Fergie not phased by Euro draw

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was not concerned by the draw which pits his team against Deportivo La Coruna, Juventus and Basle in the second stage of the Champions League.

Ferguson’s side faced Deportivo four times in last year’s competition, losing twice in the opening group stage, before producing two of their best performances of the entire season to overcome the Spaniards 5-2 on aggregate in the quarter-final.

United also have recent history on their side against Italian giants Juventus.

Juventus were beaten on the way to the 1999 final in Barcelona, the final leg of United’s memorable treble, with Roy Keane inspiring a thrilling comeback from 2-0 down in the semi-final at the Stadio delle Alpi.

“I am not sick of the sight of Deportivo, just playing them in the second stage means we have progressed. I hope we meet again later on,” Ferguson said.

“There was a spell where we got Juventus three years on the trot so it does not bother us. In the mid to late 1990s we were getting Italian sides all the time.

“Their football has stepped up a bit this year. They have had a couple of barren seasons which is unlike the Italians because you only have to look at European football over the past two decades and their names are splattered across the tournaments.

“We have to be aware they are a big threat.”