Man United Drawn with Real Betis in Last 16 of Europa League

Europa League ambassador Hungarian former footballer Zoltan Gera shows the paper slip of Real Betis Balompie during the draw for the round of 16 of the 2022-2023 UEFA Europa League football tournament in Nyon, on February 24, 2023. (AFP)
Europa League ambassador Hungarian former footballer Zoltan Gera shows the paper slip of Real Betis Balompie during the draw for the round of 16 of the 2022-2023 UEFA Europa League football tournament in Nyon, on February 24, 2023. (AFP)
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Man United Drawn with Real Betis in Last 16 of Europa League

Europa League ambassador Hungarian former footballer Zoltan Gera shows the paper slip of Real Betis Balompie during the draw for the round of 16 of the 2022-2023 UEFA Europa League football tournament in Nyon, on February 24, 2023. (AFP)
Europa League ambassador Hungarian former footballer Zoltan Gera shows the paper slip of Real Betis Balompie during the draw for the round of 16 of the 2022-2023 UEFA Europa League football tournament in Nyon, on February 24, 2023. (AFP)

Manchester United was paired with Real Betis in the round of 16 of the Europa League on Friday, giving the 2017 champions another Spanish opponent after eliminating Barcelona.

Man United will host the first leg at Old Trafford on March 9.

The last Ukrainian team left in this season’s European competitions, Shakhtar Donetsk, was drawn to face Feyenoord. Shakhtar will host the first leg in neighboring Poland because of the Russian military invasion of Ukraine.

Premier League leader Arsenal will face Sporting Lisbon, with the first leg played in Portugal.

Arsenal was seeded in the draw because it was among the eight winners of Europa League groups, and those teams play the second leg at home. Unseeded teams hosting the first leg came through the playoff round, which involved Europa League group runners-up and teams which placed third in a Champions League group.

Juventus was paired with Freiburg and six-time champion Sevilla will be at home first against Fenerbahce. Union Berlin will have a reunion with Union Saint-Gilloise after they also met twice in the group stage.

Roma, coached by Jose Mourinho, will play Real Sociedad, while Bayer Leverkusen was paired with Ferencvaros.

The Europa League final will be played in Budapest on May 31 at Puskas Arena.



Adidas Replaces Puma as Mercedes F1 Partner Post-Hamilton

Formula One F1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 8, 2024 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in his car after finishing fourth in his last race for Mercedes. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 8, 2024 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in his car after finishing fourth in his last race for Mercedes. (Reuters)
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Adidas Replaces Puma as Mercedes F1 Partner Post-Hamilton

Formula One F1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 8, 2024 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in his car after finishing fourth in his last race for Mercedes. (Reuters)
Formula One F1 - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - December 8, 2024 Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in his car after finishing fourth in his last race for Mercedes. (Reuters)

German apparel and footwear brand Adidas will enter Formula One as kit suppliers to the Mercedes Formula One team in a multi-year partnership announced on Tuesday for the new post-Lewis Hamilton era.

Puma previously partnered the once-dominant team, who finished fourth overall in seven-times world champion Hamilton's last season before he moved to Ferrari.

The Adidas deal was expected and had been flagged up in media reports already last year after leaked images of branded apparel.

Mercedes said the specially-designed kit would also be made available to fans, with limited editions planned through the year.

The range will include apparel, footwear and accessories and will be unveiled next month before the season starts in Australia on March 16.

"Our partnership with Adidas is a clear statement of intent as we begin to write our next chapter as a team," said Mercedes principal Toto Wolff in a statement.

Hamilton, who turned 40 on Tuesday, has been replaced at the team by 18-year-old Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli who will partner George Russell.

Mercedes also had fashion brand Tommy Hilfiger, for whom Hamilton was an ambassador, as a partner last season.

Adidas lost out to Nike last year in bidding to supply the Germany national teams from 2027 to 2034.