27 Aug 2010

Groups named for Champions League

2:56 pm on 27 August 2010

Tottenham Hotspur's return to elite European football competition for the first time in 48 years may not last long - Spurs have drawn champions Inter Milan and top German side Werder Bremen along with perennial Dutch challengers FC Twente in the Champions League group stage.

Jose Mourinho, who left Inter Milan for Real Madrid after leading Inter to their first European Cup success for 45 years in May, returns to the San Siro to face AC Milan with Real in a group that also includes Ajax Amsterdam and Auxerre.

Bayern Munich, who lost May's final to Inter in Madrid, will face AS Roma, Basel and CFR Cluj in their opening matches.

Chelsea, who lost an all-English final in Moscow to Manchester United in 2008, will return to the Russian capital to face Spartak Moscow in their group, which also includes Olympique Marseille and Zilina.

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who once played for Rangers and has strong links with Glasgow will return to his home city after United were grouped with Rangers, Valencia and Bursaspor.

Arsenal will play Shakhtar Donetsk, Braga and Partizan Belgrade.

Spanish giants Barcelona, European champions in 2009, face Panathinaikos, FC Copenhagen and Russians Rubin Kazan, who scored a shock win over Barca at the Nou Camp last season in the group stage.