When are the draws for the Champions League?

How are the UEFA Champions League's draws for the group stages decided?

• Answer:

  CL - Champions League GS - Group Stage Association refers to a country affiliated with UEFA. Currently, there are 53 After the 32 teams have been finalised for the GS participation, they are ranked according to their UEFA Club Coefficient accumulated over the course of last five years. (For an overview, UEFA Club Coefficient system is designed to rank a club based on the basis of it's performance in UEFA club competitions and in the UEFA association(i.e. country) it plays in.) After ranking(this rank is not the actual UEFA club rank but the rank among the 32 GS participants), the 32 clubs are divided into four Pots numbered 1 to 4, with Pot 1 containing top ranked 1-8, Pot 2 9-16 and so on. Please note that 'defending champions' are ranked 1 among the GS participants and hence, are always part of Pot 1 whatever their coefficients/league position. Rules : 1. There are 8 groups, each of 4 teams, starting from A to H with a team from each Pot. That is the Pots are exclusive. E.g. A Pot 1 team cannot be drawn against another Pot 1 team. 2. Two teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other in GS. (This rule is also true for Round of 16 but is abandoned for stages QFs and ahead.) 3. If there are two teams from one association, they are paired so that they play on different days(Tue/Wed. Also one team plays at home and and the other away in a MatchDay). TV audience/Market pool distribution brings in this rule. If three teams are there from one association, top two ranked in terms of their National TV Market appeal are paired together with third left alone. If four teams are there from one association, two pairs are made according to the National TV Market appeal they command. Group A to D and E to H are assigned a colour each, usually Red and Blue respectively. The paired teams go into different coloured groups. That is if one team from the pair is in Group C then other team is ineligible for Groups A, B and D and shall play in any group E to H according to eligibility influenced by other rules. Now the draw procedure : Please not that at all times a team should be drawn into a Group in such a way so that none of the above mentioned rules should be breached. 1. Firstly, Pot 1 teams are randomly drawn into different groups. 2. Similarly Pot 2, then Pot 3 teams and Pot 4 teams are drawn into the groups. Illustration : Take this year's draw as an example. Pairs were Bayern & Dortmund, Leverkusen & Schalke, Juve & Milan, ManU & Arsenal, ManC & Chelsea, RM & Barcelona, Atletico Madrid & Real Sociedad, Zenit & CSKA Moscow, Porto & Benfica. If you were to watch the groups(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_UEFA_Champions_League_group_stage), you'd notice that all rules have been followed. Try checking it.