2020–21 UEFA Champions League
The 2020–21 UEFA Champions League is the 66th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 29th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League.
 The Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul will host the final | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | Qualifying: 8 August 2020 – 30 September 2020 Competition proper: 20 October 2020 – 29 May 2021 |
| Teams | Competition proper: 32 Total: 79 or 80 (from 54 associations) |
The final will be played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. The stadium was originally appointed to host the 2020 UEFA Champions League Final, but this was moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.[1] The winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League will automatically qualify for the 2021–22 UEFA Champions League group stage and also earn the right to play against the winners of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League in the 2021 UEFA Super Cup.
Association team allocation
A total of 79 or 80 teams from 54 of the 55 UEFA member associations participate in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League (the exception being Liechtenstein, which does not organise a domestic league). The association ranking based on the UEFA country coefficients is used to determine the number of participating teams for each association:[2]
- Associations 1–4 each have four teams qualify.
- Associations 5–6 each have three teams qualify.
- Associations 7–15 each have two teams qualify.
- Associations 16–55 (except Liechtenstein) each have one team qualify.
- The winners of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League and 2019–20 UEFA Europa League are each given an additional entry if they do not qualify for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League through their domestic leagues. However, the Europa League title holders have qualified through their domestic league, meaning one of the two additional entries are not necessary (Champions League title holders to be determined).
Association ranking
For the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League, the associations are allocated places according to their 2019 UEFA country coefficients, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 2014–15 to 2018–19.[3]
Apart from the allocation based on the country coefficients, associations may have additional teams participating in the Champions League, as noted below:
- (UCL) – Additional berth for UEFA Champions League title holders
- (UEL) – Additional berth for UEFA Europa League title holders
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Distribution
The following is the default access list.[4]
| Teams entering in this round | Teams advancing from previous round | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary round (4 teams) |
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| First qualifying round (34 teams) |
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| Second qualifying round | Champions Path (20 teams) |
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| League Path (6 teams) |
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| Third qualifying round | Champions Path (12 teams) |
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| League Path (8 teams) |
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| Play-off round | Champions Path (8 teams) |
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| League Path (4 teams) |
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| Group stage (32 teams) |
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| Knockout phase (16 teams) |
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Changes will be made to the access list above if the Champions League and/or Europa League title holders, which are guaranteed berths in the Champions League group stage, also qualify for the Champions League via their domestic leagues.
- If the Champions League title holders qualify for the group stage via their domestic league, the champions of association 11 (Netherlands), Ajax, will enter the group stage, and champions of the highest-ranked associations in earlier rounds will also be promoted accordingly.
- If the Europa League title holders qualify for the group stage via their domestic league, the third-placed team of association 5 (France), Rennes, will enter the group stage, and non-champions of the highest-ranked associations in earlier rounds will also be promoted accordingly.
As a result of schedule delays to both the 2019–20 and 2020–21 European seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020–21 European season started before the conclusion of the 2019–20 European season. Therefore, the changes to the access list that should be made based on which teams are the Champions League and Europa League title holders cannot be certain until matches of the earlier qualifying rounds have been played and/or their draws have been made. UEFA will use "adaptive re-balancing" to change the access list once the berths for the Champions League and Europa League title holders are determined, and "will ensure that the competition rounds of the qualifying phase that have already been drawn or played at the moment the titleholders are determined will not be impacted." (Regulations Article 3.04)[2] The following scenarios are possible:
- At the time when the draws for the first qualifying round and second qualifying round (Champions Path) were held on 9 and 10 August 2020, it was not certain whether the Champions League title holder berth would be vacated as one of the eight quarter-finalists of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, Lyon, did not qualify for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic league. Therefore, these draws proceeded as normal per the default access list, and will not be changed regardless of whether the matches have been played, even if at any time during the final eight tournament of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, to be concluded with the final on 23 August 2020, that it is certain that the Champions League title holder berth will be vacated. If the eventual winners of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League have already qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic league, meaning the Champions League title holder berth is vacated, "adaptive re-balancing" will start from the third qualifying round (Champions Path), whose draw will be held on 31 August 2020, and the following changes to the access list will be made:
- The champions of association 11 (Netherlands), Ajax, will enter the group stage instead of the play-off round (Champions Path).
