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Champions League Draw Serves up a Madrid Derby, Bayern vs. Leverkusen and Liverpool-PSG 

Former Bayern Munich striker Giovane Elber shows the ticket of Atletico Madrid during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draws, at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, 21 February 2025. (EPA)
Former Bayern Munich striker Giovane Elber shows the ticket of Atletico Madrid during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draws, at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, 21 February 2025. (EPA)
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Champions League Draw Serves up a Madrid Derby, Bayern vs. Leverkusen and Liverpool-PSG 

Former Bayern Munich striker Giovane Elber shows the ticket of Atletico Madrid during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draws, at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, 21 February 2025. (EPA)
Former Bayern Munich striker Giovane Elber shows the ticket of Atletico Madrid during the UEFA Champions League round of 16, quarter-final and semi-final draws, at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, 21 February 2025. (EPA)

A Madrid derby. A German classic. A rare meeting between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.

The Champions League got more heavyweight clashes when the draw for the round of 16 was made Friday.

Defending champion Real Madrid’s reward for ousting 2023 title winner Manchester City is two city derbies against Atletico Madrid — the team it beat in the final in 2014 and 2016.

Bayern Munich was paired with Bayer Leverkusen — the Bundesliga leader against its defending champion, who played a tight 0-0 draw just last weekend.

Liverpool was the top-seeded team in the draw after finishing first in the 36-team standings last month but still got a tough assignment as the Premier League leader was paired with No. 15 seed PSG.

Liverpool and PSG have never met in knockout games in the Champions League or the old European Cup. Their previous meetings were in the group stage in 2018-19, trading home wins in a season that ended with Liverpool winning its sixth European Cup title.

The first-leg games will be played March 4-5, with the return games one week later.

Also in the draw, No. 2 seed Barcelona was paired with Benfica — which it beat 5-4 in Lisbon one month ago — Arsenal will face PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan plays Feyenoord.

Club Brugge, which got into the knockout stage in the 24th and final qualification place, will face Aston Villa, which it already beat in November. Borussia Dortmund will play Lille.

The Madrid and German matchups were not possible in the old Champions League format where teams from the same country could not face each other in the round of 16. The new tennis-style seeded bracket allows for those derbies, and for teams to reunite after already playing each other in the league phase of the competition.

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Sports

Forest Great Robertson, 'Picasso of Our Game', Dies at 72

FILE PHOTO: Football - Nottingham Forest v West Ham United - Coca-Cola Football League Championship - 04/05 - The City Ground , 26/9/04 Former Nottingham Forest players Peter Shilton , John Robertson , Tony Woodcock and Frank Clark at the City Ground to pay respects to the late Brian Clough Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Michael Regan/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Football - Nottingham Forest v West Ham United - Coca-Cola Football League Championship - 04/05 - The City Ground , 26/9/04 Former Nottingham Forest players Peter Shilton , John Robertson , Tony Woodcock and Frank Clark at the City Ground to pay respects to the late Brian Clough Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Michael Regan/File Photo
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Forest Great Robertson, 'Picasso of Our Game', Dies at 72

FILE PHOTO: Football - Nottingham Forest v West Ham United - Coca-Cola Football League Championship - 04/05 - The City Ground , 26/9/04 Former Nottingham Forest players Peter Shilton , John Robertson , Tony Woodcock and Frank Clark at the City Ground to pay respects to the late Brian Clough Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Michael Regan/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Football - Nottingham Forest v West Ham United - Coca-Cola Football League Championship - 04/05 - The City Ground , 26/9/04 Former Nottingham Forest players Peter Shilton , John Robertson , Tony Woodcock and Frank Clark at the City Ground to pay respects to the late Brian Clough Mandatory Credit: Action Images / Michael Regan/File Photo

John Robertson, the Nottingham Forest winger described by his manager Brian Clough as "a Picasso of our game", has ​died at the age of 72, the Premier League club said on Thursday.

He was a key member of Clough's all-conquering Forest team, assisting Trevor Francis's winner in their 1979 European Cup final victory over Malmo before scoring himself ‌to sink Hamburg ‌in the 1980 final.

"We ‌are ⁠heartbroken ​to ‌announce the passing of Nottingham Forest legend and dear friend, John Robertson," Forest said in a statement, Reuters reported.

"A true great of our club and a double European Cup winner, John’s unrivalled talent, humility and unwavering devotion ⁠to Nottingham Forest will never ever be forgotten."

Robertson spent ‌most of his career ‍at the City ‍Ground, making over 500 appearances across two ‍stints at the club.

Clough once described him as a "scruffy, unfit, uninterested waste of time" who became "one of the finest deliverers of a football ​I have ever seen", usually with his cultured left foot.

Robertson was a ⁠stalwart of Forest's meteoric rise from the second division to winning the English first division title the following season in 1978 before the two European Cup triumphs.

