Seeding in the Champions League 2003/2004

UEFA European Cup Football
by Bert Kassies

This page shows the list of seeded and unseeded teams for draws in the first rounds of the Champions League 2003/2004. The UEFA Team Ranking of 2003 determines the seeding of the teams in the tables below.

The clubs defeated in the first and second qualifying rounds are eliminated from the competition. The 16 clubs defeated in the third qualifying round are entitled to play in the first round of the current UEFA Cup. For the qualifying rounds, a draw between the same number of seeded and unseeded clubs determines the pairings.

1st Qualifying Round (20 teams)

Seeded teams                   coef.     Unseeded teams                 coef.
------------------------ --- -------     ------------------------ --- -------
HJK Helsinki             Fin  10.604     BATE Borisov             Bls   1.708
Skonto Riga              Lat   6.332     Sliema Wanderers         Mlt   1.499
Omonia Nicosia           Cyp   5.082     Pyunik Yerevan           Arm   1.082
Bohemians Dublin         Irl   3.665     Barry Town               Wal   1.082
Sheriff Tiraspol         Mol   2.916     SK Tirana                Alb   0.915
Dinamo Tbilisi           Geo   2.833     Flora Tallinn            Est   0.832
Leotar Trebinje          Bos   2.166     Glentoran                Nir   0.749
FBK Kaunas               Lit   1.999     CS Grevenmacher          Lux   0.666
KR Reykjavik             Isl   1.749     HB Torshavn              Far   0.582
Vardar Skopje            Mac   1.748     Irtysh Pavlodar          Kaz   0.250

Unseeded teams in the 1st qualification round that qualify for the next round take the coefficient of their opponent: Sliema Wanderers replaced the seeded team Skonto Riga (6.332), SK Tirana replaced the seeded team Dinamo Tbilisi (2.833), and Pyunik Yerevan replaced the seeded team KR Reykjavik (1.749).

At the time of the draw the champion of Denmark was unknown. But nevertheless the champion was seeded on the value of the minimum coefficient of the two candidates: FC København and Brøndby IF.

2nd Qualifying Round (28 teams)

Seeded teams                   coef.     Unseeded teams                 coef.
------------------------ --- -------     ------------------------ --- -------
Celtic                   Sco  57.187     Djurgårdens IF           Swe  11.795
Anderlecht               Bel  49.250     Rapid Bucuresti          Rom  11.478
Slavia Praha             Cze  48.975     HJK Helsinki *           Fin  10.604
Rosenborg BK             Nor  42.787     NK Maribor               Slo   8.666
Wisla Kraków             Pol  33.812     MSK Zilina               Svk   6.832
Dinamo Zagreb            Cro  32.312     Sliema Wanderers *       Mlt   6.332
Grazer AK                Aut  26.687     Omonia Nicosia *         Cyp   5.082
Shakhtar Donetsk         Ukr  22.291     Bohemians Dublin *       Irl   3.665
Partizan Belgrade        Srb  20.915     Sheriff Tiraspol *       Mol   2.916
FC København             Den  20.687     SK Tirana *              Alb   2.833
Maccabi Tel-Aviv         Isr  18.999     Leotar Trebinje *        Bos   2.166
CSKA Sofia               Bul  18.332     FBK Kaunas *             Lit   1.999
MTK Budapest             Hun  13.395     Pyunik Yerevan *         Arm   1.749
CSKA Moscow              Rus  12.520     Vardar Skopje *          Mac   1.748

Unseeded teams in the 2nd qualification round that qualify for the next round take the coefficient of their opponent: MSK Zilina replaced the seeded team Maccabi Tel-Aviv (18.999), and Vardar Skopje replaced the seeded team CSKA Moscow (12.520).
In the 3rd qualifying round teams from the same country cannot play against each other.