- The champions of associations 13 and 14 (Czech Republic and Greece), Slavia Prague and Olympiacos, will enter the play-off round (Champions Path) instead of the third qualifying round (Champions Path).
- At the time when the draw for the second qualifying round (League Path) was held on 10 August 2020, it was not certain whether the Europa League title holder berth would be vacated as four of the quarter-finalists of the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bayer Leverkusen, Copenhagen and Basel, did not qualify for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic leagues. Therefore, this draw proceeded as normal per the default access list, and the matches drawn, which will be played on 25–26 August 2020, will not be changed even though after the quarter-finals of the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, which were played on 10–11 August 2020, that it was confirmed all four semi-finalists, Sevilla, Manchester United, Inter Milan and Shakhtar Donetsk, have already qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage via their domestic league, meaning the Europa League title holder berth will certainly be vacated. As a result, "adaptive re-balancing" will start from the third qualifying round (League Path), whose draw will be held on 31 August 2020, and the following changes to the access list will be made:
Teams
In early April 2020, UEFA announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the deadline for entering the tournament had been postponed until further notice.[5] UEFA also sent a letter to all member associations that domestic leagues must be completed in full without ending prematurely in order to qualify for European competitions.[6] After meeting with the 55 UEFA associations on 21 April 2020, UEFA strongly recommended them to finish domestic top league and cup competitions, although in some special cases where it is not possible, UEFA would develop guidelines concerning participation in its club competitions in case of a cancelled league or cup.[7][8] After the UEFA Executive Committee meeting on 23 April 2020, UEFA announced that if a domestic competition is prematurely terminated for legitimate reasons in accordance with conditions related to public health or economic problems, the national associations concerned are required to select their participating teams for the 2020–21 UEFA club competitions based on sporting merit in the 2019–20 domestic competitions, and UEFA reserves the right to refuse their admission if UEFA deems the termination of the competitions not legitimate, or the selection procedure not objective, transparent and non-discriminatory, or the team is perceived by the public as qualifying unfairly. A suspended domestic competition may also be restarted with a different format from the original one in a manner which would still facilitate qualification on sporting merit.[9][10] All leagues should communicate to UEFA by 25 May 2020 whether they intend to restart their competitions,[11] but this deadline was later extended. On 17 June 2020, UEFA announced that associations must enter their teams by 3 August 2020.[1]
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:
- TH: Champions League title holders
- EL: Europa League title holders
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.: League positions of the previous season
- Abd-: League positions of abandoned season due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe as determined by the national association; all teams are subject to approval by UEFA as per the guidelines for entry to European competitions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
The second qualifying round, third qualifying round and play-off round are divided into Champions Path (CH) and League Path (LP).
Notes
- ^ Azerbaijan (AZE): The 2019–20 Azerbaijan Premier League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Azerbaijan. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Qarabağ (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan, entering the first qualifying round.[13]
- ^ Belgium (BEL): The 2019–20 Belgian First Division A was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium. The top two teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Club Brugge (who were declared champions) and Gent, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Royal Belgian Football Association, entering the group stage and third qualifying round respectively.[14]
- ^ Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH): The 2019–20 Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Sarajevo (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entering the first qualifying round.[15]
- ^ Cyprus (CYP): The 2019–20 Cypriot First Division was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cyprus. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Omonia, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Cyprus Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.[16]
- ^ England (ENG): Manchester City, the second-placed team of the 2019–20 Premier League, qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League group stage, but were banned from all UEFA club competitions for the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body on 14 February 2020 due to breaches of the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations.[17] However, Manchester City appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[18] and on 13 July 2020, it was announced that the ban on them participating in UEFA club competitions was overturned and they can play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League.[19]
- ^ France (FRA): The 2019–20 Ligue 1 was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in France. The top three teams of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per matches played for each team, Paris Saint-Germain (who were declared champions), Marseille and Rennes, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the French Football Federation, entering the group stage.[20]
