MONACO: Newcastle United were handed a tough return to the UEFA Champions League group stage on Thursday as the Magpies were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain, seven-time champions AC Milan and 1997 winners Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern Munich’s new signing Harry Kane will return to England to face Manchester United in a group that also includes Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Man United beat Bayern in the 1999 final after an injury-time comeback.
Record 14-time champion Real Madrid plays Napoli, Braga and debutant Union Berlin.
Man City, the defending champion, got a favorable draw and will play Leipzig for the third straight season, plus Red Star Belgrade and Young Boys.
Last season’s finalist Inter Milan will play Benfica – which it beat in the quarterfinals – plus Salzburg and Real Sociedad.
Barcelona was drawn with Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk and Royal Antwerp, another Champions League debutant which last played in the competition in the old European Cup in 1957.
Arsenal’s return after six years away will be against Sevilla, PSV Eindhoven and Lens.
Feyenoord, the 1970 European Cup winner, was grouped with the team it beat in that final, Celtic, plus Atlético Madrid and Lazio.
Teams from 15 different nations were in the draw, including 14 former European champions who have combined to win 48 titles in the competition’s 68-year history.
Games start Sept. 19 and group-stage play ends Dec. 13.
C on June 1.
Newcastle United drawn with PSG, Milan and Dortmund in UEFA Champions League group stage
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Newcastle United drawn with PSG, Milan and Dortmund in UEFA Champions League group stage
- Knockout stage starts in February, final at Wembley Stadium in London in June
Campaigners demand action after 4 Premier League players racially abused on ‘appalling weekend’
- Anti-discrimination campaigners have bemoaned an “appalling weekend” in the Premier League after four players were targeted with racial abuse on their social media accounts following games
- It said “this has been an appalling weekend after four players called out the racist abuse they’ve received on social media. But the sad fact is, we know it happens regularly”
LONDON: Anti-discrimination campaigners bemoaned an “appalling weekend” in the Premier League after four players were targeted with racial abuse on their social media accounts following games.
Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana and Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri shared images of racist messages they were sent privately over Instagram following their teams’ match at Stamford Bridge on Saturday that finished 1-1.
Wolverhampton striker Tolu Arokodare showed racially aggravated messages he received on Instagram after a 1-0 loss at Crystal Palace on Sunday, during which he had a penalty saved.
Sunderland said its winger, Romaine Mundle, was also subjected to “vile online racist abuse” after his substitute appearance in a 3-1 home loss to Fulham.
Kick It Out, a British-based anti-discrimination charity, repeated its calls for platforms to do more to address the problem.
“This has been an appalling weekend after four players called out the racist abuse they’ve received on social media. But the sad fact is, we know it happens regularly,” the organization said.
“The message from them is loud and clear: action must follow. Players cannot be expected to tolerate this behavior, and nor should anyone else.”
The Premier League also condemned the abuse of the players.
“There are serious consequences for anybody found guilty of discrimination and we will offer our full support with their investigations,” the competition said. “Football is for everyone — there is no room for racism.”
The 22-year-old Mundle has since deleted his Instagram account, the Sunderland Echo newspaper reported.
The incidents came days after UEFA began an investigation into claims by Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior that he was racially abused on the field by Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni during a Champions League game in Lisbon.
