32 teams, the classic division into eight groups of four teams, of which the best two advance to the knockout phase. The well-known format of the Champions League is already a thing of the past. The 2024/25 season begins a new era in the history of European cups. It is no wonder that Thursday's draw for the league phase was eagerly awaited. It is the league phase that will replace the well-known group phase.
The Champions League League draw has been made. Here are the hits
From this season, 36 teams will compete in the main part of the most elite football competition on the Old Continent. There will be no division into groups, and instead a single aggregate table will be created. Each team will play a total of eight matches with eight different opponents – four at home and four away. The points from these matches will count towards the aforementioned table.
The teams from positions 1-8 will advance to the 1/8 finals. The teams from positions 9-16 and 17-24 will play in the play-off round, for the knockout phase. The teams from positions 25-36 will say goodbye to European cups.
On Thursday, August 29, at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo, all participants learned about their future. However, before the balls and computers were set in motion, Aleksander Ceferin, the head of the European Football Association, appeared on stage to present the UEFA President's Award to Gianluigi Buffon. A moment later, Cristiano Ronaldo joined him. The Portuguese received the statuette for the greatest number of goals in the history of the competition.
Then came the explanation of the new format. The drawing procedure was to be different from the previous ones. To improve it, a supercomputer was used. Buffon would draw the teams from the baskets one by one, and Ronaldo would press a button to start the supercomputer.
Robert Lewandowski with his FC Barcelona has come across teams in which the Pole has played in the past. He will face Bayern and Borussia, among others. Here are the certain results of the draw.
League stage draw:
Manchester City: rivals: Inter, PSG, Club Brugge, Juventus, Feyenoord, Sporting, Sparta Prague and Slovan Bratislava.
Inter Milan: rivals: Manchester City, Leipzig, Arsenal, Bayer, Crvena Zvezda, Young Boys, Monaco, Sparta.
Bayern Munich: rivals: PSG, Barcelona, Benfica, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo, Feyenoord, Slovan, Aston Villa.
RB Leipzig: rivals: Inter, Liverpool, Juventus, Atletico, Sporting, Celtic, Aston Villa, Sturm Graz.
Borussia Dortmund: rivals: Barcelona, Real, Shakhtar Donetsk, Club Brugge, Celtic, Dinamo, Sturm Graz, Bologna
FC Barcelona: rivals: Bayern, Borussia, Atalanta, Benfica, Young Boys, Crvena Zvezda, Brest, Monaco.
Real Madrid: rivals: Borussia, Liverpool, Milan, Atalanta, Salzburg, Lille, Stuttgart, Brest
Liverpool: rivals: Real, Leipzig, Bayer, Milan, Lille, PSV, Bologna, Girona
PSG: rivals: Manchester City, Bayern, Atletico, Arsenal, PSV, Salzburg, Girona, Stuttgart.
Atletico Madrid: rivals: Leipzig, PSG, Bayer, Benfica, Lille, Salzburg, Slovan, Sparta Prague.
Atalanta: rivals: Real, Barcelona, Arsenal, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic, Young Boys, Sturm, Stuttgart.
Bayer Leverkusen: rivals: Inter, Liverpool, Atletico, Milan, Salzburg, Feyenoord, Sparta and Brest.
Club Bruges: rivals: Borussia, Manchester City, Juventus, Milan, Sporting, Celtic, Aston Villa, Sturm Graz.
Arsenal: rivals: PSG, Inter, Atalanta, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dinamo, Sporting, Monaco and Girona.
Benfica: rivals: Barcelona, Bayern, Atletico, Juventus, Feyenoord, Crvena Zvezda, Bologna, Monaco.
Milan: rivals: Liverpool, Real, Club Brugge, Bayer, Crvena Zvezda, Dinamo, Girona, Slovan
Juventus: rivals: Manchester City, Leipzig, Benfica, Brugge, PSV, Lille, Stuttgart, Aston Villa.
Shakhtar: rivals: Bayern, Borussia, Atalanta, Arsenal, Young Boys, PSV, Brest, Bolo
Young Boys: rivals: Inter, Barcelona, Atalanta, Shakhtar Donetsk, Crvena Zvezda, Celtic, Aston Villa, Stuttgart.
Feyenoord: rivals: Bayern, Man City, Bayer, Benfica, Salzburg, Lille, Sparta, Girona.
PSV: rivals: Liverpool, PSG, Shakhtar Donetsk, Juventus, Sporting, Crvena Zvezda, Girona, Brest.
Lille: rivals: Real, Liverpool, Juventus, Atletico, Feyenoord, Sporting, Sturm, Bologna.
Salzburg: rivals: PSG, Real, Atletico, Bayer, Dinamo, Feyenoord, Brest, Sparta.
Red Star: rivals: Barcelona, Inter, Benfica, Milan, PSV, Young Boys, Stuttgart, Monaco.
Dynamo: rivals: Borussia, Bayern, Milan, Arsenal, Celtic, Salzburg, Monaco, Slovan.
Sporting: rivals: Man City, Leipzig, Arsenal, Brugge, Lille, PSV, Bologna, Sturm.
Celtics: rivals: Leipzig, Borussia, Brugge, Atalanta, Young Boys, Dinamo, Slovan, Aston Villa
Stuttgart: rivals: PSG, Real, Atalanta, Juventus, Young Boys, Crvena, Sparta, Slovan.
Girona: rivals: Liverpool, PSG, Arsenal, Milan, PSV, Feyenoord, Slovan, Sturm.
Bologna: rivals: Borussia, Liverpool, Shakhtar Donetsk, Benfica, Lille, Sporing, Monaco, Aston Villa
Brest: rivals: Real, Barcelona, Bayern, Shakhtar Donetsk, PSV, Salzburg, Sturm, Sparta.
Aston Villa: rivals: Bayern, Leipzig, Juventus, Brugge, Celtic, Young Boys, Bologna, Monaco
Sparta Prague: rivals: Man City, Bayer, Atletico, Inter, Salzburg, Feyenoord, Brest, Stuttgart.
Slovan Bratislava: rivals: Man City, Bayern, Milan, Atleti, Dinamo, Celtic, Stuttgart, Girona.
AS Monaco: rivals: Barcelona, Inter, Benfica, Arsenal, Crvena Zvezda, Dinamo, Aston Villa, Bologna.
Storm Graz: rivals: Leipzig, Borussia, Brugge, Atalanta, Sporting, Lille, Girona, Brest.