Today is d-day for European clubs. The eagely awaited draw for the last 16 of the Uefa champions league will take place at Uefa headquarters in Nyon Switzerland from 1200 CET.
The final which will be held in Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernebeu stadium on 22 May will provide the host club with an opportunity to make history in Europe’s ultimate club tournament. Los Merengues have won this tournament a record 9 times and they will looking to win it for the 10th since acquiring their new ‘galacticos’.
This draw is set to pit European powerhouses in mouth-watering fixtures and there is always the possibility of some of the clubs not making it any further than the last 16. Defending champions Barcelona who qualified in top spot in Group f face a likely fixture against either German, French or Portuguese opposition.
Europe’s 3 big leagues England, Spain and Italy each have 3 teams representing them while Germany and France have 2. Greece and Portugal each have 1 representative. The teams that made it through to the last 16 are no pushovers and am sure that football fans are in for a major treat.
2010 will definitely go down as one of the best footballing years in the history of the sport. The World Cup will for the first time take place in Africa and we cannot forget the other major tournaments that will be a prelude for it – the Africa Cup of Nations and the Uefa Champions League.
It will be very hard to pick a clear favourite to be this year’s European club champions and i don’t want to speculate until the draw is released but i have a stong feeling that holders Barca, Chelsea and Milan will be out to win this trophy at all costs.
