Europa League draw pits Koeman against old club Vitesse

Southampton manager Ronald Koeman can look forward to a reunion with his old side Vitesse Arnhem after the teams were paired together in Friday's Europa League third qualifying round draw.

Dutchman Koeman started his coaching career at Vitesse in 2000-01 before leaving to take over at Ajax. Prior to that, he briefly played alongside current Vitesse coach Pteer Bosz towards the end of his playing career at Feyenoord.

The Saints finished seventh in the Premier League last season to qualify for Europe for the first time since 2003, when they lost to Steaua Bucharest in the first round of the UEFA Cup.

They have not won a European tie since beating Limerick of Ireland in the UEFA Cup first round in 1981.

Vitesse, who will travel to England for the first leg, finished fifth in the Dutch top flight last season before winning in a play-off to qualify for Europe.

The other Premier League side in the draw, West Ham United, could face Scottish opposition in the third qualifying round in the shape of Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

West Ham, who qualified for Europe thanks to their fair play record, lead Maltese minnows Birkirkara 1-0 after the first leg of their second qualifying round tie.

However, Inverness must overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit when they go to Romania to face Astra Giurgiu next week if they are to stand a chance of facing the Hammers.

Athletic Bilbao, the 2012 Europa League finalists, have been drawn against Hafnarfjördur of Iceland or İnter Baku of Azerbaijan, while Borussia Dortmund were paired with either Shakhtyor Soligorsk of Belarus or Wolfsberger of Austria.

Europa League third qualifying round draw staged in Nyon on Friday:

FC Zurich (SUI) v Cherno More Varna (BUL) or Dinamo Minsk (BLR)

Kairat Almaty (KAZ) or Alashkert (ARM) v HNK Rijeka (CRO) or Aberdeen (SCO)

Dacia Chisinau (MDA) or MSK Zilina (SVK) v Vorskla Poltava (UKR)

AZ Alkmaar (NED) v Istanbul Başakşehir (TUR)

Bordeaux (FRA) v AEK Larnaca (CYP)

Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO) or PAOK (GRE) v Spartak Trnava (SVK) or Linfield (NIR)

Sampdoria (ITA) v Vojvodina (SRB) or Spartaks Jūrmala (LVA)

Slovan Liberec (CZE) v Hapoel Kiryat Shmona (ISR)

Athletic Bilbao (ESP) v Hafnarfjördur (ISL) or İnter Baku (AZE)

ASA Târgu Mureş (ROM) v Saint-Etienne (FRA)

FK Kukësi (ALB) or Mladost Podgorica (MNE) v Legia Warsaw (POL) or Botoşani (ROM)

FK Cukaricki (SRB) or Qabala (AZE) v Apollon Limassol (CYP) or Trakai (LTU)

Jelgava (LVA) or Rabotnicki (MKD) v Trabzonspor (TUR) or Differdange 03 (LUX)

Skonto (LVA) or Debreceni VSC (HUN) v Reykjavík (ISL) or Rosenborg (NOR)

Charleroi (BEL) or Beitar Jerusalem (ISL) v Zorya Luhansk (UKR)

Shakhtyor Soligorsk (BLR) or Wolfsberger (AUT) v Borussia Dortmund (GER)

Beroe Stara Zagora (BUL) or Brondby (DEN) v Jagiellonia Białystok (POL) or AC Omonia (CYP)

Jablonec (CZE) v FC Copenhagen (DEN) or Newtown AFC (WAL)

Sturm Graz (AUT) v Rubin Kazan (RUS)

AIK Solna (SWE) or Shirak (ARM) v Atromitos (GRE)

SCR Altach (AUT) v Vitória Guimaraes (POR)

Hapoel Beer Sheva (ISR) or FC Thun (SUI) v Vaduz (LIE) or Nomme Kalju (EST)

Randers (DEN) or IF Elfsborg (SWE) v Shamrock Rovers (IRL) or Odds BK (NOR)

Standard Liege (BEL) v Ferencváros (HUN) or FK Željezničar (BIH)

NK Koper (SVN) or Hajduk Split (CRO) v FK Mladá Boleslav (CZE) or Strømsgodset (NOR)

Belenenses (POR) v WKS Śląsk Wrocław (POL) or IFK Gothenburg (SWE)

Southampton (ENG) v Vitesse Arnhem (NED)

West Ham United (ENG) or Birkirkara (MLT) v Inverness Caledonian Thistle (SCO) or Astra Giurgiu (ROU)

Krasnodar (RUS) v Slovan Bratislava (SVK) or University College Dublin (IRL)

First legs - July 30

Second legs - August 6

Winning teams qualify for Europa League play-offs
Source: AFP