Sports
2023/24 Champions League Pots Set For Group Stage Draw
The pots for the upcoming Champions League group stage draw are now set, following the qualification of Antwerp, FC Copenhagen, and PSV Eindhoven for this year’s tournament.
This draw marks the final occurrence of its kind, as the Champions League will undergo changes next season, transitioning into a single league featuring 36 teams.
As reigning champions, Manchester City secures their spot in Pot 1 for the draw, along with Sevilla, the victors of the UEFA Europa League.
Pot 1 also includes the champions of the top six leagues, along with Feyenoord, who move up from Pot 3 since they won the Eredivisie — the same league that Manchester City triumphed in.
Pots 2 to 4 are determined by UEFA’s five-year coefficient score. Notably, Newcastle United finds itself in Pot 4 due to this being their first European campaign in 11 seasons.
This situation means that the Magpies could potentially face a challenging return to the Champions League, being drawn into a group with formidable opponents like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and AC Milan.
The group stage draw is set to commence at 5 p.m. UK time / midday ET on Thursday. The first round of matches is slated for September 19 and 20.
The full schedule is anticipated to be revealed by Saturday. During the draw, one team from each pot will be selected to form a group.
It’s important to note that teams from the same national association will not be grouped together.
The culmination of this season’s tournament will take place at Wembley Stadium in London on Saturday, June 1st.
POT 1:
1. Manchester City
2. Sevilla
3. Barcelona
4. Napoli
5. Bayern Munich
6. Paris Saint-Germain
7. Benfica
8. Feyenoord
POT 2:
1. Real Madrid
2. Manchester United
3. Internazionale
4. Borussia Dortmund
5. Atletico Madrid
6. RB Leipzig
7. FC Porto
8. Arsenal
POT 3:
1. Shakhtar Donetsk
2. FC Salzburg
3. AC Milan
4. Braga
5. PSV Eindhoven
6. Lazio
7. Red Star Belgrade
8. FC Copenhagen
POT 4:
1. Young Boys
2. Real Sociedad
3. Galatasaray
4. Celtic
5. Newcastle United
6. Union Berlin
7. Antwerp
8. Lens
Sports
AC Milan Pull Off Thrilling Injury-Time Comeback To Beat Parma 3-2
AC Milan staged a remarkable comeback at the San Siro on Sunday, defeating Parma 3-2 in a thrilling Serie A encounter that kept fans on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
Trailing twice in the match, the Rossoneri produced two injury-time goals from Tijjani Reijnders and Samuel Chukwueze, sealing a historic win and further strengthening their position as title contenders.
Parma took the lead in the 24th minute, with Matteo Cancellieri finishing off a precise assist from Valeri to stun the home crowd.
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Milan struggled to break down Parma’s defense but found their equalizer in the 38th minute after a foul on Pavlović in the box resulted in a penalty.
Christian Pulisic stepped up and calmly converted, leveling the score at 1-1.
The visitors regained the lead in the 80th minute when Enrico Delprato capitalized on a swift counterattack to put Parma 2-1 ahead.
With time running out, it seemed as though Milan might fall short, but the team refused to back down.
In the 90+2 minute, Reijnders scored a vital equalizer, driving home a well-placed pass from Musah.
Just three minutes later, Chukwueze completed the turnaround, striking a clinical winner from Pavlović’s assist in the 90+5th minute, sending the San Siro into raptures.
“This match was a testament to the character of this team,” said AC Milan coach Conceição. “We kept pushing, kept believing, and in the end, we were rewarded.”
The victory not only moved AC Milan to 34 points, consolidating their spot among Serie A’s top teams, but also highlighted their potential as serious title contenders.
Reijnders, the league’s leading central midfield goalscorer, now has six goals this season.
Chukwueze’s decisive goal marked his first of the season, while Pulisic ended a nine-game goal drought with his successful penalty.
The match also featured a milestone for Tammy Abraham, who made his 100th Serie A appearance.
Sports
Belgium Appoints Rudi Garcia As National Team Coach
The Belgian Football Federation has named Frenchman Rudi Garcia as the new head coach of the national team, following the sacking of Domenico Tedesco after a disappointing Euro 2024 campaign.
In a statement released on Friday, the federation confirmed the appointment of the Underworld former Napoli, Lyon, and Roma manager, who will be formally introduced to the press later in the day.
READ MORE: Nuri Sahin Fired As Borussia Dortmund Head Coach
Garcia’s task will be to rejuvenate the Red Devils after their early exit from the European Championship and underwhelming performances in the Nations League.
Belgium recently parted ways with Tedesco, who had been in charge since February 2023.
The Italian-German coach was brought in to rebuild the squad following the departure of the country’s celebrated “golden generation” under Roberto Martinez but failed to deliver the expected results.
The team now faces a critical relegation play-off against Ukraine in March, before beginning their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a trip to North Macedonia in June.
Garcia brings a wealth of experience, having coached top European clubs such as Marseille and Lyon.
He also made his mark at Lille between 2008 and 2013, leading the French side to a Ligue 1 and Coupe de France double in 2011.
However, his most recent role at Napoli in 2023 ended in disappointment after just five months.
Sports
Nuri Sahin Fired As Borussia Dortmund Head Coach
Borussia Dortmund have sacked head coach Nuri Sahin after a disappointing 2-1 loss to Bologna in Tuesday’s Champions League match, marking the club’s fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.
The decision follows a string of poor performances that have left the club in 10th place in the Bundesliga, 20 points adrift of league leaders Bayern Munich.
Sporting CEO Lars Ricken expressed that the club had “lost faith” in Sahin, explaining that the decision was painful but necessary.
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“We have unfortunately lost faith that we will achieve our sporting goals,” Ricken said. “We value Nuri Sahin and his work very much, we hoped for a long collaboration, but after the game in Bologna, this was unavoidable.”
Sahin, who had been promoted to head coach in the summer following his role as assistant to Edin Terzic during Dortmund’s surprise Champions League final run last season, acknowledged the disappointment.
“Unfortunately, I was not able to live up to Dortmund’s sporting ambitions at this point in time. I wish this special club all the best.”
The defeat against Bologna caps a difficult season for the club under Sahin’s stewardship.
Despite their strong showing in last season’s Champions League, where they lost to Real Madrid in the final, Dortmund have struggled in the Bundesliga and were eliminated from the German Cup by Wolfsburg.
Their away form, in particular, has been disastrous, with only four wins and nine losses in 15 matches away from the Westfalenstadion.
Dortmund’s leadership, which has historically favored former players in managerial roles, now faces the task of finding a suitable replacement for Sahin.
German media reports suggest potential successors could include Erik Ten Hag, the former Manchester United boss who has been spotted attending Dortmund games recently, or Roger Schmidt, formerly of Benfica and Bayer Leverkusen.
In the interim, U19 coach Mike Tullberg has been appointed to take charge of the first team, starting with Saturday’s home match against Werder Bremen.
The sacking of Sahin is the latest chapter in a turbulent managerial history for Dortmund since the departure of Jurgen Klopp in 2015, with the club having cycled through eight different head coaches in that time. Only Lucien Favre managed to stay longer than two years.
Sahin’s tenure as manager was a significant moment for Dortmund, as he was one of the club’s own, having come through the ranks and played over 270 games for the team, including being part of the squad that won the 2011 Bundesliga title.
However, his time at the helm of the senior team has proven to be short-lived as Dortmund now seek a new direction.