THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE group stage draw has been made in Monaco this evening.
Manchester United, returning to the competition after missing out last year, have been grouped with Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven, Russian outfit CSKA Moscow and Bundesliga side Wolfsburg.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho will return to the club he won the competition with in 2004 as the Londoners are in Group G along with Porto, Dynamo Kiev and Maccabi Haifa.
Arsenal face the tough task of facing Bayern Munich home and away, while Olympiacos and Dinamo Zagreb make up Group F. With arguably the most difficult group of all the Premier League clubs, Manchester City are up against last year’s finalists Juventus, Europa League winners Sevilla and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Elsewhere, holders Barcelona will meet Bayer Leverkusen, AS Roma and BATE Borisov. Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to take on the team he began his professional career as Paris Saint-Germain are in with Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and Swedish club Malmo.
The first round of fixtures take place on 15/16 September.
What are your thoughts on the draw?
Best of luck to him, hope he gets his career back on track…. He could be a great asset and option for our young Irish team with his experience. Good move going to Bournemouth, they’re going well and will be in the mix for promotion.
@Jerriko17: hope he does well but has prob 10 good games in an otherwise mediocre career. Honesty he disappointed me cos I though he would come out good.
@Martin Glynn: he’s not impressed with Marty Glynn either I’ve heard!
@Jerriko17: all good, but he has to make the team, sitting on the bench no good.
Don’t see him as first choice for Ireland at this stage,but he adds a bit of experience to the squad and offers a decent option wide on the left of midfield
@Lesidees: where did it all go wrong for him?
@Ciaran O’Mara: injuries and a negative style of play at Burnley. Hopefully he can kick on from here for a few more years.
Last chance saloon.
At 29yrs of age he should be playing his best football now, up to him what he makes of this chance. Never fulfilled his potential.
Strikes me as someone who lives on few past glories.. Little desire to push on and create new glories and better himself as a player. Very injury prone too, which isn’t his fault of course to be fair
@Nigel o’Neill: could not agree more. Does not get involved in the game . A bit similar to Hourihane
Too late for him.
There is reason nobody wanted to sign him
Great to see