“There are no cup holders in this competition, as the Europa League is brand new, but de-facto Holders are Shakhtar Donetsk, of Ukraine, who won the final UEFA Cup title last May. The Europa League Knockout stage will begin in the third week of February, on the 16th and 18th. To avoid a Merseyside fixture congestion, the round will kick off two days before the rest of the matches in the leg. So it’s Everton v. Sporting Clube de Portugal on 16 February, and the other 15 matches on 18 February, including Liverpool v. Unirea Urziceni.” (billsportsmaps)