MONACO (Reuters) - Bayern Munich and AC Milan, who have won the European Cup nine times between them, were drawn in the same Champions League group while nine-times winners and defending champions Real Madrid take on AS Roma.
Hitzfeld: Faces Milan mission
(ShaunBotterill/Allsport)
Manchester United, winners in 1999, play last season's losing finalists Bayer Leverkusen in group F with Olympiakos Piraeus of Greece and Maccabi Haifa, the first Israeli side to reach the lucrative Champions League.
Bayer Leverkusen's commercial manager Reiner Calmund said: 'I have mixed feelings about the draw. I don't know Haifa, but I'm aware that they've made life difficult for Italian sides in the past. We need to take them seriously,' Bayer Leverkusen's commercial manager Reiner Calmund.
Jacob Shachar, president of Maccabi Haifa: 'I have always supported Manchester United and they are my favourite overseas team. I was desperately hoping that we would be drawn against them.
'I am just absolutely delighted for my club and for Israeli football that we are in the Champions League for the first time and this can only benefit football in my country which has been steadily improving over the last five or 10 years.
'It is extremely unfortunate that we have to play our home matches in Cyprus but that is the situation now.'
Real Madrid were handed a fairly easy start to the defence of their title when they were drawn on Friday to play AS Roma, AEK Athens and Genk of Belgium in the Champions League's opening group phase.
Real, who became European champions for a record ninth time last season, were also drawn in the same first stage group as Roma last season, winning 2-1 away and drawing 1-1 at home.
Oddly the only one of the four in the group who won their league championship last season was the most inexperienced club of all in European terms -- Genk. Real finished third in Spain, Roma were second in Italy and AEK runners-up in Greece.
'I have to admit it could have been much worse and we could have drawn stronger teams so we can't complain,' said Real Madrid general manager Emilio Butragueno.
Deportivo Coruna of Spain and RC Lens of France make up group G with Bayern, winners in 2001, and AC Milan.
Deportivo coach Javier Irureta was not optimistic about his side's chances of progressing.
'Phew, it is an incredibly strong group, let's see if we can get out of it. Bayern are very strong at the moment and have already played three league matches so it is an exceptionally tough opener against them.
Bayern chairman was rubbing his hands in anticipation of sell-out crowds at the Olympic stadium in Munich.
'I'm personally really looking forward to the game against Milan, with Rivaldo and Co in the Olympic Stadium. It'll be a sell-out,' Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of Bayern Munich.
Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven, who have both won the top club trophy in Europe once, will play Arsenal and AJ Auxerre of France in group A.
'It's a strong and attractive group which promises much. The clubs are also ones that are fans can realistically reach. Our goal is passage to the second round. We simply have to do that,' said Michael Zorc, commercial manager of Borussia Dortmund.
Frank Arnesen, technical director of PSV Eindhoven: 'The fact that the transfer market has been in a coma for the last year has benefited us hugely, as we have been able to hang on to our best players like Mark van Bommel and the others.
'We know all about Arsenal and it will be even more interesting because they have Dutchmen Dennis Bergkamp and Giovanni van Bronkhorst. It should be a fascinating series of games in the group.'
Jean-Claude Hamel, chairman of Auxerre: 'It's a good draw because we do not have too far to travel for any of the matches and although we are the underdogs it gives us a chance to avenge defeats by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the past.'
Valencia, losing finalists in 2000 and 2001, play four-times winners Liverpool, Spartak Moscow and Basel in group B.
Valencia coach Rafael Benitez: 'It isn't the best or the worst group in the competition. We all know how powerful Liverpool are. Playing a Russian team before the winter break is tough and although Basel may appear easier they knocked out Celtic and we will have to be very careful against them.'
'It is a difficult group but it is one we can get out of if we play well in all the matches,' said wing back Jamie Carragher.
'In England, you have just a fantastic atmosphere at the matches. On the other hand, I'm happy to avoid Galatasaray -- travelling to Istanbul is no fun, it's more like an extreme,' Spartak captain Yegor Titov.
Titov's team mate, Vladimir Beschastnykh: 'Among the top seeds to draw Valencia is the best possible solution.'
Barcelona, 1992 champions, should qualify comfortably from group H where they play Galatasaray, Lokomotiv Moscow and Club Bruges.
Anton Parera, Barcelona director-general: 'At first sight it appears an easier draw than last year so we are quite happy.'
