Newcastle were handed a baptism of fire on their return to the Champions League – AP/Daniel ColeBy Tom Morgan, in MonacoNewcastle United’s imminent Champions League return after a 20 year wait prompted audible gasps in Monaco as they landed the toughest draw.In a fiercely competitive group, Eddie Howe’s men face AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain. Elsewhere, Harry Kane heads to Old Trafford after all – as his new club Bayern Munich face mouthwatering showdowns with Manchester United.The intriguing diplomatic match up of Saudi-owned Newcastle against Qatari-owned PSG in their post Messi and Neymar era is already getting spicy. Sources close to PSG were quick to point out that Newcastle’s growing fanbase in the nation that owns them will be unable to watch legally. The only licensed stream, owned by Doha-based BeIN Sport, continues to be blocked across the border amid geopolitical rivalries.There was no shortage of excitement among beaming Newcastle executives who travelled out for the draw. Chief executive Darren Eales enthused: “After 20 years of being out of the Champions League, what a group to come back to. Wow! It’s a super Group of Death but we are really excited about.”Alan Shearer scores for Newcastle United in their last Champions League group stage victory 21 years ago – Owen Humphreys/PA“It’s a brilliant moment for the city to play those three teams,” added Dan Ashworth, Newcastle’s sporting director. “ An evening in St. James’ Park under the lights in Newcastle is going to be an incredible experience. I think we are on paper one of the strongest teams in pot four and that’s probably why there was an audible gasp when Newcastle were drawn into that pot. I think everybody saw how competitive that group is going to be.”This year’s glamour tie, however, is Kane returning with Bayern Munich to face the club that failed to bid for him this summer. There are other intriguing reunions in the group too. United face their former forward Wilfried Zaha now with Galatasaray and also FC Copenhagen, the former club of Rasmus Hojlund, the striker United chose over Kane this summer.United’s clash with Bayern will draw immediate memories of the club’s finest hour, the Treble win in 1999. But it is the German champions who currently have the upper hand, having won in their last Champions League encounter, in the 2014 quarter-finals.“Manchester United is the highest level in world football,” said Thomas Müller, who was in attendance at the draw. “Matches against English clubs are the icing on the cake in our calendar – accordingly: Let’s go!” Bayern chief executive Jan-Christian Dreesen added: “This is and will remain the pinnacle of club football. Manchester United is one of the really big names in European football, with whom we have a number of historic duels. Since we won the title in Lisbon in 2020, we have now finished three times in the quarter-finals. It is our great wish that things go further this season.”Holders Manchester City, meanwhile, face German side RB Leipzig for the third successive season. City hammered Leipzig 7-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie last season, having also beaten them 6-3 in the group stage the season before last. Also in City’s group are Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade, winners of the European Cup in 1991, and Swiss side Young Boys, with Pep Guardiola’s side seeking to build on their success in Istanbul last season by retaining the title at Wembley next June.European champions Man City take on RB Leipzig for a third successive season – Tim Goode/PA Wire“It is a tough match again against Leipzig,” said City’s director of football Txiki Begiristain. “It will still be a tough group. Any season we have to have new players, we have to refresh the squad and blend in the players and now need to compete. We want to make them better as well. We are happy.”Arsenal, back in the Champions League for the first time since 2016-17, face seven-time Europa League winners Sevilla in Group B. The Gunners, who were runners-up behind City in last season’s Premier League, are also up against Dutch side PSV Eindhoven and French team Lens.PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi, meanwhile, said it was a “tough” draw for his team entering their so-called post-galáctico era. However, he added: “I think it will be a real motivation for the players, for the staff, for the coach, and it’s fantastic.”The first round of group games will be played on Sept 19 and 20, and marks the final season of the group stage in its familiar form. In draws elsewhere, the EFL acknowledged