SOCCER-CHAMPIONS/DRAW Man United face Bruges, Valencia and Monaco clash

Record ID: 144786

  • Title: SOCCER-CHAMPIONS/DRAW Man United face Bruges, Valencia and Monaco clash
  • Date: 7th August 2015
  • Summary: NYON, SWITZERLAND (AUGUST 7, 2015) (REUTERS) UEFA HEADQUARTERS EUROPEAN CLUBS' REPRESENTATIVES GATHERED IN UEFA CORRIDOR BEFORE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE AND EUROPA LEAGUE DRAWS TV SCREEN INDICATING THE "EVENT OF THE DAY" AT UEFA SIGN READING (English) ON THE TV SCREEN "WELCOME TO UEFA" (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED CLUB SECRETARY JOHN ALEXANDER SAYING: "I wouldn't say it
  • Embargoed: 22nd August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAEHFJEJHY245FUFRJJZSJHFRGF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Manchester United were given a troublesome tie against Club Bruges in the draw for the Champions League playoff round on Friday (August 7), although it could have been worse as they avoided Lazio, CSKA Moscow or Monaco.
    United, fourth in the English Premier League last season, will still be uncomfortable at having to overcome Bruges to avoid missing out on the group stage for the second season in a row.
    "I wouldn't say it was an easy game on the pitch, Bruges have done very well last year in the Europa League, and they have had a great victory in the last round of the playoff, so with Belgian football the way it is and some of the stars that they have internationally, it will be a game we have to treat with all respect," said Manchester United club secretary John Alexander after the draw in Nyon.
    "I think the main thing for us at the moment is to avoid those gruelling journeys that we could have had into the far east of Europe and put a lot of pressure on the players. We've got a nice, simple, short trip to Bruges, and hopefully that will not hamper the players' preparations for the match," Alexander added.
    Another high profile tie pitted Spain's Valencia against Monaco, who were quarter-finalists last year.
    "Personally, I wanted to avoid Valencia, because it's quite emotional, it's a very strong team," said AS Monaco sports director Vadim Vasyliev.
    "It's a team with which we have emotional ties, as the owner of Valencia, Mr. Peter Lim, is a friend of our president, Mr. Rybolovlev, and a friend of mine, so besides the game between two big teams it will be also like a game between people who are friends," Vasyliev added.
    "I have a lot of respect for this team, they are doing an amazing project in La Liga, and this year I think they will be even stronger, they have reinforced their ranks, so... but football, you never know. We will do our best obviously to pass this test and go to the group stage, so, let's see, we are there, and well it will be, one thing is for sure, it will be a great round," said Vasyliev.
    Valencia international ambassador Mario Alberto Kempes said that his La Liga side will have to be focused against Monaco.
    "These games are the kind of games one needs to pay careful attention to, during which we will have to remain very focused. We are at the beginning of the season, the teams don't yet have the hang of the game, so it's going to be quite a balanced game," Kempes said.
    Lazio will meet Bayer Leverkusen as they attempt to return to the group stage for the first time since 2007-08. Bayer Leverkusen's managing director Michael Schade said it will be a challenge to play against Lazio, who finished third in Serie A last season.
    "This is really one of the top teams of Italy; the benefit is that we can play in Roma first, and then go to Leverkusen, but this will really be a challenge, and we have to be on one hundred per cent to be successful at the end," said Schade.
    Rapid Vienna, who stunned Ajax Amsterdam by beating the four-times European champions in the previous round, were rewarded with a tie against group stage regulars Shakhtar Donetsk from Ukraine.
    Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Sergei Palkin said that they shouldn't underestimate the Austrian team.
    "Our club shouldn't undervalue this team, because we need to pay attention (to) what they are doing, and that if they arrived to this level, it means, that, you know, they have quite good level and they won Ajax in the last leg, therefore we need to pay attention to all these specifics, you know."
    The first legs will be played on August 18/19 and the second legs on August 25/26.
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