'Even if looking at the group our chances (of qualification) look high, we still have to work hard, keep our motivation up and be very, very well prepared,' Galatasaray official Ozer Saracoglu said.
'I don't have any desire to travel to Turkey. We still have bad memories from the atmosphere in Istanbul the last time we played there against Besiktas (in the Champions League qualifier in 2000),' said striker Ruslan Pimenov.
Group D is composed of Inter Milan, French club Olympique Lyon, Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam and Norway's Rosenborg Trondheim.
Inter Milan vice-president Giacinto Facchetti: 'For us it's fine like this. Among the 32 teams that qualified there were easier and more difficult opponents.'
'They (Rosenborg) are ahead with their preparations because the Norwegian championship is well under way. Recently they have always done well. But, having played the qualifier, we're already in good form.'
'We cannot complain about the draw. I'm glad anyway that we didn't get drawn in group C,' said goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. 'I expect Inter and Lyon will want to play football.'
Newcastle United got a tough draw in Group E against the 'Old Lady' of Europe Juventus, UEFA Cup holders Feyenoord and Dynamo Kiev.
Bobby Robson, manager of Newcastle: 'Obviously Juventus must be the favourites to qualify because they are the top seeds. But we have our own cathedral and our own fortress at St James's Park.
Juventus's vice-president Roberto Bettega: 'We have the fortune or misfortune to always get well-balanced groups. It is not one of the most difficult, like the one Milan are in, but there are also easier ones than ours..
'It goes without saying there are no easy teams anymore, and Feyenoord are proof of that, winning the UEFA Cup last season and knocking out some very strong teams on the way.
'Juventus are certainly the favourites but I think we have a chance against them,' said midfielder Paul Bosvelt. Looking ahead to playing Newcastle he said: 'I'm looking forward to a great match in a great English atmosphere.'
___________________________________________________
so we have a group like this:
Juventus
Newcastle
Dinamo Kiev
Feyenoord
i dunno how beggie can call this well balanced.italian clubs do NOT fare well against kiev and it's home atmosphere is crazy,scary even.newcastle is set to be the dark horse of the tournament,and uefa underestimate it by leaving it in the fourth bag.finally,feyenoord kicked out a few of our local compatriots we couldn't manage more than a draw against.
now,who has the "well-balanced group"?
Hitzfeld: Faces Milan mission
(ShaunBotterill/Allsport)
Manchester United, winners in 1999, play last season's losing finalists Bayer Leverkusen in group F with Olympiakos Piraeus of Greece and Maccabi Haifa, the first Israeli side to reach the lucrative Champions League.
Bayer Leverkusen's commercial manager Reiner Calmund said: 'I have mixed feelings about the draw. I don't know Haifa, but I'm aware that they've made life difficult for Italian sides in the past. We need to take them seriously,' Bayer Leverkusen's commercial manager Reiner Calmund.
Jacob Shachar, president of Maccabi Haifa: 'I have always supported Manchester United and they are my favourite overseas team. I was desperately hoping that we would be drawn against them.
'I am just absolutely delighted for my club and for Israeli football that we are in the Champions League for the first time and this can only benefit football in my country which has been steadily improving over the last five or 10 years.
'It is extremely unfortunate that we have to play our home matches in Cyprus but that is the situation now.'
Real Madrid were handed a fairly easy start to the defence of their title when they were drawn on Friday to play AS Roma, AEK Athens and Genk of Belgium in the Champions League's opening group phase.
Real, who became European champions for a record ninth time last season, were also drawn in the same first stage group as Roma last season, winning 2-1 away and drawing 1-1 at home.
Oddly the only one of the four in the group who won their league championship last season was the most inexperienced club of all in European terms -- Genk. Real finished third in Spain, Roma were second in Italy and AEK runners-up in Greece.
'I have to admit it could have been much worse and we could have drawn stronger teams so we can't complain,' said Real Madrid general manager Emilio Butragueno.
Deportivo Coruna of Spain and RC Lens of France make up group G with Bayern, winners in 2001, and AC Milan.
Deportivo coach Javier Irureta was not optimistic about his side's chances of progressing.
'Phew, it is an incredibly strong group, let's see if we can get out of it. Bayern are very strong at the moment and have already played three league matches so it is an exceptionally tough opener against them.
Bayern chairman was rubbing his hands in anticipation of sell-out crowds at the Olympic stadium in Munich.