an alphabetic mistake made in Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup third-round draw which resulted in Newcastle drawing Manchester City at home rather than Fulham away.How the Champions League draw unfolded06:17 PM BSTErling Haaland collecting the Uefa men’s player of the year awardI won the Treble at 22 years old, I’m living the dream and feeling really good. I’m so happy, but it gives me so much more motivation to win trophies like the one that was just there [the Champions League].It’s about keeping the head clear. Even more eyes will be on me and the team after winning the Champions League. We have to be more prepared and more sharp.I like when Pep shouts at me, because he tries to get something in my brain that he doesn’t think I have!Manchester City’s Norwegian striker Erling Haaland and FC Barcelona’s Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmati06:08 PM BSTWiegman dedicates her award to the Spanish team in wake of Luis Rubiales kiss scandalThanks everyone for voting, especially colleagues it’s really special and I’m honoured.It feels a little different. We all know the issues around the Spanish team and it really hurts as a coach, as a mother of two daughters, as a wife and a human.I would like to dedicated this award to the Spanish team, who played such great football that everyone enjoyed, and they deserve to be celebrated and listened to.Dutch manager of the England women’s national team Sarina Wiegman06:05 PM BSTSarina Wiegman is on stage collecting her Uefa Women’s Coach of the Year awardWiegman has managed England’s Lionesses to 30 wins in 39 games. She says she is less focused on her winning record than continuing to improve every day with the team, cultivating their style of play and the environment around the squad.05:53 PM BSTThe eight Champions League groupsGroup A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Copenhagen, GalatasarayGroup B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, LensGroup C: Napoli, Real Madrid, Braga, Union BerlinGroup D: Benfica, Inter Milan, Salzburg, Real SociedadGroup E: Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, CelticGroup F: Paris St-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle UnitedGroup G: Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, Young BoysGroup H: Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, Antwerp05:52 PM BSTYoung Boys join Manchester City from pot fourManchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star Belgrade, Young BoysCity will be heavily odds-on to win that group without breaking sweat. Guardiola might even have the freedom to rotate from early on.2023/24 UEFA Champions League group stage draw05:52 PM BSTLens complete Arsenal’s groupSevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, LensMikel Arteta will have no complaints with that. It has the feel of a Europa League group in truth, but the job still needs to be done.Champions League football cup during the draw for the 2023/202405:51 PM BSTManchester United’s group now completeBayern Munich, Manchester United, Copenhagen, GalatasarayOne heavyweight tie, but United should still fancy qualifying for the knockout rounds.23/24 UEFA Champions League group stage draw05:47 PM BSTNewcastle have been handed a real group of death!Paris St-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, Newcastle United.Some cracking nights to look forward to, but almost as tough as it could have been, bar drawing Real Madrid.05:45 PM BSTThe groups that await Newcastle (C, D, E, F or H)Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, CopenhagenGroup B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven,Group C: Napoli, Real Madrid, BragaGroup D: Benfica, Inter Milan, Salzburg, Group E: Feyenoord, Atletico Madrid, LazioGroup F: Paris St-Germain, Borussia Dortmund, AC MilanGroup G: Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Red Star BelgradeGroup H: Barcelona, Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk05:44 PM BSTCopenhagen the third team in Manchester United’s groupThat will make United fans feel more confident after such a tough pot one draw.Red Star Belgrade are the third side in Manchester City’s group.Newcastle out next.05:40 PM BSTArsenal’s group also features PSV…A repeat of last season’s Europa League group stage. A repeat of the 2007 last-16 tie which saw Arsenal knocked out on away goals by Alex’s header.05:35 PM BSTHow the groups look at halfwayGroup A: Bayern Munich, Manchester UnitedGroup B: Sevilla, ArsenalGroup C: Napoli, Real MadridGroup D: Benfica, Inter MilanGroup E: Feyenoord, Atletico MadridGroup F: