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The Champions League was revamped before the 2024-25 season with a new 36-team league phase.

In the expanded tournament each side plays eight different teams - four at home and four away - in the league phase.

Teams who finish in the top eight automatically qualify for the last 16, while those placing ninth to 24th will compete in a two-legged knockout play-off for the chance to join them.

Sides who finish 25th or lower will be eliminated - and will not drop into the Europa League.

Last season Liverpool topped the table with 21 points, while Arsenal and Aston Villa also made the top eight.

Celtic, Newcastle and Manchester City progressed to the play-off round, as did 24th-placed Club Brugge with just 11 points.

From the last 16 onwards, the Champions League will continue to follow its previous format, with a series of two-legged knockout games culminating in the final on Saturday, 30 May in Budapest.

As was the case last season, there will be no away goals rule.

Clubs finishing in the top eight of the league phase will be seeded and drawn against the winners of the knockout play-offs in the last 16.

The top-eight finishers will all play their second legs at home.

Starting with pot one, one physical ball will be drawn before the automated software – already in use last year – draws eight opponents for them, taking into account the following factors:

• Two teams from each of the four pots, with one home and one away match against teams from each pot drawn by the software.
• No teams from the same association will be drawn against each other.
• No more than two opponents from the same football association.

This same procedure is repeated for all other teams until all pairings have been drawn.

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Decent new match ball for this season's competition.

At £130 a pop I'm not sure I'll see too many of these knocking around when I started watching kids grassroots football again in a couple of weeks.

Still a nice little prop to leave for a kick around near the stage if there are any special guests for this draw.

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The 2025-26 Champions League will feature a record number of six Premier League clubs.

In England's top flight, the teams who finish in the top four are always guaranteed spots in the following year's Champions League.

In 2024-25, those were: Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City & Chelsea.

Newcastle United finished fifth in the Premier League but still secured their place due to the competition’s European Performance Spots (EPS).

The EPS are awarded to the football associations with the highest coefficient come the end of the season’s Uefa competitions (2024–25 in the case of the Magpies). They have qualified directly for the league phase thanks to the displays of English sides on the continent last term.

And finally Tottenham Hotspur, despite finishing 17th in the Premier League - also qualified for this season's Champions League.

Their 1-0 victory against Manchester United in the Europa League final in May saw them secure their spot.

The league phase of the Champions League gets up and running in just over two weeks.

Matchday one: 16–18 September Matchday two: 30 September –1 October Matchday three: 21-22 OctoberMatchday four: 4-5 November Matchday five: 25-26 November Matchday six: 9-10 December Matchday seven: 20-21 January Matchday eight: 28 January

In a nutshell, the early results really don't matter a great deal. If you win the opening game or two you've got a great chance of going through.

If you lose or draw... you've still got a great chance of going through to at least the knockout playoff phase in February.

If you are one of Europe's big clubs the new format, which was also in place last term, makes it pretty difficult to not have something to play for come January.

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Welcome to our coverage of the Champions League draw.

Monaco is famous for its wealth and glamour so it seems apt that the draw for Europe's elite club competition is taking place here.

The 36 teams participating are all waiting to learn their fate having been split into four pots based on their coefficient ranking.

So basically heavyweights like the reigning champions, Paris St-Germain, are in pot one alongside the likes of Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Anyone else excited to see who is playing who?

It is time to get this show on the road.