UEFA have unveiled their UEFA Cup seeding ahead of next week’s draw for the group stages of the competition.
UEFA’s rankings make Lazio and fellow Serie A outfit Parma the strongest sides in the competition.
The eight groups of five teams will include a team from each pool of seeds. Teams play two games at home and two games away with the fixtures decided by the draw.
The top three in each group advance to the knockout stage of the competition where they will be joined by eight teams eliminated from the Champions League.
The final takes place in Lisbon next May at the Alvalade stadium.
UEFA Cup group draw seedings:
1st seeds
Lazio (ITA), Parma (ITA), Feyenoord (NED), Newcastle Utd (ENG), AEK Athens (GRE), Stuttgart (GER), Club Brugge KV (BEL), Rangers FC (SCO)
2nd seeds
Villarreal (SPA), AJ Auxerre (FRA), FC Schalke 04, Sporting Lisbon (POR), Real Zaragoza (SPA), Besiktas (TUR), Benfica (POR), Lille (FRA)
3rd seeds
Athletic Bilbao (SPA), Sevilla (SPA), Dynamo Zagreb (CRO), FC Basel (SWI), Sochaux (FRA), Middlesbrough (ENG), FC Utrecht (NED), Grazer AK (AUT)
4th seeds
Partizan Belgrade (SEM), Steaua Bucharest (ROM), Hearts (SCO), Heerenveen (NED), Alemannia Aachen (GER), Amica Wronki (POL), Panionios NFC (GRE), Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk (UKR)
5th seeds
Ferencvaros (HUN), Standard Liege (BEL), Aigaleo FC (GRE), AZ Alkmaar (NED), Zenit St. Peterburg (RUS), Beveren (BEL), Rapid Vienna (AUT), Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)