Paris St-Germain, Borussia DortmundGroup G: Manchester City, RB LeipzigGroup H: Barcelona, Porto05:35 PM BSTManchester City will face RB LeipzigPep Guardiola will not be too upset with that from pot two, a repeat of their tie last season. Gvardiol will face his former club.05:32 PM BSTManchester United are out….And they will face Bayern Munich in Group A!A repeat of the 1999 final, and memories of Sir Alex Ferguson’s “typical Germans” comment after Rafael’s red card in 2010. Plus David Moyes’ only season at Old Trafford.05:30 PM BSTArsenal are out of the bowl….They have a one in six chance of drawing Bayern Munich and Harry Kane…But they have avoided that draw. They will face last year’s Europa League winners Sevilla in Group B.05:28 PM BSTTime for pot two nowArsenal and Manchester United fans stay tuned.05:26 PM BSTHow the eight pot one clubs have been allocatedGroup A: Bayern MunichGroup B: SevillaGroup C: NapoliGroup D: BenficaGroup E: FeyenoordGroup F: Paris St-GermainGroup G: Manchester CityGroup H: Barcelona05:22 PM BSTHere we go!The balls in pot one are being shuffled.05:20 PM BSTJust a reminder on country protection…Teams from the same country cannot meet in the Champions League until the quarter-finals, so there will be no all-Premier League ties. One of the English clubs could face Celtic, though.05:18 PM BSTGiorgio Marchetti is on stageA familiar face to those of us who have sat through these Uefa draws over the years. He says we are about to be given some matches “which will set our hearts racing”.05:16 PM BSTJoe Cole and Eric Abidal the former players involved in the drawAbidal says he has great memories of winning the 2011 final with Barcelona at Wembley.Cole describes Wembley as very romantic venue for English teams, and recalls sneaking into the old Wembley without a ticket as a kid.05:11 PM BSTA piano occupies the stage…no sign of Alexis SanchezChampions League Trophy is displayed at the main stage of Grimaldi Forum05:07 PM BSTWe are now in the hands of Uefa…The draw begins with a solo saxophone piece, which was curiously artistic by the standards of clinical Uefa minimalism. Now we await a succession of montages and introductions before the balls actually start being drawn.04:59 PM BSTJoe Cole is part of today’s drawHe believes everyone will want to avoid Newcastle of the pot four teams (remember, the other English teams cannot draw them). Cole also thinks Arsenal are better positioned to enjoy a run through the tournament than Manchester United.Special guest Joe Cole poses at the red carpet04:53 PM BSTWembley a good omen for City and Guardiola?The City manager has swept up several domestic cups at Wembley but the national stadium has also proved a lucky charm for Guardiola in European competition and hosts this season’s final.Guardiola was part of Johann Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ at Barcelona which won the European Cup for the first time in the club’s history, beating Sampdoria 1-0 at Wembley in 1992. Ronald Koeman scored the winner with a trademark free-kick.He then went on to manage Barcelona to European Cup success at Wembley in 2011, when they pulverised Manchester United.Pep Guardiola of CF Barcelona celebrates the victory for his team04:49 PM BSTLuis Figo is in the buildingUEFA President Aleksander Ceferin04:39 PM BSTA reminder of last night’s resultsThere are 14 winners of the European Cup in the 32-team group stage draw after PSV Eindhoven advanced beyond Rangers in the play-offs.PSV, the European champion in 1988, beat Rangers 5-1 in their play-off second leg to complete a 7-3 aggregate score.Royal Antwerp have not played in the competition since 1957 yet also sealed their place in the draw by winning 2-1 at AEK Athens.Copenhagen completed the line up with a 1-1 draw at home to competition debutant Raków Częstochowa having already won 1-0 in Poland.Luuk de Jong of PSV Eindhoven celebrates the 3-1 during the UEFA Champions League play-off second leg04:37 PM BSTIn case you’ve missed the music over the summer…04:21 PM BSTHow to watch this evening’s drawIn the UK, Champions League rights holders TNT Sports will broadcast the draw live on TNT Sport 1.Alternatively, the draw is being streamed for free on Uefa’s website and YouTube channel.In America, the draw is being shown on Paramount+. American viewers can also watch for free on the Uefa website or YouTube channel.04:07 PM BSTLooks like Inter Milan legend Javier Zanetti will be part of today’s drawFormer Argentinian player Javier Zanetti poses with the UEFA Champions League trophy ahead of the UEFA Champions League04:03 PM BSTNewcastle’s potential