The identity of the referee for Wednesday’s Champions League clash away to Arsenal looks like a good omen for FCB: Nicola Rizzoli of Italy is the match official for the Emirates Stadium clash. The 42-year-old architect took charge of last season’s 2-1 triumph in the final at Wembley in London. Prior to that Rizzoli once before refereed a match in England involving Germany’s biggest club, the quarter-final return back in 2009/10 away to Manchester United, where FCB lost 3-2 but still made the semi-finals on away goals after winning the home leg 2-1.
Ribéry resumes light training
Eleven days after surgery to fix a problem caused by gluteal bruising Franck Ribéry has returned to the training ground. On Monday the French star completed a light 20-minute jog with sports rehab coach Thomas Wilhelmi. Before then Holger Badstuber also put in a few laps of the Säbener Strasse facility as the defender continues to work his way back from a ruptured cruciate.
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