Official: Champions League Group Stage Draw

[Kez 2,727]

Haha i want to go to the APOEL game

[Mart 29]

Hardest draw of all the English teams. Might try and make the trip out for Atletico away, anyone up for it? :woo:

[Badboy 1,526]

Aguero

[Steve 10,227]

Decent draw. Positive we will get through pretty easily.

[ZanSnake 1,211]

Aguero actually coming to the bridge, yes!!

Well as a Athletico player, but next season....

[Rubber bullets 1,183]

If Athletico get knocked out in the group stages, then I think we could have a good chance of signing Aguero in January

[ZanSnake 1,211]

The return of Nuno Morais whose seeking revenge, muhahahaha!!

[ZanSnake 1,211]

Chelsea chiefexecutive Peter Kenyon was satisfied with the draw for the UEFAChampions League group phase after landing games against Porto,Atletico Madrid and APOEL Nicosia.

Last season's semi-finalists and 2008 runners-up werethe top seeds in Group D and avoided being paired alongside the likesof former manager Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan side, Real Madrid and Juventus.

Kenyon was not getting carried away by the draw, but expects Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti to be pleased with the outcome.

"We'restarting again and we're always looking to go one step further, whichmeans we've got to get through this stage," Kenyon told Sky Sports News.

"We have to be generally pleased with the draw. There's no easy games and no easy groups.

"Overall, there's not too much travel and I guess we've managed to avoid one of the big ones."

History

Chelsea faced Porto in 2004/05 and 2006/07, and have close ties with the club with Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Jose Bosingwa and Deco all having played for the Portuguese giants.

Kenyon added: "We've played them before and Porto players have been an important part of Chelsea's history.

"I think we know them all, but Porto probably better than most."

With the transfer deadline approaching next Tuesday, Kenyon also confirmed there are no plans to add to the signings of Yuri Zhirkov,Daniel Sturridge and Ross Turnbull.

"I think at this stage probably not," replied Kenyon when asked about possible new signings.

"We concentrated very much on re-signing the players we wanted and that's been really successful.

"We've had a great start to the season and Carlo, before he joined us, was very happy with the squad.

"We'vestrengthened that with Zhirkov and we're very happy with the squad.We've had a good start and we all believe this year we can go one stepfurther."

Source: SkySports

[We Hate Scouse 10,260]

Just booked my flights and hotel to Madrid! Cannot wait!!!

[Term-X 7,891]

wish we had got inter and then all average teams, instead of boring old porto yet again.

[coco 1]

where are the dates for these matches at ?

[BlueLion. 21,491]

First match will be the 15th/16th of next month.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Tuesday 15 September

Chelsea v Porto

Wednesday 30 September

APOEL v Chelsea

Wednesday 21 October

Chelsea v Atlético Madrid

Tuesday 3 November

Atlético Madrid v Chelsea

Wednesday 25 November

Porto v Chelsea

Tuesday 8 December

Chelsea v APOEL

[EskWeston 696]

This is by no means an easy draw for us. Porto and Athletico will be tough prospects, especially away from home. Would have liked an easier group but at least we avoided Inter and Real Madrid.....

[Laylabelle 9,296]

May look easy on paper but that means nothing.Last seasons look easyish and we made a right balls up of it

[Ray. 217]

What's our past history like with these teams, I'm assuming we must have played them at some point?

[Kez 2,727]

The only team we have played in the past is Porto in 04/05 just after Jose left them to join us.

We had them in the group stage and beat them 3-1 at home and lost 2-1 away although we had already qualified for the knock out stages.

We have also met them in 06/07 season in the last 16 of the competition drawing 1-1 away and beating them 2-1 at home.

As for the other 2 its the first meetings of the 2 clubs.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

We're very lucky to have Didier and Bosingwa back from their bans for the Porto and Atletico away matches.