opponentsPot one: Sevilla, Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich, PSG, Benfica, FeyenoordPot two: Real Madrid, Inter, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, PortoPot three: Shakhtar Donetsk, Salzburg, AC Milan, Braga, Lazio, Red Star Belgrade, PSVBest-case scenario: Feyenoord, Porto, Copenhagen, Newcastle UnitedWorst-case scenario: Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Newcastle United04:02 PM BSTManchester United’s potential opponentsPot one: Sevilla, Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich, PSG, Benfica, FeyenoordPot three: Shakhtar Donetsk, Salzburg, AC Milan, Braga, Lazio, Red Star Belgrade, PSV, Young BoysPot four: Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Celtic, Union Berlin, Lens, Antwerp, Young BoysBest-case scenario: Feyenoord, Manchester United, Copenhagen, AntwerpWorst-case scenario: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, AC Milan, Real Sociedad04:02 PM BSTArsenal’s potential opponentsPot one: Sevilla, Barcelona, Napoli, Bayern Munich, PSG, Benfica, Feyenoord Pot three: Shakhtar Donetsk, Salzburg, AC Milan, Braga, Lazio, Red Star Belgrade, PSV, CopenhagenPot four: Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Celtic, Union Berlin, Lens, Antwerp, Young BoysBest-case scenario: Feyenoord, Arsenal, Copenhagen, AntwerpWorst-case scenario: Bayern Munich, Arsenal, AC Milan, Real Sociedad04:02 PM BSTManchester City’s potential opponentsPot two: Real Madrid, Inter, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig, PortoPot three: Shakhtar Donetsk, Salzburg, AC Milan, Braga, Lazio, Red Star Belgrade, PSV, CopenhagenPot four: Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, Celtic, Union Berlin, Lens, Antwerp, Young BoysBest-case scenario: Man City, Porto, Salzburg, Young BoysWorst-case scenario: Man City, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Galatasaray04:01 PM BSTThis year’s Champions League potsChampions League 2023-24 group stage pots04:01 PM BSTManchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United await their fateGood evening and welcome to our live coverage of the 2023-24 Champions League group stage draw with Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Newcastle United the Premier League’s four representatives.Pep Guardiola’s City are the European Cup holders after beating Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul in last season’s final, when Rodri’s winner sealed the Treble. City have lost Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona and Kevin De Bruyne to injury, but midfield reinforcements have arrived in the shape of Mateo Kovacic and the imminent signing of Mathues Nunes. City also paid £77.8 million to make Josko Gvardiol the second-most expensive defender ever. The Croatian played against City in this competition with RB Leipzig last season, and City are strong favourites to retain their crown for good reason.Arsenal are returning to Europe’s top club competition for the first time since 2016-17 and Mikel Arteta will be involved in his first Champions League matches as a manager. Arsenal’s record in European competition is poor for a club of their stature, and Arteta did not manage to crack the Europa League in three attempts. That said, the squad is stronger this season and the Champions League will demand greater attention. The balance of power has also shifted decisively towards the Premier League since Arsenal were last in the Champions LeagueWinning the Carabao Cup and securing a top-four finish was viewed as a successful first season at Manchester United for Erik ten Hag, and the three-time European Cup winners have not made it beyond the quarter-finals since 2011. It has been an unconvincing start to the season for United and they are scrambling to add a midfielder and emergency left-back before the close of the transfer window. Their Europa League exit to Sevilla was one of the lows of last season.Newcastle United are making their first appearance in the Champions League since 2002-03. There will be doubts about whether Newcastle have the reserves of quality to compete at home and abroad, but the intensity of Eddie Howe’s team will make St James’ Park an uncompromising venue for any Champions League club. Their long absence from European competition puts them in pot four, leaving them to hope for a favourable draw. A group featuring both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid is a possibility.We expect the draw to commence at 5pm.Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month, then enjoy 1 year for just $9 with our US-exclusive offer.
