Champions League Draw

According to Eurosport, Tottenham Hotspur could be handed a tough group for the 2010-2011 UEFA Champions League after being drawn in Pot Three along with seven other clubs. Harry Redknapp’s side could find themselves grouped with holders Internazionale or Real Madrid when the draw is made in the French principality of Monaco in a few hours time.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal will all be among the top seeds at the UEFA Champions League, but could still find themselves facing Real Madrid in the group stage. Being in the top pot means the trio will avoid the likes of defending champions Inter Milan, Barcelona and beaten finalists Bayern Munich.

UEFA Champions League

Tottenham, who qualified yesterday after beating New Boys Berne 4-0 at White Hart Lane, could face an uphill task to qualify for the knockout stages given UEFA’s seeding rules. Their reward for the win that secured their place in the group stages of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 1961-62 is a place in the third pot of eight clubs alongside Rangers, meaning they are likely to be handed a pulsating draw.

UEFA’s rules for the draw will see the 32 qualified teams allocated into eight groups of four teams. Each group will contain a top seed, plus one club each from the second, third and fourth pots.

No English sides can play each other before the quarter-finals..

Pot one: Inter Milan(Italy), Barcelona(Spain), Manchester United(England), Chelsea(England), Arsenal(England), Bayern Munich(Germany), AC Milan(Italy), Lyon(France).

Pot two: Werder Bremen(Germany), Real Madrid(Spain), Roma(Italy), Shakhtar Donetsk(The Ukraine), Benfica(Portugal), Valencia(Spain), Marseille(France), Panathinaikos(Greece).

Pot three: Tottenham(England), Rangers(Scotland), Ajax(Holland), Schalke(Germany), Basel(Switzerland), Braga(Portugal), FC Copenhagen(Denmark), Spartak Moscow(Russia).

Pot four: Hapoel Tel Aviv(Israel), FC Twente(Holland), Rubin Kazan(Russia), Auxerre(France), CFR Cluj(Romania), Partizan Belgrade(Serbia), MSK Zilina(Slovakia), Bursaspor(Turkey).