- ^ Gibraltar (GIB): The 2019–20 Gibraltar National League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Gibraltar. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Europa, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Gibraltar Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.[21]
- ^ Luxembourg (LUX): The 2019–20 Luxembourg National Division was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Luxembourg. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Fola Esch, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Luxembourg Football Federation, entering the first qualifying round.[22]
- ^ Malta (MLT): The 2019–20 Maltese Premier League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Malta. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Floriana (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Malta Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.[23]
- ^ Montenegro (MNE): The 2019–20 Montenegrin First League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Montenegro. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Budućnost Podgorica (who were already assured of the title by then and were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Football Association of Montenegro, entering the first qualifying round.[24]
- ^ Netherlands (NED): The 2019–20 Eredivisie was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands. The top two teams of the league at the time of the abandonment, Ajax and AZ, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Royal Dutch Football Association, entering the play-off round and second qualifying round respectively.[25]
- ^ North Macedonia (MKD): The 2019–20 Macedonian First Football League was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North Macedonia. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Vardar (who were declared champions), failed to obtain a UEFA licence, and as a result, the second-placed team, Sileks, were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Football Federation of North Macedonia, entering the first qualifying round.[26]
- ^ Northern Ireland (NIR): The 2019–20 NIFL Premiership was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonement, Linfield (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Irish Football Association, entering the preliminary round.[27]
- ^ San Marino (SMR): The 2019–20 Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in San Marino. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment, Tre Fiori (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the San Marino Football Federation, entering the preliminary round.[28]
- ^ Scotland (SCO): The 2019–20 Scottish Premiership was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Scotland. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per matches played for each team, Celtic (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Scottish Football Association, entering the first qualifying round.[29]
- ^ Turkey (TUR): Trabzonspor, the second-placed team of the 2019–20 Süper Lig, would have qualified for the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round, but were banned from all UEFA club competitions for the 2020–21 season by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body on 3 June 2020 due to breaches of the UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations.[30] Trabzonspor appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,[31] but on 30 July 2020, it was announced that the ban on them participating in UEFA club competitions was upheld.[32] As a result, Beşiktaş, the third-placed team, qualified for this berth.
- ^ Wales (WAL): The 2019–20 Cymru Premier was abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. The top team of the league at the time of the abandonment based on the average number of points per matches played for each team, Connah's Quay Nomads (who were declared champions), were selected to play in the 2020–21 UEFA Champions League by the Football Association of Wales, entering the first qualifying round.[33]
Schedule
The schedule of the competition is as follows (all draws are held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, unless stated otherwise).[34] The tournament would originally have started in June 2020, but had been delayed to August due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.[35] The new schedule was announced by the UEFA Executive Committee on 17 June 2020.[36]
All qualifying matches, excluding the play-off round, will be played as single leg matches, hosted by one of the teams decided by draw (except the preliminary round which will be played at neutral venue), and will be played behind closed doors.[1][37]
| Phase | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | Preliminary round | 17 July 2020 | 8 August 2020 (semi-final round) | 11 August 2020 (final round) |
| First qualifying round | 9 August 2020 | 18–19 August 2020 | ||
| Second qualifying round | 10 August 2020 | 25–26 August 2020 | ||
| Third qualifying round | 31 August 2020 | 15–16 September 2020 | ||
| Play-off | Play-off round | 1 September 2020 | 22–23 September 2020 | 29–30 September 2020 |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 1 October 2020 (Athens) |
20–21 October 2020 | |
| Matchday 2 | 27–28 October 2020 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 3–4 November 2020 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 24–25 November 2020 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 1–2 December 2020 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 8–9 December 2020 | |||
| Knockout phase | Round of 16 | 14 December 2020 | 16–17 & 23–24 February 2021 | 9–10 & 16–17 March 2021 |
| Quarter-finals | 19 March 2021 | 6–7 April 2021 | 13–14 April 2021 | |
| Semi-finals | 27–28 April 2021 | 4–5 May 2021 | ||
| Final | 29 May 2021 at Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul | |||
The original schedule of the competition, as planned before the pandemic, was as follows (all draws held at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, unless stated otherwise).
