All roads lead to Rome for Liverpool in next season’s Champions League competition. The 2009 final will be staged at the Stadio Olimpico in Italy’s capital and on two of the three previous occasions that the Eternal City has hosted European football’s biggest game of the season Liverpool have emerged as winners.
Juventus defeated Ajax on penalties in the most recent Rome final in 1996 but Liverpool took the cup – again in a shoot-out – against Roma on their own ground back in 1984 and won their first European Cup in the same stadium in 1977, defeating German club Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1.
Roma, who will be hoping to reach the final on their own turf again, are already guaranteed a place in the group stages alongside Serie A champions Internazionale who Liverpool knocked out in the quarter-finals of last season’s tournament.
This year’s finalists, Manchester United and Chelsea, also go straight through to the group stages courtesy of their one-two finish in the Premier League and will be joined by Spain’s Real Madrid and Villarreal, who will host Liverpool in a friendly match in the final week of this month.
UEFA Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg go straight through to the groups after winning the Russian League last autumn when Martin Skrtel was still at the heart of their defence.
Because of their fourth-place finish in the Premier League, Liverpool will enter the competition in the third qualifying round, the same stage as last year, alongside third-place Arsenal.
Their opponents will be one of the winners from the second qualifying round and high profile candidates include Rangers, Dynamo Kiev, Anderlecht, Sparta Prague, Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos, Basel and Rapid Vienna.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2008/09
Group stage:
Spain (2): Real Madrid, Villarreal
England (2): Manchester United, Chelsea
Italy (2): Internazionale, Roma
France (2): Lyon, Bordeaux
Germany (2): Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen
Portugal (2): Porto, Sporting CP
Romania (1): CFR Cluj
Netherlands (1): PSV Eindhoven
Russia (1): Zenit St Petersburg
Scotland (1): Celtic
Third qualifying round:
Spain (2): Barcelona, Atletico Madrid
England (2): Arsenal, Liverpool
Italy (2): Juventus, Fiorentina
France (1): Marseille
Germany (1): Schalke 04
Portugal (1): Vitoria Guimaraes
Romania (1): Steaua Bucharest
Netherlands (1): Twente
Russia (1): Spartak Moscow
Ukraine (1): Shakhtar Donetsk
Belgium (1): Standard Liege
Czech Republic (1): Slavia Prague
Turkey (1): Galatasaray
Juventus defeated Ajax on penalties in the most recent Rome final in 1996 but Liverpool took the cup – again in a shoot-out – against Roma on their own ground back in 1984 and won their first European Cup in the same stadium in 1977, defeating German club Borussia Monchengladbach 3-1.
Roma, who will be hoping to reach the final on their own turf again, are already guaranteed a place in the group stages alongside Serie A champions Internazionale who Liverpool knocked out in the quarter-finals of last season’s tournament.
This year’s finalists, Manchester United and Chelsea, also go straight through to the group stages courtesy of their one-two finish in the Premier League and will be joined by Spain’s Real Madrid and Villarreal, who will host Liverpool in a friendly match in the final week of this month.
UEFA Cup winners Zenit St Petersburg go straight through to the groups after winning the Russian League last autumn when Martin Skrtel was still at the heart of their defence.
Because of their fourth-place finish in the Premier League, Liverpool will enter the competition in the third qualifying round, the same stage as last year, alongside third-place Arsenal.
Their opponents will be one of the winners from the second qualifying round and high profile candidates include Rangers, Dynamo Kiev, Anderlecht, Sparta Prague, Fenerbahce, Panathinaikos, Basel and Rapid Vienna.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 2008/09
Group stage:
Spain (2): Real Madrid, Villarreal
England (2): Manchester United, Chelsea
Italy (2): Internazionale, Roma
France (2): Lyon, Bordeaux
Germany (2): Bayern Munich, Werder Bremen
Portugal (2): Porto, Sporting CP
Romania (1): CFR Cluj
Netherlands (1): PSV Eindhoven
Russia (1): Zenit St Petersburg
Scotland (1): Celtic
Third qualifying round:
Spain (2): Barcelona, Atletico Madrid
England (2): Arsenal, Liverpool
Italy (2): Juventus, Fiorentina
France (1): Marseille
Germany (1): Schalke 04
Portugal (1): Vitoria Guimaraes
Romania (1): Steaua Bucharest
Netherlands (1): Twente
Russia (1): Spartak Moscow
Ukraine (1): Shakhtar Donetsk
Belgium (1): Standard Liege
Czech Republic (1): Slavia Prague
Turkey (1): Galatasaray
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