SWITZERLAND: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Reactions to Champions league quarter and semi-final draws

Record ID: 737881

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - Reactions to Champions league quarter and semi-final draws
  • Date: 15th March 2008
  • Summary: NYON, SWITZERLAND (MARCH 14, 2008) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR VIEW UEFA HEADQUARTERS
  • Embargoed: 30th March 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA89NWDGSJ3YQT1E1OF3JZTTXGN
  • Story Text: The draw for the quarterfinals of the Champions League took place on Friday (March 14) at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
    Chelsea and Fenerbache meeting for the first time in Europe. The Turkish champions, coached by Brazilian great Zico, will aim to benefit from their fanatical home support in the first leg.

    "We are certainly not going to take anything for granted. We will treat Fenerbache with a lot of respect and nobody, I can assure, nobody at Chelsea will take the game or the result for granted,"
    Chelsea chief executive Peter Kenyon told reporters after the draw.
    Chelsea are looking for their first Champions League trophy after losing in the semi-finals three times in the last four seasons.

    "You know, we have been in the semifinals but we have never actually progressed to the final. So, I think we all want to get there and ultimately our ambition is to win this competition because it moves us to the next step," Kenyon added.
    Premier League leaders Arsenal, beaten in the final two years ago by Barcelona, are at home in the first leg against five-times European champions Liverpool.
    With a Premier League meeting on April 5 the sides will meet three times in a season-defining week.
    Liverpool, finalists in two of the last three seasons, will have home advantage in the second leg and chief executive Rick Parry was hoping to be lucky against their English opponents in the continental competition.
    "We have done rather better in Europe than we had done domestically so that's something that we are working to address," he said.
    Asked about playing the last game at Anfield, Parry added. "It's and advantage but I do not think it is a massive advantage. We have won ties that we have played the first leg at home -- Inter being the case in point.
    The same against Juve (Juventus). I guess is a preference but it is not a massive advantage."
    Barcelona will have home advantage in the second leg after being drawn to play Germany's Schalke.
    The Catalans, who are likely to be without Argentine Lionel Messi for both legs of their quarter-final, will have been relieved to avoid English opponents as they still have memories of recent defeats by Liverpool and Chelsea.
    Schalke, who qualified for the knockout stages despite picking up just eight points in their group, have never met Barcelona before and will need a strong performance at home in the first leg to stand a chance of upsetting Barca at the Nou Camp.
    "It gives some satisfaction to play away first because it gives you more control of the whole tie considering our style of play. We are to face this elimination round with all respect, caution and with maximum concentration because it is going to be 180 minutes of high intensity and a simple mistake could cost us dear," Barcelona vice-president Marc Ingla said.
    Manchester United face Roma in a repeat of their clash at this stage last year while Chelsea's quest to win Europe's premier club competition for the first time will be tested by a tie with Turkish last-eight debutants Fenerbahce.
    Twice winners Manchester United and Roma have plenty of recent history.
    Roma will have painful memories of the 7-1 drubbing they suffered at Old Trafford last season after a first leg marred by crowd trouble ended 2-1 to the home side in the Olympic Stadium.
    "We work very well with the Roma club, they are very good people and we will both work very hard to make it a good occasion for everybody,"
    said Manchester United secretary Ken Ramsden.
    The quarter-final first legs will be played on April 1-2 with the returns a week later. The semi-finals start on April 22-23.
    With the semi-final draw also being made, the eight remaining clubs now know their prospective paths to the final to be played in Moscow.
    Liverpool could face Chelsea in the last four, having beaten them at that stage last year and in 2005. Manchester United and Barcelona are also on collision course in the semis.
    Draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the Champions League conducted in Nyon, Switzerland on Friday Quarter-finals (all 1945 GMT) First legs to be played on April 1 (second legs April 9) AS Roma v Manchester United Schalke 04 v Barcelona First legs to be played on April 2 (second legs April 8) Arsenal v Liverpool Fenerbahce v Chelsea Semi-finals Arsenal or Liverpool v Fenerbahce or Chelsea Schalke or Barcelona v AS Roma or Manchester United * First legs to be played on April 22 and 23 * Second legs to be played April 29 and 30
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