The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Guardiola faces return to Barcelona
Pep Guardiola will return to Barcelona with Manchester City as well as tackling Celtic after being handed a tough Champions League draw.
The new City boss, who won the competition twice with Barcelona during a glittering four-year spell in charge at the Nou Camp, will face his old club in this year’s group stage.
City, Barcelona and Celtic were drawn together in Group C at yesterday’s draw in Monaco alongside Germans Borussia Monchengladbach.
Premier League winners Leicester came out in Group G with Porto, Club Brugge and FC Copenhagen while runnersup Arsenal will face Paris St Germain, Basle and Bulgarian side Ludogorets in Group A.
Tottenham, back in the draw for the first time since the 2010-11 season, will play CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco in Group E.
City director of football Txiki Begiristain, also a former Barcelona executive, denied the draw was the worst possible for his side.
Begiristain told BT Sport: “It is not a nightmare because we are in a wonderful competition. We are really happy but it will be very tough.
“We were in the semi-final last season and want to be there again. It is an amazing competition, an amazing group.”
The draw was an exciting occasion for Leicester following their shock title triumph.
The seeding system meant they avoided many of the bigger sides and they now harbour realistic hopes of progress.
Director of football Jon Rudkin said of the Foxes’ trips to Portugal, Belgium and Denmark: “We are certainly looking forward to playing on this stage and this platform and we look forward to the games coming to Leicester.”
Elsewhere in the draw, holders Real Madrid were drawn with Borussia Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon and Legia Warsaw while last year’s beaten finalists Atletico Madrid were pitted against Bayern Munich, PSV Eindhoven and Rostov.