MONACO: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Champions League holders Inter Milan grouped with Werder, Spurs, Twente

Record ID: 782348

  • Title: MONACO: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Champions League holders Inter Milan grouped with Werder, Spurs, Twente
  • Date: 27th August 2010
  • Summary: JEAN-MICHEL AULAS, PRESIDENT OF OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS, TALKING TO JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN-MICHEL AULAS, PRESIDENT OF OLYMPIQUE LYONNAIS, SAYING: "This group is much stronger than it looks at first sight. Last year Schalke finished just behind Bayern Munich who beat us easily in the semi-finals. Benfica defeated Marseille who are French champions and travelling
  • Embargoed: 11th September 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Monaco
  • Country: Monaco
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVABVBW6TBMUKADC1BM8GQWG0VXX
  • Story Text: European champions Inter Milan were grouped with Werder Bremen, Tottenham Hotspur and Twente Enschede in the draw for the Group Stage of the Champions League on Thursday (August 26).
    Jose Mourinho, who left Inter Milan for Real Madrid after leading Inter to their first European Cup success for 45 years in May, returns to the San Siro to face AC Milan with Real in a group that also includes Ajax Amsterdam and Auxerre.
    Bayern Munich, who lost May's final to Inter in Madrid, will face AS Roma, Basel and CFR Cluj in their opening matches.
    Chelsea, who lost an all-English final in Moscow to Manchester United in 2008, will return to the Russian capital to face Spartak Moscow in their group, which also includes Olympique Marseille and Zilina.
    Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who once played for Rangers and has strong links with Glasgow will return to his home city after United were grouped with Rangers, Valencia and Bursaspor.
    Spanish giants Barcelona, European champions in 2009, face Panathinaikos, FC Copenhagen and Russians Rubin Kazan, who scored a shock win over Barca at the Nou Camp last season in the group stage.
    Auxerre's task in Group G looks so tough, with matches against the competition's two most successful sides in Real Madrid and AC Milan, not to mention four-times champions Ajax, that coach Jean Fernandez was resigned to an early exit.
    Paying even more tribute to triple winner Inter Milan, four players of the club got awarded best players in their categories in Monaco: goalkeeper Julio Cesar; defender Maicon; midfielder Wesley Sneijder; and striker Mellito - who also won the overall award of the season's best player.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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