European Europa League will be a breath of fresh air for UEFA competition...

Well well, the group phase of the UEFA Cup has been drawn today in Switzerland and there have been some tasty ties thrown up for our English sides.

Villa could be paying a visit to picturesque Prague, Tottenham could be taking a Winter trip to Moscow, Man City could be mingling with the Parisian's and Pompey could, could be heading to Milan. I say that they could because the draw for the group stage doesn't provide an immediate answer to the destinations of any tie brought out the hat.

Tuesday morning's draw was completed a lightning pace but it will take a little longer to determine whether our boys will be playing at home or away and against whom these games will be played.

Currently, each side plays each other in their group once but another draw has to be made to determine whether they will be at home or away.

The new UEFA Europa League which will come into effect next year will clear things up no end.

From 2009-2010 the final 48 teams will be place into 12 groups of four teams and each team will play home and away, much like the current Champions League system.

Fans of Portsmouth et al must be wishing that this campaign was 'Europa's' inaugural season, it would certainly reduce the amount of sweating Pompey fans will be doing over whether they or their Milanese counterparts will be splashing out on a European trip. I for one believe that a good punt for this season's competition would be Villa, you might have your own dark horses though so check out the latest betting

The UEFA Cup has long lived in the shadows of the Champions League but looking at the teams in this years' competition things could be about to change.

The likes of Milan, Valencia, Sevilla, Stuttgart, Ajax and Feyenoord gracing the competition means that a lot of football fans are beginning to sit up and acknowledge the tournaments credentials.

UEFA have been chipping and changing the competition frequently down the years, folding in the Cup Winners' Cup and Intertoto Cup into the tournament. From next season though I feel that the Europa League, with its neat, efficient platform will finally give the competition – whatever it's name – a position alongside the Champions League which the competing sides can be proud of.

Written by John Ford