Champions League Draw Live | Live Matches of Europe’s Major Competitions | Football | Sports
This season, the Champions League is launching a competition system and with it a new draw format (Movistar, 18:00) that will determine the matches that will be played over the eight days of the first stage, which will replace the group stage of the old model. The 36 participating clubs, of which there were 32, have been divided into four pots according to their UEFA coefficient and will face two teams from each pot, including their own, leaving a total of eight matches, four of which will be played at home and four away.
The 36 teams will be collecting points over eight days in the first stage, and their classification in the direct elimination rounds will be determined by their position in the overall table, which will contain all the clubs participating in the competition. The first eight seeds will go directly to the round of 16. From 9th to 24th place, they will play the round of 16, a kind of playoff, which will determine the opponents of the first eight in the round of 16. The last teams from 25 to 36 are eliminated without the opportunity to play in the Europa League.
Bayern’s opponents in the first stage
PSG (home), Barcelona (away), Benfica (home), Shakhtar (away), Dinamo Zagreb (home), Feyenoord (away), Bratislava (home) and Aston Villa (away).
Manchester City’s opponents in the first stage
Inter (home), PSG (away), Club Brugge (home), Juventus (away), Feyenoord (home), Sporting (away), Sparta Prague (home) and Bratislava (away).
UEFA unveils ‘new era’ video
With this video, UEFA introduced the new format of the Champions League and introduced fans to what they called a “new era”. The video featured personalities such as Gianluigi Buffon and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who showed off their acting skills. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin was also present.
Girona and Bratislava are the only debutants in the competition
Girona and Bratislava are the only teams out of 36 participating clubs that will be taking part in the Champions League for the first time.
Buffon and Cristiano to determine first stage draw crosses
Gianluigi Buffon and Cristiano Ronaldo are not only the guests of honour, but also take the balls from the teams and activate the algorithm that will ultimately determine the matches of the first stage of the new Champions League format.
Cristiano Ronaldo appears on stage.
Now it’s the turn of Cristiano Ronaldo, another guest of honour of the day. The all-time leading scorer in the Champions League also takes to the stage to receive recognition for his successful career, with images of his best moments appearing on the screens. The entire forum applauds the Portuguese star.
Buffon, one of the guests of honour at the draw, was introduced.
The hosts introduce Gianluigi Buffon, who is one of the guests of honour at the Champions League draw ceremony. Footage from his career appears on the screens as the historic Italian goalkeeper jumps on stage to receive his lifetime achievement award.
The ceremony begins!
The draw ceremony for the first stage of the Champions League has begun. The mythical anthem of the competition, which has been slightly modified this year, is being sung.
Meet the four draw banks
This is how the four pots of the new edition of the Champions League are composed. Over the course of eight days, all teams will meet two clubs from each pot.
Welcome to the Champions League draw live!
Welcome to the 2024/25 Champions League draw. The competition has a new format and with it a new system for drawing the teams. The ceremony will start at 18:00 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monte-Carlo, Monaco, and the matches will be decided over the eight days that make up the new first stage, replacing the traditional group stage of previous stages.
You can follow EL PAÍS Deportes on Facebook And Xor sign up here to receive our weekly newsletter.