Barcelona
Having seamlessly made the transition from European football golden child to arch supervillain since the Neymar transfer saga, Barcelona spent the summer plotting the signature of Luis Suarez while firing kittens out of a cannon. Luis Enrique will be determined to stamp his mark on the team and deal a crushing blow to Nicaraguan singer Luis Enrique in the battle for top Google search result.
Did you know? The club’s official anthem ‘Cant del Barca’ is not an insulting name for the Barcelona manager used by rival fans.
Paris Saint-Germain
The French champions will be hoping to bring smiles to the faces of Qatar Sports Investments, who completed their lifelong dream by taking over the club in 2011. Last season they came unstuck against Chelsea but PSG have attempted to prevent a repeat of that fate by signing David Luiz, a player who has only ever brought misery to Jose Mourinho.
Did you know? Paris Saint-Germain’s club song is not an adapted version of Bob Marley’s Jammin’.
Ajax
Initially created as a publicity stunt for a cleaning product, Ajax became unexpectedly successful and were allowed to play matches outside the limiting framework of trade fairs. At present Ajax rule Dutch football, but sometimes their rivals PSV or Feyenoord take charge. As all three play in the same colours, fans often don’t notice the changeover.
Did you know? Ajax’s 53,000-capacity stadium with a retractable roof is not known as the Amsterdome.
APOEL
The team modestly nicknamed 'The Legend' are looking to make the often-challenging jump from being the dominant force in Cypriot football to the dominant force in European football. There are some familiar faces in the squad such as ex-Liverpool and Fulham left-back John Arne Riise, and 2007 Ballon d’Or winner Kaka, although he now plays a different position, has a different face and is a different man.
Did you know? APOEL’s supporters club doesn’t call itself the APOEL Corps.
SEE ALSO
- Group A: Simeone the strangler, March of the Penguins and Nietzsche
- Group B: Liverpool hunt early exit, Ludogorets need supervision
- Group C: Peter Pan, second-best bridesmaids and unpopular billionaires
- Group D: Arsenal already winners, Klopp's secret vice and no Didier Drogba
- Group E: Crystal Palace in disguise, UEFA's new rule and struggling Cole
- Group G: Mourinho's nemeses, Chelsea's surplus stars and smarting Sporting
- Group H: Homegrown goods, the little dentist and a geography lesson
