Defending European champion Bayern Munich landed English champ Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal draw on Friday, while Real Madrid was paired with Borussia Dortmund,Chelsea drew Paris Saint-Germain, and Barcelona will meet Atletico Madrid in an all-Spanish clash.
Barca sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, who noted his team’sfamiliarity with opponent Atletico, described these as “the most powerful quarterfinals in history.” He added: “There was nobody in the draw who you think you want to get. Theyare all great matchups. Anyone who likes soccer will enjoy themselves. This is the draw and we must accept it.”
On his official Twitter account, Bayern sporting director MatthiasSammer warned that his team’s series with United could prove to be tricky. “In the last 16 return leg, they showed they are capable of great things. On good days, they areextremely dangerous,” he said. “We must not allow them to have two good days. I think the draw is doable, but also dangerous.”
Meanwhile, Dortmund CEO AkiWatzke lamented the BVB’s draw with Real Madrid. “There was no easy draw, but it’s not that nice that we have to play them for the third time in 18 months,” he said.“We are rank outsiders. It’s the same [Madrid] team, really. They’ve swapped [Gareth] Bale for [Mesut] Ozil but Real, alongside Bayern Munich, arethe best team in Europe right now. It’s very difficult task indeed.”