Familiar Faces Await Blues In Champions League Knockout Draw

After leaving it to the last group game against the hitherto unknown CFR Cluj to progress to the knockout phase of the Champions League, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Chelsea could come up against some very familiar faces in the next stage of the competition.

Although the Blues will avoid the prospect of a blockbuster reunion with Jose Mourinho, the chances are that they will face a former member of their backroom staff come the resumption of European hostilities in February.

If Chelsea are paired with Italian side Juventus, then it will mean a return to Stamford Bridge for Claudio Ranieri, who is held in high regard by many of the club’s fans, despite the fact that his four year spell at the club from 2000-2004 failed to produce a single trophy triumph.

One of the enduring legacies of the reign of Ranieri’s predecessor - Jose Mourinho - is the bitterness between the club and the Spanish giants Barcelona.

Mourinho’s Champions League copybook is littered with acrimonious incidents and drama when it comes to Barcelona.

The two legged clash between the teams in the 2004/2005 season produced allegations of racism against Chelsea‘s stewards, a purported half time meeting between referee Anders Frisk and Barcelona boss Frank Rikjaard, three goals in 20 minutes, a moment of sheer brilliance from Ronaldinho, and perhaps the greatest European night Stamford Bridge has ever seen.

But the acrimony didn’t end there. Lionel Messi was accused of diving and getting Asier Del Horno sent off by the now Inter Milan boss during a clash in 2006.

The following season Mourinho slid across the Nou Camp turf to celebrate Didier Drogba’s dramatic late equaliser in a tempestuous 2-2 draw. Both Rikjaard and Mourinho have moved on, which could lead to a thaw in relations between these two powerhouses of European football.

Indeed it is hard to see things reaching the bitterness that they did when Mourinho was in charge of the West Londoners.

Hank Ten Cate’s Chelsea career was a short-lived, leaving when Avram Grant was disposed of after last season defeat in the Champions League Final.

The Dutchman now finds himself in the hot seat at Panathanaikos, and the Greek side are another possible opponent with a Chelsea connection.

Porto and Bayern Munich also have history when it comes to facing Chelsea. The Portuguese champions faced up to Chelsea in the Group Stages in 2004/05 and in the knockout stages in 2006/07.

Jose Mourinho of course led Porto to the Champions League before swapping Portugal for England.

Bayern were on the end of Didier Drogba master class in the Quarter Finals of the competition in 2004/2005, losing out 6-5 on aggregate.

Come next Friday’s draw in Nyon, Switzerland, Chelsea could find their path to a date in Rome blocked by a very familiar face.