Champions League draw host in awkward apology live on air as star ’embarrassed’

The Champions League last-16 draw was brought to an abrupt halt as host Pedro Pinto fell flat in one exchange with a colleague

Friday’s Champions League last-16 draw took an uncomfortable turn as host Pedro Pinto wished colleague Giorgio Marchetti a happy birthday. The UEFA presenter apologised for “embarrassing” his counterpart with the well-wishes.

The draw was just concluding when Pinto attempted to wish Marchetti a special day. Except he got his numbers mixed up, which made for an awkward few seconds on stage.

“That’ll do it for us at the house of football, fantastic to have Ivan [Rakitic] here,” said Pinto to his guests. “Well done as always, Giorgio.

“It’s a special day because it’s the last day of the UEFA Champions League season, also because it’s Giorgio’s birthday. So, I’m sorry to embarrass you, but I think he deserves a round of applause. I think it’s 49, right Giorgio?”

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However, Marchetti quickly responded “less” as he tried to laugh off the awkwardness. Former Barcelona and Croatia midfielder Rakitic was an unwilling bystander as the exchange drew to a conclusion, and he was likely as relieved as anyone to see the back-and-forth draw to a close.

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Having been made aware of his mistake, Pinto appeared as keen as anyone to move on. Meanwhile, Marchetti was left with the unfortunate gift of being told he looked older than his actual age on live television.

Aside from that communication hiccup, Friday’s draw proceeded without a glitch. It produced some incredibly enticing home-and-away matches for what is set to be an unforgettable round of 16.

Perhaps the most significant narrative of the draw is a reunion between last year’s FIFA Club World Cup final opponents, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain. They’ll clash once more as reigning European champions, PSG, seek retribution for the 3-0 loss they endured against the Blues in the United States last summer.

The tournament will also bid adieu to at least one titan as Real Madrid face off against Manchester City. Pep Guardiola will confront his old nemesis in the hopes of orchestrating another run at glory, though the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr stand in his way.

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Liverpool’s campaign will also face a stern test against Galatasaray, who just ousted Juventus from the competition. This duel also carries historical significance, and the Turkish heavyweights have already defeated the Reds once this season during the league phase.

Tournament favourites Arsenal will need to navigate past Bayer Leverkusen to advance to the next stage. Meanwhile, Newcastle have been handed the challenge of overcoming Barcelona if they’re to progress any further.