Rivals ready for last-16 draw

Posted Friday, December 18, 2009 by UEFA.com

The draw for the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League takes place at UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, from 12.00CET on Friday with seven former winners of Europe's élite club competition involved.

Madrid lead the way
Nine-time champions Real Madrid CF, whose Santiago Bernabéu Stadium will host the final on 22 May, have reached the knockout phase for a record 14th time while Manchester United FC, last season's beaten finalists, are making a 13th appearance. Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC and Olympique Lyonnais advanced for the seventh successive season while holders FC Barcelona and FC Internazionale Milano are appearing for the sixth straight year.

Italian trio
Eight nations are represented in the draw, with England, Italy and Spain boasting three sides apiece while France and Germany have two and Russia, Portugal and Greece one. PFC CSKA Moskva will make their maiden appearance in the knockout phase and are the first Russian side to progress from the group stage since FC Lokomotiv Moskva in 2003/04. No Italian team reached the quarter-finals last season and AC Milan, ACF Fiorentina and Inter will be determined to ensure that does not happen again as they await their fate in Nyon on Friday.

Last-16 dates
Clubs from the same association cannot be drawn against each other in the last 16, nor can winners and runners-up from the same group. The runners-up will play the first leg of their last-16 tie at home. The first knockout round first-leg ties will be played on 16/17 and 23/24 February with the second legs scheduled for 9/10 and 16/17 March.

Holders Barcelona defeated FC Dynamo Kyiv on Matchday 6 to reach the last 16