UEFA Champions League Draw 2013/14

Group Winners
Manchester United FC
Real Madrid CF
Paris Saint-Germain
FC Bayern München
Chelsea FC
Borussia Dortmund
Club Atlético de Madrid
FC Barcelona

Group Runners-Up
Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Galatasaray AŞ
Olympiacos FC
Manchester City FC
FC Schalke 04
Arsenal FC
FC Zenit
AC Milan

Round of 16
Manchester City FC v FC Barcelona
Olympiacos FC v Manchester United FC
AC Milan v Club Atlético de Madrid
Bayer 04 Leverkusen v Paris Saint-Germain
Galatasaray AŞ v Chelsea FC
FC Schalke 04 v Real Madrid CF
FC Zenit v Borussia Dortmund
Arsenal FC v FC Bayern München

Debutants Manchester City will take a visit to Camp Nou in their round of 16 matches - now that's a match not to be missed. Aguero against Messi. It'll be battle of the Argentinians. City will include the backing of footballers like Jesús Navas, Yaya Toure and Joe Hart - that's if Pellegrini doesn't kick him to the curb. The Catalans on the other hand will have the backing of Neymar, Pedro, Alexis Sanchez, Xavi, Iniesta - need I say more?

Manchester United looked pretty good in the group stages - I wish the same could be said about the EPL, my Red Devils are sitting in 8th place. Anyway, they seem to be aiming for another Champions League title and they're going about it the right way. Unlike last season when they were drawn against Real Madrid, I knew then it was over for them.

Didier Drogba, who won Chelsea their first and hopefully last Champions League, will return to his former club Chelsea and former manager José Mourinho when Galatasaray take on Chelsea.

Hopefully we'll have another cracker of a match, with a repeat of last years matches between Arsenal and Bayern München. Those two matches ended 3-3, with Bayern advancing on away goals. However, this season Arsenal look like they are out for blood, topping the EPL. Unfortunately, this is not the EPL, it's ruthless out here.

The group winners will be away in the round of 16 first legs on 18/19 and 25/26 February and at home in the return matches on 11/12 and 18/19 March.

The draw for the quarter-finals will be on 21 March, with the semi-final drawn on 11 April, with the final scheduled at Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on 24 May.

Who will be at Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on the 24th of May?

Will it be the club you love or the club you hate?

Brazil FIFA World Cup Final Draw

Costa do Sauípe in Salvador hosted the Final Draw of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. It was conducted by FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke, who was assisted by the representatives of the 8 World Cup winners - Cafu, Fabio Cannavaro, Alcides Ghiggia, Fernando Hierro, Sir Geoff Hurst, Mario Kempes, Lothar Matthaus and Zinedine Zidane.

The likes of Mata, Vicente del Bosque, legends Ronaldo, Bebeto and Pele also graced the stage in between performances and a Brazilian culture.

The mascot of the 2014 World Cup was also introduced, an armadillo named Fuleco - which means a mixture of football and ecology.

GROUP A
Brazil
Croatia
Mexico
Cameroon

GROUP B
Spain
Netherlands
Chile
Australia

GROUP C
Colombia
Greece
Côte d’Ivoire
Japan

GROUP D
Uruguay
Costa Rica
England
Italy

GROUP E
Switzerland
Ecuador
France
Honduras

GROUP F
Argentina
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Iran
Nigeria

GROUP G
Germany
Portugal
Ghana
USA

GROUP H
Belgium
Algeria
Russia
Korea Republic


This draw showed more than one 'group of death'. According to FIFA, Group B makes up the highly feared ‘group of death’ at the 20th FIFA World Cup™. However Group D and Group G could also be referred to as the 'group of death'.
It looks like there are 3 groups of death.

Obviously the opening match will feature hosts Brazil, who will take on Croatia on 12 June 2014 in Sao Paulo. The historic final will take place at the Maracana in Rio de Janeiro, on 13 July.

On a celebratory note, Germany, will become the first team to reach 100 World Cup matches when they play Portugal.


So I ask ...
Who will qualify in the group stages?
Who is your money on?
Who will win the 2014 FIFA World Cup?
I just hope it's not Spain again. My money's on the Netherlands, Germany or Brazil. However, I also expect the unexpected.