Man City chief Hugo Viana reveals relief at avoiding unwanted Champions League draw - 'the positive'

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Manchester City have discovered their opponents in the league phase of the Champions League and director of football Hugo Viana has given his reaction.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic draws Manchester City out in the league phase draw for the Champions League

Hugo Viana said Manchester City were grateful to avoid any long trips after learning their Champions League fate at the draw in Monaco.

City’s most demanding away assignment is a clash with Bodo/Glimt in the Arctic Circle and they also play Real Madrid and Villarreal in Spain, as well as Monaco.

But it could have been worse for Pep Guardiola’s side, with potential trips to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan avoided, and that was a plus point for director of football Viana.

"It is always very nice to be here,” he said of the draw in Monaco. “Every team wants to be in the Champions League so we are really happy and proud at the same time.

“There are a lot of good games. The positive thing is that we avoided long trips. It is positive because of the amount of games that we have.

“At the same time it will be a lot of games with a big challenge also for us without having the long trips which is a positive. We are going to face some very good teams like Real Madrid - it is the fifth [consecutive] year that we will play against them. It is also really positive to have Kevin De Bruyne at home, our legend. It will be very positive to see him again."

City have Real at the Bernabeu but De Bruyne’s Napoli visit the Etihad, as do German pair Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen and Turkish giants Galatasaray.

But it’s the return of De Bruyne that everyone will be most looking forward to.

"I think Pep and all of his colleagues will be really happy to receive him and our fans will be also,” said Viana. “It will be very exciting and we will be very happy to see him again."

Viana, who said attempts to do business before Monday’s transfer deadline was ongoing, also gave an insight into his early days working with Guardiola and for City.

"It has been a pleasure, a learning, a lot of learning moments for me,” he said. “Of course, I am very excited to be in the Premier League also with this huge, huge Club and to have this first Champions League experience with Manchester City, it is always a pleasure."