Both Andre Villas Boas and Arsene Wenger have told of the difficult draw respective Champions League opponents Napoli and Milan represent.
Both Andre Villas Boas and Arsene Wenger have told of the difficult draw respective Champions League opponents Napoli and Milan represent.
Friday’s Last 16 draw for UEFA’s premier competition paired Walter Mazzarri’s Azzurri against Villas Boas’ Chelsea, whilst fellow London side Arsenal are preparing for a two-legged encounter with Milan.
“I think we have one of the most difficult draws,” Villas Boas, who spent a season at Inter alongside Jose Mourinho as a scout, told Chelsea TV. “But whichever team you get in the Last 16 will be a difficult team.
“Napoli is a club that represents the city and the city has great empathy with the club. It has a tremendous fan base and it is one of the most difficult and exciting games of the last 16, no doubt about it.
“They are fully motivated and they have a lot of talent coming through like [Marek] Hamsik and [Edinson] Cavani. They have a lot of talent throughout.”
Almost word for word came Wenger’s reaction through Arsenal’s official website.
“It is a difficult draw, but an exciting one, and they could say exactly the same thing I suppose. It is a 50-50. Ideally, it is a draw for one round later, but you take them when they happen.
“Everybody knows Milan, everybody knows Arsenal. We have been in the Champions League for many years and both sides play positive football.”
Arsenal overcame Udinese in the third round of qualifying to make this year’s group stages.
“We have been up to the task every time in this competition so let's make sure we are again.”