Champions League draw LIVE Updates: PSG, Inter, Real Madrid to find out league phase opponents
Only 16 countries will have clubs participating in the Champions League, despite UEFA having 55 member associations. France will have three teams in the competition, leaving limited spots for clubs from smaller European leagues.
This season welcomes several newcomers to the Champions League. Kairat Almaty became just the second Kazakhstani team to qualify after defeating Celtic in the play-offs. The city of Almaty sits 5,800km east of Budapest, where this season’s final will be held.
Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt qualified for the first time in their history, becoming the country’s first representative since Rosenborg in 2007/08. Union Saint-Gilloise secured their maiden Champions League appearance after claiming their first Belgian title in 90 years.
Cypriot champions Pafos, featuring former Chelsea, PSG, and Arsenal defender David Luiz, will also make their debut in the competition.
“We are the black sheep of the Champions League and the expectation is that we will suffer and lose games, but we will fight, compete and just enjoy the journey,” said Pafos coach Juan Carlos Carcedo to Marca.
The previous season’s top finishers in the league phase demonstrated strong performances in the knockout stages. While Liverpool’s first-place finish didn’t guarantee success, the next three teams – Barcelona, Arsenal, and Inter – all reached the semi-finals.
The financial rewards for participating in the Champions League have reached unprecedented levels. UEFA anticipates total prize money of nearly 2.5 billion euros ($2.9 billion), with the winners potentially earning over 100 million euros in prize money alone.
Including television rights and coefficient ranking payments, PSG’s total earnings from last season’s victory are understood to have approached 150 million euros.
