Champions League Group Stage draw, how it works, who is involved, and What award winners are announced during the ceremony.
The Champions League is narrowing down to the last eight teams this season as it moves into the quarter-final phase following a relatively unspectacular first round of knockouts.
Already, six teams have secured their spots for the quarter-finals, with two more to join after Wednesday’s games.
Champions League Draw
Here’s what you need to know about the imminent Champions League draw:
The draw is scheduled for Friday, March 15, at 11 am GMT, 12 pm CET, 7 am ET, and 4 am PT. It will be conducted at the UEFA headquarters, also known as the House of European Football, located in Nyon, Switzerland.
The draw will include:
From England: Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea
From Spain: Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Sevilla, and Villarreal
From Italy: Inter Milan, AC Milan, Atalanta, and Juventus
From Germany: Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, and Wolfsburg
From France: Lille and Paris Saint-Germain
From Portugal: Sporting CP, FC Porto, and Benfica
From the Netherlands: Ajax
From Russia: Zenit St. Petersburg
From Austria: Red Bull Salzburg
From Belgium: Club Brugge
From Ukraine: Dynamo Kyiv and Shakhtar Donetsk
From Turkey: Beşiktaş
From Switzerland: Young Boys
From Sweden: Malmö
From Moldova: Sheriff Tiraspol
Based on their UEFA club coefficients, the teams will be divided into four seeding pots during the draw. Pot 1 features the titleholders, UEFA Europa League winners, and the champions from the six highest-ranking nations not already qualified through other titles. Pots 2 to 4 are organized according to the club coefficient rankings.
Teams from the same country cannot be drawn against each other. Other restrictions and pairings will be declared before the draw, especially for broadcasting considerations.
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The Draw Pots
Here are the established draw pots:
Pot 1
Includes Chelsea, Villarreal, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, Inter Milan, Sporting CP, and Lille.
Pot 2
Comprises Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, Sevilla, and Borussia Dortmund.
Pot 3
Consists of FC Porto, Ajax, Shakhtar Donetsk, RB Leipzig, Red Bull Salzburg, Benfica, Atalanta, and Zenit St. Petersburg.
Pot 4
Contains Beşiktaş, Dynamo Kyiv, Club Brugge, Young Boys, AC Milan, Malmö, Wolfsburg, and Sheriff Tiraspol.
Which Clubs are Paired?
To facilitate clubs from the same nation playing on separate days, they are arranged in pairs and allocated to distinct colour groups for the drawing process.
Here are the pairings:
- Pair A: Chelsea & Manchester City
- Pair B: Atlético Madrid & Sevilla
- Pair C: Inter Milan & Juventus
- Pair D: Bayern Munich & Borussia Dortmund
- Pair E: Lille & Paris Saint-Germain
- Pair F: Real Madrid & Barcelona
- Pair G: Manchester United & Liverpool
- Pair H: FC Porto & Benfica
- Pair I: Shakhtar Donetsk & Dynamo Kyiv
- Pair J: RB Leipzig & Wolfsburg
- Pair K: Atalanta & AC Milan
If a club from a pair is drawn into a ‘red’ group (Groups A to D), the other club in the pair will be placed into a ‘blue’ group (Groups E to H), and vice versa.
When are the Group Stage Games?
Group stage matches will be held on the following dates:
- Matchday 1: September 14/15
- Matchday 2: September 28/29
- Matchday 3: October 19/20
- Matchday 4: November 2/3
- Matchday 5: November 23/24
- Matchday 6: December 7/8
Additionally, during the draw ceremony, awards will be presented for the 2020/21 season, including:
- UEFA Men’s Player of the Year
- UEFA Women’s Player of the Year
- UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year
- UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year
Also, individual awards will be given for the best goalkeeper, defender, midfielder, and forward for both the UEFA Men’s and Women’s Champions League seasons.