3rd Qualifying Round (32 teams)

Seeded teams                   coef.     Unseeded teams                 coef.
------------------------ --- -------     ------------------------ --- -------
Lazio Roma               Ita 106.155     Slavia Praha **          Cze  48.975
Deportivo La Coruña      Esp  98.769     Club Brugge              Bel  44.250
Celta de Vigo            Esp  86.769     Rosenborg BK **          Nor  42.787
Galatasaray              Tur  78.495     Wisla Kraków **          Pol  33.812
Borussia Dortmund        Ger  70.566     Grasshopper-Club Zürich  Sui  33.125
Chelsea                  Eng  70.170     Dinamo Zagreb **         Cro  32.312
Celtic **                Sco  57.187     Benfica                  Por  30.791
AEK Athens               Gre  56.391     Grazer AK **             Aut  26.687
Dinamo Kiev              Ukr  55.291     Shakhtar Donetsk **      Ukr  22.291
Ajax                     Ned  54.749     Partizan Belgrade **     Srb  20.915
Newcastle United         Eng  51.170     FC København **          Den  20.687
Glasgow Rangers          Sco  50.187     MSK Zilina **            Svk  18.999
Sparta Praha             Cze  49.975     CSKA Sofia **            Bul  18.332
Olympique Marseille      Fra  49.734     Austria Wien             Aut  13.687
Lokomotiv Moscow         Rus  49.520     MTK Budapest **          Hun  13.395
Anderlecht **            Bel  49.250     Vardar Skopje *          Mac  12.520

Once the third qualifying round has been completed, the 32 remaining clubs are drawn into eight groups of four. For the draw of the group stage, the 32 teams are divided into four pots. Pot 1 will comprise last year's title holders and the top seven clubs in the team ranking. Pot 2 will comprise the following eight clubs in the rankings, and so on. Each group in the group stage will contain one team of each pot. But it takes a very complicated draw procedure (see last year's draw procedure) to determine to which group a particular team is allocated. One objective of the draw is that teams from the same country cannot not be drawn into the same group.

Group Stage (32 teams)

Pot 1                          coef.     Pot 2                          coef.
------------------------ --- -------     ------------------------ --- -------
AC Milan (TH)            Ita  97.155     Internazionale           Ita  93.155
Real Madrid              Esp 151.769     FC Porto                 Por  86.791
Manchester United        Eng 136.170     Celta de Vigo ***        Esp  86.769
Bayern München           Ger 124.566     Galatasaray ***          Tur  78.495
Lazio Roma ***           Ita 106.155     Olympique Lyon           Fra  76.734
Arsenal                  Eng 105.170     Panathinaikos            Gre  72.391
Juventus                 Ita 100.155     Chelsea ***              Eng  70.170
Deportivo La Coruña ***  Esp  98.769     PSV Eindhoven            Ned  60.749

Pot 3                          coef.     Pot 4                          coef.
------------------------ --- -------     ------------------------ --- -------
Celtic **                Sco  57.187     VfB Stuttgart            Ger  49.566
AEK Athens ***           Gre  56.391     Lokomotiv Moscow ***     Rus  49.520
Dinamo Kiev ***          Ukr  55.291     Anderlecht **            Bel  49.250
Ajax ***                 Ned  54.749     Real Sociedad            Esp  47.769
Olympiakos Piraeus       Gre  54.391     AS Monaco                Fra  45.734
Glasgow Rangers ***      Sco  50.187     Club Brugge ***          Bel  44.250
Sparta Praha ***         Cze  49.975     Besiktas                 Tur  33.495
Olympique Marseille ***  Fra  49.734     Partizan Belgrade **     Srb  20.915

The eight group-winners and eight runners-up of the group stage qualify for the second round. The clubs that finish this stage in third position in their group move into the third round of the current UEFA Cup. The clubs that finish this stage in fourth position in their group are eliminated.

The draw for the 2nd round takes the following rules into account:
a) Clubs from the same association must not be drawn against each other,
b) The winners and runners-up of the same group must not be drawn against each other,
c) The group winners must not be drawn against each other,
d) The runners up must not be drawn against each other,
e) The runners up must play the first leg at home.
The group winners are seeded above the runners-up.

Round 2 (16 teams)

Seeded pot                                       Unseeded pot
------------------------ ---                     ------------------------ ---
Olympique Lyon           Fra                     Bayern München           Ger
Arsenal                  Eng                     Lokomotiv Moscow ***     Rus
AS Monaco                Fra                     Deportivo La Coruña ***  Esp
Juventus                 Ita                     Real Sociedad            Esp
Manchester United        Eng                     VfB Stuttgart            Ger
Real Madrid              Esp                     FC Porto                 Por
Chelsea ***              Eng                     Sparta Praha ***         Cze
AC Milan (TH)            Ita                     Celta de Vigo ***        Esp

For the draw of the quarter-finals and semi-finals no clubs will be seeded.

KEY:
*   = team started in 1st qualification round
**  = team started in 2nd qualification round
*** = team started in 3rd qualification round