Ivan Rakitić, the former Barcelona and Sevilla midfielder, was today selected by UEFA to conduct the draw for the Champions League Round of 16 in Nyon, Switzerland. The draw, which began at 12:00 CET, paired the eight group winners with the eight playoff victors, setting the stage for the knockout phase of the competition.
Rakitić’s presence at the draw is notable given his own Champions League pedigree. He scored the opening goal in Barcelona’s 3-1 victory over Juventus in the 2015 final, becoming the first player to win both the Champions League and the Europa League with two different clubs – a feat he achieved after previously winning the Europa League with Sevilla in 2014 [Ivan Rakitić – Wikipedia].
The draw produced the following pairings for the Round of 16:
- Arsenal or Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen or Atalanta
- Liverpool or Tottenham v Atletico Madrid or Galatasaray
- Barcelona or Chelsea v Newcastle or Paris Saint-Germain
- Sporting or Manchester City v Real Madrid or Bodø/Glimt
The first legs are scheduled for March 10 and 11, with the second legs taking place on March 17, and 18. Seeding ensures that the eight group winners will host the second leg of their ties.
Elsewhere in European football, Celtic secured a 1-0 victory over VfB Stuttgart in the Europa League, though the German side progressed to the Round of 16 with an aggregate score of 4-2 [Europa League – VfB Stuttgart 0-1 Celtic (agg: 4-2)]. Crystal Palace also advanced in the Europa Conference League, defeating Zrinjski Mostar 2-0 for a 3-1 aggregate win [Europa Conference League – Crystal Palace 2-0 Zrinjski Mostar (agg: 3-1)]. Nottingham Forest similarly progressed in the Europa League, overcoming Fenerbahce 2-1 on aggregate despite a 1-2 loss in the second leg [Europa League – Nottingham Forest 1-2 Fenerbahce (agg: 4-2)].
Back in the Premier League, Liverpool manager Arne Slot addressed concerns over Mo Salah’s recent goalscoring drought, the worst of his Premier League career, stating that the Egyptian’s high standards are the cause of the scrutiny [Liverpool: Mo Salah is in his worst goalscoring drought]. Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe joked that he was relieved his side avoided Manchester City in the draw, acknowledging his poor record against Pep Guardiola [Newcastle United: With the draw for the Round of 16 looming].
The Football Association announced the appointment of Kevin Thelwell as its Elite Coach Developer, tasked with fostering the development of homegrown coaches [Football Association news: Kevin Thelwell].
Rakitić, who recently concluded his playing career with Hajduk Split after a stint in the Saudi Pro League, was present in Nyon alongside representatives from Barcelona, Deco and Bojan Krkic, and Real Madrid, Emilio Butragueño [Rakitic, un campeón de Europa con el Barça como mano inocente del …]. The outcome of the draw leaves clubs and fans awaiting the first legs in March, with the promise of compelling matchups and high stakes.
