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Arsenal, Celtic given tough Champions League draws
30 August 2013
Arsenal will face Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Marseille in the UEFA Champions League group stages following Thursday's draw.
The Premier League side - who have reached the group stages of the competition for the last 16 seasons - were placed in a difficult Group F at the draw in Monaco.
Arsene Wenger's men will face a tough challenge to get out of the group, with Dortmund - last season's beaten finalists - and Napoli sure to present a serious test.
While that looks the toughest group, all four teams in Group H have lifted the trophy previously, with Barcelona joined by seven-time winners Milan, Ajax and Celtic.
Barcelona and Ajax have both won the competition on four occasions, while Celtic were crowned European champions in 1967.
Amazingly, Barca and Ajax have played each other six times in the last three years in the Champions League, with two meetings coming in the group stage and two in the round of 16, over two legs.
The other two matches were both legs of the 2011-12 quarter-final. Barcelona have won three of the fixtures, including both two-legged knockout ties.
Reigning champions Bayern Munich were placed in Group D, where they will meet Premier League outfit Manchester City, CSKA Moscow and Viktoria Plzen.
Premier League champions Manchester United were selected with Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, La Liga's Real Sociedad and Shakhtar Donetsk of Ukraine in Group A.
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti will return to former club Juventus in Group B, while they will also face Turkey's Galatasaray and Denmark's FC Copenhagen.
UEFA Europa League winners Chelsea are in Group E, where they will meet Schalke, FC Basel and Steaua Bucharest. Chelsea beat both Basel and Steaua en route to Europa League glory last season.
Porto, the 2004 winners, Atletico Madrid, Zenit and Austria Vienna will make up Group G, while two-time winners Benfica of Portugal join big-spending Paris Saint-Germain, Olympiacos and Anderlecht in Group C.
The 2014 Champions League final will take place in Lisbon on May 24.
Full list of UEFA Champions League groups for the 2013-14 season:
Group A: Manchester United (England), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Real Sociedad (Spain)
Group B: Real Madrid (Spain), Juventus (Italy), Galatasaray (Turkey), FC Copenhagen (Denmark)
Group C: Benfica (Portugal), Paris Saint-Germain (France), Olympiacos (Greece), Anderlecht (Belgium)
Group D: Bayern Munich (Germany), CSKA Moscow (Russia), Manchester City (England), Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic)
Group E: Chelsea (England), Schalke (Germany), FC Basel (Switzerland), Steaua Bucharest (Romania)
Group F: Arsenal (England), Marseille (France), Borussia Dortmund (Germany), Napoli (Italy)
Group G: Porto (Portugal), Atletico Madrid (Spain), Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia), Austria Vienna (Austria)
Group H: Barcelona (Spain), Milan (Italy), Ajax (Netherlands), Celtic (Scotland)
Bayern Munich midfielder beats off competition from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to be crowned as Uefa's Best Player in Europe
The 30-year-old French international capped off a magnificent year by being presented with the prestigious award at a glitzy Champions league gala in Monte Carlo.
Ribery was instrumental in Bayern's Bundesliga, DFB Pokal and Champions League treble in 2012/13 and was voted the Best Player in Europe by journalists representing the 53 Uefa nations.
The individual accolade has been ran for the past three seasons, and was previously won by Messi in 2010/11 and club teammate Andres Iniesta the following year.
Upon acceptng the award from Uefa president Michel Platini, Ribery said, "It’s a very special moment to be standing here this evening. I want to thank all of my team-mates from FC Bayern München, my family and my kids.”
The winger becomes the fourth Bayern player to win the continent's highest individual prize, following in the footsteps of Gerd Muller, Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heniz Rummenigge.
Ribery will have little time to celebrate the accolade as he'll soon be en route to Prague, where his Bayern side are preparing to take on Chelsea for the Uefa Super Cup tomorrow night.
The former Marseille man has been at the Allianz Arena since 2007, over which time he's collected three league titles, three German cups and last seasons Champions league trophy.
The Germany legend feels the Bavarians are more than capable of seeing off the teams in Group D as they bid to defend their European crown
Franz Beckenbauer believes Bayern Munich should have no trouble in advancing from the Champions League group stage.
