UEFA to redo UCL draw for spherical of 16, voiding preliminary pairings after mistake

The Champions League Round Of 16 draw has been declared null and void by UEFA after controversy erupted when Manchester United gave the impression to be mistakenly excluded for a quick interval.
In a press release, UEFA stated, “Following a technical problem with the software of an external service provider that instructs the officials as to which teams are eligible to play each other, a material error occurred in the draw for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16”

Following a technical downside with the software program of an exterior service supplier that instructs the officers as to which groups are eligible to play one another, a cloth error occurred within the draw for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
— UEFA (@UEFA) December 13, 2021

As a results of this, the draw has been declared void and might be fully redone at 1500 CET.
— UEFA (@UEFA) December 13, 2021
“As a result of this, the draw has been declared void and will be entirely redone at 1500 CET,” it added.
In IST, the draw will happen at 7.30 PM.
FOLLOW LIVE: UCL Round Of 16 Draw updates
In a uncommon mistake by UEFA, Manchester United was drawn in opposition to Villarreal, with whom that they had already confronted within the group stage which made the tie invalid and a recent opponent needed to be picked once more for Villarreal, which occurred to be Manchester City.

🎥 Video footage exhibiting that Manchester United’s ball for #UCLdraw — within the second pot from the proper, again row — was not included within the Atletico Madrid draw #mufc #mujournal
[@mjcritchley]pic.twitter.com/5NzLxDeGl8
— United Journal (@theutdjournal) December 13, 2021
This is the place controversy reared its head because the ball containing United’s title appeared to then be excluded from choice by mistake when Atletico Madrid’s opponents have been determined.
United have been then put again into play and have been finally drawn in opposition to Paris Saint-Germain which supplies outdated rivals Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi an opportunity to resume hostilities once more. This will even be the primary time these two icons will meet within the Champions League knockout phases for the reason that 2010/11 semi-final.
UEFA deputy common secretary Giorgio Marchetti apologised for the “technical issue our draw is experiencing”, having: “kindly asked for the name of City to be put next to Villarreal.”