FC Twente has drawn some great opponents in the Europa League, including a meeting with Manchester United and Lazio Roma. Sem Steijn is looking forward to the European challenges of this season and tells ESPN that there is currently no concrete interest in him.
“We had been talking about Manchester United for weeks and we really wanted to draw them,” says the Hague resident. “When it became official, we jumped for joy. Liam, Van Nistelrooy’s son, immediately sent me a message. It’s really alive, that’s nice to see.”
In addition to Manchester United, Twente will also play against Lazio, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, Olympiakos, Union Saint-Gilloise, Malmö and Nice. Steijn considers this group to be Champions League-worthy: “These are fantastic matches to play and everyone is really looking forward to them,” said the midfielder. He adds that the match against Fenerbahçe is special for him: “I was hoping for United away and for Fenerbahçe, because that means a bit of revenge for last season. I always felt that there was more in it.”
Despite his strong season so far, interest from other clubs in the top scorer remains limited: “I haven’t heard anything yet, and fortunately I’m also being kept out of the negotiations. Only if a club becomes concrete, I’ll be involved.” He is fully focused on FC Twente and the upcoming Europa League matches: “With these great matches in prospect, it’s no punishment to play here.”