The Bavarian giants have been joined by CSKA Moscow, Manchester City and Viktoria Plzen in Group D and the Germany legend says the reigning European champions are fortunate to be facing much tougher opposition.
"It's a group which is doable for Bayern, it could have been worse," the 67-year-old told Sky.
"Dortmund certainly have the toughest group out of all the German clubs. It will be crucial not to underestimate the teams.
"I think that the English and German sides will all go through in their groups."
Meanwhile, CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge warned against underestimating teams that seem inferior to his club on paper.
"It won't be a no-brainer - even for Bayern Munich," the 57-year-old added. "Especially CSKA Moscow and Manchester City are not to be underestimated."
"Manchester City, especially, will try to do better against German teams than in the past two years. But of course it's our goal to reach the last 16. Altogether, I think all the German teams face solvable tasks."
By Chris Kvesa159
Aug 29, 2013 10:12:00 PM
The BVB boss has set his sights on avenging the defeat to the Gunners in the 2011-12 group stage, while the team's skipper feels this season's pairings "could have been tougher"
Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp says his team have "a score to settle" with Arsenal in this season's Champions League.
Die Schwarzgelben finished fourth in the 2011-12 group stage after a 1-1 draw and 2-1 loss against Arsene Wenger's men.
However, Klopp is certain his side are now acclimatised to playing at the highest level and are eager to set the record straight against Arsene Wenger's side and fellow Group F opponents Marseille.
"It's a great, evenly-balanced group with four teams that all have what it takes to progress from the group stage," the 46-year-old was quoted as saying on the club's official Facebook page.
"The fact is, we have a score to settle with Arsenal and with [Olympique] Marseille.
"I've never been to Napoli but I'm really looking forward to the atmosphere. It's going to be very exciting."
Hans-Joachim Watzke is also convinced that his side will do better against the two opposing teams this time around.
"Two years ago, we only managed to get one point in total from the games against Arsenal and Marseille and were knocked out at the group stage," the club's president reflected on the 2011-12 campaign.
"Now we have the chance to show our opponents from 2011 how far we have developed."
Meanwhile, midfielder Sebastian Kehl feels BVB will have a tough job in progressing from the group and singled out Napoli as a particularly difficult test.
"It could have been tougher and certainly could have been easier," the team's skipper added.
"We now have the chance to do a much better job against Arsenal and Marseille than we did last time, when we had only just returned to the Champions League after a long absence.
"Napoli was one of the toughest opponents from pot four."
Messi excited by difficult Euro draw
30 August 2013
Lionel Messi is relishing the prospect of another UEFA Champions League campaign after Barcelona were drawn against Milan in the group stage.
The Barca talisman suffered a hamstring injury in the first leg of last year's quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, but was still able to have a key impact in the second leg as they qualified for the semi-finals.
Messi's lack of fitness proved telling in the last four, however, with eventual winners Bayern Munich cruising to a 7-0 aggregate win.
Barca are one of the favourites to lift the trophy this time around, but face a tough challenge in the group stage against Milan, Celtic and Dutch champions Ajax.
Serie A giants Milan and Scottish title winners Celtic both experienced success against the Catalan club in last season's competition, and Messi recognises that progression into the knock-out rounds will be no easy task.
"This season's group will not be easy, but we are looking forward to some good games," Messi said.
"You don't get any easy groups, but this is a nice one. We played Milan and Celtic last season, and it is our first time against Ajax. It will be a difficult group."
The 26-year-old - who has won three Champions League titles with Barca - is predictably setting his sights high for the new campaign, and is hopeful that Gerardo Martino's men can atone for the disappointment of last season.
"Bayern were superb last season and better than Barcelona," he added.
"But hopefully this season we can do better. When you play for a club like Barcelona, the only option is to try and win it all."
Lennon admits mixed feelings over ´best and worst´ draw
30 August 2013
Celtic manager Neil Lennon believes his side's UEFA Champions League group draw is simultaneously the "best and worst" possible outcome.
The Scottish club have been drawn alongside Barcelona, Milan and Ajax in Group H, with their opponents boasting a combined total of 15 victories in the competition's history between them.
And, although Lennon believes the fixtures have plenty of prestige, he admits Celtic's chances of progression are threatened by the standing of their opponents.
