Hotel Hermitage in Monaco.
The Leeds United team flew to Monaco the next day after finishing their game against Dinamo Zagreb.
It was already afternoon when the team arrived, so Li George gave up going to the Grimaldi Exhibition Center in Monaco to attend the Champions League group stage draw ceremony, and instead chose to watch it on TV with the team in the hotel.
After checking in, the team went to the hotel restaurant for dinner. During the meal, Li George received a call from Tony Wilson, the team's general manager.
Wilson was heading to the convention center with Lee Mack for the draw.
"What are we...third gear?"
"Is there any mistake... We are the UEFA Cup champions, how can we be in the third tier?"
"Did UEFA make a mistake? I'm third in the league and European champion... I don't have enough points?"
"You said Chelsea is only in the second gear!"
"Two league champions are the second level!"
"Are Liverpool in the fourth pot... Liverpool are in the first pot, this is too much."
George Lee kept complaining to Wilson on the phone. He learned from the other party that Leeds United was placed in the third pot, which meant that he would encounter two strong teams and suffer a lot.
The main reason is that Leeds United has not participated in the European War in recent years and has no European War points. Although they won a UEFA Cup last year, the results in just one year were not enough to put Leeds United at the front.
They can only be placed in the third tier along with several other teams from non-major leagues.
While talking to Wilson on the phone, Chris Kasper took his notebook and showed George Lee the divisions of the Champions League group stage.
Of the four Premier League teams, Manchester United and Liverpool are in the first tier, Chelsea are in the second tier, and Leeds United are in the third tier.
This is not too much, what really makes George Li angry.
Roma, who was defeated by them in the UEFA Cup last season, actually entered the Champions League this season, and they are still a second-tier team.
There is also last season's UEFA Cup opponent, Steaua Bucharest, who also entered the Champions League this year and is also in the third tier.
As for the fourth gear, George Lee discovered Leeds United’s arch-enemy, Galatasaray.
After briefly looking at the team's position, George Li took the time to finish his meal, and then went to the hotel conference room with everyone on the team, preparing to watch the live broadcast of the lottery.
Just as the host began to introduce the 32 teams that entered the Champions League, other members of the team also came to the conference room one after another.
Some went for a walk after eating, and some went back to the room and took a shower. When the draw officially started, everyone was present.
More than thirty people gathered in front of the TV, watching the live broadcast intently.
First of all, the lottery guests drew the teams in the first pot.
This is nothing to watch. It just puts the first-tier teams into different groups, with no other opponents at all.
The first one to be drawn was Group A. Barcelona, the champion of the last Champions League, was drawn, and then on the sign of Group A, Barcelona's name was first posted.
Group B was drawn next, and Inter Milan, which already dominated Serie A due to the Calciopoli scandal, was placed into Group B.
Subsequently drawn were Liverpool, Valencia, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Lyon.
In the end, AC Milan was left in Group H without any suspense.
"What do you think?" Brian Kidd asked George Lee.
"What's there to see? This is the first team. If I have to say it, I really want to go to Group G. Lyon should be weaker." George Li said casually, not at all They don't have the consciousness of a third-tier team, and they still criticize others' first-tier teams.
"Valencia can also do it, it just depends on the draw in the second round." Kidd took a look and thought that Valencia and Lyon were slightly easier to deal with.
While the two were talking, the second-tier team began to draw lots.
The first draw in Group A is Chelsea.
"Wow~" When Chelsea's note was opened, everyone in the conference room exclaimed.
"It's really exciting, the Premier League champion versus the La Liga champion." Smith began to comment on the draw result.
"It's not surprising, after all, no team that can play in the Champions League is a weak team." Van Persie responded casually. His injury has stabilized, but whether he can play in the European Super Cup against Barcelona will still depend on the team doctor's final examination. .
"UEFA will conduct random inspections." Li George added after following the two players.
"Is Mourinho playing against his old club? It is said that the Portuguese worked as a translator in Barcelona before." It was Schmeichel who spoke, and he knew a little about Mourinho's experience.
Then, the second team in Group B was immediately drawn.
"Wow~" Exclaimed for the second time in the conference room, because the team drawn was the Bundesliga hegemon Bayern Munich.
"I hope we don't get into this group. Bayern and Chelsea should be strong teams in the second tier," Kasper said.
"Keep reading, there are still a few more to draw." George Li motioned for everyone to continue reading.
He also doesn't want to meet the two teams in Group B. Now it seems that Leeds United will not go to Group A with Chelsea. This is a good thing because there is also Barcelona, Rijkaard's "Dream Two" in the same group. ".
There is also Group C with Liverpool and Group F with Manchester United. Two teams in the same league will not meet in the same group.
Following Bayern, PSV, Roma, Benfica, Celtic, Porto and Lille were drawn out in turn.
George Li took a look and found that Group D, Group G, and Group H were all the ones he hoped to enter.
The other Leeds United coaches and players were all talking and analyzing the results of the first two rounds of random inspections.
Then when the draw began in the third round, everyone at Leeds United began to chant silently: "No B, no E."
It just backfired. After the third team Werder Bremen was drawn into Group A, the Group B team immediately drawn was Leeds United.
"Hey~"
"WHAT?"
"Fxxk!"
Leeds United was drawn to the Serie A Big Brother and the Bundesliga Big Brother, and directly declared Group B to be the group of death. There was no need to wait for the fourth team to draw lots. This is no longer necessary.
Leeds United is already one of the top teams in the third tier, even better than some teams in the second tier. This is recognized by many teams.
Many strong foreign teams told the media before the draw that Leeds United is a team that cannot be ignored and is fully capable of becoming a disruptor in the Champions League.
"I really hope that Galatasaray can be drawn into our group."
Hearing Eddie Gray talking on the side, others were curious as to why the Turkish team was dragged in.
"If I enter the Champions League, I really want to beat Bayern and Galatasaray once."
"There are plenty of opportunities. First think about how to play well in the four group matches with Inter Milan and Bayern." Li began to advise Gray.
George Li didn't want to meet Galatasaray in the group.
Because there is already a Bayern.
In 1975, Leeds United reached the Champions League final, and their opponent at that time was Bayern.
At that time, under the influence of some external factors, Leeds United finally lost the game and unfortunately did not win the championship.
As for Galatasaray, they are completely mortal enemies, with a blood feud.
In the end, Ukraine was strong and Shakhtar Donetsk was drawn into Group B.
The Champions League death group is officially released, Inter Milan, Bayern, Leeds United and Shakhtar.
George Li has even thought that reporters are already surrounded outside the hotel, waiting to interview Leeds United's views on the Champions League grouping.
And he asked the team to disband, rest early, and try not to go out.
Not only did he have to deal with reporters, but he also had to prepare for the European Super Cup four days later. He didn't want to affect the team's state because of these things.
However, George Li also secretly made up his mind to perform well in the Champions League and try not to be a third-tier team next time.
"It's so fucking stupid, it's only the third gear..."
George Li was the last to leave the conference room, and he couldn't help but complain to himself before leaving.
