Lille’s sports coordinator Sylvain Armand amitted that drawing Aston Villa in the Europa League was the ‘worst’ outcome
Bruno Genesio, head coach of LOSC Lille(Image: UEFA via Getty Images)
Aston Villa need to return to form quickly, with their hopes of lifting silverware this season on the line in the next fortnight.
A return to Lille’s Decathlon Arena awaits next Thursday, two years after Unai Emery’s side advanced to the semi-finals of the Conference League via penalties, when Emi Martinez infamously saved two spot-kicks.
A warm reception is unlikely to be on the cards for Martinez or his teammates next week as Villa look to secure a first-leg advantage before hosting Lille the following week.
The draw was made last Friday following the conclusion of the knockout play-offs, with Villa playing either AS Roma or Bologna if they beat Lille.
“Yes, it’s the worst, we can say that”, Lille sports coordinator, Sylvain Armand, told reporters after the draw. “Now, they are still a good team and we know that we are not necessarily favourites of course, but it is a good match to play if we want to go as far as possible in this competition.
“We have to face the big teams and this is one of them. They have great experience and a coach who has already won the Europa League several times.”
When Lille faced Villa two years ago, they were granted a free weekend with no Ligue 1 fixture.
This time, however, that will not be the case. Paris Saint-Germain, meanwhile, will be given time away from domestic duties to focus on their matches against Chelsea.
“It’s a bit different; we play Thursday, Sunday, Thursday,” manager Bruno Genesio said. “In Paris, the matches were closer together because it’s the Champions League; you also need the agreement of the club you’re playing against. I don’t think we made a request in that regard.
“After playing in European competition, going to England is always a good experience; it’s always great matches with an extraordinary atmosphere,” he added.
“They’re a very good team with a coach (Emery) who is a specialist in this competition, having won it four times.”