The poster will remember the 1996 Champions League semi-final lost by the Canaries (2-0 defeat in Italy, 3-2 victory at La Beaujoire): for the return to the Champions League after 21 years of absence, Nantes will face Juventus in the round of 16 of the Europa League (officially called the play-offs). The first leg will be played on Thursday 16 February in Turin, the return on Thursday 23 February in the Loire-Atlantique.
Rennes and Monaco, the other two French clubs in the running, have inherited the Ukrainians of Shakthar Donetsk and the Germans of Bayer Leverkusen. Like Nantes, they finished 2nd in their group and find teams donated by the Champions League (Juve took 3rd place in the PSG group). The shock of these 16 will be FC Barcelona-Manchester United.
Qualified teams will meet in 8th Arsenal, Real Sociedad, Feyenoord Rotterdam or even Fenerbahçe (draw on Friday 24 February for matches on Thursday 9 and 16 March). The title holder of this Europa League is Eintracht Frankfurt.
