Chelsea gets Real Madrid in Champions League quarterfinals

NYON, Switzerland (AP):

Defending champion Chelsea was drawn Friday to play record 13-time European champion Real Madrid in the Champions League quarterfinals.

The first pairing drawn at UEFA headquarters sent Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti back to the London club where he won a league and cup double a year before being fired by then-owner Roman Abramovich.

Abramovich, a Russian billionaire with ties to Vladimir Putin, gave up control of the club before having his assets in Britain frozen this month in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

All three English clubs avoided each other in the draw, as did all three Spanish teams.

Manchester City and Atlético Madrid were the next teams paired, while Liverpool was drawn to face Benfica and Bayern Munich will play Villarreal.

In the semifinals, Manchester City or Atlético Madrid will play Chelsea or Real Madrid, and Benfica or Liverpool will face Villarreal or Bayern Munich.

Villarreal is the only team left in the draw that has never reached the final.

The first legs of the quarterfinals will be played on April 5 or 6, with the return games the following week. The semifinals will be played between April 26 and May 4. The final is scheduled for May 28 at Stade de France in the Paris suburbs.

The Stade de France was a late replacement for original host St. Petersburg. UEFA stripped the Russian soccer federation of the right to host the final after the invasion of Ukraine.