Arsenal have been drawn against Valencia, Roma and Ajax in the next phase of the Champions League, while Manchester United will face Juventus, Deportivo La Coruna and Basel. Newcastle will play Barcelona, Inter Milan and Bayer Leverkusen.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said that he was not disappointed to be drawn with Deportivo again: "I am not sick of the sight of Deportivo, just playing them in the second stage means we have progressed. I hope we meet again later on.
"There was a spell where we got Juventus three years on the trot so it does not bother us. In the mid to late 1990s we were getting Italian sides all the time. Their football has stepped up a bit this year. They have had a couple of barren seasons which is unlike the Italians because you only have to look at European football over the past two decades and their names are splattered across the tournaments. We have to be aware they are a big threat," he said.
Nou Camp return for Robson
Bobby Robson faces a return to the Nou Camp, where he led Barcelona to the European Cup Winners' Cup and Spanish Cup in 1997. Barcelona were the only team to win all of their six qualifying matches.
Robson said: “These are very exciting times for Newcastle United and this is reflected in the draw. All the 16 teams left in the draw are top quality sides, so it was not going to be easy whoever we were drawn against. The dream for me was going back to Barcelona having had two very enjoyable years there and, in particular, renewing my acquaintance with Louis Van Gaal."
He added: “There was no poor team in this round, but if there was, what's left now is the cream. We’ll just have to give it a go and see how good we are. I hope we don't start with three defeats.”
Arsenal familiar with opponents
Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein said that both Valencia and Ajax were familiar challenges. "We've played Ajax in the Euroepan Cup. We played Valencia two years ago, we got to the quarter finals of the Champions League, where sadly we got beaten by the away goals rule, and they also beat us in a penalty shoot out in 1980
"Two of our players graduated through the Ajax school, through the club, that's Dennis Bergkamp and Kanu. So I think they'll know their way to Amsterdam OK, so we shouldn't get lost,” he added.
Group A Barcelona, Inter Milan, Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle
Group B Valencia, Arsenal, Roma, Ajax
Group C Real Madrid, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Lokomotiv Moscow
Group DManchester United, Deportivo La Coruna, Juventus, FC Basel
Filed by Greg McKevitt
