Reactions to the CL draw
Ex-stars bring great joy to FC Bayern and BVB
08/26/2022, 06:40 am
The draw for the group stage of the Champions League produces “stories that only football writes”, as they say at Bayern. All five teams can look forward to attractive lots, which at least allow dreams of the round of 16. The reactions are positive.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann (Bayern Munich): “It’s a very demanding group full of challenges. Inter have strengthened themselves again. It’s a club that has had a lot of international successes and has regained strength in recent years. At Barcelona, of course, the story with Lewy is already mandatory. I hope “That we can achieve results similar to those against Barça in recent years. Pilsen are Czech champions ahead of the Prague clubs, that means something. We have to be there right from the start. We’re looking forward to it.”
Oliver Kahn (CEO Bayern Munich): “It’s a very attractive group. With Barcelona and Inter Milan, we’re playing two big clubs in European football. We’ll be fully challenged in this group, but we mustn’t underestimate the big, traditional club from Pilsen. We’re hoping for great football evenings. FC Bayern’s goal can only mean: Reaching the round of 16! Above all, we are all looking forward to seeing Robert Lewandowski again at FC Bayern.Borussia Dortmund against Man City with Haaland and FC Bayern against Barcelona with Lewandowski – only he writes such stories Soccer.”
Group A: Ajax Amsterdam, Liverpool FC, SSC Napoli, Glasgow Rangers
Group B: FC Porto, Atlético Madrid, Bayer LeverkusenClub Brugge
Group C: FC Bayern MunichFC Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Pilsen
Group D: Eintracht FrankfurtTottenham Hotspur, Sporting Lisbon, Olympique Marseille
Group E: AC Milan, FC Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb
Group F: Real Madrid, RB LeipzigShakhtar Donetsk, Celtic Glasgow
Group G: Manchester City, Sevilla FC, Borussia DortmundFC Copenhagen
Group H: PSG, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa
Hasan Salihamidzic (Sports Director Bayern Munich) on the group and seeing Robert Lewandowski again: “We have to be careful, with Barcelona and Inter we have two teams that are really strong. Of course we’re favorites against Pilsen. It’s not an easy group. Our boys have to give it their all. Stories like that like with Lewandowski, only football writes. We joked about it in the office before. Barcelona didn’t just strengthen themselves with Lewa. There will be exciting games. We learned from last season’s defeat against Villarreal always the same clubs that are considered favorites for the title: Real Madrid as the defending champions, Manchester City, Barcelona too have strengthened themselves. Liverpool are always very dangerous. Chelsea are there too. Paris also have a top squad. We too, of course . I would be happy if the German teams go far, that’s good for the Bundesliga, that’s good for German football.”
Captain Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich): “Barcelona and Inter Milan – they will be highlights in the group phase. Two great clubs, two great stadiums. I’m looking forward to this group. It’s also nice that we’ll be celebrating a reunion with Robert Lewandowski so soon. Our goal is very clear reaching the knockout stages, although we mustn’t underestimate the Pilsen team either.”
Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich): “What a great story that we’re about to meet FC Barcelona with Robert Lewandowski. For me it’s a great group with great teams. These will be great Champions League nights for the football fans. But one thing is also clear: we have to do our homework to reach the round of 16.”
Hans-Joachim Watzke (Managing Director Borussia Dortmund): “If you come out of pot three, it’s clear even before the draw that you’re going to get a very strong Champions League group. The task is of course challenging, but not impossible. You don’t have to be a prophet to predict that the games Sevilla could certainly play an important role. But you also have to win both games against Copenhagen.”
Edin Terzic (Borussia Dortmund coach): “We’re looking forward to this group, even though we certainly didn’t get the easiest draws from the respective pots and our focus is on the Bundesliga first anyway. Man City are the absolute favourites, not only in the Premier League but also in the Champions League “We played really well against City and Sevilla not so long ago, they were all very close. And Copenhagen, as Danish champions, are also a real challenge. In this group we will have former BVB players like Erling Haaland, Ilkay Gündogan and Thomas Delaney again. We look forward to that too.”
Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund captain): “Manchester City is of course a board in the Champions League. We’re looking forward to it as much as we are to seeing Erling Haaland again. We won in Seville in 2021 and played a really good game. Copenhagen are Danish champions and the city is of course also for our fans a really cool travel location.”
Markus Krösche (Sports Director Eintracht Frankfurt): “We’ve been drawn into a sporty and highly attractive group. We’re really looking forward to this challenge. As a top club in the Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur have an extraordinary individual quality – if you look to Harry Kane and Heung-min Son in particular thinks. Sporting Lisbon shone last season with a great collective. Similar to Olympique Marseille, who finished second in Ligue 1 last year and played outstandingly. Our goal is to qualify for the round of 16 despite the strength of our opponents.”
Fernando Carro (Managing Director Bayer Leverkusen): “An exciting group with old acquaintances. We now have to do everything we can to stabilize ourselves quickly in everyday league life so that we can enjoy these big football evenings accordingly and be able to organize them successfully.”
Simon Rolfes (Managing Director Sport Bayer Leverkusen): “It’s an interesting and balanced group. Atlético Madrid – it’s always a special atmosphere. I myself played my last Champions League game in the old stadium in Madrid. All teams have a different way of playing football, so we’re happy I look forward to the games and believe that something is possible. We have to make sure that we get on track in the league. The Champions League is a competition that also releases energy. We hope that we can get our rhythm going over English weeks and find our way back to our form through the games.”
Oliver Mintzlaff (Managing Director RB Leipzig): “We are extremely proud to be taking part in the Champions League for the fifth time in our seventh year as a Bundesliga club. The group with defending champions and record champions Real Madrid and the reigning national champions Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic Glasgow is an exciting challenge that we are very happy to accept. We are looking forward to magical nights together with our fans! Our goal is to spend the winter in Europe – preferably for the third time in the premier class, of course.”