By Samindra Kunti
August 31 – Manchester United will face a reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo after drawing Serie A champions Juventus in the Champions League group stage. Last-season’s runners-up Liverpool were handed a tough group, paired with PSG, Napoli and Red Star Belgrade.
In a protracted draw ceremony in Monaco, Europe’s elite 32 teams learned their fate in this season’s Champions League group stage, as the European club season slowly begins to take center stage once more.
Ronaldo and his new club Juventus were paired with Manchester United in Group H. The Portuguese superstar played for United between 2003 and 2009. He joined the Italian champions for £99.2 million in July after a trophy-laden, nine-year spell in the Spanish capital with Real Madrid. Valencia and debutants Young Boys from Switzerland complete Group H.
Defending champions Real Madrid were given what looks to be an easy route to the knockout phase, facing AS Roma, CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen. Last May Real Madrid won an unprecedented third consecutive European Cup, defeating Liverpool 3-1 in a spectacular, if contentious, final in Kyiv. However, the departures of both coach Zinedine Zidane and the club’s talisman Ronaldo, who often was so instrumental in the latter stages of the competition with a flood of goals, have left Madrid’s credentials to mount a serious challenge this season on the European front in doubt.
Liverpool were not spared. They face Paris Saint-Germain and Napoli, alongside Red Star Belgrade, who won the European Cup in 1991 and will participate for the first time in the modern, revamped Champions League. They, however, are not expected to make an impact in Group C as the three heavyweights will seek to avoid an embarrassing first-round elimination.
With Madrid in flux, Manchester City will be among the top favourites to reach the final. They should have no problem in negotiating safe passage from the first round, facing Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon and Hoffenheim. The Germans are also debutants in Europe’s prime club competition. Last season City were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Liverpool, eventual finalists, 5-1 on aggregate.
Tottenham, the last of the four English participants, travel to Barcelona and further square off with PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan. On paper the Londoners face a tough group, but they must be considered favourites against the Dutch and Italians.
During and after the draw UEFA also crowned a raft of players as their outstanding picks of the season. Luka Modric and Pernille Harder were voted UEFA Players of the Year. The Croatian led a night in which Madrid players scooped one award after the other – Keylor Navas, Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo were also among the players feted, winning awards for excelling in their respective positions.
The new season Champions League season also marks a new three-year round of broadcasting and sponsor deals allowing for UEFA to distribute higher prize money, which will benefit the clubs with a more storied European history. The reigning champions from Madrid will be guaranteed at least $59 million before kicking a ball. All 32 teams get a basic $17.8 million participation fee.
Group stage draw in full:
Group A: Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Monaco, Club Brugge.
Group B: Barcelona, Tottenham, PSV Eindhoven, Inter Milan.
Group C: Paris St-Germain, Napoli, Liverpool, Red Star Belgrade.
Group D: Lokomotiv Moscow, Porto, Schalke, Galatasaray.
Group E: Bayern Munich, Benfica, Ajax, AEK Athens.
Group F: Manchester City, Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon, Hoffenheim.
Group G: Real Madrid, Roma, CSKA Moscow, Viktoria Plzen.
Group H: Juventus, Manchester United, Valencia, Young Boys.
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