"I think it’s the best and the worst of draws," he told Sky Sports News. "In terms of glamour, I don’t think it gets any better. In terms of football, it’s going to be hugely difficult.
"They are three great clubs with fantastic pedigree and the fans can look forward to three more great nights of football at Celtic Park."
Last year's beaten finalists Borussia Dortmund are in Group F with Napoli, Arsenal and Marseille, and last encountered the latter pair at this stage of the 2011-12 edition of the tournament.
But with the German club having finished bottom of their group on that occasion, coach Jurgen Klopp is eager for his team to put in a better showing this time around.
"It’s a great, well-balanced group with four teams that have what it takes to get through. We have something to make up for against both Arsenal and Marseille," he said.
"I have never been to Napoli, but I’m looking forward to the atmosphere. It’s going to be very exciting."
Napoli boss Rafael Benitez welcomed the challenge of facing three testing opponents upon his return to a competition that he won in 2005 with Liverpool.
"When you talk about the Champions League, you know all groups are tough. Ours is one of the most balanced," he said.
"Certainly, it will be difficult because we will be facing teams who have great experience in the Champions League. It will be a great challenge for us. Borussia (Dortmund) are a top club, they reached the final last season and they play great football.
"We faced Arsenal recently in London for the Emirates Cup, so we know them well. They have a great manager who is very experienced at European level.
"Against Marseille, I had my first success in Europe, the (2004) UEFA Cup final with Valencia. It won't be easy in their stadium because their fans are very passionate."
UEFA keen to avoid further Champions League confusion
UEFA President Michel Platini attends the draw for the 2013/2014 UEFA Europa League Cup competition at Monaco's Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo August 30, 2013. REUTERS/Jean Pierre Amet
By Brian Homewood
MONTE CARLO | Fri Aug 30, 2013 2:29pm BST
(Reuters) - Clubs banned from European competition over match-fixing may have their suspension deferred for a season in the future to avoid the confusion which has marked this year's Champions League qualifying competition.
UEFA president Michel Platini said the uncertainty surrounding Fenerbahce and Metalist Kharkiv's presence in the competition over the last month, and the knock-on effects for other teams, had not been good for UEFA's credibility.
"We could suspend a team for the following year instead of keeping them from starting in the current season," Platini told a news conference.
"It is a political question. I have my views, (UEFA secretary general) Gianni Infantino has his view and the disciplinary commission people have their dissenting views."
"It is bothersome... and this is bad for UEFA's image as well," he added, referring to the uncertainty over whether some teams would be able to continue in the competition or not.
"The legal department did not spend much time on the beach this summer, rather more in the courtroom," Platini said.
"Clubs were playing, not playing, then playing again."
Turkish club Fenerbahce were kicked out of the Champions League in June, shortly before the qualifying competition started, over a domestic match-fixing case two years ago.
However, they appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) who provisionally reinstated them and they were readmitted at the last minute.
They then beat Austrian club Salzburg in the third qualifying round and faced Arsenal over two legs in a playoff with a final decision still hanging over them.
In the end, Fenerbahce lost the Arsenal tie and their appeal, which meant they missed out on the Europa League for which they had qualified, allowing APOEL Nicosia to replace them in Friday's draw.
Salzburg also lodged a protest with UEFA, which was rejected, before they appealed to CAS which has yet to issue its final ruling.
TOUGH SUMMER
Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv also went to CAS after being banned for match-fixing although, unlike Fenerbahce, they failed to gain provisional reinstatement and eventually lost their appeal.
Their absence again forced UEFA to make a last-minute switch, replacing them with Greek side PAOK Salonika as Schalke 04's opponents in the Champions League playoffs.
"It was a tough summer, a bit complicated between disciplinary committee appeal procedures, CAS and all sorts of things," Platini said.
Infantino explained that UEFA could act retrospectively on any proven incidents of match-fixing dating back to April 2007, when the disciplinary statutes were altered.
It would only take action, however, once a team had qualified for European competition.
The policy could potentially affect Italian clubs Torino, Sampdoria and Atalanta, who have all had points deducted since 2007 over match-fixing cases.
