Champions League: Draw in Monaco tonight as seedings are finalised
UEFA completed the pots after the qualifiers; the new 36‑team single‑league format sets an unusual calendar and a high-stakes group phase.
The Champions League draw takes place in Monaco tonight after UEFA completed the qualification phase and confirmed all four pots for the new 36‑team format.
Even though no club from the former Yugoslavia and no Macedonian player reached the group stage, the qualifiers produced dramatic moments: LASK eliminated Celtic in a major upset, Sabah secured its first-ever place in the group stage after extra time, and Slovan Bratislava arrive with Yaya Touré on the bench. AEK will be coached by Marko Nikolić, while Norway will have two representatives after the rise of Bodo/Glimt and the qualification of Viking.
UEFA finalised the seedings and everything is set for the draw, scheduled for today at 18:00 in Monaco.
Format and calendar
The competition's new structure features a single league table of 36 teams. Each club will not play every other side; instead teams have two designated opponents from each pot and play a total of eight matches — four at home and four away. The top eight teams advance automatically to the round of 16, while clubs placed 9th to 24th will contest a knockout play-off.
Matchdays and key dates are set: the first round is scheduled for 8, 9 and 10 September, and the group phase runs until 27 January. The play-offs are slated for 16 and 17 February, and 23 and 24 February. The round of 16 follows on 10.9 and 16.17. March, quarter-finals on 7.6 and 13.14. April, semi-finals on 27.28. April and 5.4. in May, and the big final will be played in Madrid on 5 June.
Below are the four pots as announced by UEFA ahead of the draw.
- First pot: PSG, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid.
- Second pot: Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Aston Villa, Porto, Manchester United, Club Brugge, Betis, PSV.
- Third pot: Feyenoord, Lille, Bodo/Glimt, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Fenerbahçe, Shakhtar, Galatasaray.
- Fourth pot: Slavia Prague, Slovan, Stuttgart, AEK, LASK, Como, Lens, Viking, Sabah.
The draw will define opponents and the first fixtures of a season that promises to be one of the most unpredictable in recent Champions League history.
Photo: press material from the event
