FAN PRO JERSEY · CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 26/27
Champions League 26/27: The Draw, Decoded
Last night in Monaco, thirty-six clubs learned their Champions League future. The league phase draw took about an hour — here is what it actually means, without the ceremony.
How it works
The 36 clubs were split into four pots of nine, seeded by coefficient. Every club plays two opponents from each pot — one at home, one away — and nobody faces a team from their own country. All 36 clubs then sit in one giant league table.
When the league phase ends in January: the top eight go straight to the round of 16. Clubs finishing 9th to 24th play a two-legged play-off for the other eight places. The bottom twelve are simply out — their European season ends in January.
What the pots tell us
Pot 1 this year: Paris — top seed as holders — joined by Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Inter, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona and Atlético. Being in pot 1 matters less than it looks: everyone plays two pot 1 teams anyway. The real lottery is in pot 4, where one kind draw can be worth four or five points.
The first matches are played on 8–10 September, with the full fixture list published by Saturday. From then on it is two Champions League nights a month, every month, until January.
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Home, away and third shirts for the 26/27 European season, with personalisation on most of them.
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The 26/27 Club Kit Guide Retro reds, a bruised banana and the loudest third kits in years.New shirts land every week.
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