Liverpool are preparing for life in the Europa League with goalkeeper Jose Reina confident they can make a big impression.

The Reds - who won the tournament, in its previous UEFA Cup guise, back in 2001 - find themselves in this position having failed to reach the last 16 of the Champions League despite Tuesday's 1-0 group E win in Budapest against Debrecen.

Fiorentina's 1-0 success over Lyon in the other group game that night ensured that they and the French side will progress into the knock-out stages.

So now Liverpool must wait for the December 18 draw for the Europa League's last 32, when they will be parachuted into the competition along with seven other Champions League clubs who finished third in their groups.

For Reina and his colleagues it is a bitter pill to swallow after five successive seasons of reaching the last 16, and two finals in that spell.

Liverpool can expect to be seeded in the Europa League, which means they are likely to be drawn against the sides who have finished runners-up in the group stages.

The Spaniard says: "Of course we are disappointed because the Champions League is a big competition that we have done well in.

"Now we are out, though. It's tough but it is not always possible to get out of the group stage.

"The Europa League is another competition for us and we want to win it.

"It also has strong teams and it will be nice to play in it. It's already become a target. There are also so many good teams involved, but we have to look forward and keep trying to win."

Liverpool will play their first match in the Europa League on February 18, and the sides they might have to face include Ajax, Anderlecht, Valencia, Hamburg, Sporting Lisbon, Everton, Roma, Galatasaray, Fenerbahce, holders Shakhtar Donetsk, Villarreal, Benfica, PSV Eindhoven and Werder Bremen.

But first Liverpool must start improving their Premier League position, with their next match away to Everton on Sunday.

Reina says: "To beat Everton is always huge, especially for the fans. We will be trying hard because we also need to win in the league and in the race for fourth place. We have to move on and keep fighting."