"One of the tasks of our integrity officers is to feed UEFA with information so we are informed about what is happening in every country and then, depending on what happens in the future, UEFA will have to take decisions," Infantino said.
"In the Fenerbahce case, there were thousands of pages in Turkish which had to be translated before the disciplinary committee decided to exclude them."
(Reporting by Brian Homewood, Editing by Tom Bartlett)
Bale: I want the Champions League with Madrid The winger has set his sights on success in Europe, while revealing that Luka Modric advised him to make the move to Spain's capital
'Madrid can win La Liga & La Decima with Ronaldo & Bale' Former Madrid goalkeeper Paco Buyo believes los Blancos can conquer the Primera Division and claim the Champions League with the world's two most expensive players in their side
Grosskreutz: Borussia Dortmund have score to settle in Europe The Dortmund midfielder admits that his side are hungry for Champions League success after finishing last season as beaten finalists
Netzer: Ribery can win the Ballon d'Or The Borussia Monchengladbach legend backs the France winger to go on to be named world's top player in 2013 after he claimed the Uefa Best Player in Europe award on Thursday
Del Piero: Juventus can overcome Real Madrid The Sydney striker backs his former club to progress into the knockout stages of the Champions League, believing their progress will not be hindered by los Blancos
Kroos baffled by Mourinho claims The Bayern Munich midfielder rejects the Portuguese coach's assertions that Chelsea were the better team in Friday's Uefa Super Cup encounter even after Ramires' dismissal
Alba: Barcelona must learn from mistakes The full-back believes the Catalans can win the Champions League again - as long as they eradicate costly errors from their game
Copenhagen ban fans with 'foreign names' from Champions League games
Aug 31, 2013 2:11:00 PM
The Danish champions have caused a storm by attempting to stop non-Danish supporters from buying home tickets for the clashes with Galatasaray, Real Madrid and Juventus
By Carlo Garganese
FC Copenhagen have rejected claims of discrimination after the club banned home fans with foreign-sounding names from attending their upcoming Champions League group games.
The Danish champions were drawn in Group B alongside Real Madrid, Juventus and Galatasaray, but sent out an email on Friday informing supporters with non-Danish surnames that their tickets were being cancelled for “security reasons”.
The news has caused uproar among many fans, but Copenhagen club secretary Daniel Rommedahl insists that it was necessary in order to avoid crowd trouble and the move is by no means discriminatory.
In 2000, there were serious disturbances in the centre of Copenhagen ahead of Galatasaray's Uefa Cup final against Arsenal.
“We were fully aware that our decision would cause a reaction, but it was the best solution”, said Rommedahl.
"We are fully aware that everyone will not agree, but discrimination it is not."
This reasoning has not gone down well with supporters, though.
Atila Momeni, a 24-year-old of Iranian ancestry who was born and raised in Copenhagen and regularly attends the club’s games, told Goal: “After buying tickets for all three group games, with money taken out of my bank account, I received an email telling me that for security reasons my purchase had been cancelled.
“I then discovered that many others – none of Danish descent - had experienced the same. A wish for greater security is understandable, but it is unacceptable and discriminatory that the only fans to receive this treatment were those with foreign names.
“The least that could have been done was to offer us some other tickets, but this has not been done. We feel incredibly discriminated. We often suffer racism in Denmark but I would never have thought that we would be treated this way when it came to football. This cannot be excused.
"Uefa must do something about this.”
Jens Bertel Rasmussen, a Danish sports lawyer, has criticised Copenhagen’s decision, saying: "One must not discriminate on the basis of name, sex, age or nationality. If you deny people to go to a game, though it is a private event, there must be a concrete suspicion."
Former FC Nordsjaelland player Bajram Fetai joined a chorus of criticism on social media, tweeting Uefa’s official account: “What do you think about a club not allowing a person with a non-Danish name to buy a ticket for a CL game?”
FC Copenhagen were unavailable to comment on Saturday morning.
The 47-year-old has stressed his respect for Olympiakos, Benfica and Anderlecht but believes his side could have got a far worse group
Paris Saint-Germain boss Laurent Blanc has admitted that his side got lucky with their Champions League group stage draw.
The French champions will face Olympiakos, Anderlecht and Benfica in the opening phase of the competition and while the 47-year-old has respect for the opposition, he feels his side stand a good chance of progression.
