Enthralling groups expected at Champions League draw
The draw ceremony this evening will include the awarding of the 2015-16 Uefa Best Player.
CAPE TOWN - The Champions League is the most coveted club prize in Europe and the draw for this season's competitions is set for this evening.
The world's most exciting football begins with today’s #UCLdraw.
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 25, 2016
RT for a chance to win a #UCL Season Ticket!https://t.co/Wo5mmyZ7ez
The 32 teams are separated into four pots which are seeded, therefore Pot 1 holds the last season's Champions Real Madrid and the winners of the top seven leagues.
The leagues are ranked by Uefa country coefficient, these are based on the results of each association's clubs in the five previous Uefa Champions League and Uefa Europa League seasons.
The remaining three pots are ranked in order of Uefa team coefficient, which is based on a club's performance in the Champions League and the Europa League over the past five years.
The eight highest-ranked teams will be in pot two and so on until all 32 teams are accounted for.
The rules of the draw state that a team from the same nation cannot play each other, therefore Arsenal and Leicester City cannot be drawn in the same group, whilst Dynamo Kiev cannot be drawn in the same group as CSKA Moscow or Rostov for political reasons.
The Champions League will commence on 13 September, the group stages will conclude on 7 December.
⚽ It's #UCLdraw day! ⚽
— Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) August 25, 2016
Excited?
Here's everything you need to know: https://t.co/0XJnzw9hvC pic.twitter.com/eqhwmHDKga
The draw ceremony this evening will include the awarding of the 2015-16 Uefa Best Player in Europe awards for men and women.
Draw Pots:
Seeded Pot 1: Real Madrid (holders), Barcelona, Leicester City, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Benfica, PSG, CSKA Moscow
Pot 2: Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Manchester City, Sevilla, Porto, Napoli, Bayer Leverkusen
Pot 3: FC Basel, Tottenham Hotspur, Dynamo Kiev, Lyon, PSV Eindhoven, Sporting CP, Club Brugge, Borussia Monchengladbach
Pot 4: Celtic, AS Monaco, Besiktas, Legia Warsaw, Dinamo Zagreb, Ludogorets Razgrad, FC Copenhagen, Rostov
Match day Fixtures:
13 and 14 September
27 and 28 September
18 and 19 October
1 and 2 November
22 and 23 November
6 and 7 December