The 2021–22 UEFA Champions League is the 67th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organized by UEFA and the 30th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. Thursday 26 Sept sees the group stage draw for the 2021/22 competition taking place in Istanbul where the 32 participants will discover their opponents.

For the first time since 1965, there will be no away goals tiebreaker used in the knockout rounds of UEFA competitions, including the Champions League, after it was abolished in June 2021. Series that are tied on aggregate goals after the conclusion of the second leg will go straight to extra time and, if necessary, a penalty-kick shootout.

Photo: AS English

UEFA Champions League clubs by country

No. of Teams	Country	Qualified Teams
5	Spain	Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Villarreal
4	England	Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea
4	Germany	Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, VfL Wolfsburg
4	Italy	Inter Milan, Atalanta, AC Milan, Juventus
3	Portugal	Sporting CP, Porto, Benfica
2	France	LOSC Lille, Paris Saint-Germain
2	Ukraine	Dynamo Kiev, Shakhtar Donetsk
1	Austria	RB Salzburg
1	Belgium	Club Brugge
1	Moldova	Sheriff Tiraspol
1	Netherlands	Ajax
1	Russia	Zenit St. Petersburg
1	Sweden	Malmo FF
1	Switzerland	BSC Young Boys
1	Turkey	Besiktas

UEFA Champions League 2021–22 teams by groups (Photo: AS English)

Get to know UEFA Champions League 2021–22 teams

1. AC Milan

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 53

How they qualified: Italian runners-up

Last season: UEFA Europa League round of 16 (L 1-2agg vs Man. United)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1962/63, 1968/69, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1993/94, 2002/03, 2006/07)

Coach: Stefano Pioli

2. Ajax

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 17

How they qualified: Dutch champions

Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League quarter-finals)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1970/71, 1971/72, 1972/73, 1994/95)

Coach: Erik ten Hag

3. Atalanta

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 27

How they qualified: third in Italy

Last season: round of 16 (L 1-4agg vs Real Madrid)

Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (2019/20)

Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini

4. Atlético de Madrid

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 6

How they qualified: Spanish champions

Last season: round of 16 (L 0-3agg vs Chelsea)

Best European Cup performance: runners-up (1973/74, 2013/14, 2015/16)

Coach: Diego Simeone

5. Barcelona

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 4

How they qualified: Third in Spain

Last season: round of 16 (L 2-5agg vs Paris)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1991/92, 2005/06, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2014/15)

Coach: Ronald Koeman

6. Bayern

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 1

How they qualified: German champions

Last season: quarter-finals (L on away goals vs Paris)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1973/74, 1974/75, 1975/76, 2000/01, 2012/13, 2019/20)

Coach: Julian Nagelsmann

7. Benfica

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 24

How they qualified: play-offs (W 2-1agg vs PSV Eindhoven)

Last season: third qualifying round (L 1-2 vs PAOK)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1960/61, 1961/62)

Coach: Jorge Jesus

8. Beşiktaş

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 30

How they qualified: Turkish champions

Last season: UEFA Europa League third qualifying round (L on penalties vs Rio Ave)

Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (1986/87)

Coach: Sergen Yalçın

Photo: AFP

9. Chelsea

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 11

How they qualified: UEFA Champions League winners

Last season: winners (W 1-0 vs Man. City)

Best European Cup performance: winners (2011/12, 2020/21)

Coach: Thomas Tuchel

10. Club Brugge

UEFA coefficient ranking: 41

How they qualified: Belgian champions

Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League round of 32)

Best European Cup performance: runners-up (1977/78)

Coach: Philippe Clement

11. Dortmund

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 14

How they qualified: Third in Germany

Last season: quarter-finals (L 2-4agg vs Man. City)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1996/97)

Coach: Marco Rose

12. Dynamo Kyiv

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 31

How they qualified: Ukrainian champions

Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League round of 16)

Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (1976/77, 1986/87, 1998/99)

Coach: Mircea Lucescu

13. Inter

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 26

How they qualified: Italian champions

Last season: group stage (fourth place)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1963/64, 1964/65, 2009/10)

Coach: Simone Inzaghi

14. Juventus

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 5

How they qualified: fourth in Italy

Last season: round of 16 (L on away goals vs Porto)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1984/85, 1995/96)

Coach: Massimiliano Allegri

15. Leipzig

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 21

How they qualified: German runners-up

Last season: round of 16 (L 0-4agg vs Liverpool)

Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (2019/20)

Coach: Jesse Marsch

16. Liverpool

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 9

How they qualified: Third in England

Last season: quarter-finals (L 1-3agg vs Real Madrid)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1976/77, 1977/78, 1980/81, 1983/84, 2004/05, 2018/19)

Coach: Jürgen Klopp

Photo: Skysports

17. LOSC

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 109

How they qualified: French champions

Last season: UEFA Europa League round of 32 (L 2-4agg vs Ajax)

