Mancini now says he wants to win the Quadruple
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Manchester City prepare to face the big boys ahead of Champions League draw
Thursday, 25 August 2011
Time: 12:00 am - (Live) (Friday Morning)
Mio Channel 110 / 102 in HD
Manchester City could be paired with holders Barcelona in Thursday's Champions League draw.
Making their debut in Europe's elite competition, big-spending City may be handed a baptism of fire when the balls are drawn in Monaco at 5pm.
Placed in pot three because of their previous success, City could face Barcelona in the group stages.
Even if they avoid the champions, a double-header against the likes of Real Madrid, Inter Milan or Bayern Munich could await.
The other English clubs - Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal - are among the top seeds hoping for favourable draws for the group stages.
However, there are some tough sides lurking in the lower pots. AC Milan and Spanish duo Valencia and Villarreal are in pot two, while Ajax and German champions Borussia Dortmund are in pots three and four respectively.
UEFA rules prevent clubs from the same country being placed in the same group, but City could still find themselves up against Barcelona, Milan and Dortmund in a glamorous group.
UEFA distributed £663million in prize money and bonuses among the clubs that played in last season's group stage.
The 32 clubs in the draw are set to share at least the same amount as a three-year cycle of broadcasting and sponsorship deals ends next May after the final in Munich.
UEFA rules prevent clubs from the same country being placed in the same group, but City could still find themselves up against Barcelona, Milan and Dortmund in a glamorous group.
UEFA distributed £663million in prize money and bonuses among the clubs that played in last season's group stage.
The 32 clubs in the draw are set to share at least the same amount as a three-year cycle of broadcasting and sponsorship deals ends next May after the final in Munich.
POT 1
Manchester United
Barcelona
Chelsea
Bayern Munich
Arsenal
Real Madrid
Porto
Inter MilanPOT 2
AC Milan
Lyon
Shakhtar Donetsk
Valencia
Benfica
Villarreal
CSKA Moscow
MarseillePOT 3
Zenit St Petersburg
Ajax
Bayer Leverkusen
Olympiakos
Manchester City
Lille
Basel
BATE BorisovPOT 4
Borussia Dortmund
Napoli
Dynamo Zagreb
APOEL Nicosia
Genk
FC Viktoria Plzen
Otelul Galati
TrabzonsporKey dates
Matchday 1
September 13-14Matchday 2
September 27-28Matchday 3
October 18-19Matchday 4
November 1-2Matchday 5
November 22-23Matchday 6
December 6-7Round of 16
February 14-22, 2012Round of 16
March 6-14, 2012Quarter-finals
March 27-28, 2012Quarter-finals
April 3-4, 2012Semi-finals
April, 17-18, 2012Semi-finals
April, 24-25, 2012Final: May 19, 2012, Munich
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Hope barcelona meet man city
Barcelona
AC Milan
Man City
Napoli
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where's liverpool?
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Pot one: Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Porto, Inter Milan.
Pot two: Shakhtar Donetsk, Lyon, Villarreal, AC Milan, Valencia, Marseille, CSKA Moscow, Benfica.
Pot three: Zenit St Petersburg, Manchester City, Olympiakos, Ajax, Bayer Leverkusen, Basle, Lille, BATE.
Pot four: Borussia Dortmund, Dinamo Zagreb, Napoli, APOEL, Genk, Trabzonspor, Otelul Galati, Viktoria Plzen.
The worst group to be in would be...
Barcelona - Spain Champion
AC Milan - Italy Champion
Manchester City
Borussia Dortmund - German Champion
Also don't get these far away clubs too...
CSKA Moscow
Zenit St Petersburg
Trabzonspor
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A lot of new uuheard of teams from pot 3 and 4 this time...
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Pot four:
Group A
Bayern Munich
Villarreal
Manchester City
Napoli
Group B
Inter Milan
CSKA Moscow
Lille
Trabzonspor
Group C
Manchester United
Benfica
Basle
Otelul Galati
Group D
Real Madrid
Lyon
Ajax
Dinamo Zagreb
Group E
Chelsea
Valencia
Bayer Leverkusen
Genk
Group F
Arsenal
Marseille
Olympiakos
Borussia Dortmund
Group G
Porto
Shakhtar Donetsk
Zenit St Petersburg
APOEL
Group H
Barcelona
AC Milan
BATE
Viktoria Plzen
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Arsenal so unlucky that everything they do they get the short end of the stick...
Toughest group amongst the English sides...
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city tie also tough, but villareal is not as strong as before. I will be surprised if city dun qualify for last 16.
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Roberto Mancini wants to win the Quadruple with Manchester City
JUST CHAMPION ... Roberto Mancini is plotting a four-trophy haul this seasonROBERTO MANCINI watched Manchester City dodge a Champions League group of death.
Then he demanded: I want to win all FOUR trophies now.
City — making their Champions League debut — drew Bayern Munich, Napoli and Villarreal in Group A.
The draw was also relatively kind on neighbours United, Chelsea and Arsenal who can now all realistically expect to make the last-16 stage.
German giants Bayern will be tough opposition for City but the draw did nothing to dampen their determination to go for a grand slam of trophies.
City football executive Brian Marwood said: "Given how we've built the squad over the last three years we feel we can have a tilt at four competitions. That's the whole reason for putting the squad together we have done.
"Speaking to Roberto in the summer and talking about the players he wanted to bring in, it was an ambition of his to compete for four trophies and that's how we start."
One look at the history books shows just how far City have come to even be involved at this stage of the Champions League.
Back in 1999, when United won their historic treble, City scrambled through an old Second Division play-off final against Gillingham.
Marwood, emerging from the glitzy auditorium where he sat with representatives from clubs such as Barcelona, Milan — and United — added: "I'd have loved some of our fans to have sat there who went through those dark days over the last 15 years.
"The football club is making history — it's the first time it has ever competed at this level.
"For us it's another step forward. We want to be in there and we want to try and win it."
Samir Nasri, the new arrival from Arsenal, insisted City fear nobody.
He said: "I'm not even scared of Barcelona or anyone else in the Champions League with the squad we've got."
For Sergio Aguero, another City new boy, the draw means a visit to Napoli where his father-in-law, the legendary Diego Maradona, was a hero.
United got a comfortable Group C against Benfica, FC Basle and Romanians Otelul Galati. Bookies shortened their odds to 11-2.
Arsenal, who emerged from their Champions League qualifier against Udinese on Wednesday, were content with their Group F draw. New captain Robin Van Persie was obviously confident, he tweeted a smiley face.
Chelsea's £26m arrival Juan Mata could hardly have believed his Group E opposition.
He was handed an immediate return to Valencia. the club he has just left.
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even if city won the Quadruple, they bought the titles.
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No la, u cannot say they buy the titles they aiming... ultimately its the players and not the moneys that is kicking the ball on the field.
Anyway i wan to give my prediction for this 11/12 season!
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if u got the money, u can buy a lot of world class players.
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then did chelsea buy their EPL titles too?
money is one part of the game.
as an example, if you play the fantasy EPL and got unlimited amount of $, not likely you will get highest scoring squad too
look at arsenal and everton. in such decline because they never spend / cannot spend to bring in any new players
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yes agreed, but they spent more than other clubs.
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try winning the premiership first then talk big.