Milan gets comfortable UEFA Cup draw
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Seven-times European champion AC Milan has been handed a comfortable UEFA Cup assignment, drawn with Heerenveen, Braga, Portsmouth and Wolfsburg in the competition's group stage.
English Premier League struggler Tottenham Hotspur will take on Spartak Moscow, Serie A joint leaders Udinese, Dinamo Zagreb and Dutch side Nijmegen.
In a tough Group C, 2006 and 2007 UEFA Cup winner Sevilla was drawn against German side Stuttgart, Sampdoria, Partizan Belgrade and Belgian champions Standard Liege.
Group F brought together three former European champions with Hamburg, Ajax and Aston Villa being pitted against each other, along with Czech champions Slavia Prague and Slovakian side Zilina.
"We are playing clubs from strong football leagues in the Netherlands, Portugal, England and Germany so it will be interesting," AC Milan's organising director Umberto Gandini said.
"On the other hand we are a top seeded club, we think we have the ability to go through this round and that's our goal.
"Serie A remains our priority but at the end of the day this is still an international trophy, and one we haven't won before.
"Winning it also gets you into the UEFA Super Cup so in that sense it's worth a lot to us."
Milan will begin the group stage with an away trip to Heerenveen on October 23, with its other away match coming against European newcomer Portsmouth.
-Reuters