'I'm personally really looking forward to the game against Milan, with Rivaldo and Co in the Olympic Stadium. It'll be a sell-out,' Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, chairman of Bayern Munich.
Borussia Dortmund and PSV Eindhoven, who have both won the top club trophy in Europe once, will play Arsenal and AJ Auxerre of France in group A.
'It's a strong and attractive group which promises much. The clubs are also ones that are fans can realistically reach. Our goal is passage to the second round. We simply have to do that,' said Michael Zorc, commercial manager of Borussia Dortmund.
Frank Arnesen, technical director of PSV Eindhoven: 'The fact that the transfer market has been in a coma for the last year has benefited us hugely, as we have been able to hang on to our best players like Mark van Bommel and the others.
'We know all about Arsenal and it will be even more interesting because they have Dutchmen Dennis Bergkamp and Giovanni van Bronkhorst. It should be a fascinating series of games in the group.'
Jean-Claude Hamel, chairman of Auxerre: 'It's a good draw because we do not have too far to travel for any of the matches and although we are the underdogs it gives us a chance to avenge defeats by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in the past.'
Valencia, losing finalists in 2000 and 2001, play four-times winners Liverpool, Spartak Moscow and Basel in group B.
Valencia coach Rafael Benitez: 'It isn't the best or the worst group in the competition. We all know how powerful Liverpool are. Playing a Russian team before the winter break is tough and although Basel may appear easier they knocked out Celtic and we will have to be very careful against them.'
'It is a difficult group but it is one we can get out of if we play well in all the matches,' said wing back Jamie Carragher.
'In England, you have just a fantastic atmosphere at the matches. On the other hand, I'm happy to avoid Galatasaray -- travelling to Istanbul is no fun, it's more like an extreme,' Spartak captain Yegor Titov.
Titov's team mate, Vladimir Beschastnykh: 'Among the top seeds to draw Valencia is the best possible solution.'
Barcelona, 1992 champions, should qualify comfortably from group H where they play Galatasaray, Lokomotiv Moscow and Club Bruges.
Anton Parera, Barcelona director-general: 'At first sight it appears an easier draw than last year so we are quite happy.'
'Even if looking at the group our chances (of qualification) look high, we still have to work hard, keep our motivation up and be very, very well prepared,' Galatasaray official Ozer Saracoglu said.
'I don't have any desire to travel to Turkey. We still have bad memories from the atmosphere in Istanbul the last time we played there against Besiktas (in the Champions League qualifier in 2000),' said striker Ruslan Pimenov.
Group D is composed of Inter Milan, French club Olympique Lyon, Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam and Norway's Rosenborg Trondheim.
Inter Milan vice-president Giacinto Facchetti: 'For us it's fine like this. Among the 32 teams that qualified there were easier and more difficult opponents.'
'They (Rosenborg) are ahead with their preparations because the Norwegian championship is well under way. Recently they have always done well. But, having played the qualifier, we're already in good form.'
'We cannot complain about the draw. I'm glad anyway that we didn't get drawn in group C,' said goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg. 'I expect Inter and Lyon will want to play football.'
Newcastle United got a tough draw in Group E against the 'Old Lady' of Europe Juventus, UEFA Cup holders Feyenoord and Dynamo Kiev.
Bobby Robson, manager of Newcastle: 'Obviously Juventus must be the favourites to qualify because they are the top seeds. But we have our own cathedral and our own fortress at St James's Park.
Juventus's vice-president Roberto Bettega: 'We have the fortune or misfortune to always get well-balanced groups. It is not one of the most difficult, like the one Milan are in, but there are also easier ones than ours..
'It goes without saying there are no easy teams anymore, and Feyenoord are proof of that, winning the UEFA Cup last season and knocking out some very strong teams on the way.
'Juventus are certainly the favourites but I think we have a chance against them,' said midfielder Paul Bosvelt. Looking ahead to playing Newcastle he said: 'I'm looking forward to a great match in a great English atmosphere.'
___________________________________________________
so we have a group like this:
Juventus
Newcastle
Dinamo Kiev
Feyenoord
i dunno how beggie can call this well balanced.italian clubs do NOT fare well against kiev and it's home atmosphere is crazy,scary even.newcastle is set to be the dark horse of the tournament,and uefa underestimate it by leaving it in the fourth bag.finally,feyenoord kicked out a few of our local compatriots we couldn't manage more than a draw against.
now,who has the "well-balanced group"?
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