Messi crowned Europe’s best as Barca faces AC Milan in UCL draw

FC Barcelona’s Argentine forward, Lionel Messi, posses with his trophy for the Best Player in Europe 2010/2011 after the draw for the UEFA 2011-2012 Football Champions League in Monaco Photo: AFP

Argentine utility player, Lionel Messi, has been named the inaugural recipient of UEFA’s best player in Europe on a day Champions League winner, Barcelona, was paired to begin its defence in the same group with AC Milan

Manchester United, last season’s runner-up, is top-seeded with Benfica, Switzerland’s FC Basel and Romanian newcomer Otelul Galati.Bayern Munich, whose stadium will stage the final next May, got a tough group with Villarreal, big spenders Manchester City and Napoli.Real Madrid, the nine-time European champion, faces Lyon, four-time winner, Ajax and Dinamo Zagreb.Inter Milan, the 2010 winner, is top-seeded in a group with CSKA Moscow, Lille and Turkey’s Trabzonspor. Each team plays six matches in a programme scheduled from Sept. 13 through Dec. 7.Draw in full:Group A—Bayern Munich (Germany), Villarreal (Spain), Manchester City (England), Napoli (Italy).Group B—Inter Milan (Italy), CSKA Moscow (Russia), Lille (France), Trabzonspor (Turkey).Group C—Manchester United (England), Benfica (Portugal), FC Basel (Switzerland), Otelul Galati (Romania).Group D—Real Madrid (Spain), Lyon (France), Ajax (Netherlands), Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia).Group E—Chelsea (England), Valencia (Spain), Bayer Leverkusen (Germany), Genk (Belgium).Group F—Arsenal (England), Marseille (France), Olympiakos (Greece), Borussia Dortmund (Germany).Group G—FC Porto (Portugal), Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine), Zenit St. Petersburg (Russia), APOEL (Cyprus).Group H—Barcelona (Spain), AC Milan (Italy), BATE Borisov (Belarus), Viktoria Plzen (Czech Republic).

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