Vincenzo Italiano’s comments following the UEFA Europa League draw

Vincenzo Italiano commented on the 2025/26 Europa League draw, saying:

“It’s a challenging group, with teams that have experience and a legacy in UEFA competitions. Salzburg have been a regular presence in the cups for almost 20 years, Celtic have won 55 titles, and continue to dominate in Scotland.  Maccabi Tel Aviv and Steaua Bucarest have both just won back-to-back league titles in their respective countries, Freiburg have performed well in Europe in the last few years, and Celta return to international competitions after reaching the Europa League semi-finals in 2017. Brann are in full swing in their domestic season, which began in April, so they’ll be match-ready. And then there’s Aston Villa, whom we know well after playing them last year in the Champions League; we know how strong and organised they are. These will be eight exciting matches, and we’ll have to manage the journey carefully, avoiding any lapses and relying on our fans when we play at the Dall’Ara.”

About tomorrow’s match:

“But right now, our focus is on the present. On Saturday, we play Como, our first home league game. It’s our debut at the Dall’Ara in front of our fans, and we want to be ready. Playing at home has to be our strength; we immediately want to show our character and deliver a performance worthy of our fans’ excitement.”