Istanbul [Turkey], August 27 : UEFA Champions League holders Chelsea are up against Juventus, final hosts Zenit and Malmo after the group stage draw was made in Istanbul for the 2021-2022 season. Manchester City are up against Lionel Messi-powered Paris Saint-Germain in Group A, while Manchester United and Villarreal face a rematch of last season’s UEFA Europa League decider in Group F. The fixture list will be set on Saturday. Earlier, in the ceremony, Chelsea and Italy midfielder Jorginho was named 2021/21 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year. The 29-year-old, who last season became only the tenth player to win a European Cup and a Euro in the same year, beat off competition from Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne and Chelsea team-mate N’Golo Kante. The midfielder proved to be the perfect foil for Kante as Chelsea called the tune against European heavyweights Atletico, Real Madrid and Manchester City on their way to UEFA Champions League glory. The Player of the Match display against Porto in Chelsea’s quarter-final opener underlined his ability to dictate play and vindicated Thomas Tuchel’s decision to make him part of his first-choice midfield pairing. Roberto Mancini took note, making the 29-year-old the linchpin of Italy’s Euro-winning outfit. The London-based club took home another individual trophy as Thomas Tuchel was named UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year. Tuchel beat off competition from Roberto Mancini and Josep Guardiola to become the second German winner after Hansi Flick claimed the inaugural award for 2019/20. Full Group Stage Draw of UEFA 2021-2022 season: Group A: Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, Club Brugge; Group B: Atletico Madrid, Liverpool, Porto, AC Milan; Group C: Sporting CP, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, Besiktas; Group D: Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Sheriff Tiraspol; Group E: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Dynamo Kyiv; Group F: Villarreal, Manchester United, Atalanta, Young Boys; Group G: Lille, Sevilla, Salzburg, Wolfsburg; Group H: Chelsea, Juventus, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Malmo.
