Mourinho and Beckham face former employers
Reuters - Friday 18 December 2009, 14:37
NYON, Switzerland - David Beckham is set to
return to Old Trafford sporting the colours of AC Milan while
Jose Mourinho will be plotting a familiar path back to Stamford
Bridge after an intriguing Champions League draw on Friday.
AC Milan, who have signed Beckham on a short-term loan from
LA Galaxy, were drawn against his former club Manchester United
in the last 16 knockout round while Inter Milan, where Mourinho
is now coach, were paired with Chelsea, where he won two Premier
League titles in three seasons.
"There are two clashes between Italian and English teams
which will put two of the biggest sides in Europe out,"
Barcelona's technical director Txiki Begiristain told Gol
television after the holders were given a relatively easy tie
against troubled VfB Stuttgart.
"That makes a potential quarter-final even more attractive."
Nine-times winners Real Madrid, for whom another title this
season is seen almost as an obligation as the final will be
played at the Bernabeu, will face Olympique Lyon.
Sevilla face the unenviable prospect of an icy trip to
Moscow in February after being drawn against CSKA Moscow, where
they will play on an artificial surface.
The other ties paired Porto and Arsenal, Olympiakos and
French champions Girondins Bordeaux and four-times winners
Bayern Munich with Fiorentina.
EMPHATIC WIN
Beckham, who said earlier this week that he was longing for
an Old Trafford return after a seven-year absence, was given his
wish in a repeat of a 2007 semi-final which seven-times
champions AC Milan won emphatically.
Manchester United director of communications Phil Townsend
told Sky Sports News: "He'll get a fantastic reception as
players coming back usually do at United.
"Obviously he was a very popular player with the fans when
he was there, a terrific servant for the club and we all hope he
is playing for them."
Milan's organisational Umberto Gandini told reporters: "I
think David wanted this match and destiny looked after him.
"It's one of the historical challenges you find on the way
through the Champions League.
"It's a difficult match but we can only we helped by the
fact that the last time we played Manchester United, we
qualified."
RETURN WITH RELISH
Former Inter Milan and Portugal forward Luis Figo, who has
taken an ambassadorial role for the club, said Mourinho, a
Champions League winner with Porto, would also relish the return
to his old hunting group.
"It's always good to go back to a place where you have been
successful and I think it will be a difficult match for both
teams," Figo told reporters. "He brought them titles. I think
the people love him and it will be an emotional return for him."
Begiristain was cautious about the draw against Stuttgart,
who are 15th in the Bundesliga and qualified despite firing
Markus Babbel and replacing him with Christian Gross days before
their final group game.
"We mustn't be too confident about this," he told reporters.
"We must take it seriously. They will have time to prepare for
the games against us and we must be ready."
Real Madrid's tie against Lyon will see Karim Benzema, part
of Real's massive off-season rebuilding programme, play against
his former club.
Bayern's general director Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, whose team
qualified with a 4-1 win at Juventus, was not disappointed at
facing Fiorentina. "There were certainly tougher draws than
this," he said.
Draw in full:
Inter Milan v CHELSEA
Lyon v Real Madrid
AC Milan v MANCHESTER UNITED
Olympiakos v Bordeaux
FC Porto v ARSENAL
CSKA Moscow v Sevilla
Stuttgart v Barcelona
Bayern Munich v Fiorentina
First-leg ties to be played February 16, 17, 23 or 24.
Second-legs on March 9, 10, 16 or 17.