BREAKING: UEFA announce Champions League draw will be redone after material error

UEFA have confirmed that they will repeat the Champions League round of 16 draw after making major mistakes during the ceremony.

UEFA held the draw for round 16 of the Champions League today. The event saw some mouth-watering fixtures being lined up for the knockout stages of the tournament.

Manchester United were drawn against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), setting up a clash between arch-rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Atletico Madrid were also set to face Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich in what could have been another exciting tie.

However, fans and journalists were quick to notice major botches in the draw that took place at UEFA headquarters in Switzerland. The organisers are understood to have made three major mistakes during the event.

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Manchester United were added to the pot for Villarreal's draw despite facing them in the group stages of the competition. Similarly, Liverpool were added to the pot for Atletico Madrid's draw despite the two sides progressing from the same group.

Manchester United's ball was also excluded from the pot for Atletico Madrid's draw for no apparent reason. Major mistakes during the round of 16 draw sparked a controversy during the draw.

Many believed UEFA rigged the draw to purposefully pit Manchester United against PSG. Clubs were also left confused and demanded clarification from the authority.

Several clubs also reportedly complained about the botched draw and want it to be done again. UEFA have now admitted their mistake and confirmed that the draw will be conducted again.

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About the author

Dakir is a European and Indian football journalist at Sportskeeda with an overall experience of 10 years. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism & Mass Communication, and currently pursuing Master’s in Sports Journalism from Sheffield Hallam University, he is a seasoned football journalist who has interviewed the likes of former Liverpool star John Arne Riise, covered the entire 2022-23 Indian Super League season of the Kerala Blasters, and has delivered a seminar at an international conference held by St. Albert's College, Ernakulam.

Thanks to his extensive academic background in journalism, Dakir understands the importance of accuracy and spends a significant amount of time researching the subject. In today’s data-driven world of football, where players are perceived as machines, he prides himself amplify the voices of the people that make football the beautiful game that it is.

He started following football in 2013, and more specifically, Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool, and admires Jurgen Klopp for his untouched charisma and unmatched legacy. A perpetual underdog supporter, he is a fan of under-fire Reds forward Darwin Nunez and can’t wait for him to show the world what he truly is. Trent Alexander-Arnold’s iconic “corner taken quickly” corner assist for Divock Origi in Liverpool’s 4-0 UCL semifinal win over Barcelona left a lasting impact on him.

When not writing, Dakir enjoys indulging in his guilty pleasure - watching mass commercial movies.

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Edited by Ritwik Kumar