When is the 2024/25 Champions League draw?

The 2024/25 season represents a defining campaign for UEFA, with its much-talked-about Swiss model reinventing the formats of its three club competitions.

While many were happy with the familiar old-school group stage format, UEFA have opted for a change of heart. The old-fashioned groups have given way to a league structure, with the governing body keen to reduce the number of “dead rubbers” and make more money.

66.7% more Champions League matches will be played in 2024/25 compared to 2023/24.

The competition has grown considerably and the new format certainly brings some intriguing novelty. Even the draw for the league stage will be different.

Here’s everything you need to know about Thursday’s league stage draw for the 2024/25 Champions League.

The giants from across Europe will find out their opponents in the league stage of the 2024/25 Champions League on Thursday 29 August 2024, with the draw taking place at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco.

The draw for the league stage starts at 18:00 CET (17:00 GMT) and will be broadcast live on UEFA.com.

There are plenty of familiar names involved in 2024/25 Champions Leaguewith a couple of countries having up to five teams competing in the competition 36 clubs are already being classified.

Europa League winners Atalanta joined both milan clubs, Juventus and novices bologna of Serie A, while Germany’s impressive performance in Europe last season means finalists 2023/24 Borussia Dortmundwhich finished fifth in the Bundesliga, qualified alongside Bayer Leverkusen, Stuttgart, Bayern Munich i RB Leipzig.

Girona they are Champions League debutants in the League, with Michel’s upstarts joining the domestic giants in the competition. Barcelonaheadlines Real Madrid i Atlético de Madrid each port awaits continental glory in 2025.

There are only four participants in the lucrative Premier Leaguewith Manchester City, Arsenal i Liverpool accompanied by that of Unai Emery Aston Villa.

french club Brest and Austrian side Storm Graz are among the unknown names involved in Thursday’s draw, with the play-offs underway to decide the remaining seven clubs competing in the 2024/25 Champions League.

There are some similarities to previous years, with the 36 teams separated into four pots based on their UEFA coefficient. However, the change in format means teams will not be split into groups. Instead, each team will be drawn against two opponents from the four pots to form their eight league stage opponents.

Each team will be drawn manually, but their opponents will be generated by AI software that will also decide which matches will be played at home and away. Each team plays four games at home and four away.

Teams can be drawn against a maximum of two teams from the same country and cannot face teams from the same UEFA member federation in the league stage.

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