| Phase | Round | Draw date | First leg | Second leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualifying | Preliminary round | 9 June 2020 | 23 June 2020 (semi-final round) | 26 June 2020 (final round) |
| First qualifying round | 16 June 2020 | 7–8 July 2020 | 14–15 July 2020 | |
| Second qualifying round | 17 June 2020 | 21–22 July 2020 | 28–29 July 2020 | |
| Third qualifying round | 20 July 2020 | 4–5 August 2020 | 11 August 2020 | |
| Play-off | Play-off round | 3 August 2020 | 18–19 August 2020 | 25–26 August 2020 |
| Group stage | Matchday 1 | 27 August 2020 (Monaco) |
15–16 September 2020 | |
| Matchday 2 | 29–30 September 2020 | |||
| Matchday 3 | 20–21 October 2020 | |||
| Matchday 4 | 3–4 November 2020 | |||
| Matchday 5 | 24–25 November 2020 | |||
| Matchday 6 | 8–9 December 2020 | |||
| Knockout phase | Round of 16 | 14 December 2020 | 16–17 & 23–24 February 2021 | 9–10 & 16–17 March 2021 |
| Quarter-finals | 19 March 2021 | 6–7 April 2021 | 13–14 April 2021 | |
| Semi-finals | 27–28 April 2021 | 4–5 May 2021 | ||
| Final | 29 May 2021 at Krestovsky Stadium, Saint Petersburg | |||
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, the following special rules are applicable to the qualifying phase and play-offs:[38]
- Prior to each draw, UEFA will publish the list of known travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. All teams must inform UEFA if there are other existing restrictions other than those published. If a team fails to do so which as a consequence the match cannot take place, the team is considered responsible and to have forfeited the match.
- If travel restrictions imposed by the home team's country prevent the away team from entering, the home team must propose an alternative venue that allows the match to take place without any restrictions. Otherwise they are considered to have forfeited the match.
- If travel restrictions imposed by the away team's country prevent the away team from leaving or returning, the home team must propose an alternative venue that allows the match to take place without any restrictions. Otherwise UEFA will decide on a venue.
- If after the draw, new restrictions imposed by either the home team's or away team's country prevent the match from taking place, the team of that country are considered to have forfeited the match.
- If either team refuses to play the match, they are considered to have forfeited the match. If both teams refuse to play or are responsible for a match not taking place, both teams are disqualified.
- If a team has players and/or officials tested positive for SARS-2 coronavirus preventing them from playing the match before the deadline set by UEFA, they are considered to have forfeited the match.
- In all cases, the two teams may agree to play the match at the away team's country or at a neutral country, subject to UEFA's approval. UEFA has the final authority to decide on a venue for any match, or to reschedule any match if necessary.
- If, for any reason, the qualifying phase and play-offs cannot be completed before the deadline set by UEFA, UEFA will decide on the principles for determining the teams qualified for the group stage.
Four countries (Poland, Hungary, Greece and Cyprus) have provided neutral venue hubs which allow matches to be played at their stadiums without restrictions.[39]
Preliminary round
The draw for the preliminary round was held on 17 July 2020, 12:00 CEST.[40] The semi-finals were played on 8 August at the Colovray Stadium in Nyon, Switzerland.[41] The final was due to be played at the same venue on 11 August but the match was cancelled after two players from Drita tested positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and Linfield were awarded a technical 3–0 win.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
Tre Fiori  |
0–2 |  |
Drita  |
2–1 |  |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Drita |
0–3 (awd.)[upper-alpha 1] | |
- The preliminary round final between Drita and Linfield, originally scheduled to be played on 11 August 2020, could not be played due to two players from Drita testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole team being put into quarantine by the Swiss authorities.[42][43] Linfield were subsequently awarded a technical 3–0 victory.[44][45]
The losers of both semi-final and final rounds will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.
Qualifying rounds
Note: All qualified teams below are listed with their 2020 UEFA club coefficients (CC),[46] updated after 2019–20 UEFA Champions/Europa League matches through 15 August 2020. Club coefficients which are not final and may increase are marked by ≥. For any team whose club coefficients are not final at the time of a draw, their club coefficients at that time (taking into account of all Champions/Europa League matches played up to that point) will be used (Regulations Article 13.03).[2]
First qualifying round
The draw for the first qualifying round was held on 9 August 2020, 12:00 CEST.[47] The matches will be played on 18 and 19 August 2020.
The losers will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League second qualifying round.