He earned 28 caps for Scotland, scoring the winning goal against England in 1981, and served as assistant manager to former Forest teammate Martin O'Neill at several clubs, including ‌Aston Villa.

"Rest in peace, Robbo... Our greatest," Forest said.

Sports

Morocco Coach Dismisses Aguerd Injury Talk, Backs Ait Boudlal ahead of Mali Test

Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Morocco v South Africa - Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, Ivory Coast - January 30, 2024 Morocco coach Walid Regragui reacts REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Morocco v South Africa - Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, Ivory Coast - January 30, 2024 Morocco coach Walid Regragui reacts REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
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Morocco Coach Dismisses Aguerd Injury Talk, Backs Ait Boudlal ahead of Mali Test

Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Morocco v South Africa - Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, Ivory Coast - January 30, 2024 Morocco coach Walid Regragui reacts REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
Soccer Football - Africa Cup of Nations - Round of 16 - Morocco v South Africa - Laurent Pokou Stadium, San Pedro, Ivory Coast - January 30, 2024 Morocco coach Walid Regragui reacts REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko

Morocco coach Walid Regragui has dismissed reports that defender Nayef Aguerd is injured, saying the center back was fit and ready for ​Friday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group A clash against Mali.

"Who told you Aguerd is injured? He’s training as usual and has no problems," Regragui told reporters, Reuters reported.

Regragui confirmed captain Romain Saiss will miss the game with a muscle injury sustained against Comoros in their tournament ‌opener, while ‌full back Achraf Hakimi, ‌recently ⁠crowned ​African Player ‌of the Year, is recovering from an ankle problem sustained with Paris St Germain last month and could feature briefly. "Hakimi is doing well and we’ll make the best decision for him," Regragui said. The coach also heaped praise on 19-year-old ⁠defender Abdelhamid Ait Boudlal, calling him "a great talent".

"I’ve been following ‌him for years. I called ‍him up a ‍year and a half ago when he was ‍a substitute at Rennes and people criticized me. Today everyone is praising him – that shows our vision is long-term," Regragui said. "We must not burn the ​player. We’ll use him at the right time. We’ll see if he starts tomorrow ⁠or comes in later."

Ait Boudlal echoed his coach's confidence.

"We know the responsibility we carry. Every game is tough and requires full concentration. We listen carefully to the coach’s instructions and aim to deliver a performance that meets fans’ expectations," he said.

Morocco opened the tournament with a 2-0 win over Comoros and will secure qualification with victory over Mali at Rabat’s Prince Moulay Abdellah ‌Stadium.

"It will be a tough match against a strong team," Regragui added.

Sports

Mali Coach Saintfiet Hits out at European Clubs, FIFA over AFCON Changes

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet pictured at his team's opening AFCON game against Zambia in Casablanca on Monday © Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP/File
Mali coach Tom Saintfiet pictured at his team's opening AFCON game against Zambia in Casablanca on Monday © Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP/File
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Mali Coach Saintfiet Hits out at European Clubs, FIFA over AFCON Changes

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet pictured at his team's opening AFCON game against Zambia in Casablanca on Monday © Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP/File
Mali coach Tom Saintfiet pictured at his team's opening AFCON game against Zambia in Casablanca on Monday © Abdel Majid BZIOUAT / AFP/File

Mali coach Tom Saintfiet on Thursday railed against the decision to play the Africa Cup of Nations every four years instead of two, insisting the move was forced upon the continent by FIFA and European clubs motivated by money.

"I am very shocked with it and very disappointed. It is the pride of African football, with the best players in African football," the Belgian told reporters in Rabat ahead of Friday's AFCON clash between Mali and Morocco, AFP reported.

"To take it away and make it every four years, I could understand if it was a request for any reason from Africa, but it is all instructed by the big people from (European governing body) UEFA, the big clubs in Europe and also FIFA and that makes it so sad."

Saintfiet, 52, has managed numerous African national teams including Gambia, who he led to the quarter-finals of the 2022 Cup of Nations.

He was appointed by Mali in August last year and on Friday will lead them out against current AFCON hosts in a key Group A game at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.

The Cup of Nations has almost always been held at two-year intervals since the first edition in 1957 but Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe last weekend announced that the tournament would go ahead every four years after a planned 2028 tournament.

"We fought for so long to be respected, to then listen to Europe to change your history -- because this is a history going back 68 years -- only because of financial requests from clubs who use the load on players as the excuse while they create a World Cup with 48 teams, a Champions League with no champions," Saintfiet said.

"If you don't get relegated in England you almost get into Europe, it is so stupid," he joked.

"If you want to protect players then you play the Champions League with only the champions. You don't create more competitions with more load. Then you can still play AFCON every two years.

"Africa is the biggest football continent in the world, all the big stars in Europe are Africans, so I think we disrespect (Africa) by going to every four years.

"I am very sad about that -- I hoped that the love for Africa would win over the pressure of Europe."