Dundalk draw Arsenal in Europa League

Dundalk’s Daniel Kelly celebrates against 

Dundalk's reward for reaching the Europa League group stage is a glamour draw with Arsenal.

The League of Ireland champions have also been grouped with Rapid Vienna and Molde in Group B of the competition.

Dundalk boss Filippo Giovagnoli admitted he was keen for a crack at Jose Mourinho and Tottenham Hotspur after the Airtricity League side booked their place in the group stages with a 3-1 defeat of Faroe Island champions KÍ on Thursday night.

But he will have to make do with a pair of home and away ties with their north London neighbours Arsenal instead. 

Tottenham, UEFA Cup winners in 1972 and 1984, have been drawn against Bulgarian side Ludogorets, LASK of Austria and Royal Antwerp from Belgium in Group J.

Celtic and Rangers were drawn against sides with great European pedigree, with the Hoops facing seven-times European Cup winners AC Milan and the Light Blues taking on two-time champions of Europe Benfica from Portugal.

Celtic, who were losing UEFA Cup finalists in 2003, will also face Czech side Sparta Prague and French club Lille in Group H.

Neil Lennon's side dropped into the Europa League qualifiers after being knocked out of the 2020-21 Champions League by Ferencvaros of Hungary.

Rangers will face Standard Liege of Belgium and Polish side Lech Poznan in Group D, in addition to the glamour trip to Lisbon. 

The final Premier League representatives, Leicester, will take on Braga of Portugal, Greek side AEK Athens and Zorya Luhansk from Ukraine in Group G.

Prior to the draw, Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku was named the best player in the 2019-20 Europa League.

The Belgian forward's goals were crucial to Inter reaching the final, but his own goal proved decisive in a thrilling final defeat to Sevilla in Cologne in August.