"We could have drawn more prestigious teams and maybe teams that are more difficult to play but we will play against these teams and they will be a challenge," he told reporters..
"With any other group, it's always the same thing; we have to qualify, we have to get past the group stages, regardless of the opponents.
"It will be a Champions league game, so a game with a very high level of opposition. I think the draw is satisfactory for us but we have a lot of respect for the other teams in our group.
"Talking about it is good but to win these games on the pitch is even better. Yes we are satisfied with the draw but we have a lot of respect for Olympiakos, Anderlecht and Benfica."
Wenger: Juventus are Champions League contenders The 63-year-old believes the Italian champions are a strong team that can do "great things" and should not be considered a surprise package in Europe this season
Juventus on a par with Real Madrid, says Tardelli The Republic of Ireland assistant coach is optimistic about the Old Lady's chances in Europe and has hailed their transfer dealings
Lucescu tips Juventus for Champions League final The Shakhtar Donetsk coach believes the Turin outfit are now a more complete side and praised AC Milan for securing Kaka's return
Shaqiri: Everybody wants to beat treble-winning Bayern The Switzerland international believes no team will fear the reigning German champions, while praising Pep Guardiola's personal approach
Essien and Fletcher omitted from Champions League squads The Chelsea and Manchester United veterans are the highest-profile names to fail to make the cut as the Premier League's top teams finalise their group-stage rosters
Blunder costs Niang Champions League berth The Rossoneri made the mistake of including Stephan El Shaarawy as one of their 'A list' players when they could have classed the Italy international as a 'B list' player
Revealed: Juventus' line up for assault on third Champions League title
By Stefan Coerts131
Sep 4, 2013 11:36:00 AM
Antonio Conte has included new star signings Angelo Ogbonna, Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tevez as they hope to go beyond the quarter-finals this year
Juventus have included summer signings Angelo Ogbonna, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente as well as fringe players Simone Pepe and Fabio Quagliarella in their 24-man squad for this year's Champions League campaign.
Both Pepe and Quagliarella had been linked with a move away from the Serie A champions earlier this summer, but eventually stayed put and will now be eligible for European football, while Angelo Ogbonna, Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente have helped to strengthen last year's squad.
Head coach Antonio Conte's men will be looking to improve on last season's performance when they crashed out in the quarter-finals against Bayern Munich.
The Italian champions have been paired with Real Madrid, Galatasaray and Copenhagen in Group B. They kick off their campaign away against Copenhagen on September 17.
Carlo Ancelotti has included all of his summer signings in his selection, as los Blancos look to conquer Europe for the first time since 2002
Real Madrid have named Gareth Bale, Isco and Asier Illarramendi in their 23-man squad for this season's Champions League.
The out-of-favour Iker Casillas is also included, as well as younger stars like Alvaro Morata, Casemiro, Dani Carvajal and Jorge Casado.
Los Blancos haven't won Europe's premier club competition since their defeat of Bayer Leverkusen in 2002, with Raul and Zinedine Zidane the heroes on the night.
Last season they were knocked out by Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals, losing 4-3 on aggregate to Jurgen Klopp's side, but will be determined to lift a 10th Champions League title this term.
By Matthew Rogerson1
Sep 10, 2013 8:11:00 PM
The Scottish champions have been hit with a €5,000 penalty by Uefa after a group of fans were found guilty of improper conduct during a match against Cliftonville
Celtic have been fined €5,000 after supporters set off fireworks in July's Champions League match against Cliftonville.
The incidents took place in the second leg of the second-qualifying-round clash at Celtic Park, with Neil Lennon's men progressing from the tie 5-0.
A statement issued on Uefa's official website read: "Celtic FC have been fined €5,000 after a charge of improper conduct of supporters (setting off of fireworks) in their second qualifying match at home to Cliftonville FC on 23 July 2013."
The Scottish champions progressed through all the qualification rounds to reach the group stages and will face Ajax, AC Milan and Barcelona in Group H.
After overcoming Cliftonville in the second round, Celtic sealed a narrow 1-0 aggregate win over Swedish side Malmo.
