Fates send Kaká back to Milan

Group C rivals AC Milan and Real Madrid CF know each other only too well having already met eleven times in UEFA club competition, with older Merengues fans having good reason to remember their 1958 meeting with fondness.

Final meeting
Madrid beat Milan 3-2 in the 1958 European Champion Club's Cup final after extra time at the Heysel Stadium in Brussels, Francisco Gento scoring the decisive goal after the sides finished the 90 minutes level at 2-2. In addition to that meeting, the clubs have played ten other games in European competition, but neither side have secured an away victory; Milan have won all five of their home games, while Madrid have won four of the meetings at the Santiago Bernabéu, drawing the other 1-1. There is also a more contemporary link: Kaká swapped clubs this summer. With Olympique de Marseille's 1993 triumph added, the Group C contenders have won 17 European Champion Clubs' Cup titles between them – a daunting prospect for group-stage debutants FC Zürich.

Adriano Galliani, Milan vice-president
Real Madrid are the toughest team we could have met. We have to face Kakà and Inter will play against Ibrahimović; sometimes fate is strange. The match against Madrid will be a sort of European derby between two clubs that have won more European Champion Clubs' Cup than any other; we have a great tradition in this competition and our duty is try to maintain our European standards.

Kaká, Madrid forward
Returning to Milan is something very special for me because not only am I going there to face my colleagues but also my friends. It's a club I obviously have a huge amount of affection for. I expect a very warm welcome because I have a lot of love for the fans at the San Siro. We have to have the utmost of respect not only for Milan but also for Zürich and Olympique de Marseille because they too are great teams. We're eager to do something special in the Champions League and I have seen that my new team-mates are hungry to get going in the tournament. The final is taking place at our stadium and we want to win it.

Didier Deschamps, Marseille coach
We'll need to cause an upset against one of those two sides [Milan and Real Madrid] together with taking points off Zürich. We'll need to be at our best to advance. It's not the Milan of four or five years back, but they remain a great, talented side. We have some beautiful cities to visit. Our fans will be pleased.

Ancillo Canepa, Zürich president
This is a dream of a draw for me. Real Madrid are my favourite club, Milan are one of the big guns and Marseille are also very interesting opponents. Nevertheless, I believe we can pick up a couple of points.