Second qualifying round
The draw for the second qualifying round was held on 10 August 2020, 12:00 CEST.[48] The matches will be played on 25 and 26 August 2020.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Winners of match 9 | 25/26 Aug (1) |  |
Young Boys  |
26 Aug (2) | Winners of match 17 |
| Winners of match 2 | 25/26 Aug (3) | Winners of match 1 |
| Winners of match 15 | 25/26 Aug (4) | Winners of match 10 |
| Winners of match 3 | 25/26 Aug (5) | Winners of match 8 |
| Winners of match 16 | 25/26 Aug (6) | Winners of match 14 |
| Winners of match 7 | 25/26 Aug (7) |  |
| Winners of match 13 | 25/26 Aug (8) | Winners of match 5 |
| Winners of match 11 | 25/26 Aug (9) | Winners of match 4 |
| Winners of match 12 | 25/26 Aug (10) | Winners of match 6 |
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
AZ  |
26 Aug (1) |  |
PAOK  |
25 Aug (2) |  |
| Lokomotiva |
26 Aug (3) |  |
The losers of the Champions Path will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (Champions Path), and the losers of the League Path will enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (Main Path).
Third qualifying round
A total of 16 or 18 teams are expected to play in the third qualifying round, depending on the results of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League. They are divided into two paths:
- Champions Path (10 or 12 teams): 0 or 2 teams which enter in this round, and 10 winners of the second qualifying round (Champions Path), depending on the results of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League.
- League Path (6 teams): 3 teams which enter in this round, and 3 winners of the second qualifying round (League Path).
Seeding of teams is based on their 2020 UEFA club coefficients.[46] The first team drawn in each tie will be the home team.
Note: As the draw for the third qualifying round will be held after the matches of the second qualifying round are played, the seeding will be confirmed after the second qualifying round.
Champions Path
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Seeded teams:
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Seeding TBD:
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- If Lyon do not win the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, due to "adaptive re-balancing", Slavia Prague and Olympiacos will be moved to the play-off round (Champions Path).[2]
League Path
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Seeded teams:
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Seeding TBD: Unseeded teams:
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Play-off round
A total of 12 teams are expected to play in the play-off round. They are divided into two paths:
- Champions Path (8 teams): 2 or 3 teams which enter in this round, and 6 or 5 winners of the third qualifying round (Champions Path), depending on the results of the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League.
- League Path (4 teams): 1 team which enters in this round, and 3 winners of the third qualifying round (League Path).
Seeding of teams is based on their 2020 UEFA club coefficients.[46] For the winners of the third qualifying round (whose identity is not known at the time of draw), the club coefficient of the highest-ranked remaining team in each tie is used. The first team drawn in each tie will be the home team of the first leg.
Note: As the draw for the play-off round will be held after the matches of the second qualifying round are played, the seeding will be confirmed after the second qualifying round.
Champions Path
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Seeded teams:
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Seeding TBD:
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- If Lyon do not win the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, due to "adaptive re-balancing", Ajax will be moved to the group stage, and Slavia Prague and Olympiacos will be moved to the play-off round (Champions Path).[2]
League Path
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Seeded teams:
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Unseeded teams:
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Group stage
A total of 32 teams play in the group stage: 26 teams which enter in this stage, and the six winners of the play-off round (four from Champions Path, two from League Path).
The 32 teams are drawn into eight groups of four, with the restriction that teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other. For the draw, the teams are seeded into four pots based on the following principles (introduced starting 2015–16 season):[49][50]
- Pot 1 contains the Champions League and Europa League title holders, and the champions of the top six associations based on their 2019 UEFA country coefficients.[3] If either or both title holders were one of the champions of the top six associations, the champions of the next highest ranked association(s) are also seeded into Pot 1.
- Pot 2, 3 and 4 contain the remaining teams, seeded based on their 2020 UEFA club coefficients.[46]
In each group, teams play against each other home-and-away in a round-robin format. The group winners and runners-up advance to the round of 16, while the third-placed teams enter the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League round of 32.
The youth teams of the clubs that qualify for the group stage also participate in the 2020–21 UEFA Youth League on the same matchdays, where they compete in the UEFA Champions League Path (the youth domestic champions of the top 32 associations compete in a separate Domestic Champions Path until the play-offs).
İstanbul Başakşehir and Rennes will make their debut appearances in the group stage.
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- If Lyon do not win the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League, Ajax will be moved to the group stage, and will be seeded in Pot 2 or 3.
- The Europa League title holders, which will be either Sevilla, Manchester United, Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk, will be in Pot 1.
- Porto will be in Pot 1 if Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain win the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League.
- RB Leipzig will be in Pot 1 if they win the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League.
See also
References
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