Soccer: Champions League draw pits Mourinho against Ferguson
Posted: December 19, 2008, 5:20 PM by Colin Smith
Soccer
One of soccer's weightiest personal rivalries will be renewed in the last 16 of the Champions League. Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan will take on Alex Ferguson's Manchester United over two legs after the draw for the first knockout round was announced on Friday in Nyon, Switzerland.
The two coaches first battled each other at this stage of the competition back in 2004, when Mourinho's Portuguese side FC Porto eliminated Manchester United before going on to be crowned the champion of Europe. The pair saw much more of one another during the following years when Mourinho took charge of Chelsea, leading the Londoners to EPL titles in 2005 and 2006.
"It'll be interesting to come up against José again," Ferguson told the UEFA Web site. "He's a character with a good personality, and I've always got on well with him. He knocked us out of the competition when he was at Porto, so I hope we have the luck they had in that tie this time round."
The draw also set up two more intriguing clashes with nine-time champions Real Madrid paired against five-time winners Liverpool, and 2008 losing finalists Chelsea set to face a Juventus side coached by former Chelsea manager Claudio Ranieri.
The other English side in the last 16, Arsenal, had perhaps the luck of the draw and will face Roma, currently struggling in Serie A.
In the other four matchups, Germany's Bayern Munich will face Sporting Lisbon of Portugal, Spain's Villareal faces Greece's Panathinaikos, FC Porto takes on Atletico Madrid and Lyon has the tough task of taking on Barcelona, currently sitting at the top of the Spanish standings.
Matches will be played over two legs on Feb. 24 and 25 and March 10 and 11.
