Sporting CP, Sturm Graz, Rakow Czestochowa

Group E: Liverpool, LASK, Union SG, Toulouse

Group F: Villarreal, Rennes, Maccabi Haifa, Panathinaikos

Group G: AS Roma, Slavia Prague, Sheriff Tiraspol, Servette

Group H: Leverkusen, Qarabag, Molde, Hacken

Dates for the competition:

Matchday 1: September 21

Matchday 2: October 5

Matchday 3: October 26

Matchday 4: November 9

Matchday 5: November 30

Matchday 6: December 14

Knockout out round play-offs: February 15 and 22

Round of 16: March 7 and 14

Quarter-finals: April 11 and 18

Semi-finals: May 2 and 9

Final: May 22

The Star