Europa League debutants Brighton were drawn to take on former Champions League winners Ajax and Marseille in Friday’s group stage draw.

Roberto De Zerbi’s men secured a first season in continental football with a sixth-place finish in last season’s Premier League table, and their reward is matches against four-time European champions Ajax and the 1993 European Cup winners Marseille.

The Seagulls’ other group opponents are reigning Greek champions AEK Athens, with the first round of group stage games to be played on Thursday, September 21.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said: “It’s a really tough draw obviously from a footballing perspective, but from a fans’ perspective, and as an opportunity for the club to showcase what we can do, I think it is a fantastic draw and we are looking forward to all three of the games.

“It’s the first time in 122 years we have been competing in European football so from that point of view, it is a really special moment in the club’s history. I think for the fans, they have been waiting for this for a very, very long time.

“If you go back 25 years to the darker days at the club, many thought they would never see this happen so it is a reward for all the effort they put in to help save the club, to get the Amex built and now they will be able to see some really big clubs play at our home stadium as well as having the opportunity to travel to those clubs as well.

“The Premier League would have been an incredible thing for fans at that time. European football would have been a pipe dream but here we are, we have not only got to the Europa League, we have a fantastic group.”

Barber is banking on Brighton doing far more than simply making up the numbers though.

Europa League 2023/2024 season:

Group A

West Ham

Olympiacos

Freiburg

TSC

Group B

Ajax

Marseille

Brighton

AEK Athens

Group C

Rangers

Real Betis

Sparta Prague

Aris Limassol

Group D

Atalanta

Sporting

Sturm Graz

Raków Częstochowa

Group E

Liverpool

LASK

Union Saint-Gilloise

Toulouse

Group F

Villarreal

Rennes

Maccabi Haifa

Panathinaikos

Group G

Roma

Slavia Prague

Sheriff Tiraspol

Servette

Group H

Leverkusen

Qarabağ

Molde

BK Häcken