Only one name sprang to mind following Milan's Champions League draw with Barcelona last night : IBRAHIMOVIC! Hold your horses because the only thing Barcelona's bookstores should be releasing in two weeks is an extended Catalan edition of Ibra's epic autobiography.

Champions League and Europa League quarter final / semi final draws is a post from: Just Football

The draws for the Champions League and Europa League quarter and semi finals were made today at UEFA headquarters in Nyon. They were determined by an open draw in which no teams are seeded and clubs from the same national association could be drawn against each other.

Rarely does a minnow like APOEL FC make any noise in the UEFA Champions League. Teams from small nations like Cyprus enjoy dramatic qualifier matches and then are brutally brushed... Read more »

TweetRarely does a minnow like APOEL FC make any noise in the UEFA Champions League. Teams from small nations like Cyprus enjoy dramatic qualifier matches and then are brutally brushed aside by the likes of Barcelona and Arsenal in the group stages. However, this club with a stadium that seats only 23,000 spectators has not [.

By Alan Duffy

In saving shoot-out spot-kicks from both Alexandre Lacazette and Michel Bastos, APOEL FC 'keeper Dionsios Chiotis sent his unfancied side through to an historic quarter-final berth in the Champions League.

French giants Lyon came to Nicosia 1-0 ahead after the first leg, but a magnificent display from the home side, who went ahead after just nine minutes courtesy of Gustavo Manduca, set up a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

Whilst there was the assumption last night that Lionel Messi's five goals against Bayer Leverkusen was the greatest performance in Champions League history, it could be argued that it wasn't even the most impressive display of the night. Step forward APOEL Nicosia, who beat French giants Lyon on penalties to qualify for the quarter-finals of [.

Cyprus Ill is a post from: Just Football

APOEL's success masks a growing crisis in Cypriot football. Andreas Vou reports:

While APOEL's run in this year's Champions League has taken Cypriot club football to unthinkable heights, the small nation which over the last decade was showing signs of becoming a competent team at international level is slowly diminishing.

Cyprus' APOEL FC has caught the attention of soccer fans with a run in the UEFA Champions League that sees the club at the summit of tournament Group G. A win in either of the club's final two group stage matches will see it qualify for the Round of 16 of the competition. Here is [...]

Cyprus' APOEL FC has caught the attention of soccer fans with a run in the UEFA Champions League that sees the club at the summit of tournament Group G. A win in either of the club's final two group stage matches will see it qualify for the Round of 16 of the competition. Here is [...]

Holders Barcelona and AC Milan are the first two teams through to the UEFA Champions League round of 16, while Arsenal and Chelsea failed to pick up the wins they needed in order to assure progression to the knockout stages.

Milan were held to a 1-1 draw in Minsk by BATE Borisov, with Ibrahimovic getting the all important goal for the Italian champions.

AC Milan got the new season off to a dramatic start with a thrilling draw at Barcelona but there were opening victories for Marseille, Chelsea, Porto and APOEL.

Pato struck for AC Milan inside 25 seconds at Camp Nou, the fifth fastest in Champions League history and the earliest on any matchday one.

The Pot 4 Club APOEL FC is a post from: Just Football

We all know everything about the major clubs that play Champions League football year-in, year-out, right? Pot 1 with its Chelseas, Arsenals and Real Madrids is old news. Pot 4 is where the fun's at. Introducing a new feature on Just Football: The Pot 4 Club.

The Pot 4 Club APOEL FC is a post from: Just Football

We all know everything about the major clubs that play Champions League football year-in, year-out, right? Pot 1 with its Chelseas, Arsenals and Real Madrids is old news. Pot 4 is where the fun's at. Introducing a new feature on Just Football: The Pot 4 Club.

The Champions League this year has a very different feel to it. We have the omnipresent Barcelona who look ready to conquer the trophy yet again, now faced with AC Milan in their group of the Champions League group stages. While the past few seasons haven't been the best for AC Milan, the rossoneri have strengthened and seem prepared to make a strong run in Europe this upcoming season.

2011/12 UEFA Champions League group stage
Group A
FC Bayern München (GER)
Villarreal CF (ESP)
Manchester City FC (ENG)
SSC Napoli (ITA)
Group B
FC Internazionale Milano (ITA)
PFC CSKA Moskva (RUS)
LOSC Lille Métropole (FRA)
Trabzonspor AŞ (TUR)
Group C
Manchester United FC (ENG)
SL Benfica (POR)
FC Basel 1893 (SUI)
FC Oţelul Galaţi (ROU)
Group D
Real Madrid CF (ESP)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA)
AFC Ajax (NED)
GNK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO)
Group E
Chelsea FC (ENG)
Valencia CF (ESP)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER)
KRC Genk (BEL)
Group F
Arsenal FC (ENG)
Olympique de Marseille (FRA)
Olympiacos FC (GRE)
Borussia Dortmund (GER)
Group G
FC Porto (POR)
FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
FC Zenit St Petersburg (RUS)
APOEL FC (CYP)
Group H
FC Barcelona (ESP)
AC Milan (ITA)
FC BATE Borisov (BLR)
FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)

We'll take Apoel in Group G, please. No, not to win. To take home with us.

Just before you start firing off missives to us about how we promised not to ever cover this proper football news stuff, please note the following: the terms of our geek adoption scheme requires us to release the two crazies occupying the Mayhem & Fruit Beverages Suite for exercise at unannounced times.

Fútbol México - Fútbol MéxicoFútbol México -

Resultados del sorteo de la Champions League 2011 2012

Los grupos de la Champions League temporada 2011-2012 quedaron de la siguiente manera:

Grupo A

Bayern Munich
Villarreal
Manchester City
Napoles

Grupo B

Inter de Milan
CSKA Moscu
Lille
Trabzonspors

Grupo C

Manchester United
Benfica
FC Basel
FC Otelul

Grupo D

Real Madrid
Olympique de Lyon
Ajax
GNK Dinamo

Grupo E

Chelsea
Valencia
Bayern Leverkusen
KRC Genk

Grupo F

Arsenal
O.

Se dieron a conocer los enfrentamientos previos a los Dieciseisavos de Final del mejor torneo de clubes del mundo.
Los partidos de ida se disputarán el 16 y 17 de agosto mientras que la vuelta tendrá lugar una semana después. Los diez ganadores pasarán directamente a disputar la fase de grupos de la UEFA Champions League mientras que los perdedores harán lo propio en la UEFA Europa League.

UEFA Champions League play-off round

Champions route
Wisła Kraków (POL) v APOEL FC (CYP)
Macabi Haifa FC (ISR) v KRC Genk (BEL)
NK Dinamo Zagreb (CRO) v Malmö FF (SWE)
FC København (DEN) v FC Viktoria Plzeň (CZE)
FC BATE Borisov (BLR) v SK Sturm Graz (AUT)
League route
Odense BK (DEN) v Villarreal CF (ESP)
FC Twente (NED) v SL Benfica (POR)
Arsenal FC (ENG) v Udinese Calcio (ITA)
FC Bayern München (GER) v FC Zürich (SUI)
Olympique Lyonnais (FRA) v FC Rubin Kazan (RUS)