Shakhter Karagandy were dispatched in the play-off round 3-2, with James Forrest's 90th-minute goal sealing a memorable win at Celtic Park after a 2-0 first-leg defeat in Kazakhstan.
Of the 32 teams in the UEFA Champions League group stage, ten are returning after an absence of one or more seasons. UEFA.com assesses what has changed, on and off the pitch.
Napoli were close to eliminating Chelsea in 2011/12, their only previous group stage appearance
Ten of the clubs in the 2013/14 UEFA Champions League group stage are returning to the competiton after an absence of one or more seasons.
Of that number, Real Sociedad de Fútbol have endured the longest wait, their last appearance coming a decade ago. UEFA.com considers the changes that have occurred on and off the pitch during that time and their prospects for the forthcoming campaign.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Appearances: 7
Group A opponents: FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester United FC, Real Sociedad de Fútbol
Last in group stage: 2011/12
Memories of the Werkself's last match in Europe's top club competition – a 7-1 round of 16 second-leg loss to FC Barcelona in which Lionel Messi scored five – are still raw for Leverkusen and their supporters. The man in charge that night at the Camp Nou, Robin Dutt, has long since left, with Sami Hyypiä now in sole command.
The playing personnel is largely unchanged from that chastening evening in Spain, with André Schürrle, who joined Chelsea FC this summer, the most high-profile departure.
Real Sociedad de Fútbol
Appearances: 1
Group A opponents: Bayer 04 Leverkusen, FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester United FC
Last in group stage: 2003/04
La Real's loss to Olympique Lyonnais in the round of 16 a decade ago – despite the best efforts of the likes of Xabi Alonso, Darko Kovačević and Nihat Kahveci – signalled the start of a downturn in the txurri-urdin's fortunes. Relegated in 2006/07, it would take another three years for La Real to return to the Liga, their resurgence aided by a squad of young and talented players, the bulk of whom are coming to fruition in time for this group stage.
FC København
Appearances: 2
Group B opponents: Galatasaray AŞ, Juventus, Real Madrid CF
Last in group stage: 2010/11
FCK broke new ground for Denmark by reaching the last 16 in 2010/11, emerging from a group featuring Barcelona, FC Rubin Kazan and Panathinaikos FC. A poor start to this season cost coach Ariël Jacobs his job, prompting the club to rehire Ståle Solbakken, the man in charge three seasons ago.
The former Norway midfielder's return and a first league win of the season – 4-1 at Viborg FF on 1 September – has imbued players and fans with fresh optimism heading into a tough section. "We are underdogs, but we can surprise," said midfielder Thomas Delaney.
PFC CSKA Moskva
Appearances: 6
Group D opponents: FC Bayern München, FC Viktoria Plzeň, Manchester City FC
Last in group stage: 2011/12
Having two seasons ago reached the round of 16, where they lost 5-2 on aggregate to Real Madrid CF, CSKA were humbled by AIK in the UEFA Europa League play-offs five months later. Leonid Slutski's squad has altered little since they were last among the continent's elite.
Vágner Love rejoined the Army Men from CR Flamengo and then left in July for China's Shandong Luneng Taishan FC, while attacking midfielders Steven Zuber and Georgi Milanov arrived this summer along with striker Vitinho.
FC Viktoria Plzeň
Appearances: 1
Group D opponents: FC Bayern München, Manchester City FC, PFC CSKA Moskva
Last in group stage: 2011/12
There have been changes on and off the pitch since Plzeň's last participation. Whereas two seasons ago the Czech side and their supporters had to travel to Prague's Stadión Eden for European matches, the club's Štruncovy sady Stadión will play host to home games following the completion of reconstruction work.
Ten players remain from those meetings with AC Milan, Barcelona and FC BATE Borisov – Roman Pavlík, David Limberský, Radim Řezník, František Rajtoral, Marián Čišovský, Pavel Horváth, Milan Petržela, Daniel Kolář, Michal Ďuriš and Marek Bakoš – while Czech internationals Tomáš Jiráček, Václav Pilař and Vladimír Darida have left to play in the Bundesliga.
