Ranieri now plotting to outfox best in Europe
LEICESTER will hope the slip of the tongue from the UEFA presenter at the start of the draw proves a good omen.
He described the Foxes as “the wonderful surprise of the 2015-16 season, the unexpected but well-deserving winners of the Champions... err... the Premier League.”
After pulling off the impossible dream by lifting the domestic title last season, Leicester will now believe anything is possible.
And after watching the draw at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Claudio Ranieri and his squad will certainly be quietly confident of reaching the knockout stages.
Porto will start as favourites to win Group G but the Portuguese runners-up had to overcome Roma in the play-off to reach the group stages and are not regarded as the force they once were.
Leicester, who have not played in Europe since 2000 when they lost a UEFA Cup first-round tie to Red Star Belgrade, will definitely fancy their chances against Belgium champions Club Brugge – who were demolished 7-1 by Manchester United in the playoff round last season – and Copenhagen, the first Danish club to qualify for the group stages since 2010-11.
Even before hearing the draw, Ranieri was targeting qualification from the group stage. “It’s good for our fans to come here and for you [the media] – a lot of you are in the Champions League for the first time,” he said.
“It’s a very good experience and a gift for everyone here. It’s a good experience to go around Europe. I hope it’s not just three away games – I hope for a little more.
“I don’t know how many points we will need to qualify. Sometimes eight or 10 can be good, sometimes not.”
To complete a good day for the Foxes, midfielder Danny Drinkwater followed Jamie Vardy, Wes Morgan, Riyad Mahrez and Kasper Schmeichel in signing a new long-term contract.
While Leicester were buzzing, Manchester City were left with that ‘not-you-again’ feeling. Pep Guardiola faces a return to the club closest to his heart – Barcelona.
It is the third time in four seasons City will have met Barcelona in the competition. The previous two occasions were in the last 16 – and the Catalan club won all four ties.
It will mean a quick reunion for new goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, who joined City from Barcelona yesterday. His arrival at the Etihad increases the number of former Barcelona employees on City’s payroll to four, including sporting director Txiki Begiristain and chief executive Ferran Soriano.
Borussia Monchengladbach are also familiar opponents for City, who beat the German club home and away in the group stages last season. And then there is the Battle of Britain clash with Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic.
Like Leicester, Arsenal and Tottenham will not be unhappy about their draws.
The Gunners will be confident of continuing their record of reaching the knockout rounds for 16 consecutive years after being paired with three clubs they have never faced before in the competition.
The short trip across the Channel to face Paris SaintGermain will be tough, but Arsene Wenger’s men should have more than enough to see off Swiss champions Basle and Bulgarians Ludogorets. Arsenal secretary David Miles said: “We have a proud record of qualifying from the group for the last 16 seasons. But of course recently we have had Barcelona and Bayern Munich and we have failed at that hurdle.
“So it was nice to avoid those two teams again and on reflection we are reasonably pleased with that draw. ”
Tottenham, back in the competition for the first time since 2010-11, face a long trip to Moscow to play CSKA. Bayer Leverkusen, third in the Bundesliga last season, are also in the group – but the glamour trip will be to Monaco.