Heavyweights to clash in Champions League QFs
NYON, Switzerland (AP): THE ROAD to a Champions League record for Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti will go through his old club – defending champions Real Madrid.
When Ancelotti fulfilled Madrid’s quest for the “Decima” – a record-extending 10th European Cup title – in 2014, he joined a select group of five coaches to win the competition with two different clubs. He also coached AC Milan to two Champions League titles.
Ancelotti’s new team will host his previous club in Munich in the first leg of the quarter-finals on April 12. The return match will be played in Madrid six days later.
“Matches against Real are obviously special for me,” Ancelotti said. “It’ll be exciting for me to go back to Madrid.”
Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane was Ancelotti’s assistant for the 2014 title, and won a Champions League of his own last May to cap his coaching debut season.
“Our relationship is like that of a master and apprentice,” Zidane said.
FINAL REMATCH
Also in yesterday’s draw, Barcelona will meet Juventus in another heavyweight clash – a rematch of the 2015 final, while Champions League newcomers Leicester will face Atletico Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund will take on Monaco.
The first legs will be played on April 11-12, with the return matches on April 18-19.
Madrid and Bayern have combined to win 16 European titles and both currently lead their national leagues. One club, however, will end its recent streak of reaching the Champions League semi-finals for five straight years.
Former Madrid players now with Ancelotti include Xabi Alonso from the 2014 champions. One-time Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos now lines up alongside Madrid forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
Barcelona won their fifth European title two years, beating Juventus 3-1 in Berlin, in coach Luis Enrique’s first season with the club. A Champions League final on June 3 in Cardiff, Wales, would be Luis Enrique’s final match before leaving the club.
Juventus did oust Barcelona in the quarter-finals in 2003, en route to one of their competition-record six losing finals – against a Milan team coached by Ancelotti 14 years ago.
Leicester are making their debut in the competition, and are the only team in the draw which have never played in a Champions League final. But Leicester and Atletico have played before. The Spanish club eliminated Leicester in the first round of the UEFA Cup in 1997.