Who is Pedro Pinto? Champions League draw host in profile

The draws for the Champions League league phase will be made on Thursday teatime, with a now-familiar face overseeing proceedings from UEFA's big stage in Monaco.

36 teams will learn their eight opponents apiece for the newly-revamped league stage of the competition, with Thursday's draw set to determine what the fixtures will be.

UEFA's former managing director of communications Pedro Pinto will host the draw as we all find out who's playing who over the next few months.

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Who is UEFA Champions League draw host Pedro Pinto?

Born in Portugal but educated at an American international school in Lisbon before attending university in the United States, 49-year-old Pinto has a background in sports journalism.

A fluent Portuguese, England, Spanish and French speaker, Pinto worked as an intern for NBA side Charlotte Hornets and at TV station MSNBC while  studying for his degree in communications and marketing and another from the Carolina school of broadcasting.

Pinto moved back to Portugal to begin his broadcasting career in 1996, then returned Stateside to his CNN's World Sport show two years later.

After another stint in Portugal, Pinto moved to England in 2006, resuming his World Sport duties on top of working as a roving reporter and general purpose sports presenter.

Having regularly hosted UEFA's draws and awards shows since 2005 Pinto took up a role as UEFA's chief press officer in 2013, departing five years later to return to Lisbon.

Pinto has continued to host UEFA shindigs, however, as well as running his own communications agency, Empower Sports, who provide PR and media consultations to clubs, athletes, coaches and sports executives.

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