Here are some of the best quotes — including a cameo from Eric Cantona — following Thursday’s draw for this season’s group stage in Monaco:
“Napoli again! I don’t know how often I’ve now played against Napoli, but they’re obviously a very experienced side. I will need now to have another, closer look at Genk and Salzburg, but I already know they are very young, very exciting and very fresh, so it will be interesting 100 per cent.” – Jurgen Klopp on the task awaiting holders Liverpool in the group stage.
“I think it’s a brilliant group! Good opponents and obviously playing against Liverpool, that’s a huge game, a superb team and an unbelievable challenge.” — Salzburg coach Jesse Marsch on playing reigning champions, Liverpool.
“Tough group, like always, the group stage is always like that but we are confident. We are Juventus and we are looking forward to starting well in the Champions League. It is a difficult competition to win but we are very confident for this year.” — Cristiano Ronaldo after Juventus were drawn to face Atletico Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Lokomotiv Moscow in Group D.
“We have shown we can win trophies and win the Premier League and we just have to be ourselves. In the Champions League, everything has to be perfect because if you have one mistake in the quarter-finals, you are out.” — Manchester City director of football Txiki Begiristain.
“I’m a little upset about Manchester City. Now it’s three years in a row.” — Shakhtar Donetsk forward Junior Moraes bemoans his side’s bad luck.
“Manchester City are a team from another world.” — Dinamo Zagreb captain Arijan Ademi.
“A few of us from the team were stood together at breakfast this morning and we all agreed that we’d love to draw Barcelona. Buzzing that it’s actually happened.” — Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus.
“That really is a very tough group, which makes it an even bigger challenge for us.” — Lucien Favre after seeing his Dortmund team drawn against Barcelona and Inter Milan.
“We know like every year that we will have to be up and ready from the very first match. We will prepare in order to perform from the beginning.” — PSG coach Thomas Tuchel, with his perennial under-achievers to face record 13-time winners Real Madrid.
“I think the race for the top two places will be between us and Tottenham. Tottenham are a really good side and showed it in the Champions League last year and in pre-season at the Audi Cup.” — Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer on being drawn in the same group as Tottenham, who drew 2-2 with the Germans in a pre-season tournament in Munich.
“Against Tottenham, last season’s finalists, we have a good chance to show that we can compete against top-level European sides.” — Bayern defender Joshua Kimmich.
“As flies to wanton boys we are for the gods, they kill us for their sport. Soon the science will not only be able to slow down the ageing of the cells, soon the science will fix the cells to the state and so we will become eternal. Only accidents, crimes, wars, will still kill us but unfortunately, crimes, wars, will multiply. I love football. Thank you.” — Cantona’s speech after the Frenchman collected the UEFA President’s award at the ceremony in Monaco.
Source: AFP
