Villa drawn alongside AZ Alkmaar in Europa Conference League group

Aston Villa have been drawn alongside AZ Alkmaar, Legia Warsaw and HSK Zrinjski in the Europa Conference League group stage.

The Villans will compete in Europe for the first time since 2011 and must travel to the Netherlands, Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Unai Emery's side qualified for the competition via their seventh-place finish in the Premier League last season before they saw off Hibernian 8-0 on aggregate in a play-off.

West Ham are the current holders and Villa will fancy their chances of following in the Hammers' footsteps this time around.

Elsewhere, 2022-23 runners-up Fiorentina were handed ties against Ferencvaros, Genk and Cukaricki as they aim to go one better this term.

Scottish side Aberdeen, meanwhile, face a daunting couple of games against German club Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as PAOK and HJK Helsinki.

Group D, featuring Club Brugge, Bodo/Glimt, Besiktas and FC Lugano, is also eye-catching.

The competition kicks off on Thursday, September 21, with the group stage wrapping up on Thursday, December 14.

The knockout stages begin on Thursday, February 15 and the final will take place at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens on Wednesday, May 29.

2023-24 Europa Conference League draw in full

Group A

Lille, Slovan Bratislava, Olimpija Ljubljana, KI Klaksvik

Group B

Gent, Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Zorya Luhansk, Breidablik

Group C

Dinamo Zagreb, Viktoria Plzen, FC Astana, FC Ballkani

Group D

Club Brugge, Bodo/Glimt, Besiktas, FC Lugano

Group E

AZ Alkmaar, Aston Villa, Legia Warsaw, HSK Zrinjski

Group F

Ferencvaros, Fiorentina, Genk, Cukaricki

Group G

Eintracht Frankfurt, PAOK, HJK Helsinki, Aberdeen

Group H

Fenerbahce, Ludogorets, Spartak Trnava, Nordsjaelland

Key dates

Matchday 1: September 21

Matchday 2: October 5

Matchday 3: October 26

Matchday 4: November 9

Matchday 5: November 30

Matchday 6: December 14