The draw for the knockout playoff round of the new-look UEFA Europa League has been made.  But how does this feed into the round-of-16 ties? When is the next draw? How does it all knit together? And why were those league phase positions so important?

The draw for the play-off round will take place on January 31st from Nyon, Switzerland and you can watch it on UEFA.com as well as other outlets. The draw for the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals will be made on February 21st, after the conclusion of the play-off round.

The UEFA Champions League on Friday conducted the draw for the knockout stage, setting up the bracket for European soccer's biggest annual tournament. At the confederation's headquarters in Switzerland,