FC Basel 1893
Appearances: 4
Group E opponents: Chelsea FC, FC Schalke 04, FC Steaua Bucureşti
Last in group stage: 2011/12
Basel have become a familiar presence in the group stage in recent years, missing out just once since 2009/10. That setback came last season following a play-off loss to CFR 1907 Cluj, although their failure to qualify led to them joining the UEFA Europa League, where they enjoyed a run to the semi-finals.
When they reached the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League in 2011/12 they defeated FC Bayern München 1-0 at home but lost the second leg 7-0. Then Basel had the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Alexander Frei in a team coached by Heiko Vogel, who was dismissed last October and replaced by former Swiss international Murat Yakin.
FC Steaua Bucureşti
Appearances: 6
Group E opponents: Chelsea FC, FC Basel 1893, FC Schalke 04
Last in group stage: 2008/09
Steaua's commitment to playing attractive and offensive football endures, even if their squad contains only one player from their last group stage incursion five years ago: forward Pantelis Kapetanos, who rejoined the club on deadline day from CFR.
Under coach Laurențiu Reghecampf, Steaua play a 4-2-3-1 formation as opposed to the 4-4-2 system they deployed while Marius Lăcătuș and, then, Dorinel Munteanu were in charge in 2008. Like they did in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League group stage, the capital team will stage their European home games at Bucharest's National Arena, which has a capacity double that of the Steaua Stadium.
Olympique de Marseille
Appearances: 8
Group F opponents: Arsenal FC, Borussia Dortmund, SSC Napoli
Last in group stage: 2011/12
After a season in the UEFA Europa League, Marseille are back where they want to be. Élie Baup replaced Didier Deschamps in the summer of 2012 and succeeded in guiding OM to a runners-up finish behind Paris Saint-Germain FC in Ligue 1.
However, with AS Monaco FC having returned to the top flight and signalled their intentions with a flurry of expensive signings, the Mediterranean club have their work cut out to repeat the feat. "They have tanks and bazookas, but we don't only have bow and arrows to fight them," Baup said. With André-Pierre Gignac in form and Mathieu Valbuena as impressive as ever, Marseille are ready to make their mark.
SSC Napoli
Appearances: 1
Group F opponents: Arsenal FC, Borussia Dortmund, Olympique de Marseille
Last in group stage: 2011/12
Coached by Walter Mazzarri and spurred by the goals of Edinson Cavani and Ezequiel Lavezzi, the Partenopei qualified from a difficult section in 2011/12 including FC Bayern München, Manchester City FC and Villarreal CF, before losing to eventual champions Chelsea after extra time in the last 16.
Rafael Benítez succeeded Mazzarri this summer and made a raft of signings, Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuaín the most eye catching of all. "You never know in the Champions League," said Benítez of Napoli's prospects. "In 20 years no team has managed to win it twice in a row. That says it all about how difficult it is."
Club Atlético de Madrid
Appearances: 3
Group G opponents: FC Porto, FC Zenit, FK Austria Wien
Last in group stage: 2009/10
With their ability to successfully reform highlighted by 2010 and 2012 UEFA Europa League wins – when they fielded a different starting XI in each final – Atlético return to the group stage with midfielder Raúl García the sole survivor from the 2008/09 campaign.
Those aforementioned European successes, combined with last term's UEFA Super Cup and Copa del Rey wins, have helped to destroy Atlético's 'fall guy' or 'El Pupas' moniker and Diego Simeone's team enter this season's edition as genuine contenders.
Cruyff: I won't go to Camp Nou while Rosell is there
By Enis Koylu132
Sep 11, 2013 4:46:00 PM
The Barcelona legend has confirmed that he will boycotting the club for the rest of the president's reign and says he is supporting Ajax when the two clubs meet
Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff has announced that he will not go to Camp Nou while club president Sandro Rosell is still in office.
The Netherlands icon spent a total of 13 years at the club, serving as both player and coach but is known not to see eye to eye with the 49-year-old.
And Cruyff, who also had a glittering career at Ajax, has confirmed that he will not be present when his two former teams clash next week in the Champions League.
"I will not go to Camp Nou as long as Rosell is president at Barcelona, so I will not attend Barcelona-Ajax," he told RTL Late Night.
"I also hope that Ajax win this match."
During his time in charge of the Catalan giants, Cruyff won one European Cup, one Cup Winners' Cup and four Liga titles.
