Madrid Gets Chelsea, City to Meet Bayern in Champions League

UEFA Champions League final ambassador Turkish former footballer Hamit Altintop shows the paper slip of Real Madrid CF (ESP) during the draw for the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League football tournament, in Nyon, on March 17, 2023. (AFP)
UEFA Champions League final ambassador Turkish former footballer Hamit Altintop shows the paper slip of Real Madrid CF (ESP) during the draw for the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League football tournament, in Nyon, on March 17, 2023. (AFP)
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Madrid Gets Chelsea, City to Meet Bayern in Champions League

UEFA Champions League final ambassador Turkish former footballer Hamit Altintop shows the paper slip of Real Madrid CF (ESP) during the draw for the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League football tournament, in Nyon, on March 17, 2023. (AFP)
UEFA Champions League final ambassador Turkish former footballer Hamit Altintop shows the paper slip of Real Madrid CF (ESP) during the draw for the quarter-final, semi-final and final of the 2022-2023 UEFA Champions League football tournament, in Nyon, on March 17, 2023. (AFP)

Real Madrid’s path to another Champions League title will have to go through Chelsea in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

Friday's draw takes Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti back to face his former club, which was eliminated by a goal from Karim Benzema in extra time a year ago.

This time, the first leg between the past two Champions League winners will be in Madrid instead of London — on April 11 or 12.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola also has a reunion with a former club. The English champions were drawn to face Bayern Munich, which has won all eight of its game in the competition this season and will play the first leg away from home.

The winner between City and Bayern will go on to play Madrid or Chelsea in the semifinals.

The other half of the draw is dominated by Italian clubs with the possibility of a Milan derby in the semifinals.

AC Milan will first face Napoli, the runaway Serie A leader which is making its debut in the quarterfinals of the Champions League or the old European Cup. The first leg is at San Siro.

Inter Milan will play at Benfica in the first leg, returning to the country where it eliminated Porto in the round of 16.

Inter is playing at this stage of the competition for the first time in 12 years, while Milan is ending an 11-year wait.

Six former champions who have combined for 34 titles in the 68-year history of the competition were in the draw. Only Napoli and Man City have yet to be European champions.

The first legs will be played on April 11 and 12. The return games are scheduled for April 18 and 19.

The semifinal matches will be played between May 9-17 and the final is set for June 10 at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul.



Sancho Joins Chelsea on Loan from Manchester United

Soccer Football - Community Shield - Manchester United v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 10, 2024 Manchester United's Jadon Sancho has his shot saved by Manchester City's Ederson during the penalty shoot-out REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Soccer Football - Community Shield - Manchester United v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 10, 2024 Manchester United's Jadon Sancho has his shot saved by Manchester City's Ederson during the penalty shoot-out REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
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Sancho Joins Chelsea on Loan from Manchester United

Soccer Football - Community Shield - Manchester United v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 10, 2024 Manchester United's Jadon Sancho has his shot saved by Manchester City's Ederson during the penalty shoot-out REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Soccer Football - Community Shield - Manchester United v Manchester City - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - August 10, 2024 Manchester United's Jadon Sancho has his shot saved by Manchester City's Ederson during the penalty shoot-out REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

Chelsea have signed English winger Jadon Sancho from Manchester United on a season-long loan deal, British media reported on Saturday.

Sancho joined Chelsea on the final day of the transfer window, with a deal sheet being submitted to the Premier League to sign him after the 11 p.m. deadline had passed.

The BBC reported Chelsea have an obligation to make the move permanent for a fee of 20 million-25 million pounds ($59.1 million).

According to Reuters, Sancho joined United in 2021 from Borussia Dortmund on a five-year contract, but had a public falling-out with manager Erik ten Hag last year which led to him returning to Dortmund on loan in January this year until the end of the season.

The 24-year-old made a substitute appearance in United's penalty shootout defeat by Manchester City in the Community Shield earlier this month but was not included in Ten Hag's squad for their two opening league games.

Sancho made 83 appearances for United, scoring 12 goals and has played 23 times for England. He was one of the players who failed to convert a penalty in the Euro 2020 final shootout which England lost to Italy.

Chelsea host Crystal Palace in their next league game on Sunday.