Best European Cup performance: round of 16 (2006/07)

Coach: Jocelyn Gourvennec

18. Malmö

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 88

How they qualified: play-offs (W 3-2agg vs Ludogorets)

Last season: UEFA Europa League play-offs (L 1-3 vs Granada)

Best European Cup performance: runners-up (1978/79)

Coach: Jon Dahl Tomasson

19. Manchester City

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 3

How they qualified: English champions

Last season: runners-up (L 0-1 vs Chelsea)

Best European Cup performance: runners-up (2020/21)

Coach: Josep Guardiola

20. Manchester United

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 7

How they qualified: English runners-up

Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League runners-up)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1967/68, 1998/99, 2007/08)

Coach: Ole Gunnar Solskjær

21. Paris Saint-Germain

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 8

How they qualified: French runners-up

Last season: semi-finals (L 1-4agg vs Man. City)

Best European Cup performance: runners-up (2019/20)

Coach: Mauricio Pochettino

22. Porto

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 16

How they qualified: Portuguese runners-up

Last season: quarter-finals (L 1-2agg vs Chelsea)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1986/87, 2003/04)

Coach: Sérgio Conceição

23. Real Madrid

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 2

How they qualified: Spanish runners-up

Last season: semi-finals (L 1-3agg vs Chelsea)

Best European Cup performance: winners (1955/56, 1956/57, 1957/58, 1958/59, 1959/60, 1965/66, 1997/98, 1999/2000, 2001/02, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18)

Coach: Carlo Ancelotti

24. Salzburg

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 23

How they qualified: play-offs (W 4-2agg vs Brøndby)

Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League round of 32)

Best European Cup performance: group stage (1994/95, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22)

Coach: Matthias Jaissle

Photo: Fear The Wall

25. Sevilla

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 12

How they qualified: fourth in Spain

Last season: round of 16 (L 4-5agg vs Dortmund)

Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (1957/58, 2017/18)

Coach: Julen Lopetegui

26. Shakhtar Donetsk

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 18

How they qualified: play-offs (W 3-2agg vs Monaco)

Last season: group stage (UEFA Europa League round of 16)

Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (2010/11)

Coach: Roberto De Zerbi

27. Sheriff

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 108

How they qualified: play-offs (W 3-0agg vs Dinamo Zagreb)

Last season: second qualifying round (L 1-2 vs Qarabağ)

Best European Cup performance: group stage (2021/22)

Coach: Yuriy Vernydub

28. Sporting CP

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 32

How they qualified: Portuguese champions

Last season: UEFA Europa League play-offs (L 1-4 vs LASK)

Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (1982/83)

Coach: Rúben Amorim

29. Villarreal

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 22

How they qualified: UEFA Europa League winners

Last season: UEFA Europa League winners (W on penalties vs Man. United)

Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (2005/06)

Coach: Unai Emery

30. Wolfsburg

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 103

How they qualified: fourth in Germany

Last season: UEFA Europa League play-offs (L 1-2 vs AEK Athens)

Best European Cup performance: quarter-finals (2015/16)

Coach: Mark van Bommel

31. Young Boys

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 42

How they qualified: play-offs (W 6-4agg vs Ferencváros)

Last season: third qualifying round (L 0-3 vs Midtjylland)

Best European Cup performance: semi-finals (1958/59)

Coach: David Wagner

32. Zenit

UEFA coefficient ranking (end of 2020/21): 28

How they qualified: Russian champions

Last season: group stage (fourth place)

Best European Cup performance: round of 16 (2011/12, 2013/14, 2015/16)

Coach: Sergei Semak

Champions League 2021/22 key dates Once the 32 sides are known, their current UEFA coefficient will determine which of the four pots they will be placed in. At present only Pot 1 has been confirmed with Pot 1 containing the UEFA Champions League holders, the UEFA Europa League holders, and the champions of the top six-ranked associations (Spain, England, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal), according to AS. The group stage will commence in September with all 32 sides setting their sights on the 28 May (2022) final that will be staged in Saint Petersburg (Russia). The draw for the Round of 16 will be staged on 13 December with the competition resuming on February 15. The semi-finals will be staged on 26/27 April with the return legs on 3/4 May.

How to watch the UEFA Champions League The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League will be carried in the United States by CBS (English) and Univision (Spanish), according to Sporting News. Dates: 29 matchdays from Sept. 2021-May 2022 TV Channels: CBS, CBS Sports Network-CBSSN (select matches only) Spanish-language TV: Univision, TUDN, UniMas, Galavision Streaming (English): Paramount+ Streaming (Spanish): PrendeTV, TUDN.tv (authenticated users)

Champions League 2021/22: Full Fixtures and Winners Predictions If you’re a football fanatic, you might not want to miss this full fixture and winner predictions of the Champions League 2021/22 as mentioned below

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