I do not have good memories of the northern England side, says Lazio vice-president Dino Zoff

The draw here for the second phase of Europe’s biggest club competition once again left them with a mountain to climb after a very difficult assignment in the first.

Having emerged from a pool including AC Milan of Italy and Barcelona of Spain, David O’Leary’s young and injury-hit squad will have to do it the hard way again if they are to make it beyond the second stage.

Holders Real Madrid, defending Italian champions Lazio and Belgium’s Anderlecht now provide another formidable obstacle in Group D for the side from northern England.

Leeds chairman Peter Ridsdale was unfazed by the draw, however.

“We have fond memories of Anderlecht and it is very good to be playing the likes of Real Madrid and Lazio,” said Ridsdale. “We are just deighted and very excited.”

Lazio vice-president Dino Zoff, in contrast, said he was worried about the prospects of playing the English side.

“I do not have good memories of Leeds,” former goalkeeper Zoff said. “When I was at Napoli we played against them and I remember Jakie Charlton scored against me with two headers.”

Zoff was looking forward to returning to Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium where he lifted the World Cup in 1982 as captain of Italy.

Real sporting director Jorge Valdano admitted his men had tough task if they are to stay in the running for a record ninth European title.

“It is a difficult enough draw,” said the Argentine, who scored in his country’s 1986 World Cup final victory over West Germany. “Valencia (who Real beat in the 1999 final) were luckier than us.”

Valdano was looking forward to crossing swords with the extensive contingent from his homeland in the Lazio squad — Claudio Lopez, Juan Sebastian Veron, Hernan Crespo and Diego Simeone all play for the Roman side.

“They have the best Argentinians,” he said. “They are the star team in the group.”

“Lazio are very good, very competent and have lots of the best Argentinian players.

Two-Times winners Manchester United fared better with draw that puts them in Group A alongside Austria’s Sturm Graz, Panathinaikos of Greece and with last season’s runners-up Valencia of Spain perhaps United’s bigest obstacle.

Despite their unconvincing first phase performance they have now been installed in England as new tournament favourites in the light of their favourable draw.

Former United legend and club director Sir Bobby Charlton said that he had never played a serious match in Greece although he was once part of a squad there for a friendly.

“We have no real history with Greece — it is a first for me. But Valencia are a good team and we know them and Sturm Graz very well from last year when we played both of them,” Charlton said.

AC Milan’s reward for edging Leeds to win their first phase group is a Pool B containing UEFA Cup holders Galatasaray of Turkey, Spanish champions Deportivo la Coruna and French outfit Paris St Germain.

PSG sporting director Jean-Luc Lamarche said: “I think these games will give great pleasure to our supporters. Deportivo are the champions of Spain and Galatasaray have won not only the UEFA Cup but also the (European) Super Cup. Milan are one of the greatest teams in football.

“It is a radical change for us.”

Galatasaray are hoping they can follow up this year’s feat in becoming the first Turkish club to lift a European trophy by taking the biggest continental prize of all in Milan next May.

The Istanbul club’s sporting director Mete Razlileli said: “A few years ago this would have been fantastic (to get so far) but we are used to it now. We get better results now than the Turkish national team.”

The third English side Arsenal are drawn in Pool C alongside Bayern Munich of Germany, Spartak Moscow of Russia and another French side Lyon.

Bayern vice-president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: “I think we can be happy. It’s a difficult group but a group where we have a chance to qualify.

Arsenal’s chief executive David Dein said: “There is no such thing as having an easy game in Europe. If you see that Juventus and Barcelona have already been knocked out you will understand that.

Group A: Manchester United, Sturm Graz (Austria), Panathinaikos (Greece), Valencia (Spain)

Pool B: AC Milan, Galatasaray (Turkey), Deportivo la Coruna (Spain), Paris St Germain (France)

Pool C: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Spartak Moscow (Russia), Lyon (France).

Group D: Leeds United, Real Madrid, Lazio, Anderlecht